There’s not much to blog about today. We had some thunder and lightning last night, bringing a bit of rain, and cooler temperatures today, but still it was very muggy, and we did not get quite the relief we had hoped for.
So, we gave riding a miss this morning. Oisin was surprised – no visit from Susan!?
I took a couple of bird pictures.
A young red bellied woodpecker 
A goldfinch 
A cardinal
Nathaniel came today to mow, since he will not be here next week. It didn’t look like he needed to cut the grass today, but after he did, the place looked beautiful. We are very fortunate indeed to have his help!
Nathaniel 
Harvesting some vegetables
Today is ten days past Trudy’s birthday. My mother would have been 91 on July 20. Whenever we go somewhere (like Texas, or out to dinner), I wear her sapphire engagement ring on my right hand. It is a beautiful piece of jewelry and it keeps Trudy present with me whenever I see it. She would be sad to see it on hands as rough as mine, I think. Her hands were always beautiful, but then, she never dislocated fingers in horses’ manes. On her birthday, Peter sent me this picture from 1946, her 18th birthday.
She was the only girl in her family. Her brother, Bill, one of five, is on the right. A life of romance and intellectual adventures lay ahead of her on that long ago birthday. Lucky for the seven children she eventually had, her life took some strange turns that were not always easy for her. She married a dashing English naval officer and they ended up in a “backwater southern town”. But we were all extraordinarily lucky to have grown up in the Missouri countryside with brilliant parents who set us on our various paths.
I am the luckiest of all, living here, with my dashing American naval officer. This evening, as I went out to empty the Mule, I caught Tom Morris in the grass, and Harry with the dogs. So many blessings…
Tom Morris 
Nettie 
Harry and his best friend, Weedy
Stay safe, stay well. Peace.
Dashing officers, no matter the branch, are a great life choice.
Very true, Janis!