Dog Days Of Summer......

The girls were not impressed with the heat of the summer and the biting bugs that flourished from it.....

They were content to hibernate with us as long as I had plenty of raw hides to chew on.... when they dare to go out for a breather they ended up finding a place to bask in the sun till they relented and returned to the comforts of the house with us......

Now that the temps are more seasonal and the biting bugs have reached the end of their cycle the girls are taking in the out door actives with all they have.

They have playing with the snakes,

turtles, 

catching mice, 

chasing squirrels, chewing sticks, and swimming

They tried to take this tree down to catch the squirrel in it...... 

we dropped the tree for their safety as it looked like they were going to succeed with that agenda.....

The girls have all become a shadow to me as is Tom so I have learned to STOP, TURN , and WAIT till my followers all move to the rear before I proceed to move forward.....

I've taken a few dirty headers by just suddenly turning and trying to keep going.  Than Tom just stood there and laughed as all four girls pounced on me "in fun"..... but they aren't little lap puppies so it's not too fun being on the bottom of that pile.

As fall approaches I have been spending as much time as I can out doors too as winter seems so long.....  I have had the grand kids out for visits some now that we can take our activities out doors.  That seem to bother Gramps a lot less......

Tom has been kinda like a yo-yo lately so we all just go with it.... some days are good and enjoyable and others are not so much fun..... but where ever Tom is on the string the girls and I still make the best of each and every day........ we don't let the disease take that from us too!

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Guess I missed July's Update.....  Probably because there isn't  much change.

At Tom's request and the encouragement of those that stay in touch with him but don't have to care for him and put up with his behavioral issues which is common and typical of this disease, have backed off on some of his behaviors meds which helped me stay safe and keep him in the realms of our 30 acres.  He feels better he says in the fact he is more alert WHEN he does get up and more energy which only puts him back on his 4-wheeler and out of the safety of our home.

I totally understand the people who love Tom don't like to see him in a calm submissive state because it is so out of character from who he was...... BUT what they do NOT get is that he IS NOT who he was.......  AT ALL.  Not even kind-a.

I know they do not realize they are putting him in danger and me.  They make excuses for his behavior not wanting to accept what is but that is not helping him or me.......

Anyway.... here is a little story that took place last evening......

Tom was out bumming around on his 4-wheeler most of the day.  He popped in now and then just to take off again to who knows where.  I don't.......

I'll take a moment here to respond to those that say I need to make him stay in the yard... do what you have to to keep him off the 4-wheeler.

Well A.... I had that problem solved peacefully with meds.  KEY word HAD!

         B.... Have you ever tried to stop a train?

         C.....Have you ever stirred up a hornets nest?

I'll leave you to ponder that.....

Back to story......

SO..... around 5:00 p.m....... Tom came in the house chuckling.  The "old couple"  down the road had some guy with a small boat pulling their pontoon boat from their place to the landing close to our place......

He was chuckling because he thought it was going to really funny to sit on the bridge and watch them struggle to get that pontoon boat loaded on the trailer.

Now the "Old Lady for some ? reason does not like Tom.  The Old Man is Tom's buddy.  The other guy with the small boat is some Good Samaritan who offered to help this Old Couple get their pontoon out of the water.

SO I asked to go watch the ordeal with him.  He was happy to have someone along to laugh with him.  (NOT MY INTENTION).....  Birds eye view from the bridge.

Soon the little boat came around the corner of the river pulling the pontoon boat into sight.  The Old Lady (respectively) was on the pontoon and the Old Man was in the small boat.....

I seen trouble arising as they were nearing the landing.... "Should we go help them?"  I asked?  "I don't know if we should or not"  was his answer.  "I think we should... it's what God would want us to do".... I replied.

He responded to that and and drove us down to the landing.  They threw Tom the line from the pontoon.... He looked confused but I figured he was okay because he only had to hang on to it.....

I pulled the small boat to shore so the men could get out..... I had to help the Old Man who was not very stead on his feet.  I grabbed hold of him to steady him as he was stepping out... teasing him that he was on his own if he fell in the river.

The Old Man went to back his truck and trailer down the ramp.  Tom continued to hold the rope not really knowing what to do.  It could have been tied to tree......

The Old Man released the rope and hook from the trailer to attach to the pontoon to pull the pontoon onto the trailer.  There it lay..... We then had Old Lady sitting on the pontoon... Tom standing there holding a rope .... the Good Samaritan in his boat, trying to pull the pontoon back into the water to line it up on the trailer....

This is where I realized Tom was not barking orders at me to help him get the pontoon lined up etc...... he was standing there NOT knowing what to do.

I jumped into action and went into the water up to my waist to hook the rope to the pontoon and releasing the one Tom was holding and then guide it over some posts on the trailer ........ The Old Man pulled ahead and the pontoon was loaded........

The reason I am telling this story is to point out how Tom did not know what to do.... if he got in trouble on the trails .... weather he got stuck or broke down.... HE WOULD NOT KNOW WHAT TO DO!!!!!!!

I think I will end here.... I think the rest is self explanatory to anyone who still has a full deck......  Tom is missing way to many cards to be out playing any more.  And I think he is out of wild cards too.

GOOD-BYE To July Heat......

Not a whole lot going on in Tom's world these days.... I hear he is bored........ during his awake hours.   Wishes he had something to do...... I asked him the other day what he would like to do.  He said..  "I don't know"  I suggested he give me a hand with some of my chores.... He wasn't wanting to do that so once we had that clarified I just tune him out like you do your children that are diving you crazy because they are bored.

I on the other hand am not bored.  I have too much to do on a daily bases to take care of the five of them.... None are much help and they all feel free to make as big of a mess that they want....... and demanding!

That doesn't mean I don't have any fun or enjoyment in my life.  Just the other day, to Tom's annoyance, I had a couple of my "granddaughters" (cousins.... both 10 years old) out for a visit.  Those two never run out of anything to say.  OH MY.....So to give Ol' Gramps a break I sent them out to pick some wild raspberries.

They played with the girls "dogs" ....... did cartwheels in the grass ........ well one of them did cart wheels and flips.... the other did "egg rolls".... that's what she called what she was doing.......lol.   They drew on my white board..... 

and giggled & chattered some more......

I seen  Ol' Gramps crack a smile or two when he thought no one was looking.  I don't care what is ailing you... the sound of children bring warmth, joy and laughter to your heart.

July has been pretty warm so we haven't done any more on the Garage for now..... cooler days ahead.......  Everyday Tom tells someone on the phone he is going out to do the wiring in the garage today......  reminds me of the movie "Ground Hogs Day".   One day we will do it for real.... I wonder what he will tell folks than?

Tom has this obsession about mowing our 1/4 mile driveway ditch on both sides and across the county road.... he likes to mow from our place to the next....... I think I have mentioned this before in other blogs.......

Well the ditches finally dried up enough to mow them..... problem was the ditch growth was 6 feet high...... Tom whacked at it a few times with the rider but the frustration was too much for him...... SOOOOO I took my handy - dandy push mower and challenged the ditch growth.... I am not one to give up easily.

The tall growth..... the steep ditch sides..... biting deer flies, the unrelenting heat..... and even getting to close to a wasp nest....

 

AND getting stung didn't stop me. IT IS DONE.... AND LOOKS DARN GOOD!

Tom who has not once attempted to mow our big lawn that he created and insists on keeping  mowed........ managed to mow the ditch that is NOT ours across the county road from us.........CAN YOU BELIEVE IT!   I just shake my head and chuckle...... 

 Those who know this disease personally do!  Get it that is.