July 3rd and 4th

Here in small town America we like to celebrate Independence Day with picnics and fireworks. This year it was no different except that we were dodging raindrops with the best of them. It was a beautiful day until 7:00 p.m.. Then the sky opened up; it rained and rained. We visited while enjoying appetizers and good conversation. Friends gathering around the back deck under the trees hoping for a break in the weather. Well, we finally withdrew to my friend's living room and ate a lovely meal while chuckling about the rain.

It was a wonderful surprise when at 9:00 p.m. the rain ceased. We quickly got in position for the celebrations! The neighbors gathered along the lake shore with surprising enthusiasm. The fireworks began as night fell. We were all so pleased to be in such a great location! The neighbor several houses down had the most wonderful display of fireworks! All along the lake the celebrations continued without the rain recommencing. The Ring of Fire is a yearly event with all the neighbors setting flares along the water's edge. At a certain point the word is given to light the flares and the end result is a complete illumination of the lake shore. There are lots of fireworks throughout the evening so it is a great pre-July 4th experience!

Today is July 4th, we are too tired to go to another round of fireworks! We did attend a wonderful picnic earlier today. We are going to go to bed early! Hope that you had a great weekend as well!

Sign me, Living simply in small town America, M

The Rain Cometh...Again

One corner of the deck

What a wonderful day we woke up to this morning! The sky was clear blue with no clouds for miles. My friend, Linda and I walked the dogs and enjoyed the nice breeze near the lake. Just lovely...the weatherman says that we are in for thunder showers until Thursday. The water is already pooled around the place...lol! We had rain yesterday and for part of the day before...the rain has been good for the garden though. It also makes it easier to tug the weeds out of the ground so I am glad for that.

The Moat in Front

The Friggin' Moat

Well, today I finished my last university course for the summer. I am officially off until September! What a good feeling to know that I can work in my garden and recoup before getting back to the grindstone in the fall. I took Psychology of Trauma and Loss, Native American Literature, and French Language and Culture this semester. Whew! Next semester I have registered for the advanced (3-4th year ) Psychology of Chronic Illness, Technical Report Writing, and Music Appreciation. I am waiting to hear if I will be able to take World War II history as well. I love that era!

It is going to be a nice summer here in small town America.

Sign me, the roof still leaks and the water still goes under the house, but...I am happy, M

I need to put the wading pool away

Part of my little Garden

More pictures...

The Big Shed/Bunkhouse with all the windows in place

Can you see my lilac bush?

The side of the house showing Shadow's Penalty Box

The back porch/deck with my RED chairs

The small shed next to the Big Shed

My old front door - now the penalty box door

Shadow's Penalty Box

Shadow BITES!

I have to protect my friends.

Sign me, Loving the summer here in small town America, M

The Finished Shed/Office

I realized that I had not posted a photo of the finished shed office.  It is really quite roomy with the storage loft as an added 144 square feet.  For those doing the math, that is 288 sq feet.  One of the neighbors stopped over to ask the carpenter about it.  We offered him a walk through...he loved the extra spacious loft.  Good move on our part! 

This was our test shed office.  We wanted to see just how much work, time, and money it would cost to build one.  We did the math, made notes, and have already set down our improvements.  Anyway, here it is.  TA DA!

Finished Shed Office 

Sign me, First one down...Next!  M

Weekend Wind Up

This weekend is coming to a close.  Two friends and I went to Cananadaigua for the weekend.  We listened to inspirational speakers all weekend.  There were may friends attending the conference.  It was such a good weekend!  We all shared expenses so we were saving money while we nurtured ourselves.  I would recommend that to anyone needing an energy boost.

 

The water side of the hotel jetty.

One of the picturesque views 

from the back of the hotel.

The weather was very beautiful with temperatures in the 80s so the ground is drying up around the little yellow house quite well!  I am going to be having the house raised toward the end of summer or early fall.  I qualified for a program that will help me to offset the cost.  What a blessing!  So by the fall I will be better prepared for the usual wet, muddy spring.

Do you remember the post I added that introduced the little Wonder Washer.  Well, you are not going to believe it...but I got one.  No, I did not pay full price.  Being a frugal individual (aka cheap) I spotted one still in the box at a yard sale.  For $8.00 I was able to secure the little beauty.  It is so cute!

  

Wonder Washer

I put one pair of jeans or 6 pairs of undies into that little washer and away we go.  It must sit on the floor at my place because it was not very steady when I put it on the table.  It agitates east and then west for timed periods that go from 3 to 15 minutes.  I did find that I had to rinse the clothes with a slight vinegar rinse to cut the soap.  The amount of detergent that one might assume adequate for the little washer is much, much less than what will work.  

The clothes were a little stiff when they dried but I do believe that this was relative to the well water's mineral content rather than anything else.  Before I forget, it does look like a overgrown blender!  So one step further for the frugal lifestyle.

Sign me, the proud owner of a Wonder Washer, M