3 Dogs, 3 Inches, 3am Power Outage, and 3 Cherry Pickers

We used to have one brave little dog that wasn't afraid of thunder storms and other loud noises. While big dog Glory shook and trembled, and little Sunny ran under the bed, Pappy always went about his normal business without a worry. Until last night.

Pappy was in the process of raising his leg for a final 10 pm pee when lightening struck nearby with a sonic boom clap of thunder. All thoughts of peeing were forgotten and he ran for the door. He was my shadow the rest of the night.

And the night was long. The storm went on and on. We got almost three inches of rain accompanied by much lightening and loud thunder. It went on for hours. There was almost no sleeping as we comforted dogs and waited for the inevitable power outage.

Three being the lucky number, it was 3am when the transformer and some power lines went down in front of the neighbor's property. Then there was calling Consumer's Power by flashlight and juggling backup oxygen tanks. There was not much sleeping.


10am this morning the first Consumer's truck arrived. It must have been a mess back in the swampy woods because it took three cherry picker trucks and a pickup two hours to repair everything and restore power.

So far today DH and dogs are catching up on their sleep. I'm planning to join them soon. I need a three hour nap. At minimum.

Summertime Blues

I keep looking for reader comments and haven't been getting any. Is that because I haven't posted in eight days?

It's the middle of an exceptionally hot summer here in SW Michigan. Day after day of temps in the 90s with high humidity, occasionally just enough rain to make steam, and a bumper crop of mosquitoes.

I haven't been knitting. The dogs and I take short walks without the camera. They're sweat and swat walks.



The hostas are chewed. These former beauties are/were three feet from the house.

The deer know they can outrun anything that lives here, so they're not shy about walking up to the porch for the good stuff.

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On a happier blue note, a bluebird couple decided it's not too hot for some bluebird love.

They needed a nest in a hurry so they built a dainty grass bluebird nest over the top of a partial wren stick nest.

The second half of July is extremely late in the summer for a bluebird nesting. I'm hoping the eggs don't cook before they hatch.

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I walked out without the dogs this morning so I could sweat and swat and snap a picture.

Daddy bluebird obliged by posing on nearby mullein while mom bluebird lay the second egg.

The Dogs Take a Short, Hot Walk Out Back

What some old dogs do when the temperature is over 90 and they get taken on a short walk out in the field:



Sunny, the youngest dog at nine years, likes to bask in the sun.

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Pappy is an old male Papillon, but not too old to do his male dog duty marking his yard.

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Glory is checking to see if the blackberries are ripe enough to eat. She loves them and will eat them right off the stalk when they're ready enough to pass her sweetness test.

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Not yet. But almost.

This was taken last week. This week some berries are dark. Glory will be helping herself by the end of the week.

Monday Whining for June 28

For the past few weeks we've had rain, thunderstorms, rain, and thunderstorms. There have been power outages all around us, but so far we've been spared. Which is amazing considering this 25 foot oak branch landed directly under the power lines leading to the house.

Thanks to all the moisture, the weeds are taking over the land.

The grass is growing at an early spring rate - fast. And I have to pick up sticks before I can mow. I spent half a day picking up sticks last Monday, and this week there are just as many thanks to the past week storms.

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Nesting season has slowed down. The tree swallows have fledged and the only box in use has week old wrens.

This is the first wren nest where I've been able to open the nest box. Normally the sticks go all the way to the top and to open the box would be to destroy the nest and possibly crush the eggs or hatchlings.

I heard that Yellow Headed Blackbirds have been seen in my neighborhood. I've never seen one and will be excited if they stop by to visit. Their usual range is west of Lake Michigan and we're east of Lake Michigan.

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Five or six times a day the three dogs and I go for a walk on the back three acres. It is untamed except for the paths that I mow for us to walk on. It is bird and wildlife rich, usually a good thing.

The past few weeks the mosquitoes have been/are frantic for blood. They are so thick I'll inhale them if I breath deep. It's difficult to take pictures outdoors because I'm too busy swatting.

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Also, there are at least two does bedded down with their fawns nearby. We can't see them until they pop up to snort and glare at us. When this happens, we turn around and head home.

I'd love to see a fawn up close. I have no desire to mess with an irate doe. Glory and Sunny seem to understand we are unwelcome by something bigger than they are. They pretend they don't see or hear anything and they willingly head back to the house. Pappy thinks he should do something, so he gives a little bark before following us out of the area.