And So It Begins

[Colliemom]

The first week of the 8th month of the year that is. Time just keeps rolling along.

It is a beautiful but cool morning here in northern Michigan. 60 degrees here where I am and heading to upper 60’s, maybe low 70’s at most. Typical for now. Our normal highs are mid 70’s, slowly heading toward low 70’s by months end. The harbinger of fall.

Judy, the camping situation you are experiencing at Traverse City, people, kids, dogs etc., is the new norm in Michigan campgrounds now. Camping has exploded since the pandemic and there is no slow season anymore. It starts in April soon as southern Michigan starts warming up and slowly works north. The only difference this year will be, the kids returning to school this fall unless the virus going around puts a stop to it again. But the campgrounds are still pretty booked till October. With GM shut down for the most part, till end of August, I think a lot of people are camping since They have the time. And a lot are also remotely working from their campsites too. You will be in a full hose at Hartwick Pines this week too. I should have mentioned when I first saw your dates, that leaving in the 8th which is a Sunday is going to put you in heavy southbound traffic as all the weekenders head home.

Pat, good to hear from you. Sorry about Missy’s grandson. So tragic. Shelia, old habits are hard to break and somebody opens coffee every day, so you have to finish the pot

I gave my neighbors a bit of a laugh yesterday. I needed gas for my lawn tractor. Thought what the heck, it has an engine and wheels, so I hitched up my little cart, took the gas can, raised the mower deck up and rode it to the convenience store/gas station a mile and a half away. Filled up the gas can and gassed up the tractor, got some milk, a Sunday paper and cruised on home Was fun trip actually. Like riding an ATV.

So today will put said tractor to work mowing POA property and my back grass, what there is of it. Think this will be a laid back day kind of. When I get my truck back this week, the fur kids and I are heading out to Mackinac for a day. Time for a change of scenery.

Morni g is half over here, so should get dressed and accomplish a few little house chores. Have a nice day everyone.

[Shirlv]

Morning All, cool morning on the shore. It rained all day yesterday and beach traffic started early so I stayed home. Will pick up Sam groceries today. Wonder why Sundays always seem to be 36 hours long. Martha, my chili won’t set your hair on fire. My summer version is taco salad. Chili on a bed of lettuce with a sprinkle of shredded sharp cheese, a dollop of sour cream and topped with broken pita chips. I’m bored, Edith is reduced to admiring her new paved road through the window. Safe travels if on the road, be safe.

[SoCalGalcas]

These mountains are so extrodentary beautiful. Mammoth is 11,000 feet. I won’t go to the top, but a gondola does. It is a 20 drive to camp along more rugged beautiful mountains. Lots of different colors. That’s 20 minutes.
The camp ground is full this year. Like your MI camps Sue. Lyn

[PeggyinCT]

Good morning Everybody,
Pat while it was good to hear from you; July was certainly a difficult month for you. August is bound to be better. My heart goes out to Missy. Nothing can prepare you for such a freak accident and the death of one so young.

Sue, riding your lawn mower to town is joining the golf cart crowd in Florida!!! I’m sure your neighbors enjoyed the laugh.
Peggy

[BarbaraRose]

We had a neighbor once who lost his driver's license due to a couple of DUI's so he would take his lawn tractor to the liquor store and back! The police finally put a stop to that since he was usually drunk while driving that too!

Lyn, I can only imagine how beautiful the scenery is around you! Have fun!

I finally got to watch one of the equestrian events yesterday, the cross country jumping. It was really fun to watch, other than a few falls. It was really hot there and at least one rider quit before the end of it because their horse was getting overheated. I still have muscle memory from my jumping days because I could feel my muscles moving as the riders went over the jumps! I sure miss those days!

Off to work today. I didn't make it to WM yesterday so will stop there on the way home from work. I have some hungry kitties outside!

[Othersharon]

Good afternoon! I said rabbits just after midnight yesterday so got that covered. Started a post, got a phone call and that was the end of it! I got started washing some windows upstairs an as usual one thing led to another! I wanted to change out the mini blinds but the ones I got are all cordless which means a whole new bracket. And after some research I found that it is now a fairly new safety law ?? to sell corded ones. So now I need to figure a way to clean the ones I have to try to make them last longer. Washing them isn’t a problem but hanging them to drip dry is. Always something! We got a good hard rain yesterday afternoon and it’s still damp outside so think I’ll concentrate on the inside today. Sue, I can just see you pulling up to the gas pump on your mower! Thanks for the giggle! Our temps are pretty low too. Starting to feel like fall. At least in the morning! We may need to tuneup our snow blowers soon!! I ordered some new and better masks the other day and they were jut delivered. With all the students turning to campus from all over I imagine the numbers will increase in my area. Been following you gals out in the west with your heat and lack of rain not to mention the fires. Hoping you all stay safe. Always glad to see your posts and know you’re safe. Saw one thing on FB about a campground up in elk country and I may try to get reservations for a couple of mid week days. Weekends are booked here still too. Well, even week days too but sometimes it’s a bit easier to get get in using the week. Can only try! Hope everyone has a good month and stay safe.

[MandysMom]

Still morning here on west coast. I'm almost ready to head to Curves. Was watching some YouTube then got critters fed and myself ready for the day. Day began with temp about 68° and will top around 97°. No sign of fall here, but that typically does not happen until mid to late September. Chris has PT at 2 pm, so I want to get Curves done, stop at pet food store, then get home to walk on treadmill then shower before needing to head to his appt.
Have a good rest of your Monday.
Velda

[Irmi]

Good afternoon ladies!

Pat, I am so sorry about the tragic death on the ball field. Sue, I can see the much younger kids riding to the gas station on the lawn mower, so I think it's great that you still have so much youth in you! O'Sharon, the exact same thing happened to me yesterday. I also started a post, was interrupted and the rest is history. I said 2 rabbits quietly as Steve was still in bed and didn't want to disturb him so I hope they count.

We got back from the house about an hour ago and had several appointments from things we posted on Market Place. The last few days have been quite lucrative selling larger priced items. Steve sold one of his sheds and our gazebo has sold and will be moved out of the yard Friday. Today he sold his large red toolbox with tools and lots of other things are gone, including our Victrola with lots & lots of records. Tomorrow we are going to celebrate by getting the third half bushel of steamed crabs. We have company coming Wednesday so will make a casserole of crab imperial for dinner along with a green bean casserole and mandarin orange salad. Chocolate Mint Cream Pie will be dessert. I have washed our masks as Florida's Covid count is totally out control and we will wear them whenever we are in public. Here we go again.

Have a good day, friends.

[OregonLuvr]

Good morning, barely. I was outside fertilizing and watering everything well as I will be gone for 3 days. I have my automatic drip system but I like to deep water a couple of times a week. Harvested squash (those dang things triple overnight) and tomatoes which I will give these to my former neighbor. He didnt plant a garden this year so I know he is missing home grown tomatoes. I have some in the fridge all sliced up so he can have these I got today.

Sharon I had to order all my blinds as the standard sizes were either too long or too wide or short for my windows. The law went into effect in December 2018 where stores can no longer sell corded blinds. Danger to kids and pets they cite. BUT you can order them which is what I did. I have one window that isn't corded and I much prefer the corded so that is what I ordered. I needed them for all 7 windows. The window shades in my bedroom are the honeycomb pull down shades and I really like them in there.

Not much else going on here today. Got a load of laundry in and that will be it. Need to take something out for dinner tonite, will have to see what tickles my fancy in the freezer.

[Bethers]

Pat, please tell Missy I'm so sorry. That's just devastating.

Today is the ends of my work week. And my busiest day of this week. Go figure. August is looking quite slow, for the RV park also.

Irmi, my mouth is watering. I love crab, but I think the chocolate mint cream pie would be all mine Lol And fantastic that even more is selling.

Sue, your story reminds me of the movie "The Straight Story" about a man who rode his riding mower 240 miles from his place in is Iowa to see his ailing brother in Wisconsin. It is a true story and I love it. I might have to find it and watch it again. He crossed the Mississippi near where I lived in Wisconsin (not when I lived there) and the movie followed suit.

[Acadianmom]

Sue, how many miles to the gallon does the mower get. Years ago there was a guy in town that had a three wheel bicycle and a dog trained to help pull it. I don't know what ever happened to him. I lost track of the hours I spent mowing yesterday. Before lunch it was overcast so I decided to to mow in front of the barns. Some of it I had to mow high and then low. The neighbor wanted to borrow the trailer that I had hooked up to the truck. I told him to just take the truck, he was only going down the road. While the truck and trailer was gone I mowed in front of the old house. After he brought the truck and trailer back I decided to load the mower and go see if I could mow in Maurice. The grass over there was knee hight. It was so thick I could only mow it high. Part of the yard was too wet to mow. I will have to go back if it ever drys up. When I got home I mowed the hill. I should be good for a couple of days. I think the grass is growing an inch a day.

I went to Walmart this morning and wore a mask. I forgot how hot a mask is. It's about half and half people wearing masks and not. They just said on the news that our mask mandate was reinstated. Louisiana has the highest case rate in the country. Guess I won't be going anywhere now.

My watering can came. I never could find one at a local store so ordered one online. I know I use to have two and could only find one with a hole in it. Now that I have one I'm sure the other one will show up.

When we ordered this house it came with mini blinds. I could have ordered the 2 inch blinds for $50 per window. I should have ordered the 2 inch because the cats destroyed the mini blinds and I had to replace all of them.

I would watch the equestrian events but I don't know when they are on. I'm not interested in the rest of it.

Martha

[OregonLuvr]

Good evening, was a hot day today. Humidity was up, not a breeze to be found anywhere and of course no rain. Some smoky skies this morning but it cleared out this afternoon. Just puttered around the house, some laundry, and made a salad for dinner. Not much else to report.

Martha, you are dodging a bit of a bullet as Florida has the most cases in the US right now. Florida reported 21,683 new coronavirus cases on Friday, the state’s highest one-day total since the start of the pandemic, according to data released Saturday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. All I can say is WOW we had 123 cases over 3 days LOL and it still worries me.

Well time to find something to watch on tv for a little bit then head to bed.

[BarbaraRose]

Had a long hard day today! Was heat-sealing the packets and boxing them up. Was kind of fun but a lot of work. I hope I am not too sore tomorrow. I tried to not use my left arm too much but kind of hard not too sometimes.

This morning after my shower, I rubbed on coconut oil on my skin which I always do, to moisturize. Then I made the mistake of deciding to give myself a haircut before I got dressed. Well, I ended up with hair all over me! Not easy to get off with the oil on me! Lol!

Stopped at WM for some cat food. I need to fill up the dishes before I go to bed. I stopped at a new fast food place called "Daves Hot Chicken". I tried their chicken tenders. Not too impressed. Especially with the prices.

Martha. I just accidentally came across the equestrian event. The dressage was a few days ago. I don't know if the Grand Prix show jumping has happened yet.

Just taking it easy tonight watching Gunsmoke.

[snowball]

watching Murder She Wrote and it's having Amish in it.. haven't seen it before... interesting one person is no longer Amish one is overly strict and one is on his Rumspringer...
oops and they are a peaceful people but it is Murder She Wrote
finished my box... two loads of laundry and vacuumed have one load tomorrow just got tired of the stairs.. oh and watched a video on You Tube... mom even watched it with me... so was a did something day
Pat am so sorry your friend is going through this loss... can't imagine losing a child or grandchild...
It is scary how full campgrounds are a big part of me wants to travel East before going to Iowa but have to wonder if the campgrounds would be full and then I would have to deal with stuff that I don't want to deal with... Pat is there a highway that goes through SD that would be a good one to take? I want to go a different route and want to stop by your place... I do have a question which is first Omaha or your place? have a niece living in Omaha that I would want to see... so need to plan accordingly...
think that would be a fun ride to go on a mower like that... I enjoy ATV's when I have the opportunity...
Lyn that sounds like a great place to be...
you all have a great night
sheila