Hot Mess

And I don't mean that in a good way!.....Haha!  Well, within hours of posting my last scathing rant I was drenched and wracked in the feverish throes of some GawdAwful sickness.  I don't know if it was a food-borne illness or a virus (I suspect the latter) but it was horrible and lasted until the early morning hours of Sunday when I awoke to feel my fever had finally broke.  I guess that's what I get for my rampage.

And at the same time the awful, relentless heat and dryness continued on outside.  It was good we got so much rain early in the spring because we are way short now.  Dry as cracker juice.  The poor chickens have dug fox holes under the deck and just lay there most of the day trying to stay cool.  They do come out for treats of watermelon and such, as we do try to come up with things that might help them through the heat.  I tried putting ice in the water trough but they were scared of it.  And it melted immediately anyway.  Tried a fan for them but I guess they don't like air blowing right on them, so we just try to keep plenty of water and some treats out for them.  As you can see, they really enjoy the watermelon.

This is little Tilly!  Or, the Big T. They get watermelon juice all over their head and then all kind of dirt and such sticks to them.  Makes me want to get after them with a washrag.

Till' is still sweet as a bug though.  Still loves to snuggle in my lap for a snooze.  Still doesn't understand what the little box is I point at them or why I want him to stand on the bucket but he goes along with all of it.  I just hope he and George remain so sweet.

And George is getting to be quite the fellow.  His crowing is slowly improving but he really doesn't practise that much.  I only hear him every once in a while.  I hope that continues also.  He loves to get in your lap too for some petting.  Very sweet and calm.  The only problem is with all 3 of them trying to get in your lap at one time, as they are getting so big!  Somebody inevitably ends up stepping on somebody else, or just trying to stand on them, and then it all erupts in screaming and squawking.  I try not to do much screaming but if one of them jumps up on my jumblies with those sharp claws, well, it's hard to contain yourself.
I say all 3 because we found Elenore dead the other morning in their little apartment.  Not really sure what happened there.  She was a good size/ weight and seemed healthy.  Good appetite or so it seemed. 

The garden is a dry, creaking mess.  I've just let everything go at this point, especially after getting this virus.  I hope to get it cleaned up a little at least and maybe plant a few fall crops but I'm not sure how much of that is going to happen.  I still have some pumpkins coming on though!  Up to three now!  And I discovered I have a very large sweet potatoes crop waiting to be dug.  I pulled up a good many in one hill but need to do the rest.  First year I ever planted those also so I was happy they did so well.  If hot weather makes a good sweet potato then we should have some good ones.  I can't really complain though; we haven't even broke 100 F this year.  We did have a good run of 90s this past week but I've seen it much hotter for much longer.  'Course, the summer ain't over yet.  I remember the year we worked at the railroad it was over 100F for 10 days straight in September. 

I've got some cool stuff to show ya'll and really meant to post before now but was too sick to sit up much or too drugged to write anything comprehensible.  Or at least, close to what I normally do.  So, I hope to be back sooner this time with a good post, or at least something a little more interesting.  And it's about building!!