picture worth a thousand words? Summer shots

Let the pictures speak 

 soon.. soon.

 something is eating the pepper leaves...

 We all fall down...

 been giving these a hair cut for our salad..

 quiet evening.. no wind...

 for dinner tonight.. this is our 3rd Cucumber...

 Climbing up to the roof

 we have two of these on the deck.. one on each side.. and so far.. it has worked.

Good bye July, you went so fast, I can't believe you are over...

Cancer wins again....

Remember back last year when I wrote this post?

http://wordtosser.blogspot.com/2013/08/damn-it-to-hell.html

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 28, 2013

DAMN IT TO HELL.....

DAMN IT TO HELL… CANCER… DAMN YOU TO HELL…

I wrote about those around me who had cancer... I wrote about

2 family member and friends who had just gotten cancer and some

that had been battling for some time...

As you saw over a week ago, one of those family members was my

brother.. who passed away on July 8th.

And now one of those friends, who was my neighbor, passed away

July 23rd.  Both had been battling it for 8 years. They got it a week

apart and ironically, they passed almost a week apart.

Another friend lost her husband this past April.

We have been helping the family who has been here a month now, get

the house cleaned out,  run them around town, as we know the town

better.. they are from California, to get all the paper work done.

They will be pulling out tomorrow..heading home, back to their own

families..  Hard road for them .. this past month.

Only good news from my post of August 28 of last year.. is that the ones

who had just got it.. have beat the drum and won the battle. Both are

cancer free.. One friend and one niece.  Thank God for that.. Also

another friend's son, is winning his as well..  Now there is a little guy

who is battling cancer, with good results promised...

So there is winners, survivors, and we thank God for that.. but it doesn't

take the sting of the lost ones... The heart ache of the ones left behind,

with the emptiness..  I know we are all borrowed from God, and some

of us last longer than others.. but  sometimes.. we moral humans were

not done yet.. 

Practicing for HELL...

We had a lot of 90+ weather about 2 weeks ago and the last week we

had a nice cool off week.  My kind of weather.. 72 to low 80's.

90+ is not my kind of weather.. I end up having the house like a cave.

All the windows curtains are pulled and if it is really bad, I turn on the

AC.  And that is where I am today.. suppose to be 99 here in Idaho.

Some areas are having over 100.. I don't do 100+.. that is when I really

hibernate..   When the King went down to help his brother paint his

house, it was 108 to 112.. he couldn't get out of there fast enough.

That is what I call, practicing for HELL... for those who think maybe

Hell isn't as bad as they think it could be.. and if they don't make it to

Heaven, then it isn't so bad... But I think a week of 100+ will change

their minds and ways...

We are promised 94 and up for the next 6 days... that is even too hot

to go fishing.. I guess I could break down and go swimming.. haven't

been this year..  The lake is always too cold for me.. I am not like I

use to be, when I was young, run and jump in.. and going in easy is

more painful.  but I might just  take a chance on it tomorrow, or

maybe this afternoon.. First I have to find my bathing suit. ah, heck

where are my shorts and tank top..

So enjoy the weather.. and remember.. it is a lot worse else where.

AND, as my mother use to say.. THIS TOO SHALL PASS.

When did you lose your sexiness?

You know ... when you were 16 or 17... ok, so now it is 13.. but

in my day it was 16 or17... when you dressed to impress others..

especially the opposite sex.    You thought you were HOT, HOT, HOT.

At least 90% of the teens did.. and probably still do.

Now we see women who are in the late stages of life.. and they are

still sexy. Sophia Loren comes to mind.  And there are a lot of women in their 50's and 60's who are..

But for the general population of women over 50, do you still feel sexy?

How about you men?

Or are you the type who come home from work, put on your sweats

and do chores, or sit on the couch?  Maybe sleep in your sweats in

the winter?  Or are you still dressing sexy for your spouse? 

Or are you one of those, that no matter what you wear, your spouse

seriously considers you sexy?  Remember we are talking about men

and women over 50. 

And the WIND BLEW..

This is one of my 

flying items that is now on the ground before flying upside down

nope the kids didn't do this... lol

 Highway 200 had leaves and tiny branches all over it..

One branch got close to the road

close one for someone's truck

We lost electricity at 6pm and return at 1:30am... we were at a restaurant at the time of the storm,
by the time we got our order the storm had pretty well past.

Slow blogging and days are long...

My blog is waning... can't come up with things..

What I have been doing lately, I can't talk about.

Or at least can't blog about. Confidentially.

The fires have been commented on all over the media.

Other than being grateful that there is none here.. and

the greatness of the men and women in the field.. which

everyone is grateful for their service.. there isn't any more

to add.

Even readership is down.. I am being hit below 20 daily.

The last high one was, the one I wrote about my brother

passing.  It is the usual thing for summers.. People have

lots to do in the summer, so all the blogs have readship

low rates.

I would take the summer off. But kind of afraid, if I get

use to not writing.. I will give it all up for good. And I

kind of like to stick it out until my 10th anniversary

in March of 2015.

So the days are long, and I am enjoying them. Even

when it is just mowing the lawn and lunches with

good friends.  Throw in fishing on weekends with

my favorite guy.. and barbeque with friends.

So hang in there, dear readers.. and those who aren't

reading because they are busy enjoying the summer,

no apologies needed.   So enjoy the summer, as it

is almost half over.. and I feel like it just got started.

Morning walk views...

This is part of my walk, the more enjoyable part.

Rest is just the streets and traffic..

Walking down McGhee Road

Turning off the beaten path...

Across the rocky road..

Some day.. hopefully soon.. this will be east 2nd Street 

into the open field.. still going to be part of east 2nd  street...

This showed up last Friday.. don't know if someone stole it and digged it here or what.

looking back at what use to be Coldwater Creek...

There will be more houses here... maybe next year? 
talk of it being called Boise Loop.. hope they come
up with a better name. They figure about 35 houses to the
left. 

This is our addition this year.. 7 houses so far.. with room for 4 to 5 where the field is.

I have been walking every day.. Monday thru Friday at about

7am.  I was trying to get my length stretched out to 3.4 miles

Wanted to do a 5 K walk, but didn't get in shape in time ... but

figured I would keep going to help with getting more distance.

Maybe this fall I can do a 5 K.

Trouble is I have a problem with my right hip. Ever since the

Dr. did a marrow test on me 3 years ago, and hit a nerve..

I can't get the  distance up. I can do a mile and half, fairly comfortable.

Trying to stretch it out more, by adding a block every 3 days. but

ending up limping the last 3 blocks.

Really irritates me as I use to walk alot. I could do 3 or 4 miles

with easy. And with speed.  When I was a kid, I could do between

7 to 10 miles per hour, depending on type of road.. Rocky roads

slowed me some.   And even just 4 years ago, I was doing 3.8

miles in 40 minutes.  I have always been a fast walker. And I do

start out with gusto. By about 3/4 way thru, I am slowing down.

Got to work on that.

Also I have help.. 2 Aleve's and 3 tiger balm patches or my hip

would never let me make it past the 2 block down.  Can't understand

why the exercise hasn't help this.  Got to work on it. 

Not a good week.....

This has not been a good week...  Accidents, fires and planes shot down.

Heart ache for all those involved and the families at home.

Washington state has had the most.. At the same time, they had a 20

vehicle  pile up in the middle of the state.. 9 semi's and 11 cars.  Road

blocked for days.. and this is the East - West corridor to Washington.

Add to that. the fires in mid Washington State.  Now almost a week later,

they are all still burning. 4 of them, wiping out a full town. Churches,

post offices, over 100 homes.. all there is left is ashes..  There is

talk about  how the 4 might join each other, spelling out disaster for

the state.  Everyone praying for the firemen, who are working 12 to 20

hours each before getting an 8 hours off.. More firemen coming to the

state to help...  Families displaced.  Family homes, some 80 years old,

left to ashes. Others don't know their fate yet, as they had to leave and

hope and pray they have something to come home to. Animals let loose

to fend for themselves, as there wasn't enough time to transport to other

places.   Safe havens are being closed down as they are under threat

of fire as well...

And then internationally we have an innocent plane full of everyday

people shot down after it cross the borders of a country that has a

civil war going on.  It is bad enough that the people lost their love

ones in this wreck, but to watch the rebel take the bodies of their love

ones, to let strangers pick the pockets of their love ones... adds to

the agony.  

Just cooling you off a bit...

FIGURED I HELP YOU COOL OFF A BIT... 

REMEMBER.. IN JUST 5 MERE MONTHS.... 20 WEEKS... YOU TOO WILL BE COMPLAINING
 ABOUT THE COLD AND WISHING FOR TODAYS HEATED DAYS..


HAPPY BIRTHDAY W.L.W. II...
.

Wasted hour... the siege goes on...

I figured I would give it a try.. Getting out of Kootenai.

After all I knew the secret way out.. down my road and

then across the dirt road, connect up with McGhee Road.

And it worked. Got to the light, the flag person flagged

me thru.  THAT WAS THE EASY PART.

I went and did my errands, stopped by Walmart and

picked up a few things.. and headed for home. It was

15 to 10 am. Got a lot done.

I live 4 minutes from Walmart. 4 minutes... but it took

me almost an hour to get to my house from Walmart.

I got home at 10:35 am.

I started out and go up half way on Kootenai Cutacross

road.  Then inched up the road as each car in front gave

up the ship, and turn around.  Made it all the way up

to the tracks and across to the 3rd car in line at the light.

We all sat there... our group... the group coming from

Ponderay heading east. The light changed 6 flaming times!!

Then finally the group that was sitting across the light heading

east, moved.  The west bound was finished.  Some of the cars

moved like it was a race track... tired of sitting there for 20

or more minutes.  And lucky for my group.. some of them

were so shocked that they couldn't move. One car died and

the others were trying to get around it.  At which time the

rotation of the light was in our favor... and we got to go.

I could see the anger in the face of the woman who was first

in line on the Ponderay side of the light. She had been sitting

there way longer than we had.  Yet we were going and filling

up the space again.. so she couldn't move...for how much longer?

As the light had changed in her favor, but there was no where to go.

Now I am 3 from the rear of the group. And we wait.. and wait

in line... no cars going anywhere. Then they let some cars go,

but stopped us, as there was some cars coming down

the side road.  Now I am finally in the turn lane. And I sit.

After about 40 cars go by... I finally.. finally get the signal

to go. I floor board it like I was shot out of a cannon. Free...

Free, free at last.  Down the road, cross the secret path

and home.. An hour I will never get back.. but heard there

were a lot worse ones than mine.. And they say this work

will go on until September.. that is the bad news.. the good

news is that they should be done with what is in front of the

town in a week...  God I hope so.

Awful quiet on the western front

Is it me, or did the political scene die down?

Isn't this a election year?

I hate to say anything, as I don't want to stir

terds.. but it is awful quiet out there.

I thought there would be candidates lining up

at each event. Ads in the paper? Yard signs.

But actually I am enjoying the peace and quiet.

And I know that this is mid-term election..so not

as important. Or at least it usually isn't, but thought

the Republicans were going to be going full force

this time around.. especially the tea party ones.

But that is ok.. I can wait until summer is over..Actually

I can wait until late October.

It is summer time and the roads are tore up....

We all have a love/hate of summer time..

We love the weather, we love the bar-b-ques.

We love heading to the water.. be it fishing or

swimming.  The sports are alive and well.

The cook outs, visiting... vacationing, yep...

it is all good with us.

But we HATE road construction.  the waiting in

a hot car if you aren't lucky enough to have A/C.

Or just waiting.. or if you didn't allow enough time.

you are late and not happy.

It doesn't matter if it is city, state or federal. It

all is the pits.

Here at our place, we have the state tearing up

the roads. Last week for 2 or was it 3 days of

waiting 25 minutes to get 3 miles. Getting from

the city of Hope to the City of Sandpoint took a

lot of patience. Same thing going from Ponderay

(just outside of Sandpoint) to Hope. The wait..

Then getting to go, only to have to go 3 miles and

wait again. One area, just trying to get out of the

mess, involved a turning lane light and the railroad

tracks. So if you made it thru the traffic light after

4 switches.. and thought you were free.. only to

see the gates come down and lights start for the

train that came down the tracks.. for another 10

minutes.

What gets me, is the fact they tore up the end

of our road which joins the Highway, (and

every road in Kootenai) last MONTH.  So we

have gently drove on to hwy 200 over the 2 inch

cut in the road. And very gently and slowly going

off hwy 200 (and hoping the car behind you, doesn't

ram your backend as you enter the city roads).

Now they have laid out a 2 and half inch layer of

tar on the south side of the hwy 200, for 3 blocks.

That is it.. that was Thursday. Now it is Tuesday

morning.. it is still the same.  When are they coming

back to finish up the job?  And as far as I am

concern.. my humble opinion, that is... why do they

tear up something, that they aren't going to finish in

a day or two?

And don't even get me started about the junction of

Hwy 95 and Kootenai Cutacross Road... they have

been tearing up that area almost a year.. and it

doesn't seem like it is going to be done any time soon.

Don't even see workmen there anymore. And it is a maze

to drive thru on the Kootenai Cutacross side, with the

entrance of Walmart blocked off. The one that is used

the most. Surprised that Walmart hasn't complained.

Summer time and living isn't always easy..

And the song that sticks in your mind ?

Would be for me.. the first line of this song..

Summer time and the living is easy, fish

are jumpin'...... forgetting the rest of the song..

But for those who want to know the rest of the

words written by Ira and George Gershwin and

Du Bose Heyward.... before a lot of us were born.

Summertime and the livin' is easy
Fish are jumpin' and the cotton is high
Your daddy's rich and your ma is good lookin'
So hush, little baby, don't you cry

One of these mornin's, you're gonna rise up singin'
Then you'll spread your wings and you'll take to the sky
But 'til that mornin', there is nothin' can harm you
With Daddy and Mummy, Mummy standing by
Don't you, don't you cry

And can you believe it was sang by all of these singers?

Paul McCartney

Ella Fitzgerald.

Grateful Dead

Janis Joplin

Ella Fitzgerald, I can understand..and of course every

actress who sang in Porgy and Bess

 but Janis Joplin?

Grateful Dead?

Paul McCartney?

Anyway, as I was sitting out on the porch yesterday

morning.. this tune keep coming back in my head..

which is a little nerve wracking when you don't know the

rest of the song.. (now I do)...

What song is in your head at this time of the year..

Maybe George Evans and Ren Shields

In the good old summer time,

In the good old summer time,

Strolling thro' the shady lanes

With your baby mine;

You hold her hand and she holds yours,

And that's a very good sign

That she's your tootsie wootsie

In the good old summer time.

Tootsie Wootsie? and we complain about

the kids of todays songs.. lol...

This is the post I never wanted to write...

                       3 out of the 4 favorite people in his life

Gilbert Leroy.... 12-23-xxxx ....7-8-2014

Roy to his friends...and he had many....

Roy started out as the youngest child of Gilbert and Mary.

Raised up by them, with the help of his older sister, Cis.

Roy was the average boy.. full of fun, lots of friends, and

tormentor of his older sister. Living the average life of a

child growing up in the 40's and 50's.  He was my kid

brother.  We weathered a life of having a mother who

wasn't sure what to do with children.. animals she knew

well..  so we had each other's back. I was the one he would

threaten the bullies with.. "wait until my big sister hears

about this"... it helps to be 4 years older.

And we made it thru our childhood safe and sound.

As an adult he flourished, as man of his own.. A kind hearted

man. Always helping friends and even strangers.  In his line

of work at a gas station, delivering oil to homes, installing and

repairing heating stoves.

But there was much more. He signed up to be a volunteer

fireman for the town of Jamestown.. Jamestown, the birth

place of our father. A small island across the bay from Newport.

He raised in the ranks over the years. Commanding

one of the big fire trucks. Becoming a Commander, a leader of

men.  Not just of the fire trucks but of the Rescue wagon as well.

Serving for more years than I can remember. Still going to meetings

until just last month.  His son followed in his foot steps.

His family had a radio and alarm that sounded in his home, and

did many times during the night...

Being one not to be a slacker, he also ran a business on the

side. He mowed lawns and landscaping in the summer, and

plowed snow during the winter.  His son followed his footsteps.

Now throw in, being a son of parents, who had a farm. Who was

called on to help out on many things that it takes to run a farm.

Especially during hay time. It was nothing to get a call in the

evening.. "We have hay down, and baling tomorrow.. can you

and your friends come?"  And of course the answer was always yes.

No matter what plans he had for the day.

He was the type of guy who if he heard of a need, he would do

his best to help out, if he couldn't do it, he would find someone

who could. When far away relatives showed up, he would make

sure they got to make the rounds to local relatives.

I can remember returning to the state in the late 1970's. I got to

see him in action..  Before he was just my kid brother, father of

two kids, and a good husband.. But after spending 4 years there,

I left to come back out west to Idaho. I left feeling such pride

in the kid, who became a man.

Roy's wife Dorothy always stood by his side, thru thick and

thin.. They both took their vows of for better or worse very

seriously. With the ups and downs of life, they always had

each other's back.  He has a daughter, Diane, who was his

shining star... Daddy's girl..  Watched her grow up from his

little girl to a woman he admired. Loving her family.

And a son, who shared part of his name, who became his

buddy.  Watching him grow from a little guy, to a man he

admired. With his family living close by, he enjoyed his

grandchildren who brought him a lot of laughter.

But now it seems that God needs this man, and has walked

him up to the clouds, to where our parents and aunts and

uncle, who he will join. 

This man, leaves a huge hole in the lives of not only his

family, but so many friends he has met, helped, worked

beside, played beside. This man leaves a hole in my heart.

And even though we tormented each other as children.. he

is a great man, who I admire.  God Bless... Roy... safe

journey... and I know you will be your family's guardian

angel...

This man, leaves us ... WAY TOO SOON...  Aunt Harriet,

Mom and Dad.. you take good care of him.

Dang it, I knew he was going to go first...

Oh, God, I can hear him now.. MOM...DAD.. you

should hear what Cis did now... he was always a tattle tailer.

:-)

Good bye little buddy....