Mama's Shaking-Writers Workshop

DD2 was about 7, and athletically inclined.  She likes tether ball and the monkey bars at school, she plays her version of handball against the garage door for hours at a time. The '84 Olympics were in Los Angeles that year and she was entranced by gymnastics and Mary Lou Retton.  She is lobbying for  tumbling classes so she can be a star too.

Like a Phoenix

Well Winter was mild and dry, Spring was mild and dry and Summer has been in triple digits, very dry and hot, both day and night.  What will Fall bring?This summer has been alot hot and humid with no rain or usual thunderstorms. Meteorologist are calling this the hottest, most drought ridden on record. I knew when we moved here, winters would be cold, summers hot and humid and we would always be grateful for Fall and Spring

This week we finally got a break in the heat, it was often 98 or 99 degrees, truly a break by about 10 degrees, from what it had been.  We have been getting up very early to take the poor neglected pups for a walk.  This morning when we got up it was 69 degrees with a breeze.  We left at 7:30 for our walk and it was so mild and lovely, we decided to go to the local park instead of the cemetery.  It is part of the Rails to Trails Conservancy .  It is wonderful, they have taken old and abandoned rail way corridors and turned them into Parks and Trails for everyone to enjoy. Ours is the Frisco Green way between Webb City and Joplin.  Today it was lovely. 

The dogs were stopping to sniff everything along the trail. Totem thought the fallen hedge apples were tennis balls. Since our walk I've been reading them. They are considered a natural pesticide but not poisonous to mammals, I am going to get some and try it out.  I think they would be interesting in arrangements as well. Some of them seemed to have been eaten by wild animals.

Today was a treat.  The weather is to be mild (90's) the rest of the week, with some showers and thunderstorms predicted this weekend.  I am hoping this is a turning point for the summer.  I am sure there will be more hot weather but I hope that Fall will rise from the ashes of Summer and be beautiful.

Go For a Walk? - MamaKat's

Early this morning we took a walk.  We have been neglectful about walking the dogs in all this summer heat and Mr BC has finally recovered from bronchitis.  Last night we decided that as soon as the sun started coming up we would harness up the pups and go out to the cemetery for a walk.

This morning, the moment we said out loud, "want to go for a walk', Totes and Gwennie went crazy and made us feel even guiltier for not walking them (and ourselves) everyday.  They are so funny, Totes does his Totem...

and silly Gwenny runs from room to until I shout GWENNY and she stands still grinning at us.

It was very enjoyable watching the sun peek through the clouds.  The air was warm and moist, as there are possible showers expected not enough to affect the drought but the clouds were cooling the morning.

The dogs enjoyed smelling every fence and tombstone in the cemetary, It is out in the country somewhat and deer and other woodland creatures wander through the cemetary at night leaving behind interesting smells for curious puppies.  Mr BC and I are rather fond of old cemetaries and the pups wanderings allow us to check out the old civil war tombstones, the newer ones that mark the grounds.  "I use to go to school with a .....insert any name......" We park near the site of his mom and dad's markers and always have a closing word for them. At the truck we pause for the pups to have some water and we head for home.

It was a nice time and there is no reason we couldn't do this every morning, so we vow to do ourselves and the dogs a favor and not let ennui keep us from enjoying the morning cool.

This prompt is from MamaKat's Writers Workshop.  I re-worded a little to suit my needs as the kids are grown.
4.) Ask your child  DOGS what their favorite part of Summer has been and then blog about it.

I couldn't ask Gwenny. but this picture shows what she thinks.