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I mowed the yard yesterday and it took hours longer than usual.  It was 95 degrees so I took a lot of extra breaks but the worst of it was I'd let it get too tall and too thick,and what I didn't know was, how wet it was close to the ground.  The mower kept clogging up and dying, and I had to keep opening the grass chute with a stick.  It took hours longer and about twice as much gasoline, but it really needed to be done.  It was only going to get hotter today.

Anyway, I got done about twilight.  It was almost too dark to keep mowing but I was done.  Now I always let the mower sit for 10 minutes or so when I'm done, so I don't put it back in the shed blazing hot.  While I sat there looking around, 2 or 3 bats, (it was hard to count for sure) were playing over the neighbor's yard and occasionally flying over mine.  I know they're around but you don't get to see them that often.  With the twilight the way it was, I had a perfect view of them.

Then sometime about 3:00 in the morning I looked out the back door.  Very often I'll see a neighborhood cat sleeping under one of the cars.  Last night I didn't see the cat but what I did notice was the lid on my garbage can slowly moving up and down.  Something was obviously in there and eventually a racoon stuck his head out.  It's been a long time since I saw a racoon in the garbage but there he was and he was a big one.  I quickly turned the light out to leave him in peace.

Maybe tonight I'll take the grandkids out about twilight to see if we can watch the bats flying around.  Twilight here is about 8:30.  I kind of doubt they've ever seen one.  John

I admit I was laughing at the mowing. I tend to let the flat area by the house get too tall at times and when I do OR try to mow the sage brush (which lets out LOTS of smell) it clogs the mower and I have to unclog it and restart it. This year I have not mowed once because of the rain we got and this weekend I was not about to start with it being about 104 here.

 

Glad you saw thew bats! I think I have seen them here from time to time. I know we have them cause of the bat poop on the deck sometimes and once I did find a dead bat actually hanging from the deck roof.

 

I think bat watching with the grandkids sounds like a fun evening!

 

It is hard to believe it is August! Wow, where does time go?! Near the end of the month I have to go back to NJ, likley my last trip and personally I would not cry if it were last ever. I'll be staying at the same hotel very close to where mom had her house and it will bother me on several fronts. Mom is dead and the home was sold. Is that stilly that it will bother me some?

 

Saturday (past) my neighbor took me to dinner and the rodeo as my birthday gift. I had a great time. The flag pic and parachuter, he is the only double amputee to reenlist! It was nice having people all stand for the national anthem and sing along too, you rarey see that these days, or at least the news never shows it. I'll post more picutures from the evening....

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Lots of good pictures there.  I'll never forget my first rodeo in Cheyenne Wyoming but oddly enough, I can't remember my last.  They have them around here all the time but I haven't seen one for decades.

I know what you mean about going back to New Jersey.  I'll probably never see my childhood home again, or the home my Mom last lived in.  It still bothers me several years later.  The last couple of books I've read and the one I'm reading now were books that she gave me when her last husband died.  I'm using the bookmark my brother made for me.  It has her picture and obituary on it.  It's just an indescribable feeling.

I'll keep checking but last night there were no bats and no racoon.  Yesterday though, there were a male and a female cardinal playing in the trees and brish across the street.

Yesterday my drummer called me with a job offer, but it was in Kansas City, it was outdoors and it was going to be in the 90s.  I hated to turn it down but I hated to take it, so I turned it down.  One of the reasons I quit when I did was that I was looking at a whole summer of outdoor gigs in hundred degree heat.  I'm just not ready yet and after 4 months, much to my own surprise, I really don't miss it yet.  I'm still working with my guitar about every other day, working on some really difficult stuff so I shouldn't be rusty if I do get back into it, but I still don't mind not having all the stress involved with working in the band.  Still too busy relaxing.  John