heat defeat

It's hot...really hot.  Normally, when temperatures are in the 90s, I stay inside.  But because of this girl, we are outside...so...much.

Many socialization excursions that will have to take the place of puppy training until she gets a clean bill of health from the vet.  So it's walks on campus, with so many other pups...

(adults pups are okay!)

...and lots of local hikes, where she meets lots of new people.

She loves the car!  

She's a pretty chill pup...most of the time.

Okay, so I *have* to be outside...at least I can try to enjoy some nature.

green heron eating a frog

groundhog invading our neighbors' container gardens

black tiger swallowtail caterpillar

But honestly, I have the worst attitude ever.  For some reason, summer is killing me this year.  I never like summer with the heat/humidity, the mosquitoes, the ticks...but this year it's just the worst.  I'm apathetic and lethargic.  I'm not motivated to get things done and feel almost desperate for fall.  Every time I see a sign, I celebrate. 

Changing leaves...coincidence?!?

This is a FALL webworm caterpillar!

These winter shoes really needed cleaning because it's ALMOST time to wear them again, right?  Right?!?!?

We had to have some trees trimmed because they were crowding power lines recently...

They only cut a few down.  Most of them were just trimmed closely on one side.  Bare, they look like winter trees.  

Sometimes I look at them and pretend that the leaves are falling and that soon it will be cold again.  I've got another two months to go, easy, so I'm trying to work through this summer ennui with lots of pep talks.

Summer flowers from the garden!!

Fresh fruit!!

Lazy cats in the grass!

(Claudia is doing well and will get to go outside again soon!)

Lakes, rivers, wildlife!

geese at Lake Griffy

It's helping...a little bit.  But sometimes staying positive is a full-time job.  September will be here soon! Stiff upper lip!  

And...have a great week!  

Signed, someone who is ready to live in a more moderate climate.  ;)  

white bread instead

The weather is whipping back and forth between unusually warm and fairly cold, which is typical for an Indiana February (...and March...and April...).  On warm days...we hike.

There's really an embarrassment of riches when it comes to hiking around our house.  When we lived in South Carolina, we had to drive an hour for a good hike...here in southern Indiana, we're surrounded by opportunities.  Morgan-Monroe State Forest, which is 24,000 acres and the second largest state forest in Indiana, is just three minutes from our house.  We also like to branch out to Bean Blossom Bottoms, a 733 acre wetland wildlife preserve that's only ten minutes away, and to Lake Griffy, a 1,200 acre wildlife preserve that's only 16 minutes away.  This week's Lake Griffy hike was two hours on a rugged trail, a bit too long and rugged for Borga... 

...who continued to rebelliously slip her collar...

...until Todd carried her the rest of the way.

Still, it was a great hike.  I love finding new growth in early February, since I'm so starved for color by this time of year.

roundleaf ragwort

grape fern

haircap moss

We also saw a familiar face:  a little muskrat, carefully watching us pick our way across the limestone bluffs.

This is clearly a favorite place for others, too.  What a nice tribute to a beloved friend!

Yes, we love to get out on warm, sunny days...

But on cold days, we stay in and enjoy nature through the window.  Thankfully, we get a lot of birds congregating nearby.

tufted titmouse

I'm also baking on cold days.  In my attempt to eat less processed food, I'm looking at different homemade recipes to provide my daily toast.  I found a wonderful white sandwich bread recipe that makes soft, sliceable loaves every single time.

I've always preferred wheat bread, though.  I tried a recipe from the same site yesterday.  It utilized a sponge that was meant to cut down on the bitterness of homemade wheat.  There was a 5-hour total rise, which is a lot, but it paid off with a delightfully soft and springy loaf.  It tastes good, but has committed the sin of being difficult to cleanly slice. I think I over-proofed one of the steps, because the loaf sank a bit in the middle, and the top separated from the loaf bottom when I sliced. I'll try it one more time, but I'm going to look at other recipes too.  

March is just around the corner and is going to provide many more opportunities for us to get out and explore.  Until then, we're just going to follow Barnabas' lead and take it easy!

Have a great week!