Pictures from an average weekend...

We didn't make it to the Brantwood midsummer festival, mainly because we got hit with both the snowplow bill from the town ($150--I need a snow blower) and the renewal fee for the truck tags ($106, about $50 more than I've ever paid for license plates).  That left us with too little extra cash to go playing, so we hung around the house and worked instead.  Not much happens of any interest here on weekends, but here are some pictures in case anyone wonders how we kill time.

First, a couple that show that having made it through Mud season, we are now soundly planted in Bug season here.  My leg, after an afternoon riding around on the mower, and a couple of Bella:

The welts on her chest are from stable flies (and maybe deer flies.  My fly identification skills need updating), the same ones that ate my legs; the white spots are a reaction to various insect bites.  Makes her look like she has some Appaloosa in her, but they fade once Bug season is over.  The horses are now wearing fly masks, and will be getting fly blankets after the first of the month.  That will make them both happier campers.  The sheep don't seem to suffer as much, thank God--I'd hate to try to wrestle them into fly sheets and masks!!

Here is how I spent my weekend--cleaning out the ditch in front of the house:

Here's the other side of the driveway, which won't get cleaned out anytime this year!

These are the essential tools for ditch-clearing, with special emphasis on remaining well-hydrated:

And here is what the well-dressed ditch-clearing Cheesehead is wearing this year.  The yellow plastic tag hanging on the silly purple hat is a bug repellent.

Meanwhile, The Mom spends her afternoon going through buckets full of assorted hardware, organizing and categorizing.  The sort of task she loves and I detest.  Works out well for us.  Note that she is maintaining hydration too...

The remaining pictures are of the current flora and fauna:

The newest robin's nest, thankfully not in the garage.

The clematis growing outside the back door, which photographs blue but looks more black in real life.

The strawberry plants that I bought for Mom for her birthday last year, which we didn't think had made it through the winter.  Looks like we'll be planting them after all.

And finally, the brown blobs in the following pic are actually a pair of sandhill cranes and their baby, living in the field at the corner near us.  Not a good picture--I shot it one-handed from the driver's seat of the truck-- but for some reason I felt I had to pass it on.  Humor me...