Hot days, letting go, Lawton

The days are now officially hot. We have not reached 100° F yet, but we have been within a degree or two every day for the past several days. It looked like we were going to get some rain Saturday, but the storms passed us by. Many of the nearby areas got a quarter inch or more of rain but we stayed dry. This is good goat weather. They prefer dry and hot. I worked out in the heat most of the day Saturday. My eyes are still stinging from the sweat I was constantly wiping out of them as I worked. I went through two sets of cloths, but I was able to get a lot done while Mama and the kids visited with Grandma and Grandpa and ran a couple errands. Later in the afternoon, we had to make a run to Walmart to do some banking – the Wells Fargo located in Walmart is open Saturday – and to pick up a couple items for the birthday party Sunday afternoon. When we got back from that errand, I put on my second set of cloths and did the evening feeding before I went back to work for an hour or so. Winding out the day entering receipts in a tracking program I use. That took over an hour. I had let them accumulate for too many weeks.

Very late in the evening, just at dark, I went out to water. I decided to let the vegetable plants go. Even watering them each evening is not enough to keep them healthy enough to continue to produce in this heat. I am not sure how to make our garden more productive, but Mama and I are continuing to try. Right now, we have to give up on what we have planted, but we are getting the garden ready for a Fall planting. Maybe that will work out better for us. At least it will give us another opportunity to grow the pumpkins we could not keep alive in the oppressive heat. Anyway, our vegetables growing in pots are still producing, even the tomatoes. Mama and I have talked about going to pots only next Spring. That seems to work out better for us.

We had a birthday party for Walter Sunday after church. Seth and Gabriella came over. Mama and Victoria got to hold their baby while they visited. Grandma and Grandpa came over as well. We brought Yilin, Cheyenne and Aubrey home for the party, so we had a house full. It was quite a time. Mama and Victoria invented games for the kids to compete in using the balloons blown up for the occasion. It was a loud, fun afternoon. Grandma and Grandpa left after about an hour so Grandma could get back to her house to lay down. Seth and Gabriella left a little after Grandma and Grandpa. So, Victoria put in a movie, sat all the kids on the couch and Mama and I took a nap. When Mama and I were getting up, Victoria was making lunch for our five party goers. I got dressed and headed to church for choir practice. It was a good day. I think Walter enjoyed his birthday party. The nice thing about the house we have is that there is plenty of room for play. Even though it was too hot to take the party outside, everyone got plenty of playtime inside.

I am taking a ½ day vacation today so Mama and I can do some banking in Lawton this afternoon. I have waited to get this done, hoping we would finish the two houses with the money Mama have available, but that is not going to work out, so I am getting help. Fortunately, we will not need much help. Neither will we need it for very long. Once the first house sells, we will be able to work with the capital on hand. Whether or not we will still work with the bank to fund remodeling and repairs has not been discussed. I would prefer to work our business with cash, but I have not worked out the benefits or costs to working with the bank for those monies.

Mama and I will have to take Cathryn and Walter with us, but it is not a long trip; only an hour and twenty minutes each way. The bank requires both of our signatures so there is no way for me to make the trip alone. Mama feels badly for the kids because we will have them on the road every day this week. Today for Lawton. Tomorrow to get their mommy at DFW. Wednesday to pick up Jake at Hobby. Thursday to drive to Victoria, TX via Houston Intercontinental Airport to pick up Cori. We will meet Brittany and Andrew and the twins at that airport as well. From there we will caravan to Victoria – through Houston. Mama is going to love that especially since the flights arrive at rush hour.

Cathryn and Walter will be well traveled by the time they gat back home.