Keeping Busy....

It's allergy season here in SE Ohio.  When we lived here year-round I sneezed and coughed some but nothing really bad.  Well, returning after an absence of 15 years, my resistance to pollen, honeysuckle, and whatever other stuff is out there seems to have stayed in Mexico.  I just spent 3 days mostly sleeping... when I wasn't blowing my nose, coughing or putting Visine in my itchy eyes.  The worst seems to be over...  just the residual cough and snot (lovely picture, huh?)....  but at least I feel functional again.

Before I add some of my own photos to today's blog, I've just got to show y'all this one...

That's our Great-granddaughter, Evie, right in the middle.  Her ballet class had a recital last weekend (I wish I'd been there)...   Aren't they the cutest little girls you've ever seen!  I love the different reactions to having their photo taken.  Heather, our granddaughter (Evie's Mom) said they got kinda confused so Kaylia just gave everyone the Peace Sign....  I love it!

Okay...  back to the farm...

Bill's been busy on the rental...

The bathroom counter somehow got ruined by the last renter...  it looked very bad so we decided to replace it.  The sink had some chips in it, so as long as Bill was replacing the counter, we bought a new sink as well.  Bill makes this job look easy, but I'd never tackle this kind of thing.  Even using the reciprocal saw takes more strength than I have.  It looks very nice now...  he was able to use the old faucets, they weren't in bad shape.

One thing I like about being here this summer....

Hanging the wash outside on the clothes line...

I don't think this is something most people do anymore.  Lots of reasons...  time involved probably foremost.  Also, who irons anything these days?  While not exactly totally "wrinkle free", I love the way clothes dried outside smell.  Also, many RV parks and other places do not permit clothes lines.  

Those tall posts in the picture aren't huge fence posts.....  the renter in the old farm house put in 10 posts last year and is trying to establish a hops crop.  There are several micro-breweries in town and I think he has a market for his hops.  Right now he's just getting started, so it may take a while to have enough product to sell.

The next 2 photos were taken at the same time...  just from different perspectives...

This buck visited the mineral block around 7:30 yesterday morning.  I think he sensed that he was being watched (my game camera took this shot)...

And he was....

Just at the top of the hill, I was in the motorhome taking his picture...

I couldn't get a clear shot....  between the early morning sun shining brightly on my dirty windows, and the condensation, it just wouldn't focus...

But you can tell he's watching....

I love my game cameras.  Now we have a family of raccoons that visit each night....  They have upped my total photographs to over 3,000 per night.  

Sometimes the deer and raccoons visit at the same time...

If you look close, you can see a 2nd coon in the pan...  just below the deer's tail.  Raccoons were our enemy during our chicken-raising days.  They still can wreak havoc with garbage cans, bird feeders and the such, but so far they have stayed away from our motorhome.

I was filling the bird feeders twice a day, but the Pine Siskins have moved on to their summer home, and even the goldfinch and other seed eaters have slacked off.  I think they are busy tending their nests now.  Bill saw the Robin heading back to her nest this morning with a beak full of worms.  Guess she has babies she's taking care of now.  We have at least one bluebird family... I think they, too, are feeding little ones.

I hear the wrens quite often, but finally caught a quick look at this one yesterday.

I just glanced out the door as I wrote that and see one flitting around in the brush beside the shed.  Maybe she's building a nest closeby?

We had an inch of rain over the weekend, but the weather here has been quite nice.  Bill is nearly finished with the inside of the rental...  now comes the outside painting.  I don't do well on ladders but hope to do my part by painting the deck, railing and steps.

We've been here 10 weeks...  have only 1 appointment to go for Bill's eyes.  I think we ate out once so far...  have barely caught up with family and friends.  I know we keep busy, but where in the world does the time go?

The End!

That's All For Today!