Dog Days of Summer

We are getting back to our normal summer weather. That means we can open the windows at night instead of running the AC nonstop. I like it much better. How can anyone stand to live where the humidity is that oppressive all the time? Give me the desert over the tropics anytime.

Even though it was hot today I got the drip lines on the slope checked out. It was good that I forgot (?) to walk the mile on my treadmill this morning (?) because I went up and down the slope at least four times. That is the equivalent of 14 flights of stairs for anyone interested. My poor knees. I had the red face/white nose look, too. The dogs were happy to help for a while but they soon retreated to the back yard where they sprawled in the cool grass under the pistache tree.

The ever present birds gave me incentive to get the drip lines in good repair. As I was checking out the last line, the one that has been giving me so much trouble, I saw a mockingbird swoop down out of the chinaberry tree (I think there is a nest there) and drink from the gently bubbling dripper. It was just the right size fountain for him. Then my resident quail family (parents and eight little ones) descended on it en masse. That is the line that automatically fills the bird bath so now they will have plenty of water. That is, they will have plenty of water if Chase doesn't get it all. Chase thinks the bird bath is just the right height for a water bowl.

Of course checking out the lines always means a trip to Home Depot because no matter how many spare parts I have, I never have the right ones. So off we go, stopping at the shipping store and bank on the way. Since we were right there we had to stop at Quizno's and Cold Stone again. This is becoming a habit! Next, off to visit Gramma. She is doing better but she sure does tire easily and noticeably.

Home again to put the newly purchased parts to work and figure out the electrical problem. No, I'm too hot and it hasn't cooled off yet so I just do the electrical thing. The dogs and I decide to plant the petunias I got earlier in the week. The color bowls on the front porch were starting to look bedraggled again. Soon Brig wants back inside. It is too hot for her. Chase stays with me because he knows I will turn the hose on soon. He so loves water. I use the bird-watching binoculars to check the drip lines as they run to see any problems. I make notes so I remember what to fix. I don't want to do the hill again today. Maybe tomorrow if I get up before it gets too hot. Hmmm, yeah, I admit there is some advantage to getting up before noon. But I function so much better at night.