Summer girls

We have enjoyed three days with four grandaughters.  We have had good summer weather.  We have had 90 degree humid days, cooler days with great thunderstorms and a breezy, unsettled evening.  We have managed plenty of beach time.  The girls had some swinging time after replacing a broken swing so we, again, have four swings (in one tree).  We had fire flies, smores and lessons in lighting fires.  (Dont try this at home!)  We all slept good, had some melt downs, had plenty to eat and plenty of fun. I wish these days were forever.

Wild black raspberries

Wild black raspberries are available here at the cabin but not without a fight. 80 degrees outside but I dress in blue jeans and long sleeves. I spray myself, including my face and clothes, with mosquito repellent. I tell myself to put on my boots but I just can't take that last step. So wearing flip flops and full battle gear, I arm myself with a berry bowl and the nippers and flip flop out to the ditch. It is true that there are big, ripe black raspberries here but there is also Sheep's Coat, wild grape vine, hops vines and other rampant, vicious thorny vines. There is also a high probability of poison ivy. I cut my way into the berry vines. I throw weeds and thorny sticks behind me as I go. Halfway in I decide I need my leather gloves as my hands are already scratched and sore. The day (and I) get hotter by the minute. Sweat runs down my temples.  I capture ripe berries as I go. The sorry part of this whole venture is that the berries on a vine don't all ripen at the same time. I will have to re pick the vines each of the next few days. The moral of this story is that the berries are tempting enough to me that I will cut my way into them and by cutting and trimming today it makes tomorrow's venture easier.  The ditch hasn't been cleaned really good for a few years so between the prickly native plants, the water in the ditch from all the rain and the creature holes in the bank I cannot reach all the ripe berries.  I just have to close my mind to wondering if snake or wild critter lives in that mud hole. Guess I will be glad to share what I can't reach with the birds.  Below is a photo of all things removed.  Can you see the thorns on the light green stem?  They are razor sharp!

so. It has been a wet spring and start to summer. The last wet spring, about 5 years ago, I broke down and built the board walk along side the old cabin.  This wet spring I said 'enough' and called my favorite lumberyard and said please deliver me some treated 2×4s. Girdners, Mercer, Mo had them to me three hours later. 

Today we had just enough rain to keep us from mowing and just enough to keep my flip flops muddy. 

I went to work.

Himself joined me.

It is hard on Himself to help me build what is just a picture in my head.  If I could draw him a plan. If he could look in my brain. If I could adequately describe it. oh yes. If only . . .

As none of that can happen it was a tough afternoon.  However, we persevered. We stuck it out.  We gotterdone . . . at least until we ran out of 2×4s but at least we now know it will get done.

This deck bridges our natural water way. It also houses our 300 pound picnic table which sits level today, the first time E V E R. How do I know it is level? Because Himself leveled it.  Precisely. Within an inch of his life.

PS. I woke up this morning with a building tip in my mind. I firmly belive Gramps helped me figure it out in my sleep. Thanks dad!!