Friday in the Country......

 This morning, as we sipped our coffee on the deck and looked out at our 'yard,' Louis Dean said, "I think it may be time to pull up the sunflowers."

I admit there were more dead ones than blooming and the leaves were all crispy and brown now.

So, after we had our morning routine, I went out with a pair of scissors and picked a basket of sunflower seeds. Louis Dean then dug up the firmly rooted main stalk - they were like sunflower bushes - and drug them around the outside perimeter of the fence to scatter the seeds still on the stalks.

I'll plant my seeds inside the fence but won't it look pretty if we have sunflowers on both sides next year?  

I got dressed and went into 'town' to pick up a few groceries.

The cotton is growing on the land at the end of County Line Road and this is where I picked my first cotton a few years ago. It was after the harvest, of course, and Sherry, Ruth Ann, and I took some of the gleanings. Maybe I can do this again next month after they get the crop in.

I stopped in at Leon Junction to browse for a few minutes.

They always have such interesting things.....country things and unique things.

I seldon walk out the door without buying something - this time it was candles.

Texas Sweet Tea.

Read's Grocery Store is right across the street and I went right in and got just what I needed - including 6 brand new fly swatters! The good kind! 4 for here and 2 to take home.

When Louis Dean and I sit outside, he will hand me a swatter and say, "Man your weapons!"

It's so pretty down here in the country.

I love the big sky and open fields.

I started some new art projects today........

one of which is for Kailey.

She sent me this picture of a white kitten and asked me to paint it for her.

Tomorrow I hope to start three more canvases.

I have been all about doing art and enjoying the country things on this visit and have done very little routine housework. Louis Dean washes the dishes and we just pull the sheets up on the bed and call that done. I figure I'm going to clean the camper and front room and bathroom really good on Monday before we leave - so whatever I do now will just have to be done again. Not my usual attitude but it's working for me this week!

About 6:00 it started raining! We were not expecting that but it was very welcome.

I saw the three horses out there grazing so I walked out underneath the carport and took their picture.

They were not paying the slightest bit of attention to the rain and kept their heads down and continued eating. That brush in front of them is the rest of some wood Sherry drug over here with her tractor. She know how much Louis Dean loves his campfires!

Our Country Garden is a haphazard one but it gets better eery year.

Last year there were mounds of sandy loam soil and the ground was so uneven.

Louis Dean is working on getting it more level and has been busy getting a lot of the weeds out.

In October we will be planting some more trumpet vines and our wildflower seeds.

The rain didn't even last long enough to make any mud!

Here and then gone!

Which was wonderful, really, as Sherry and I had some bee boxes to paint.

Tomorrow morning we will be working in the apiary treating for Varroa mites and small hive beetles and putting double brood boxes on all our hives. More hives make more work but we are all about bees! What we do now will determine our success next year.

I painted one brood box to Sherry's two!

Mama cat came up to me while I was sitting on the porch steps.

Such a pretty little lady.

And the other Mama cat......

makes me miss mine more!

Sweet sweet kitty!

I bid you all a good night from the country!

Morning will come early for me but I am excited and looking forward to opening up the hives and seeing how our girls are doing!