God forgive me!! I opened Pandora’s Box and, and, and (stammer) I’m speechless. At our noon meal, at the CARE Center, residents were talking about phone calls from their children. I listened…, I didn’t comment. I came home and began to search Facebook* to see if I could find my sons and my grandchildren. “Yes,” I found most of them (but didn’t ask them to be friends. After all, if they wanted to contact me they could phone, or email, or read my blog messages.)

I’m “big” about aphorisms (from my mother and my grandmother) and here is another one: “What you don’t know won’t hurt you.” ~~ I’m going to take comfort in the arms of my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and try to put Facebook messages out of my mind!! ~~ A parting remark: I love Ruby-throated Hummingbirds. Repeat: I love Hummingbirds!! However, I never expected to see one as a tattoo on my granddaughter.

Happy Father’s Day!!

*I’m new to Facebook because I want to help promote the CARE Center. Our page is less than one month young.

With a borrowed ladder, I determined to clean the dirty windows!! All that Winter grime!! Wow, what an improvement!! (Yes, lots of exclamation marks.) I successfully took pictures of Ruby-throated Hummingbird, Bluebirds, Carolina Chickadee, etc., through the glass but the new view is spectacular. Look at the fourth from last picture. Would you believe that was taken through the glass window?? My neighbors are working in their yards, too.

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See other pictures–through a dirty window.

Yes, I have better things to do with my time. It would seem that I am always “watching the clock.”

Even with A/C, the heat and humidity rob all my energy!!

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The air was only slightly cooler. I was anxious to complete a project in the garden. I moved the new tomato planter. All by myself!! Very heavy!! The planter had been moved under the shelter of the front of the trailer–prior to Tropical Storm Bill (a volunteer helped me move it). Recently, I’ve been eyeing the areas that get the most sunshine and changed-my-mind about the future home for the tomato plant.

Only time will tell if this is the ideal location: Filtered morning sunshine and shade later. Too much sunshine in the previous site–and it didn’t “look good” there. I’m all about Feng shui.

The Maintenance Manager was spraying Roundup on the weeds in the neighboring (unoccupied) yard. I rushed over to ask him if “at his convenience” he would help me put the awning out. He suggested we do it then. He had it out is ten-seconds-flat!! (“It’s a guy thing.”) He suggests I contact a repair man for the awning.

The limbs had not been trimmed (contrary to my plan). I borrowed a ladder…, moved the planters…, nipped the branches…, trashed the cuttings. Then cleanup of the area before returning the planters to their original location. Eventually, I’ll bleach the cement because ugly brown stains from the Chinese Tallow tree. Eventually… but the nuisance dirty things are still falling.

The ladder is set up so I can wash the window before moving the lawn chairs under awning.

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All the hard work, sweat and disappointment is worthwhile when I see the first Butterfly* on the Butterfly bush. Simultaneously, I see three Bluebirds at the feeder. Oh joy!! ~~ Love my garden!!

*Adult female eastern black swallowtail

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“Air you can wear” was the expression–by Houston NBC TV-news meteorologist–for Livingston’s “feels like” 97 degrees (at 5:15 PM). ~~ Then–at 6:15–“feels like” 98.

Just found this web site: Natural pest control.

In my small garden, I’ve battled “too much rain“ and extreme heat. Bugs are one villain I haven’t complained about. If I am going to save my tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers and zucchini, I want a natural pest control.

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Using my pedometer.

Climate_science_world_depopulation. 

Interesting reading!!

Did you know??

Organic industry in shock as Whole Foods pushes new rating system that promotes chemical agriculture as better than organic.

Whole Foods industry betrayal.

For thirty-six hours (more* or less) we’ve enjoyed blessed relief from heat and humidity. No need for the air-conditioner!! (I hate A/C. Ironic isn’t it? I live where A/C is a “must” five or six months a year.) ~~ It’s two o’clock in the morning as I start this message; I can’t sleep because it is eerily quiet outdoors.  Spooky kind of quiet. No wind (no wind chimes chiming), no rain.  Strangely, no TV-news with weather info. Yesterday, round-the-clock coverage.

Went back to bed; unable to sleep because I was “listening.” At 3:20, less than two minutes of rain. Following the brief rain, normal night sounds. So strange!!

Fell asleep… and awakened at 6:20 to hear birds chirping and singing. According to TV-news meteorologist: “Tropical Depression Bill is south of Dallas.”  I’ll watch for complete weather details but I’m under the impression “Bill” missed me. Hallelujah!!

Seven-twenty to seven-fifty update: Suddenly very hard rain!! (Can you hear it pounding on the roof??) It lasted less than twenty minutes.

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Yes, I went out in light rain for those pictures!! ~~ Still raining at nine as I update this message.

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“Serious driving conditions” according to TV-news. Some areas are still experiencing rain. One town (Whorton) had eleven inches in seven hours!! OMG!!

Livingston, Texas, (Weather Underground)

Elev 167 ft 30.65 °N, 95.00 °W | Updated -1 sec ago [2:07 PM]
Rain 78.3 °F
Feels Like 81 °F
N 0 [zero] Wind Variable
Gusts 0 mph
Today is forecast to be WARMER than yesterday.
Today High 80 | Low 75 °F
100% Chance of Precip.
Yesterday High 77.5 | Low 76.6 °F
Precip. 0.4 in (Radar Loop)

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Postscript, Thursday, June 18, 2015, 8:00 AM: Regarding star (*) above. Actually more than sixty hours without running the air-conditioner!! That saved my electric bill several nickles–and counting.

Less than one inch of rain since earlier picture yesterday (8:42 AM).