Such are the Perils of Summer at the Homestead.

Happiness is..

Female, Potentially Successfully Pollinated Cucumber Flowers.

The Bee on/and Sunflower Series

 

Bougainvillea Love on my Mom's 80th Birthday

My mom used to have soooo many different colors of Bougainvillea lined up against the front of our house, displayed in ornate Chinese pots. Her collection was her pride and joy, and would not hesitate to ask for a cutting if she noticed one in a color she didn't yet have. 

We have ONE plant here, in honor of my mom, in a way. It has had a hard time with the grasshoppers, but this year I have tried to place it where it would be harder for them to do it harm.

It looks to have worked. They are finally flowering again after goodness knows how many years.

Seeing them trying to flower against the odds makes my heart full.

Sunset Love

I always marvel at the very idea that the hubs ( ackheloi, his brother ) found this place.  It is ever so lovely; surrounded by pasture and neighbors with horses.

And it has the most wondrous sky, be it at sunrise, sunset, and all times in between.

Workmen on our Road

My curiosity is piqued. Maybe the hubs could call the neighbors and ask, "What's up over at y'all's place?".

Monstrous Munching Machines

The Grasshoppers came, exploded exponentially in numbers year after year, and it looks like they will continue to do so until the Last of Us are gone.

Yes, they only die off / hide away in the Wintertime. 

*&!@#$% beasts.

The "Indoor" Plants

Because of the horrendous grasshoppers, we have had to just keep plants indoors in a place with windows for sunlight and ventilation.

They have been doing well, which is heartening.

I have kept the bougainvillea outside at a higher area, though, and so far the grasshoppers haven't hopped up to where it is yet. 

When they DO start to do that though, it will be time to pop the bougainvillea indoors.

Funnel Cloud

This was a summer cloud trying very hard to freak us out by pretending to be something way more ominous.

Backyardigans

We have wildlife in our back yard, side yards, and front yard. This can be a good thing because it is always lovely to be close to nature....but it can be a bad thing if they destroy your crops/garden.

#perksofcountrylife #perilsofcountrylife.

Such a Pretty Wildflower

This isn't a type of wildflower I see much of out here.  

And although it's pretty, apparently it can be quite the pest.

Just Google Hedge Bindweed.

Time to get a new Bar Stool Chair Thing

Living in a little RV makes you have to improvise and try to make the most of the small living space that you have. My little workstation nook requires a Bar Stool to be the proper height to do any work at. 

The one that I have had broke once and the neighbor helped us weld it back together. That did the trick for quite a while.  Alas, it has broken again.  Time to look for a new one.

Yes, I caved.

I have actually only seen the first season, but thought I'd see how I might look, all beautified and whatnot.

Ah, to be young and slim, I can only wish.

Thunderstorms and Scary Skies

These pictures will speak for themselves just how intimidating the skies can get here, especially when we've actually had tornadoes touch down not that far from us.

Meanwhile, in Malaysia, where most of the rest of my family still reside......

Greenery

Due to The Grasshopper Plague, I have decided to try and have my cucumber plants that survived childhood, inside. So far one of them has put out a flower...we will just have to see if there will be enough boy and girl flowers to make anything.

Meanwhile, outside, life goes on.

Making Use of Our Wild Sunflowers

I have a little flower vase that is just perfect for these Little Sunflowers and they DO brighten up the room and make me smile.

Rain Clouds and Muddy Puddles

It has been raining quite a bit, and we have had about 3 inches of rain over the last 2 days.  

If this had been 10 years ago, I would have been out here with The Little Boy while he jumped and played in the muddy puddles. Ah, my heart. How quickly they grow up.

Tornado Weather Report

 Just look at the number of tornadoes that touched down around us, besides the massive hail. Yikes.

Perils of Getting Older

My right shoulder has been giving me enough grief that I decided to get a shoulder brace to try and see if that would help.

We'll see how it goes, then, eh?

Truck Retrieval

 We had to bring The Big Truck in for some repairs and stopped by Our Little Waterfall on the way home :)

Cactus Flowers and Mimosa Flowers

 

Aurora Borealis in Texas

We tried our best to catch the aurora yesterday, and it wasn't brilliantly clear to us like what we saw in this video and many other wonderful photos people have shared on the net... but we DID see it :) There WAS some color in the sky, which the phone managed to capture. :)