8/27/26  No one can replace a mother who is fully present in her children's childhood to shape their character, and guide their education. 

     Partly cloudy, calm, 56 degrees.  A strong SSE breeze today, high 80, low 66.  Afternoon thunderstorms tomorrow, a SW breeze, high 79, low 52.  Sunshine Saturday, a WNW breeze, high 77, low 54.  Partly cloudy Sunday, a brisk WSW breeze, high 80, low56.  Partly Cloudy Monday, a WNW breeze, high 76, low 53.  Partly cloudy Tuesday, an east breeze, high 76, low 66.  Showers Wednesday and Thursday, east breezes, highs about 72, lows 59.  Cloudy next Friday, a NE breeze, high 73, low 56. Cloudy Saturday the 5th, a SSE breeze, high 76, low 56.  Partly cloudy Sunday, the 6th, a SSE breeze, high 77, low 57.  Cloudy Labor Day, a west breeze, high 78, low 56.  Partly cloudy the next three days, WNW breezes, highs about 78, lows 58.

    Somewhere in East Tennessee tonight, a mother is sitting beside an incubator in a hospital that only exists in its current form because a girl who grew up with nothing decided, decades later, that no child in her mountains would ever have to fight alone.  And then she made sure the mother had books to read to the baby.

    Everyone enjoyed the three ducks until they decided the garage was nice and cool on hot days.  Azalea and Izzy found a 16"by 8' piece of plywood and blocked the entrance.  For a day the ducks made a lot of noise about being shut out.  Now they don't even hang out by the garage door.

    According to comments on FB and the newspaper I'm not the only one noticing a lot more birds coming to the feeders this summer.  We started seeing more birds last fall.  We noticed there wasn't any meat in the acorns and checked other seeds.  The same thing. We thought we had enough rain to make a difference this summer.  Perhaps not.  According to articles about birds migrated early because two dry years meant fewer insects.  I need to go fill the feeders and water flowers.  I've a busy day, breakfast with my sister at eight, a perm at 10:15.  after the perm the feed store for grain.

    May your day be blessed, Sally

    
Let’s end with a few of Parton’s own words. In her book, “Dream More: Celebrate the Dreamer in You,” she writes, “I make a point to appreciate all the little things in my life. I go out and smell the air after a good, hard rain. I re-read passages from my favorite books. I hold the little treasures that somebody special gave me. These small actions help remind me that there are so many great, glorious pieces of good in the world.”

 8/26/26  Do your best. Chase those dreams and goals. But let grace fill the gaps.   Please, encourage others to offer themselves grace too.

Clear, calm, 58 degrees. Sunshine today, a light NW breeze, high 82, low 58. Partly cloudy tomorrow, a strong south breeze, high 80, low 55. Rain Friday, a SSW breeze, high 77, low 52.  Sunshine Saturday, a WNW breeze, high 76, low 51.  Partly cloudy Sunday, a brisk WSW breeze, high 80, low 50.  Partly cloudy Monday, a WNW breeze, high 77, low 62.  Showers after midnight.  Showers Tuesday and next Wednesday , perhaps into Thursday morning. A SSE breeze Tuesday, high 74, low 56.  A SE breeze Wednesday, high 71, low 58.  Partly cloudy Thursday afternoon and Friday the 4th  with SE breezes, highs 75, lows 57.   Partly cloudy Saturday the 5th, a SE breeze, high 76, low 59.  Partly cloudy Sunday the 6th, possible PM showers, a south breeze, high 77, low 58.  Possible AM showers Monday the 7th, a west breeze, high 76, low 56. Partly cloudy Tuesday the 8th and Wednesday the 9th.  WNW breezes, highs 76, lows 56.

   Today is Community Closet Day.  I'll have a full load.  Besides some stuff from here Sally Jo, Rachael and Barbie have put stuff in the truck.  Bradford is collecting donations for a one day free giveaway next month.

    The first box of 2027 seeds came yesterday.  fFower seeds that were on special if ordered early.  The plug order went in, the cuttings order will go in a couple of weeks.  The fruit trees and shrubs are ordered.  Some small fruits and perennials  are in that order.  A smaller order to a different nursery went in last week. The supply order needs to get in. Supplies come in October and April.  2026 season is still busy but Bekah has to make time to plan and order for 2027.

     May your day be blessed, Sally

There is, then, a politics of food that, like any politics, involves our freedom. We still (sometimes) remember that we cannot be free if our minds and voices are controlled by someone else. But we have neglected to understand that we cannot be free if our food and its sources are controlled by someone else. The condition of the passive consumer of food is not a democratic condition. One reason to eat responsibly is to live free.”

—Wendell Berry

8/25/26  When life knocks you down, do not make the ground your permanent residence. Make the struggle your footstool and rise.

 An early fog is lifting, the sun is rising, ushering in another pleasant day.  We'll have a light SSW breeze, a high of 80, low 57.  Partly cloudy tomorrow, a light WNW breeze, high 82, low 57.  Partly cloudy Thursday, a strong south breeze, high 81, low 64.  Thunderstorms Friday, a SSW breeze, high 77, low 55.  Partly  cloudy Saturday, WNW breeze, high 77, low 52.  Sunshine Sunday, a WSW breeze, a high of 80, low 59.  Mostly cloudy Monday, a WNW breeze, high 77, low 68.  Possible showers next Tuesday and Wednesday. An ESE breeze Tuesday, high 71, low 58.  A NNE breeze Wednesday, a high of 76. low 577.  A NNW breeze Thursday the 3rd, partly cloudy, high 78, low 57.  Mostly cloudy Friday the 4th, a north breeze, high 75, low 57.  Partly cloudy Saturday the 5th, a NW breeze, high 77, low 59.  Slight chance of showers Sunday the 6th, a WSW breeze, high 77, low 58. Partly cloudy Labor Day, a west breeze, high 78, low 55.  Partly cloudy Tuesday the 8th, a WNW breeze, high  75, low 55.

     Yesterday so many finches mobbed the feeders when I filled them they were empty in half an hour.  I'm going to fill another large feeder today.  I think so many were at the feeders they spilled some. The hummingbird feeders are emptying pretty fast too.  That usually happens a week or so before they leave.  Early mornings are quiet with the birds gone.  We ordered an extra shipment of fly parasites for the middle and end of August.  If we don't there is an increase in flies when the swallows leave. 

   Monday is laundry and make butter day so less weeds were pulled.  I don't want any weeds going to seed so I'll be back at weeding and mulching today.  Smartweeds that are only a few inches tall are putting out seeds trying to reproduce.

   We have lots of pullet eggs.   We only charge three dollars for eighteen eggs.  A box of eighteen pullet eggs has the same number of ounces of eggs as a box of large.

   May your day be blessed, Sally

                                                        ​​

 8/24/26The best moments are not measured by time, but by peace of mind, grategful heart, and little things that make life feel like home.

 Some clouds, calm, 64 degrees.  Partly cloudy today, a brisk south breeze. high 80, low 58.  Partly cloudy tomorrow, a west breeze, high 77, low  57.  Sunshine Wednesday, a WSW breeze, high 81, low 57.  Partly cloudy Thursday, a strong south breeze, high 82, low 64.  Scattered thunderstorms Friday, a SSW breeze, high 77, low 57 Mostly sunny Saturday, a NW breeze, high 77, low 57.  Partly cloudy Sunday, a WSW breeze,high 79, low 58.  cloudy next Monday, a NW breeze, high 77, low 53. Partly cloudy next Tuesday, a north breeze, high 76, low 55. Possible showers Wednesday, an ENE breeze, high 70, low 55. Mostly cloudy Thursday the 3rd, a NNE breeze, high 73, low 53.  Clouds and fog Friday the 4th, a NNW breeze, high 75, low 54.  Mostly cloudy Labor Day weekend, NW breezes, high in the mid seventies, lows 55.

    Early this morning today's forecast was for partly cloudy skies.  Now it says morning clouds/afternoon sun.  It's very dark and dreary now.

   This week we start making applesauce.  We'll do a few jars of chunky anytime we have a moment. For those that like smooth we'll do at least a canner at a time.  Making smooth applesauce  makes more of a mess.  Some kind of food will be put by for winter nearly every day.  This morning there are four cookie sheets of watermelon chunks in the freezer that need to go in freezer bags. Most will be used in smoothies.

   I'm not the only one who thinks many of the birds that head south for the winter have left early.  I'm seeing forecasts for an early winter based on early migrations.  It is said that if you count August fogs you'll know how many significant snow storms will occur in winter.  According to that saying we'll have plenty of snow this winter.

   May your day be blessed, Sally

  

 8/22/26 May your morning begin with peace, your heart be filled with gratitude, and your day bloom with unexpected blessings

     Some clouds, calm, 64 degrees. Mostly cloudy today, an WSW breeze, high 79, low 63.  Showers tomorrow, tomorrow night and early Monday.  An ESE breeze tomorrow, high 73, low 64.  Early morning showers Monday then partly cloudy.  A stiff south breeze, high 79, low 56.  Partly cloudy Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.  A WSW breeze Tuesday, high 77, low 57.  A WNW breeze Wednesday, high 80, low 57.  A WSW breeze Thursday, high 82, low 61.  Showers Friday with a south breeze, high 76, low 58.  Partly cloudy next Saturday and Sunday, WNW breezes, highs about 78, lows 52 and 56.  Partly cloudy Monday the 31st, a WSW breeze, high 80, low 60.  Possible showers Tuesday the 1st, a WSW breeze, high 78, low 57.  Partly cloudy Wednesday the 2ed through Saturday the 5th, NW breezes, highs 76, lows 53.
    Are your asparagus fronds looking puny or yellowing?    They may need a deep soaking.  Perhaps weeds are growing, get rid of them.  Weeds steal water and nutrients from next spring's crop. Some well rotted manure or compost and mulch added now will make stronger fronds.  Stronger fronds mean a bigger crop next spring.  Don't cut the fronds until there has been a hard frost.  Let them feed the roots as long as possible.    When you do cut the fronds remove them to prevent the asparagus beetle or disease.
    I don't see any swallows this morning.  Some left a few weeks ago, the ones raising a second round of fledglings were still here just a day or so ago.  The red winged blackbirds have left.  The finches, nothatche,  titmouse, and song sparrows are at the sunflower feeders.  The song sparrows will leave.   The hummingbirds leave the first week in September.  There are quite a few coming to the feeders.

    I'm still weeding,  I'll be weeding all fall!  I need to mulch where i've weeded before the weedds come back.  And why the kids are here to bring me buckets of mulch.

    May you day be blessed, Sally

 8/21/26  Three things last forever, faith, home and love.

 Sunshine, calm, 59 degrees.  Some clouds today, a light north breeze, high 80, low 53.  Possible late day showers tomorrow, an east breeze, high 77, low 53.  Light rain Sunday, Sunday night and early Monday.  An ESE breeze Sunday, high 74, low 654.  A SSW breeze Monday, high 80, low 57.  Partly cloudy Tuesday, a WSW breeze, high 75, low 56.   Mostly sunny Wednesday a west breeze, high 79, low 56.  Partly cloudy Thursday, a SSW breeze, high 81, low 62.  Scattered thunderstorms next Friday, a SW breeze, high 79, low 59.  Partly cloudy next Saturday, a NW breeze, high 78, low 55.   31% chance of showers Sunday the 30th, a WNW breeze, high 76, low 58.  Partly cloudy the 31st and the first week in September with WNW breezes.  Highs on Monday the 31st and Tuesday the 1st 80, lows 58.  Highs about 76 the rest of the week, lows about 56. 

     We've had rainy days but not much rain.  Bekah has small pastures she rotates Mabel and Mathilda through.  Including what was lawn out by the garden pond.  The pastures aren't coming back very fast so yesterday she pastured them on the lawn around the front of the barn. That can't be done with the beef and dairy herds.  Supplemental feeding and herd reduction are the answers for them.  Maine farmers are thankful for what they have as they pray for their fellow farmers in drought and fire stricken areas of our country.  Thanks to facebook we are following the fire in Tok, Alaska that has taken the homes of between 20 and 30 families.  Wind blew a tree on a power line causing sparks that started the fire.

    We have a well that has never failed us but we are conserving water.  All watering is done with a soaker hose or by hand.  We don't have  overhead sprinklers for our shrubs or display benches.  They get watered by hand.  Friday is the day I water newly planted perennials and two hydragea's Bekah planted in front of the house.  With a soaker hose.

    May your day be blessed, Sally

    

 8/20/26"Those who labor in the Earth are the chosen people of God" - Thomas Jefferson

 Sunshine, calm, 62 degrees.  Mostly cloudy today, a WNW breeze, high 81, low 56.  Yesterday's mostly cloudy forecast had lots of sun until midafternoon.  Sunshine tomorrow, a light NW breeze, high 80, low 53.  Mostly cloudy Saturday, an east breeze, high 79, low 62.  Light rain Sunday, showers Sunday night.  A SE breeze, high 74, low 64.  Scattered thunderstorms Monday, a south breeze, high 77, low 57. Partly cloudy Tuesday through Thursday, September 3rd.  WSW breezes Tuesday, high 75, low 57.  WSW breezes the rest of the work week, highs around 80, lows 56, 60 and 59.  WNW breezes Saturday the 29th, high 79, low 55.  West breezes Sunday the 30th, and Monday the 31st, highs 75 lows 55.  WNW breezes September 1st, 2ed and 3rd, highs 74, lows 55,56, and 52.

   Today's drought monitor shows us as moderate drought. Just north of us shows abnormally dry.

   We've deadheaded our peonies. After a frost we'll trim them to 2 or 3 inches tall, removing the cut stems to prevent fungal diseases.  Peonies don't want winter mulch unless they are new plants.  A light cover of pine needles is enough for new plants.  Remove them in the spring.  Most years they don't need to be watered but this year mine would like a good soaking.  A soaking that wets the soil down five inches.

   All new planting needs to be monitored for moisture.  When watering, water the shrub, tree or perennial deeply.  If you don't water deeply the plant will have shallow roots and be short lived.  

   May your day be blessed, Sally

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