Snow Blower

Sometimes when it is really hot here I think about being cooler. I can visualize a huge snow blower (used to clear snow off of driveways and sidewalks in some locations during the winter months). I can see the beautiful, cold, white, fluffy snow arching high into the air - and landing into a huge pile. Then I can see myself right on that pile of snow in sunglasses, a sun hat, and with sunscreen on while sitting in a lawn chair in my swimming suit and sipping on an ice cold lemonade. It just seems like heaven.

Well on Saturday I think I figured out how I could actually make that happen. I was having guests to dinner on Sunday so I decided to make some bread. I got out my wheat grinder and put some wheat in it. I plugged it in and turned it on. Doh! Disaster! My freshly ground wheat flour was gracefully arching high into the air and landing in the general area of our table! Did I say, Doh! I forgot to attach the collection bowl to the grinder. Wow does that wheat grinder have power!

So I figure if I fill the wheat grinder with some ice cubes and turn it on, it would perform just like a snow blower and I could be enjoying my dream life on a huge pile of freshly ground snow. It is a definite possibility. I think I'll try it one day soon. Only thing stopping me now is that I have flour everywhere. Yes, even after sweeping, dusting, and vacuuming. So when I get every last drop of flour cleaned up I'll invite you over to enjoy a pile of home-made snow brought to you my my own wheat grinder/snow blower machine. Don't forget your boots!

Birds - Love/Hate Relationship

One day we saw 2 quail walking along the top of our fence.

I only got a picture one quail -

with topknot perfectly groomed and in place.

Cute. I love that bird!

These are my original shots

of the Baltimore Oriole

that keeps coming to our hummingbird feeder.

I guess when you are desperate for water -

even sugar water is better than none.

I love this bird.

Just showing you how my tomato plants are looking.

Pretty healthy! Right?

Tall, green, giving us yummy tomatoes.

We'll forget that the leaves are curling as long as they give us tomatoes.

I'm not even trying to make the plants look tall.

See me standing on the bricks?

Also notice that we are boat owners - see the boat?

We've had it for almost 2 years.

Guess how many times we have been on the water with it?

You'd be right if you said - NEVER.

We need some sailing lessons and some free time (what is that?).

Then we'll be "sailing sailing over ocean blue".

Now I come to the Hate part of my relationship with birds.

Very rarely do I mention "hate" and "bird" in the same sentence.

But I do hate it when my bird friends do this to my tomatoes:

The birds have finally figured out that they love my tomatoes too.

So I had to pick all my red or reddish tomatoes so they didn't suffer the same demise.

Maybe they aren't quite as ripe - but I'm not making it easy for the birds to share these with me.

But if you don't have feathers or a beak -

you, my friends, are invited over to share these orbs of garden delight.

Aren't they cute?

Aren't they cute?