Yard, pond and Terri

 Cullman,  AL

The last few weeks have flown by.   There have been days when Leonard is feeling below par.  Other days much better.   I like the better days better.

Here are some pictures of our yard in mid summer:

Start of our Blackberries

This one is upsetting.

The pond is thick with Red Duckweed.   Duckweed is brought in on birds and waterfowl feet.  Each bloom is very tiny.  Each bloom grows other blooms that then attach.   The coverage of Red Duckweed doubles every two days.   It is so thick that oxygen does not get into the water.   We have catfish floating on top.   

I researched and purchased a product said to destroy the weed.   The problem is the entire pond can not be sprayed at one time.   If I spray half the pond I have to wait 14 days to spray the other half.  Otherwise it depletes the oxygen and there will be a fish kill.   So, either way the fish die.  Since only half can be treated at a time, the untreated then doubles.    I read that once the water turns cold it will die and sink to the bottom of the pond.  Then next summer it will surface and here we go again.

A friend suggested I call Auburn University for guidance.   I will do that tomorrow.

A few weeks ago we hosted a Boondocking family we hosted a few months ago.   The children in this family are taught to work.    The girls wanted to help me cook.   And a mighty fine job they did.

I had ordered a bench that needed to be assembled.   As the father and Leonard sat on the back porch and talked, the 10 year old and twin 8 year old boys unboxed the parts, read the directions and assembled the bench.   The only thing the father did was check that they had the screws tight enough.  They did.

This past week daughter Terri who lives near Hershey, PA had business meetings up in Nashville.  Nashville is about 150 miles from our home.  When she has those meetings she adds a few days to her trip to visit us.    She got here Friday the 13th (should have known something would go wrong.)  We had a thunder storm and again our Air Conditioner took a hit.   Being a Friday night it was Monday afternoon when the technician came to fix it.   It was Monday morning that Terri left.  Even with overhead fans in every room, the windows open and two pedestal fans blowing it reached 90 in the house.

Most folks who visit for a length of time here go to Ave Maria Grotto in Cullman,   Terri had never been so she and I went.    The Grotto is on the grounds of a Monastery and school.  It is worth seeing if ever in the area.

Terri and Leonard just before she left.

Cullman has been the site of big happenings the last two weeks.

Last week was the annual Rock the South Concert.   This years headliners were Marinda Lambert and Luke Combs.    The concert starts around 2 and ends around 11 both Friday and Saturday.  There were  over 20,000 attendees.  It rained both nights.  Heavy.   We drove by the site on Monday and saw the ruts, etc.   It is about 4 miles down the road from us.

Then last night was a huge Trump rally.  They say it's the largest he's had.  I have not heard the attendance numbers yet.   And again it rained, a few hours before and right at the close.

This venue is on farm land that the city purchased a few years ago when Rock the South got too big to be held in town.

Setting up for RTS.

Well, it's not raining today and the lawn needs mowing.  We have RVers coming tomorrow.  It's time I park myself on the mower.

Until next time.