August 15, 2014 Hot, Hot, Hot!

Saturday night's sunset.

Another hint at autumn.

Friday 8/12. I hit the estate sale and picked up a few pillow cases and a glass bowl for the bird bath.  I overheard one of the ladies talking about all the dolls.  There had been 9000 of them, all shapes and sizes!  She also had many doll accessories like high-chairs, cribs, chest-of-drawers, tea sets, etc.  Unbelievable!

And she had lots of furniture.  Among other pieces, there must have been at least ten rocking chairs.  I just wish I had more room, or maybe it's a good thing I don't. . .

It was really getting hot Down There, but I was able to get my grocery shopping done and be home before 1:00 pm.  Our high Up Here was 82, but that was on the porch in the shade.  It had to have been at least five or more degrees hotter in the sun.

Saturday 8/13. It was 68 and mostly clear this morning.  I had been having very unsettling dreams the past few nights and last night I had a full-blown nightmare.  That only happens once or twice a year and I am not sure just what causes it.  

It was just too hot to do anything strenuous outside, so we built some small shelves in the pantry under the stairs.  I had been wanting to do this for a while and finally figured out how.  JB put in two of the shelves and I put in two.  Am very pleased with the results.  I have everything on a list, but now I can see the smaller items more easily.  I also managed to drop a five-pound jar of coconut oil on my big toe.  That's going to smart for a while.

I had gone to the thrift store yesterday to drop some things off, and look for more.  I discovered three books in a series of four by an new author, Jan Karon.  They are called the Mitford series and I started the first one, At Home in Mitford.  Excellent!  Just can't put it down.  "Heartwarming" I guess it could be called.  Much like The Cat Who. . . series by Lillian Jackson Braun.

I picked our first tomatoes today.  There are lots more just waiting to turn red.  Two of the plants are sauce tomatoes.  Never made it from scratch before, but I certainly plan to.

I bought Granny Smith apples yesterday and planned to make apple pie filling today, but forgot to get apple juice.  I'll do that on Tuesday when I go in for my eye appointment, then make and can the pie filling on Wednesday.

Our high for today was 84.  Not at all pleasant.  Friends in Ontario, Canada, sent an email: It's so hot in Ontario that. . .
  . . . the birds have to use potholders to pull the worms out of the ground.
  . . . you learn that a seat belt buckle makes a pretty good branding iron.
  . . . hot water comes from both taps.
  . . . you realize that asphalt has a liquid stage.
  . . . cows are giving evaporated milk.
  . . . farmers are feeding their chickens crushed ice to keep them from laying hard boiled eggs!

Sunday 8/14. It was 64 and clear with a breeze this morning.  I thought for sure it would be cooler today, but our high was 89.

I re-arranged the living room rugs, as one of our good ones was getting skewed.  Then I went down to visit my brother at his cabin.  Took him four bags of glass bottles and a jar of blueberry jam.  Had a very nice visit.  Came home and just sat reading my book and trying to keep cool, and enjoying the heavenly scent of two loaves of bread that JB had just baked.

JB is going to rebuild our little trailer, so he pulled it around to the shop this morning.  He did a bit of work on it before it got too hot, and will continue in the cool of the mornings. 

Larry and Elsie drove up for a visit this evening.  The first time since May as they have been so busy picking blueberries!  We sat on the porch enjoying each other's company and the light wind that had sprung up.

Monday 8/15. It is 64 and clear this morning with hot temps in the forecast for most of the week.

Thought for the day: Sometimes you have to gag on fancy before you can appreciate plain. At Home In Mitford by Jan Karon, pg 237