rain delay...

this is as far as they got today but you can see it starting to take form...

rain should be out of here by midnight, so they will be back tomorrow...

our peonies...

the drought has been hard on many things...

we will dead head these this weekend...

no amount of rain will help now...

there are many buds that never got the chance to open...

expected rainfall is only 1/2 and inch...

could use a lot more, but we will take what we can get...

I can't believe this week is almost up...

have no clue where it has gone...

it has really cooled down here...

55 this morning and the highs in the mid 60s...

had to dig in the closet for long sleeves this morning...

sure has been a weird year...

well, got things to get caught up on and DH will be home in a bit...

more later...

we have a deck...

no roof or railings yet...

they left here about 1 to go get the supplies for the roof and will be back tomorrow if it doesn't rain...

roof next and then the rails...

they got the steps put back and they are solid again...

we so need to paint this thing...

can't paint the deck for a year...

yuccas are blooming now...

too early...

they are going to do all of that...

replace the white thing up above on the right that came off in a storm...

switch the back storm door with the front one and level it up again...

and  move the outside light down past the window on the right so the bugs aren't right by the door when you come in...

it will also light up the steps and entry area a lot better...

so, there you go...

I'm heading for a nap...

pupt out early today...

;)

its going...

the guys took off for lunch and I stepped out and took a couple shots...

omgosh!

can't wait for them to start on the roof...

more later..

Day 1 is over...

ok, so here it is so far...

it is so big!

I am going to need the wheel chair to get to the other end and back...

we got a tenth of an inch of rain last night...

not enough to help anything...

and it took them forever to get the holes dug...

they went down 4 feet and never found anything damp...

they found tree roots, a rock and the old underground telephone line...

everything now is run overhead...

the poles are leveled and set in concrete...

80 pounds per hole...

I would think they would be done by the end of the week...

so guess where I will be this weekend...

yep, out there telling my guys where to put things!

Memorial Day...

Happy Memorial Day...

always remembering the ones who gave it all and the ones who fought and are still fighting for our freedom...

doing better today...

lavender and mums...

slow starting but tackled...

and I mean tackled...

the hall way and Craig's bathroom today...

but this morning I ate breakfast outside...

looking at these...

there it is, I think as far as its going to open...

I love this tiny little pink rose...

she is so pretty and old fashioned looking...

this is our new picnic table...

6 foot...

love it...

and it folds up to store...

roses are blooming in the mother's garden...

just in time for them if they come to visit...

the lilies have just exploded the last couple of days by the shed...

love these, too...

I wonder what will happen to all of this when we are gone...

will someone else come along and love them too?

the yard is dying...

so brown...

we are so in need of rain...

we have a chance this week, but not a good one...

we have another day of 90s...

all weekend of it...

pppffffff...

that's what I think of that...

cooler tomorrow, though...

but we have no humidity so no heat advisories...

yeah...

I can handle dry heat...

we are staying in between 2-5pm...

walking after dark is more fun anyway...

Bleu Belle is doing very good...

momma is still hiding on us, but she is eating and drinking...

with us working on that part of house today might have spooked her again...

we have time...

the baby is safe and gaining...

I have scrubbed and scrubbed and I think I over did it- again...

but 6 months ago...

I couldn't have done all of this...

so its a good day...

lost 2 more pounds...

yippee...

so all is well here...

you all have a great rest of the day...

I know most will be heading back to work tomorrow...

I think DH is looking forward to it...

being home too long with us slow folk and all...

but we sure got him to work this time...

;)

Happy Sunday...

I have named her Bleu Belle...

and she is eating so good...

thriving...

peeing...

but not pooping yet...

been a bad day for me...

sick since noon...

and sicker when I ate...

got only half a metformin down but blood sugar is ok...

feels like the flu...

and its 95 here today, so when it hit, I dove back inside...

been in bed most of the time, but finally got a shower a bit ago...

that helped...

hopefully this will be gone when I get up in the morning...

meanwhile...

momma cat is contained in the front bedroom...

with food and all...

so we know where she is and I can work with her in a day or so...

would love for her to calm down a bit...

but she is in the storage room...

she could be anywhere...

;)

oh well, her milk is dried up by now...

but we can still get her back with her baby...

and she can groom if she can't nurse...

the little siamese passed away late last night...

baby pics...

this is the one that didn't make it...

just too anemic...

this one started losing ground in the wee hours this morning...

and every hour is adding to it...

just trying to get enough KMR down but I don't think its going to matter...

its tongue is chalk white...

this is the strongest and so far holding its own...

momma hasn't been out looking for them since last night...

she ran back down the hall...

we put the babies in the bath tub and a little box...

food and water in the floor...

but she didn't come and they started getting cold...

so back to the heating pad in the kennel...

I hate watching the life drain out of these little ones...

the damage is already done, just trying to beat the clock...

started labored breathing on the last feeding...

this is what fleas do to babies...

slowly taking strong kittens...

if momma doesn't nurse them in the next 12  hours, her milk will dry up...

they cry and cry and she won't come to them...

Craig's head...

arm...

and finger from yesterday...

his mouse finger!

gee, maybe he won't be on the computer so much now and he can do more work around here!

DH made the Charleston run this morning and Craig and I went out and weeded some...

dead headed the dianthus and cut it way back...

Beauregard...

fresh from under the deck and bushes...

he's like a dust mop...

spider webs and leaves stick to him well...

you should see us trying to get that all off when he comes in...

some things blooming today...

its hot here...

supposed to cool down by Tuesday...

staying inside during the afternoons...

Craig went to Olive Garden with Chris and his family for supper...

celebrating Chris' birthday...

DH and I are on our computers doing our own thing...

I would bet his is sports related...

thinking about taking a nap until we can go outside again...

have a good day and stay safe and cool...

it was one dinger of a day...

not sure which way is up...

got a call about a momma cat with 3 babies...

she started out with 5...

2 died on the man and he made a call to Jane...

she called me right before noon...

she had called the other day just touching base to see what was up...

I told her I couldn't do any for a couple of weeks with the deck starting and all...

too much noise and confusion for babies...

well, we are just going to have them for a few days...

so I took them...

there is a smokey gray, siamese and a black one...

the black one came in in very bad shape...

we are just to analyze the situation and then send them on with recommendations...

why were they dying?

well, they are completely flea invested...

I have never seen so many fleas on a kitten before in my life...

we thought at first momma's milk wasn't up to par...

but they are fat and sassy...

I stuck the white siamese under the water and it look like a dalmatian...

4 baths later, a small comb, tweezers and the vacuum...

and it was finally de-fleaed...

so started on the black on...

he was very lethargic...

worked on him awhile and set him aside and did the gray one...

went back to the black one and spent the rest of the afternoon on him...

his breathing was labored...

and I knew he wasn't going to make it, but you have to try...

he passed away at 4:30...

the other 2 are doing good...

in the meantime, Craig tried transferring the mother to another kennel to get her out of the house...

until we could advantage her...

she attacked him and got away, lose now in the house...

sitting up waiting for her to join the babies so I can shut the door on the kennel...

she bit him on the side of the head, his index finger straight through from top to bottom and bottom to top...

its on a joint, all swelled up...

and just scratched the holy poop out of his arm, chest and shoulder...

blood was dripping all over and he got so sick...

I know the finger bite hit a nerve...

so Alice is still over whelmed with everything that's going on...

and so scared...

I am never doing another momma and babies!

just the babies...

she still has her front claws...

the fleas are what's killing the babies and not the mom's milk...

her milk seems fine...

fat and very active for having all the fleas...

DH  went onto his company picnic at 4...

Craig and I stayed behind to mend and take care of the babies...

so we missed the cookout at the park...

got food from the diner up town...

so later one this morning...

I need to finish buzzing Craig's head so he doesn't look so goofy...

just buzzed what was needed to check his wounds...

hopefully get Alice back in a kennel and outside...

already salted the carpets and the vacuum cleaner...

you can either put salt in the cup or a flea collar when you kill fleas...

both work...

I will get photos of the babies later and post them...

they are cute as can be...

they are supposed to just be here for the weekend and out by Tuesday when the sawing and banging start...

say a prayer no one else gets mauled and that Alice calms down...

Have a safe weekend...

we owe so much to all of those who gave their lives for us...

may God's grace always bless our land...

busy, busy, busy...

worked on the little bed in front of the shed this morning...

lavender in with the dusty miller...

rose moss...

still waiting on the dusty miller to bloom...

roses and columbine...

lavender started blooming this week...

yellow bird on the bird bath...

this all needs sanded at bit to rough it up some...

but this was the main reason I sat down out here today...

we got a "new" load of old bricks last night...

a guy DH works with was going to throw about 100 of them in the dumpster...

DH said whoa there, pardner...

and brought them home...

so reworked the old ones and double stacked the new ones...

hoping to keep the grass clippings out of the beds...

the BBQ chicken from Monday night was served again last night...

along with au gratin potatoes- homemade...

been busy...

construction guy came by right after lunch and will be starting on Tuesday after the holiday...

yesterday was spent clearing things out of their way...

pulling pavers...

stacking blocks...

hosing it all down and just cleaning the area up...

a tad more to go, but waiting for the mower guy to mow and then we can start pulling the tubs from underneath...

I have had really good days, so taking a slower one today...

sinuses are bothering me again...

we only got a tenth of rain the other night, so things are still dusty and full of pollen...

just got done puppy playing the neighbor dog...

she is gone today so Craig went over and snagged her out of her play pen...

Snikki and Bebe had a ball playing and then he took her back for nap time...

he will go get her out again about 3...

I just took an aspirin and heading for a nap...

have a great day!