Fortunately, after several hours of miserable car repair to replace our serpentine belt on the car, Will got our car ready to roll. So, on the Fourth of July, we were able to make our family’s get together on a lake near son Bill’s property.
![](https://www.backwoodshome.com/blogs/JackieClay/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/David-Melanie_0175.jpg)
![](https://www.backwoodshome.com/blogs/JackieClay/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Mason-Delilah_0179.jpg)
Luckily, the rain stayed away all day and we got to visit with everyone, have fun with the grandchildren. Bill took us on a pontoon boat ride over the lake, where we saw a loon family. The dad loon swam close to the boat, distracting us from his family, closer to shore. I got a few nice photos, as I love loons.
![](https://www.backwoodshome.com/blogs/JackieClay/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Loon_0189.jpg)
![](https://www.backwoodshome.com/blogs/JackieClay/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Ava_0197.jpg)
It’s been raining every day since. Blah! I still have to water the hoop house peppers though. That’s kind of funny as the gardens are soaked. Will has been tilling and mulching like mad. And he discovered potato bugs! Today I’m going out and dusting them with pyrethrin powder before they get really bad. I was set to do it yesterday but guess what? It rained. Overall, the gardens look great except some of the washed-out parts. Oh well, there’s always something, isn’t there? — Jackie
how efficient an beautiful Ava is( your whole family too) rain, would love to exchange some for our100+ weather. at least the peppers are happy. good luck with hay season around the dampness your way.
Yep, we’re cringing at the wet fields and frequent rain. Even if we get a week with no rain, the fields are soaked. It’s going to be a challenging year, for sure.
Such a day off is good for the soul!
Yes, it is!!
Greetings Jackie,
Haven’t been here for awhile but glad to get a chance to do so.
I’m thankful Will got the car repaired and you were able to enjoy
some wonderful time with family, kids, and grandkids.
Lots of rain here off and on and some Iowa towns were so
badly flooded it will be a long recovery.
Glad your garden and everything is doing well in spite of the rains.
Things are growing here but slowly it seems due to the heat.
I am just being patient and planting more veggies as i go.
I pray you have a great night and thanks for sharing.
Glad to have you back Cindy! Some of our garden crops are slow too. I think it’s partly from fighting the soaking rains. Hopefully, things will dry out soon and get back to normal??
I just love all your pictures! The grandkids sure are growing! I would have Ava drive me anytime. She looks so professional. I am glad that you got to spend some time with all of them!!
Thanks Cindy. We sure love our grandchildren but kind of hate having them grow up so fast. Country kids learn all sorts of skills town kids don’t get to master. They learn to safely mow the lawn with a riding mower, drive tractors and other equipment which, in turn, makes them safer drivers on the road when they get their licenses. We always have fun when the family gets together!
Well, Beryl has kept us wet lately so weather isn’t terrible yet, it even rained on the 4th though quit enough for fire works. We have already had many 100 degree days. Unfortunately we are heading for hot and very muggy, yuck.
Sounds like your 4th was very “loony” (sorry, not sorry, couldn’t resist) and enjoyable!
Ha ha! Yes, it was. And we enjoyed every minute of it. I hope Beryl only causes rain and minimal wind. Hurricanes can be pretty scary.
I give high praise to Will-replacing the serpentine belt is difficult and can cause “bad language “. I’m impressed. My bean crop looks better with copper spray for the bean rust. I’ve had a bumper crop of raspberries. It rained here 7/4 – our area is very windy and it’s amazing how fast the ground dries. I’m splitting wood for winter. Every day there is plenty to do.
Boy, isn’t that the truth? I’m so happy Will is mechanically minded. And patient!! If he said a bad word, I didn’t hear it. Whew!! Glad your beans are better. Our challenge, besides all the rain, is potato bugs. Yuck. I dusted them yesterday, then it rained (wasn’t supposed to). So, I went out and hit them again, noticing there were fewer bugs than yesterday.
Our ground is so wet it’s squishy in the pastures and a couple gardens. I’m hoping it’ll dry out soon so haying can begin. Right now, the fields are sopping wet.
I agree Everett – every day there is plenty to do be it outside or inside. Weeds/pruning (outside) and paper tigers/dust (inside) are always on the list
My daughter says to name the dust bunnies then they become pets and you only have to feed them more dust.
Send us some rain here in Arizona..it has been 117 and up and you can’t water enough with that kind of heat..even the cactus are starting to stress…. weather is crazy all over..that is why I can every chance I get
You can bet if I could send you rain, I sure would. It rains nearly every day here and an inch at a time. We have 80’s and that feels hot. 117 would turn me into a puddle. You’re right, the weather’s crazy everywhere!!
Please send some of your rain to us!!!. We’ve had no rain at all in 8 weeks with temps in the high 90s. Field corn is a 100% loss and the garden is struggling even with irrigation. Got one good picking of squash, zucchini, and cucumbers. Had to buy beets, onions, peaches, blueberries, strawberries, and tomatoes from a market vendor friend who lives south of us. He’s had plenty of rain and his crops are beautiful though the heat has really affected his early crops. Our rattlesnake beans are hanging in there but a lot of our seed cooked in the ground from the heat and never came up. Even the peppers and okra are stunted and dying. Been a frustrating garden year so far but at least I’m thankful last year was abundant and my pantries are still full from what I put up then.
That’s why I can up everything I can in a good year. You never know what the next year might bring. I’m so sorry you’re having such a nasty year. Ours is pretty darned wet and I’d sure send rain to you if I could. But the crops look good, despite everything, overall. Thank God!!
Our zucchini and yellow squash are ailing at the moment – not sure if too much rain or something else. Have *not* seen any squash bugs and the cucumber plant is in overdrive.
Dug garlic this past weekend (early) and the blueberries we order are almost two weeks earlier than normal.
Weeding is pretty much under control (can’t beat a good sweat) and we’ll dig a tater plant here soon. I *knew* it was too early a month ago but that Y chromosome is well, a Y chromosome.
So happy to see Ava is such a confident girl. Mason is a good role model for Delilah. Kudos to Bill and Kelly (and you too, apples, acorns, trees) for raising two great kids who will be productive members of society.
We might go a whopping two days without rain. Sunday we got bombed with 3/4 inch – rain wasn’t expected until 12+ hours later (and not near that much). Our ground is saturated so I’m hoping not much moisture to avoid standing water and flooding (no flooding at my place as we too are on high ground).
Yep, we’ve been getting rain nearly every day, an inch or more at a time. The ground is sopping. But the gardens look good, despite it and the weeding is getting under control in most spots.
I’m pretty proud of our grandchildren, especially when they’ve been taught so much and have good life skills. And no swearing, greed, laziness or vices. Besides, they’re sweet kids too!
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