I was out
in the pasture - on the tractor - early this morning to help Jerry with the
routine manure-moving detail. The
temperature was bearable, and we worked under a perfect buttermilk sky. I'm not sure what a buttermilk sky means weatherwise, but I like the atmosphere that it gives to all outdoors - and it reminds me of that old cowboy song called "Buttermilk Sky."
Bathing
the horses was next on our agenda. The
fungal and/or bacterial skin infection that Tesoro developed a few weeks ago is
cleared up now, but it took several baths in an iodine shampoo and regular
treatment with an anti-fungal spray.
Summer is the worst season for the horses when it comes to skin
problems. They do a lot of sweating as
they graze under the hot summer sun. The
salty sweat attracts all kinds of biting insects, and that makes existing skin
problems worse. The best prevention is
frequent bathing and daily spraying with fly spray.
We've
purchased a new washer and dryer - catapulting ourselves into the world of 21st
century laundry. These appliances are a
far cry from the ones they replaced.
They're computerized and are, no doubt, smarter than I am. I was most surprised by the washer's
repertoire of sounds - falling water, pounding surf, airplane sounds (taking
off and landing), and various groans and moans.
None of these sounds are loud. In
fact, these machines are remarkably quiet.
They are big - the size of small automobiles. Ok, I'm exaggerating, but the dryer door
definitely has the feel of a car door when it closes. Will they clean the laundry better than the
old appliances? Maybe. We'll see.
I can certainly wash and dry more clothes at a time in these big
high-capacity machines. That means I
finish the laundry in about half the time - and that's a good thing!
Activity
in my Addis post office box has increased lately. I've managed to find
the time to send a few letters and do a little paper crafting. I recently sent this summery watermelon card off to California. In the
last two weeks I've received letters from Texas, England, Australia, and India - and
posts cards from Indiana, California, and New Mexico. I like hearing about the daily lives of my
pen pals. No matter the geographical and
cultural differences, we have a great deal in common - children and
grandchildren, as well as homes, pets, and gardens to care for.
The twins
are doing well, and their sister, Ellie, is adjusting to having them at her
house. I guess she's decided it's sort
of like day-care at home. Wallace and
Arabella have started school up in north Louisiana. Arabella texted me yesterday that she has ten
teachers this year! Was that a
typo? Can she possibly have ten
teachers? I'll have to text and ask for
more information. Texting with my
grandchildren! What would my mother and grandmother think of this new technology!
I've
joined an online book discussion group, sponsored by the Trollope Society. It's called "Take a Trollope on
Holiday." Ha! The assignment is Anthony Trollope's Phineas Phinn - one of the
Palliser novels. Trollope is one of my
favorite authors, and I read The Palliser series years ago. But a good book is always worth re-reading.
It's true that August is
the middle of high summer, but - along with the heat and humidity - it always
brings hints of fall. The angle of the
sun is noticeably different. The pecan
tree in the pasture is shedding leaves.
It's always the last to put out new growth in the spring, but the first
to send fall leaves raining down. This
morning as I walked to the back of the barn, I saw a large flock of
birds along the bayou bank. I
startled them, and they all took flight at once. I don't know what kind of birds they were, but
their lift-off was a beautiful sight.
Migrating birds - another hint of fall.
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