Life as we know it ...: What's wrong with this picture ...

The news here is constantly discussing current flooding . . . but the ground at our place - within view of the Mississippi River - is so dry that it's FULL of huge cracks from the drought we've been experiencing over the last couple months.

You can't see how dry the ground is, though, unless you're somewhere with no grass. Fortunately, the grass down south is more like weeds than grass -- it continues to grow no matter what the condition of the ground. The only reason those cracks in the dry ground are visible in that picture is because it's a path worn by the dogs when they race from one end of the house to the other. (There's Boo doing exactly that below.) And check out that mess back there at the back of the garage. Mark has been ripping out the wood fence that used to be back there and now that rotted deck. The deck was there when we bought the house and it's so rotten that there's danger of falling through it if you walk up there. So it's coming out, and he's going to install steps into the back porch and garage instead.

I bought some solid-core doors last fall to use to make shutters for the front 6' X 6' windows (so I can just close them for hurricanes instead of having to install plywood over the windows). Anyway . . . they're leaning up against the wall on the front porch. While I was sitting out there earlier I noticed that the lizards around the place seem to have adopted them as their personal homestead. (Hey -- better there than on my sleeping porch. I HATE when they turn up THERE!)

But they seem to have gotten just a little TOO brave now that they're living in such a "secure" place.

I got really close with my camera and he just sat there and LOOKED at me instead of racing off as they used to do. Hmmm. I guess I should just go sit on the back SCREENED porch instead. He's creeping me out!

Here in the office, I've had heavy curtains on the windows to keep out the bright sun so I can see the computer monitor clearly. Well, I pulled back the curtains and looked out earlier and wow! . . . there's really going to be a GREAT view of the barn and paddocks from up here. I think I may need to rearrange the furniture up here when the horses come home so I can see out all the time.

That chain link in the picture below is the end of the dog yard. Next to that is Duke's paddock on the near side of the barn, and Lizzie's paddock is on the far side of the barn over to the tree line.

Then Ladybug's paddock is on the front side of the barn on the far side. It's long and narrow so that there is only a small length of fence that adjoins Lizzie's paddock. That way if Bug wants to be left alone (and she usually does) she can just walk away.

Anyway, I love that I'll be able to look out and check on them during storms and things. Can't WAIT for them to come home!

I was out taking current pictures of our horses over at Al's a couple days ago. As I walked past two of Torri's horses (Phineas and Cinnamon), Cinnamon decided to tell me exactly what she thought about that camera. Funny!