Monday Miscellany

 

Bill and I agreed this morning that we are having May in July, and that's okay because we had plenty of July in May. 

It's jacket weather out there this morning, and with another dose of light wind, it's good to be wearing a jacket. 

We also talked about the amount of wind we have had this year.  Seems like a definite uptick in blowing.

I'm not happy because it blows leaves off from rather dry trees, and when I've just mowed the lawn, the leafy and twiggy residue is unwelcome. 

My chimes are happy, though, and their frequent melodious addition to the outdoor sounds makes up for lawn eyesores. 

Besides mowing lawn, clipping horses and picking berries, I spent some time tracking down more people who may not yet have known about our class reunion. 

Try as we have for the past several months, we've still missed a few and have finally lucked out with some contact information. 

I loved successfully contacting Mary from our class yesterday.  She is very excited to come to the reunion in September.  

And, talk about a really admirable piece of news:  she still works 40 hours a week and is still loving her job. 

Amazing for one who is 78 years young. 

In another case, I got excited because I found two phone numbers for a classmate. 

The first one I dialed three times, only to be told by a recorded voice that my dialing was insufficient.  On to the other number:  nobody answered and the voicemail is full. 

So, I resorted to the really old-fashioned way, which involves sending the reunion information to a snail mail address. 

I love searching for classmates, and REALLY love when someone answers and hears a voice they haven't heard in at least a decade. 

Fun times.  Sometimes frustrating but making the reconnections is worth every minute of effort. 

I cut a little grass yesterday and then couldn't get enough of trimming things.  

So, the clippers came out, and CB got a shave and a haircut for free last night. 

I would have done the same for the others, but the clippers were getting a bit warm, so maybe one a day until all three horses are looking spiffy again.

My horses love their barbershop sessions.  Plus, they look great after the clips.  

I love these Mexican sunflowers.  

Have never had them before but will definitely plant them again next year. 

And, I love the colorful pot accessory, which I purchased at the Blumenberg sisters' lemonade stand on Friday. 

Annie's Trip Photos:  Český Krumlov - my last bucket list item of this trip! It’s as amazing to wander around in as I thought it might be. This also makes Czechia the 9th and final country I’m visiting on this trip. Back to Munich tomorrow and then Seattle on Tuesday.

Český Krumlov, in Bohemia’s deep south, is one of the most picturesque towns in Europe. 

It’s a little like Prague in miniature – a Unesco World Heritage Site with a stunning castle above the Vltava River, an old town square, Renaissance and baroque architecture, and hordes of tourists milling through the streets – but all on a smaller scale; you can walk from one side of town to the other in 20 minutes. 

There are plenty of lively bars and riverside picnic spots – in summer it’s a popular hang-out for backpackers. It can be a magical place in winter, though, when the crowds are gone and the castle is blanketed in snow.

from Best in Travel 2025