Whatever it Takes!

We've been hampered by severe weather all week long, and we're still not through.  Today was really hot and fairly humid as a storm system to the west begins to get itself together. The weathermen are telling us that the ingredients are in place for severe weather on Thursday.  Of course I'm not ready for the possibility of a power-outage, but by the time the storm arrives, we will be.

With the heat, the seniors, like Annie have to be coaxed to go outside, preferring stay inside where it's cool.

Todd on the other hand, being an independent spirit, and not one to follow the crowd, has to be bribed to come back inside!

CarrieAnne however is finding her own relief from the heat.  Long time readers of this blog know that Carrie has her own little private swimming hole in a place that only she knows about.  Since construction began on the house in back of us, she's not slipped away to take a dip to cool off.  But I guess with the heat this evening she just couldn't resist.  She was gone for quite awhile and just as it was getting dark and I started to worry about her, she reappeared, happy and very cool!  

Whatever it takes!!  

Stay safe and cool everyone!  

~Josh~

All That Matters

The weathermen were right and the rain blew out of our corner of Virginia in the early morning hours.  When the sun appeared, and because I'm feeling better, I decided we weren't going to be lazy and that things were going to get done around the house.  I cleaned half of the house and then told Carl we needed to head outside and get the yard work done. 

~Annie~

Even though Carl still can't really do anything other than drive the tractor, it's something.  He put it off for a little bit, and then decided he was tired of hearing me nag him, ask him when he was going to get started, and so he went outside, taking the dogs with him.  A little while later I came out and found that Carl wasn't mowing but was in the barn working on the weed-whacker and trying to figure out if it is still capable of fulfilling it’s lawn-care duties.  I could see CarrieAnne at the far-side of the yard, with Todd intently watching whatever she was doing.  Josh and Sheba were nearby playing with the frisbees.  

Cissy was laying in the grass. 

It was really one of those real, visceral moments when I looked around and realized that everything was as it should be.  

Everyone seemed happy, and that was all that mattered.  

The Week Ends

Another full and very hectic week winds down.  I've not felt well the entire week and left work early two days to come home and came late on another. Outside our warm summer-like temperatures have been chased away by clouds and rain ahead of the effects of Tropical Storm Andrea who is working her way up the east coast.  With rain predicted through Saturday, it should make for a really fun weekend for someone,  I wonder who?

I'm looking forward to reading what you've been up to this week.  Enjoy your Friday!

Spellbound

Our Saturday was off to an early start with the dogs favorite game of 'chuckit.'  

Even at the start of the day, the heat we've been having quickly wore out the dogs. 

The rest of the day was spent mostly inside where it was cool. It ended when I let them out for the last time and my eyes caught the lazy, drifting method of flight of the lightning bugs.  Each year I write about the arrival of fireflies or lightning bugs as they are known in the south.

~photo via the internet~

Even though it was late and I was tired, I got a little excited because it just can't be summer without lightening bugs.  To me there is just something about watching their luminescent magic on a warm, muggy summer night with the myriad of stars shimmering overhead against the back-­drop of near total darkness.  I looked down at the dogs and said something to them about how good it was to see them for the first time this year.  They just looked at me with bored indifference. 

But just like when I was a kid, I am spellbound by them.