Sunflowers and Country Days......

 The weather is moving into summer kind of temps.....so far it's only been in the 90's but next week it will reach 100 and then plus.

Our camper AC has been dripping inside ever since Friday and I have been very concerned about this. The camper is old - as in 22 years old - and fragile.

The ceiling is holding water and bulging out and I seemed to be the only one of us who was worried about it. The bedroom ceiling held water in years past and that required a major repair - of which Louis Dean did a fantastic job. But do we want more 'major undertakings' at this stage of the game? I think not!

Enter Dean and Sherry as they were out in their garden working on Friday morning,

I had prayed in the night and again when I woke up.

Louis Dean had worked on the condensation line and unstopped it - but that didn't stop the steady water drip inside the camper.

I am so grateful for the hospitality of Dean and Sherry inviting us to keep our camper down here at their ranch and encouraging us to put down some pretty deep roots!

They are always here for us and between the three of them - Louis Dean, Deean and Sherry - they figured out the problem. 

The camper is old and the roof is a fragile fabric at this point.

Praise God for the great big red metal cover over the entire thing or the camper would most likely be uninhabitable by now.

Long story short - Dean and Sherry concocted a permanent solution using guttering material to keep the water from even touching the delicate skin of roof.  But before they could install that - Louis Dean devised a temporary fix using some metal flashing. Win! WIN!!!

I walked away from the edge of my emotions and was able to use the camper AC as the dripping grew less and less since it now had a place to flow off the roof. 

Apparently, the camper roof has a dip in it and the water was pooling there and flowing back into the camper.

I do not do HEAT very well at all and if I am sleeping HOT - it will not be good for me!

There is no way I can be here without working AC. Period.

And praise God and thank Dean and Sherry - that will not be a problem!

But I admit the stress of getting Louis Dean to even realize and then confront the fact that we had a problem and finally addressing it took a toll on me.

I escaped into the girl bunk Friday afternoon and when I got up, Sherry was on the front deck visiting with Louis Dean and she had cut a bouquet of sunflowers for me!

What an absolute blessing Sherry is!

My world shifted back into focus again.

I am not a master gardener or even an armature one but I did plant a lot of sunflower seeds last fall and in the early spring.

Saturday the dripping was less and less and still I was a bit blue.

That happens to all of us at times and we simply have to deal with it and take care of ourselves.....and ask God to lead us on to whatever He has for us.

I am still writing in my book and am now on chapter 25. It's been an amazing thing how God will bring memories back to me as I write and I suddenly realized - right in the middle of the chapter - that I was recording the happiest time of my life. It's from September 1983 when I am in the depths of despair to September of 1984 when I realize I am at the happiest time I have ever been in my entire life. Jesse and I are actually in love again without the hostility I have felt from from him for so many years. He has redeemed his relationships with Summer and Jesse, Jr and we are embarking on being new parents again.

So this week here at the ranch has ranged all he way from some exciting highs to some serious lows. And isn't that the way Life is??

I love this photo I took on Saturday afternoon. 

it reminded me that no matter what - I should be reaching for the sun.....as in SON.

My goal here for my part of the garden is to have sunflowers for our bees to feast on as they make delicious honey.

And we watch them every day as they swarm over the looming sunflower plants right in front of us as we sit on the deck having our morning coffee.

Saturday night I went to bed with my glass of wine and the Summer Book my friend Jutta gifted me.  I read it every summer while I am down here at the ranch.

Sunday morning coffee and church - Fellowship online.

In the country we watch things.

Car lights up on County Line Road.

Dean and Sherry as they work.

Critters as they come and go.

Neighbor Steve brought his trailer and took home the red truck to use as parts for the matching one he has. Country folk trade things out.....

Monday morning ......

We brought food from home when we came down here last week and have not been to the store since so we are using up what we have and that's been kind of a fun adventure.

Sherry gave us some fresh eggs and a half dozen sourdough rolls.

Along with the ham and Gouda cheese I had - we had a good brunch this Monday!

I've been cleaning like a madwoman in anticipation of our going home tomorrow.

This evening Louis Dean and I did some more planting in our garden.....

Pumpkins!

I planted a row along the stone divider between HIS garden and MINE. 

Mine being wildflowers and a small field of sunflowers.

Just a guy looking at his garden.....

We planted and he watered.

For dinner tonight I grilled some smoked sausage and some sliced sweet potatoes gifted us from Sherry's parents.

This is my beloved step son Dean.....out in his amazing garden.

He is a rock in my life. We all need rocks to hold us when we are weak or fragile.

He and Sherry are rocks for Louis Dean and me.

I think we are ALL a rock for somebody.

My friend, Jutta, in Finland is another rock and I am hers.

If we are really blessed - and aren't we all? -  we have so many rocks in our lives.

Children, friends, neighbors, siblings, and so many others.

I'm thankful for those who love me and encourage me when I am down and I hope and pray that God will use me to lift other of my friends and loved ones as he has sent those who have blessed me.

Isn't that the truth??

We are going home tomorrow and I am going to be taking a huge bouquet of sunflowers!!