7/30/26   Resourcefulness is at the heart of self-reliance.

  Light rain overnight, cloudy today, a NNE breeze, high 72, low 59.  Some forecasts say dry today, others say showers, one says thunderstorms this morning.  Partly cloudy tomorrow, a north breeze, high 75, low 58. Partly cloudy Sunday, a WSW breeze, high 83, low 63.  Cloudy Sunday, showers Sunday night.  A stiff south breeze, high 83, low 65.  Rain Monday, a brisk SSW breeze, high 77, low 62.  Partly cloudy Tuesday the 4th through Tuesday the 11th.  WSW breezes until the 10th and 11th when they switch to WNW.  highs in the eighties until the breezes switch to WNW, then they'll be about 78 and 58.  Morning fog the 12th and 13th, WNW breezes, highs 79, lows 57.

Give new life to something old
Pick one item you've been meaning to fix or transform. Sharpen your garden tools, clean your shoes, mend a fence, fix that button, turn an old bucket into a planter, or give a forgotten object a second life instead of replacing it. We’re so conditioned to just throw things away or donate them to Goodwill and replace them with something new that we end up producing unnecessary waste and spend unnecessary money to buy new all the time. Instead, pick one or more items this week and fix it up or find a new way to use it.

   This household is working on this.  Also on "less may be better"  We make weekly trips to the Community Closet to drop off, not to bring home.  We aren't adverse to "shopping" there first if we truly need something.  Like some curtains that will provide fabric for a perfect Mary costume for the live nativity we want to put on at Christmas.  We always check the closet for canning jars.  We have bought jars at Walmart, their price seems to be the best for new.  We always check yard sales for canning jars and one gallon pickle jars.  Bekah uses the pickle jars for milk.   Most of her milk is sold in half gallon canning jars bought from Walmart.  No plastic.

   May your day be blessed, Sally

 7/29/26  The grass is greener wherever you stand because you bring value to every space you enter.

An east breeze is lifting the fog, 65 degrees.  Cloudy today, a brisk SE breeze, high 76.  Showers tonight, an ENE breeze, low 62.  Showers tomorrow and tomorrow night, NE breezes, high 70, low 61.  Cloudy Friday, a NNE breeze, high 77, low 50.  Partly cloudy Saturday, a west breeze, high 84, low 62.  PM showers Sunday, a south breeze, high 82, low 64.  Rain Monday, a WSW breeze, high 78, low 61.  Mostly sunny Tuesday and next Wednesday, WSW breezes, highs 83 and 89.  Lows about 63,  Partly cloudy next Thursday and Friday, SW breezes, highs 88, lows 63.  Possible showers Saturday the 8th, a WSW breeze, high 83, low 82.  Partly cloudy the next four days, WNW breezes, highs around 80, lows about 57.

    Barbie is not a happy lady.  The kingbirds visited her blueberries too.  Instead of the usual 100 plus quarts of blueberries she has gotten one,  I could not find a single ripe berry in my patch yesterday.  Barbie didn't get any cherries.  We got a quart,  The trees were heavy with berries until they started to ripn.

   Suddenly the garden is very dry.  Yesterday Jay ran soaker hoses all day, he'll be running them all day today too.  Early this morning I turned on the hose to fill the pond. Jay shuts it off when he starts the vegetable hoses. I ran soaker hoses in the flowers yesterday.  One more section today.  Bekah planted two hydrangeas this spring.  I watered one, today I'll do the other.  New plantings need weekly deep watering.  We are fortunate to have a good well. 

    May your day be blessed, Sally

 7/28/26  God doesn’t want our best for us, He wants His best for us.. There’s a difference” 

     Sunshine, calm, 60 degrees. Sunshine today, a light east breeze, high 84, low 62.  Cloudy tomorrow, a NE breeze, high 75, low 61.

Showers Thursday, a NE breeze, high 71, low 60.  Partly cloudy Friday, a NNE breeze, high 78, low 59.  Partly cloudy Saturday, a WSW breeze, high 85, low 63.  Mostly cloudy Sunday, a SSW breeze, high 83, low 63,  Thunderstorms Monday, a west breeze, high 76, low 60. Partly cloudy next Tuesday through Saturday the 8th, mostly west breezes, highs in the mid to upper eighties, lows in the low sixties.  Thunderstorms Sunday the 9th, a west breeze, high 83, low 61.  Partly cloudy on the 10th and 11th, WNW breezes, highs about 83, lows 60.

    It does not please me to sit here and watch a large flock of kingbirds fly into the blueberry patch.  We'll have to think about netting next year.  I've no idea how much that will cost.  A few are flying into Gilbert and Barbie's blueberries.  I just googled birds in blueberries.  A frame with netting is best.  Grape koolaid repels them.  Also a strong sugar solution.  Terror eye balloons scare the birds away. Now that the birds  have found the patch they will return every year.

   The forecast says we will be doing a lot of watering in the next few weeks,  The garden pond isn't far from the bee hives but I'm going to set up a watering station right by the hives.  I bought a float valve so it will be kept full automatically.  The pollen will be very dry.

   My lettuce and broccoli seeds have germinated.  It is time to plant fall gardens.  It was time a week or so ago but it isn't too late.

   Last night I made kombucha for the first time.  Fermented foods are supposed to be very good for us.  I'm taking a fermentation class.  I've never been successful at making sauerkraut.  We're going to try making it as soon as we have lots of cabbage.

    May your day be blessed, Sally

 7/27/26 Some of God's greatest blessings... look a lot like ordinary days. 

    Sunshine, calm, 60 degrees. Sunshine today, a gentle ESE breeze, high 83, low 53.  Partly cloudy tomorrow, a brisk SSE breeze, high 83, low 59.  Cloudy Wednesday, an ESE breeze, high 77, low 61.  showers Wednesday night with an ENE breeze.  Rain Thursday, a brisk NE breeze, high 70, low 60.  Showers Friday, a NNE breeze, high 75, low 60.  Partly cloudy Saturday, a north breeze, high 81, low 61.  Mostly cloudy Sunday, a SSW breeze, high 82, low 63.  Showers next Monday, a west breeze, high 79, low 60.  Partly cloudy next Tuesday, a WNW breeze, high 82, low 61.  Sunshine next Wednesday, a west breeze, high 85, low 63.  Partly cloudy Thursday the 6th, a WSW breeze, high 85, low 62.  34% chance of showers Friday the 7th, WNW breeze, high 60, low 60.  Partly cloudy Saturday the 8th,  a WNW breeze, high 80, low 60. Clouds and fog Sunday the 9th, a west breeze, high 80, low 60.  Partly cloudy Monday the 10th, a WNW breeze, high 91, low 58.

    Open Farm Day was blessed with beautiful weather, there was a good turnout across Maine.  We had a great turnout here of gracious guests.  Bekah and Jay had lots of displays and activities planned.  Family was all here helping them.  Heather set up a flower bar.   The animals were on their best behavior.  One of the first guests was a handicapped little boy.  His mother let him get out of his chair and go into the pasture with Bekah.  Mabel gently took apple slices from his hand.  She acted like a little boy loudly mooing at her was an everyday occurance.  Bekah said that the boy's reactions and his family's pleasure made her day even if not many other people came.  A half hour later the yard was full of cars.  She was thankful she had lots of help guiding people around.  Lots of guys tried the hay toss.  The winner was the one who made the first toss. He is a regular customer.  Jay out tossed everyone but he didn't win the t-shirt, he was just showing how it's done!

     Saturday morning a pair of robins and a pair of catbirds ate all the ripe berries on the pagoda dogwood.  By the time the kingbirds came in the afternoon there weren't any.  The king birds were here at the crack of dawn this morning.  The dogwood tree is right out the kitchen window.  I think the hummingbirds must feed their babies lots of aphids when they are in the nest,  The fledglings are leaving the nests, the hummingbirds are coming back to the feeders.  There are lots of hummingbirds flitting through the flowers.

    May you day be blessed, Sally

 7/25/26  Lord help me to be slow, slow to anger, slow to judge, slow to walk so that I do not walk past someone who needs kindness.

  Sunshine, 63 degrees.  Sunshine today with a south breeze, a high of 84, low 52.  Partly cloudy tomorrow, a light SSE breeze, high 81, low 52.  Sunshine Monday, a light east breeze, high 82, low 55.  Partly cloudy Tuesday, an east breeze, high 81, low 59.  30% chance of showers Tuesday night and Wednesday. A NNE breeze Wednesday, high 81, low 60.  PM thunderstorms Thursday, a NNE breeze, high 71, lo 60.  Some showers Friday, a north breeze, high 79, low 60.  Partly cloudy next Saturday, a west breeze, high 82, low 63.  35% chance of showers next Sunday and Monday, highs about 80, lows about 60.  SW breeze Sunday, NW breeze Monday.  Partly Cloudy Tuesday the 4th, a WNW breeze, high 82, low 63.  Chance of showers the 5th and 6th, WSW breezes, highs 83, lows 63.  Chance of showers the 7th, a WNW breeze, high 78, low 60.  Partly cloudy Saturday the 8th, a WNW breeze, high 78, low 60.

   Another beautiful day.  The yard is all freshly mowed for Open Farm Day tomorrow. The backyard and around the garden pond aren't mowed.  Bekah lets them get a little long and pastures Mabel and Mathilda on them.  She has several small pastures so they can be moved to a fresh posture every four or five days. The beef cows have the big pastures.

  Washing and refilling hummingbird feeders is first on my to do list this morning.  There are always some weeks midsummer that they seldom come to the feeders.  After the fledglings leave the nest they seem to come back.  Judging by how fast they emptied the window feeder this week they are back.

   Remember, tomorrow is Open Farm Day,  the day that many Maine Farms open their farms to guests.  We will be opening at nine and would love to see you.  May your Day be Blessed, Sallly

 7/24/26  Butterflies rest when it rains because rain damages their wings.  It's ok to rest during life's storms. Fly when they're over.

 It is sunny now and the sun will be with us through Monday, Tuesday will be partly cloudy. Highs in the low eighties until Tuesday with a high of 76.  lows in the mid fifties.  A WSW breeze today, then SE breezes.  Rain Starts Tuesday night, continues Wednesday and Thursday.  Tuesday night's low 61.Wednesday's high 71, low 61 with an east breeze.  Thursday's high 76, low 61 with a NNW breeze.  Partly cloudy next Friday and Saturday, highs 82, lows about 62.  A WNW breeze Friday, a SW breeze Saturday.  40% chance of showers Sunday the 2ed, WSW breeze, high 79, low 62.  Partly cloudy on the 3rd, 4th, and 5th, west breezes, highs  81, lows 61.  Fog Tuesday the 4th.  Partly cloudy Thursday  the 6th and Friday the 7th.  West and WNW breezes, highs 60, lows 62.  31% chance of a shower Thursday.

     Sister Lynne, my nephew and nieces are gathered together in New York today for my sister Donna's Celebration of Life.  Five generations of my family are buried in that village cemetery.  My heart and prayers are with my family as they say goodby..

    The lavender is done.  I'm not sure what is next.  Nothing for a few days as we get ready for Sunday, Open Farm Day.  I made butter again yesterday.  Even though Bekah has been making and selling vanilla and chocolate ice cream. ice cream.  .  Mathilda's milk has lots of cream

    A flock of Eastern kingbirds moved in when the cherries got ripe and cleaned the tree in two days.  They left.  Yesterday they came back and  moved into the blueberry patch. Netting the whole patch doesn't seem practical.  It may be the only way we get blueberries. In a few hours every ripe or nearly blueberry was gone. They have always shown up later in the season when the Pagoda dogwood berries ripened.  We net the few elderberry bushes we have.

    May your day be blessed, Sally

 7/23/26  Good Morning! May your day be filled with happiness, peace, and beautiful moments. 

Some places in Maine saw severe storms yesterday, we got a few rain drops.  Sunshine today, strong ENE breezes, high 74, low 52.  Sunshine this weekend, WSW and south breezes, in the eighties, lows 56. Partly cloudy Monday, a SSW breeze, high 82, low 58.   33% chance of afternoon showers Tuesday, a brisk SSE breeze, high 74, low 60.  Rain Wednesday, a NW breeze, high 74, low 60.  Partly cloudy next Thursday, Friday and Saturday, westerly breezes, highs around 80, lows about 61.  30% chance of shows next Sunday, a west breeze, high 80, low 60.  Partly cloudy the week of the 3rd, west breezes, highs in the low to mid eighties, lows 63.

     Didn't get much house cleaning done yesterday,no school means a houseful of kids.  It also means when I get home from getting a haircut some kids are cleaning the house.

     I took a kombucha making class yesterday.  The Lady that gets some of Bekah's milk to make cheese is bringing me a scoby Friday.  In the old days we called it "the mother". It's a clump of good bacteria to ferment the kombucha properly.  Nutritionists have learned that the old ways of preserving foods by fermenting gives us good bacteria when we eat the food.  No more buying bottles of probiotic tablets. Yesterday's class was part of a series of classes on preserving by fermenting that I'm taking.

     Last night I took the first load of lavender out of the dehydrator and put in the second. The girls like lavender/lemon iced tea. And they make a lavender lotion. The dehydrator will be used a lot until fall when we start the cookrange.  There is a drying rack over the range.  Some things can't wait until fall to be dried.

     I planted some lettuce and broccoli seeds yesterday.  A week or two later than I like  to start fall broccoli.  Not too late according to google.

     Bekah has been cleaning chichen housing this week.   This year's pullets will now be moved into their permanent home.  She has saved some old hay to pile on the pile of chicken manure to keep the smell down.  It would have been nice to get rain on the pile yesterday.  Some people clean their chicken house out weekly.  We put fresh straw on their floor every week.  By winter there will be a warm pack on the cold cement floor.  Gilbert used to clean the chicken house for me because he wanted to compost it and put it in his garden.

    May your day be blessed, Sally