Garden Work,Vino is Workingand 2 Hikes Today

Well it feels as if the "dog days of summer" are upon us. It was once again 68 this AM yet the humidity was back. After our morning check of the gardens and quiet time I put the yeast to the blackberry mess and starting the process of fermentation. It will take 7 days before I strain the mess and add more sugar, after that its another 10 days until the sugar is used up and another reading(hydrometer) is taken. It's a first for me so will let you know it its palatable. By the way there was no deer damage to the gardens again this morning. There was no rain as well but we do hear a few rumbles in the distance. Down off the mountain there was severe weather; rain, hail and high winds.

Nancy and I took our first hike of the day about 11AM and got back just after lunch time. We had a great fresh garden salad with most of it home grown. I managed to hoe most of the garden after lunch and transplanted some much need plants with good potting soil. I then re-arranged the rock pathway from the back porch to the fire circle. I put larger rocks on the lower side of the path to keep the gravel from washing into the yards when it "gully washes or frog swallower", that's mountain lingo for a down pour.

Nancy took the golf cart to the mailbox and I headed for the basement where it was a cool 60 degrees. The dehumidifier keeps the basement nice and cool on hot days.When she came back we both read for an hour then she put together another zucchini pie for dinner. Yumm!! After dinner I washed the dishes and Nancy took in the laundry off the clothes line. I then watered the garden by hand. After it cooled off we headed back to the top of the mountain where we stopped and talked to Norm Wigington(WWII Vet) and then stopped off , sat and talked a spell with Ann and Sandy Cline until Nancy heard it rumble off in the distance.

Tomorrow it time once again for our weekly day trip with Joe and Helen. Will fill all of you in on the details tomorrow night. We are presently under a severe weather watch. Hopefully we will get a little rain but no rough stuff. Well its time to put this baby to bed, missing all our families an especially the grand girls Ava and Annsley.