Outdoors in the Summertime

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Most of my photos from August were taken outside, reflecting the time we spent outdoors. Neighbor Logan has a great sense of humor, and he wondered if his small dog’s cone would fit him. It did, and we all laughed.

Neighbor Shawn took a photo of David with his dog Kacey on her front porch. We can see their porch easily from ours, and we often cross the road to be with them and vice versa. Those impromptu gatherings make the summer sparkle.

Neighbor Joyce had show and tell in her driveway as we were heading to the stop sign for a morning walk. This is a complete black snake skin she found under her house. She dislikes snakes and would rather it hung about my house, since I would welcome it. The black snake will eat mice, rats, moles, voles, shrews, and chipmunks as well as small lizards, frogs, and bird eggs. Having lived on Long Island where there are no poisonous snakes, I am not as wary of snakes as I should be. There is no danger from a black snake, though.

When David joined me on our front porch, he sat down beside me, not caring that he was sharing the chair with my cane. I thought that was excuse enough to take his photo. The top of the cane is on the seat, and the tip is behind his right foot.

The one indoor picture I have shows me sitting on the piano bench with an iPad behind me. Daughter Lise bought a refurbished one for the app forScore. I have scanned four pieces of music from books I own, as well as one free score from the internet. I haven’t played the piano for over two years, since one retina leaked. I could see groups of notes and guess what they were, but I couldn’t tell the difference between sharps, flats, and natural signs, nor which notes they were supposed to change. Having the music backlit makes a huge difference. I am delighted to be playing again and will be scanning more soon.

Kacey let me know something unusual was going on, and I looked out to see Shawn and Bob talking to a couple riding mules. Neighbor Cindy had seen them come into our area near the stop sign. I thought the animals were horses, but Shawn pointed out the large ears. She was told the mules were a cross between a draft horse and a donkey.

David and I love rainstorms and go on the porch to see them whenever possible. It had rained for a while, which put both Kacey and David to sleep. We were pleased to find that Kacey does not mind thunder at all and will often sleep through rather loud storms.

It was almost dark when David decided to transplant a tulip tree that had sprung up in a flower bed. He put it where a Bradford pear tree had been taken down a few months ago. We know the tree could outgrow its welcome, but we are not likely to be here when it does.

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Published by Anne Mehrling

I'm a retiree who loves to write about life in the mountains of North Carolina.

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47 thoughts on “Outdoors in the Summertime”

  1. The rain storm sounds too good to be true. We need rain so bad its getting scary with all the fires popping here and there. That Logan…never know what he is up to…bless his heart…such a good neighbor.

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  3. A nice wrap-up for August Anne. That’s great news about the conversion of your sheet music. Perhaps you’ll have David videotape you playing so we can see and hear those fingers fly across the keyboard!

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      1. Well hopefully it does work and if you make mistakes, so be it – playing gives you joy, so go for it! Ruth often does a month wrap-up and I follow a UK blogger who just posts everything on his phone for that month – no words, just pics like a gallery.

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  4. So happy you are playing piano again. And I so love the porch sharing. Some of the best moments in life are sitting with friends in beautiful surroundings. So glad you have that.

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  5. I am so glad you played piano. I know you enjoyed the summer month. Beautiful pic you keeping the black snake . All photos are nice.

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    1. August was a pleasant month. I didn’t mention that I worked in the garden almost every day. The weeds had taken over while I spent time with my daughters earlier in the summer. Things look better now.

      Was August a good month for you?

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  7. Anne, what a busy and friendly neighbourhood! I love your porches and especially the hammock swing, a perfect place to enjoy the rainstorms. Yeah, great news the iPad music score works well for your eyes and enjoy being back at the piano! xx

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  8. I enjoyed getting a glimpse of life in the summer in your neighborhood, Anne. It doesn’t look as hot there in the mountains as it’s been here in the Piedmont. I have yet to encounter my first snake down here and am kind of dreading the moment. Especially if it’s as big as the skin of the one your neighbor is holding!

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  12. They used to have mule racing in the Mississippi Delta in the early to mid 1900s! I think mules are pretty myself. I enjoyed reading this about all your recent events, and great news on the iPad!

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          2. We are going to Block Island and the Narragansett, Rhode Island area in a few weeks. It has been ten years or more since we’ve gone up that way. I’m looking forward to it.

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  16. Love seeing Logan as a munchkin from the Wizard of Oz! Missed a few posts. Is David living with you or just there for the summer? His company must be a gift.

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  17. I really enjoyed this post, Anne. So great to see everyone – including Kacey. Sadly we haven’t spent as much time outdoors as we would like this summer because we have been plagued with mosquitoes. Do you have mosquitoes in your area?

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    1. I don’t ever see mosquitoes. We certainly have standing water — bird baths and puddles after rain. If there were mosquitoes here, surely they would bite me.

      It’s too bad your activities have been curtailed by the pesky critters. I’ve had my share, having lived near the Mississippi River in Tennessee and on Long Island. The worst ones were monsters that swarmed everywhere when the river flooded.

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