what we're up to

they daylilies (we just call them ditch lilies) are winding down

Our flurry of visitors has calmed somewhat since the Ponds drove away last weekend.    Well, actually we have had a new visitor, and she's done some serious remodeling.    Looks like she'll be here awhile and we're happy she's chosen us!

The little Carolina Wren has remodeled the previous tenant's nest
to make it more to her liking.

here she is!

 Last night we met Robin and Tom and Bill at the Rabbit Room for a wonderful dinner and visit.    Jodee and Bill's travels will take them near us on Monday so they're coming for the afternoon!   We're so looking forward to seeing them.  After that I've cleared our schedule for a bit.    My left knee has been giving me a lot of trouble since January and, after trying weeks of  PT, I've decided to have a scope and "clean out" of that joint this Wednesday.      We're still planning on leaving here mid September, so finger's crossed that all goes well with recovery and the subsequent PT!

In the meantime, we're continuing to check off things on the ever decreasing list of things we want to do before that departure date.   

hard at work

This week Dave worked on steam cleaning Beluga's carpets.   Evidently we used the wrong proportion of cleaner to water and it resulted in "sticky" carpets so he has rinsed them all again.   All better.    Except he was working inside, in the incredible heat and humidity and I think he must have lost 20 lbs. in sweat before the job was done.   No complaining....he's wonderful.

I've been coming up with new recipes to use up the HUGE bag of frozen rhubarb our friend Barb brought us.    It's a tough job, but someone has to do it.   Dave enjoys the fruits of my labor.      We've been enjoying the season's fantastic tomatoes (from a small Amish vegetable stand in Mt. Morris) by eating BLT's almost everyday.

  Lewis continues to enjoy visits with friends and fishing.   He employs several techniques to communicate his desire to fish.

I want to fish, I want to fish, I want to fish, I want to fish

Staring is one of his "go to" techniques.   Combined with herding Dave toward the door leading downstairs usually produces the desired result.    If it doesn't, he disappears, and after a while that technique works.   He's very patient.  We eventually realize he's not staring at us, we wonder where he's gone, look around the house and find him in the lower level, lying directly under Dave's fishing pole....hint hint.   When Dave finally arrives, Lew leaps up and starts dancing around the pole, screaming and chortling.     Dave gives in....what's a guy to do with such a compelling argument?

now there's a happy boy!

Our neighbors next door are here mostly on weekends only.   They bring their young labradoodle, Bella, when they come.    She's in love with Lewis.

their eyes lock

And, why not!   He's tall, dark and handsome, an older man, a forbidden love.
She barks and wiggles and offers her squeaky toys to him (through their porch railing) when he comes outside.   He barks at her, gently.     When we are on the dock she sits at the end of their dock and stares at him til she catches his eye.   She wags and wiggles.   He stares with mild interest.   Such a cool dude.

Last week she figured out that she could jump off their breakwall, race through the water and up onto ours before "they" notice she's gone.....if she does it quietly.      Together at last.    I have no pictures of these encounters, I never seem to have my camera or phone on me.   I just stand and watch and laugh.    She circles him at lightning speed with a huge grin on her face.   She play bows, he play bows, she races in circles and pretends to grab his leg....he grrrrs softly, she stops.  They run off.  And on and on and on.   The neighbors are mortified.   They call her, she ignores, they call her more loudly, she ignores.   They finally jump down, wade through the water and up onto our yard to try and grab her.   Fat chance!
We call Lew to us and she follows, allowing them to try and pick her up.   She goes completely limp, her bones liquefied she flattens herself to the lawn.   They can't get their hands under her, they apologize profusely and we tell them it's no problem, Lewis is enjoying himself.    She nips at their hands as they finally lift her, she doesn't want to go but they're bigger and stronger and off she goes.   Poor girly, they've put up many puppy gates all over the top of the breakwall to discourage her, we look forward to seeing how that works for them - love is a strong emotion in the young.