Week 30

Hello and welcome back. We had a great week last week with Brandon visiting and found some good ways to beat the heat plus have some fun. Thankfully, by the weekend, the temps cooled off a good bit and it felt so nice to be able to open windows again and let a cooling breeze flow through the house.  This summer's heat has been relentless and is no joke!

Here are last week's pictures:

Day 204- Monday, 7/22/24

Bailey was resting up so she can play hard with one of her favorite people.  Brandon flew in from LA this afternoon to spend a week with us before heading back to continue his summer campus job and then start school again.  Both the boy and the dog are super happy to see each other.

 

Day 205- Tuesday, 7/23/24

Poor Rusty is so over this heat and I get it!  It was 107 today.  Brandon is enjoying his time with the pup.  It's been 2 months since he last saw her so she has changed quite a bit.  She still acts like a puppy but looks more like an adult dog and is now 47 lbs at almost 7 months old.  My poor pants took a hit from her today too.  She was chewing a bone while sitting on my legs and we didn't realize she also had the flowy fabric somewhere in her mouth as well.  Oops!  Sadly no puppy training class today because it's too hot to be safe out there.  Next week is looking good though.

Day 206- Wednesday, 7/24/24

Finally after tomorrow we'll have a cooling trend and may even need a jacket for those temps in the 90's since we're now acclimated to the triple digits.  Unfortunately this heat with winds and a lot of dry fuel out there is the perfect mix for more fires and we have a huge one burning just north of us.  Hoping the cooldown helps. Until then the boys and I are making ice cream as a nice refreshing and fun treat.  We made a batch of chocolate with peanut-butter cups added in plus a batch of cookies and cream.  Both turned out great.

Day 207- Thursday, 7/25/24

Rusty loves hanging out in Justin's room and Justin likes taking advantage of that to get some fun pictures--too cute.  Later today we worked together making Mexican food for dinner.  We're having all of Brandon's favorites this week since he misses all the good homecooked meals while at school.

Day 208- Friday, 7/26/24

It's time for the summer Olympics happening in Paris this year. Opening ceremonies were today and it looked pretty wet there but even so kind of cool to have a boat parade which was different.  Also TGIF! For our Friday night movie we watched this Harry Connick Jr new release on Netflix--haven't seen him in anything for awhile.  It was cute.

Day 209- Saturday, 7/27/24

It's actually kind of cold out to be swimming today (78!) but the pool is still warm from all the past crazy hot days and the boys are all together wanting to jump in so they did. Well, at least Tyler and Brandon--Justin was at work until dinnertime. It's great to finally have the brothers three back together again.  We celebrated an early birthday with Brandon and had a nice steak and potatoes meal.  Bailey got to run and play in the cool yard plus spend time with all her boys so she literally crashed not soon after!

Day 210- Sunday, 7/28/24

Typical slow Sunday morning except now it's cool enough to cuddle with blankets again.  Later we had a nice big late breakfast just before dropping Brandon at the airport so he could return to LA.  I wish he could stay longer but needs to get back to work and make money for tuition.  Tonight on the news they highlighted how bad the heat has been this entire month.  I'm afraid to see how August will shape up since that is traditionally our hottest month of each year.

Now we're caught up on another full week and almost another month.  See you on the flip side.

 

Week 29

Hello, happy Tuesday and  and welcome back! We did have a few cooler days this past week which was nice but the days that were hot were brutally hot and it's getting very old.  I'm really hoping for a string of weeks not just days that can give us a bit a relief.  Otherwise were plugging along as usual and looking forward to having Brandon home this week.

Until then, here are last week's pictures:

Day 197- Monday, 7/15/24

I'm starting off the week with a lot of microscope work.  I'll be working through serum samples that need antibody testing and also caring for cultures of protozoal parasites that love to multiple and destroy cells.  All those brighter clustering of dots and the individuals in the clearing towards the left are them.  The larger triangular forms a layer monkey kidney cells being invaded.

Day 198- Tuesday, 7/16/24

We've got cloud cover today that is helping keep things cool and making for a pretty sunrise as I start my work day on campus.  Later this evening it was cool enough to join another puppy training class so we loaded Bailey up and headed out.  She's now tall enough that we can see her head over the back seat.

 

 

Day 199- Wednesday, 717/24

I'm amazed these delicate flowers in our side yard are doing so well in the heat.  They are in the most shaded part of the yard so I'm sure that helps.  As you will see soon other plants are not fairing so well.  Today was warmer than the past 2 days but still ok enough for a walk with an afternoon breeze.  Tomorrow it'll be too hot again.

Day 200- Thursday, 7/18/24

At least the weekend temp look better.  Justin decided he's had enough in this heat with his longer hair so a fresh cut was in store for him today.  I also ordered a cooling mat for Bailey and may get one for our cat too. It absorbs their body heat to help cool them down.  I'd like to use hers in her bed outside when she can't be in the house but have to train her not to rip it up first so right now it only gets used when she is supervised.  She's at the age where she wants to destroy everything that is new and different.

Day 201- Friday, 7/19/24

108--Ugh!  These really high temps are so draining and getting old.  Time for a cool drink so we can cheers to the weekend.  Our Friday night movie was a new Kirsten Dunst flick and mostly about the photo journalists and their perspective on navigating the documentation of such an event.

Day 202- Saturday, 7/20/24

My babies!  This is how Rusty likes to spend time with me (napping) and this is how Bailey likes to spend time with me (playing). I can no longer sit on the floor to play with her since she is too big and strong now. I still sit down there when she is napping but while playing she'll unintentional hurt me playing there.  She's also less likely to listen to commands if we're at her level and not above it.

Day 203- Sunday, 7/21/24

Outside here are a few of our plants that are super heat stressed and may not recover.  We'll see though.  Sometimes when you think they are a lost cause they bounce back the following spring.  Inside Rusty has found a cooler spot to rest in Justin's closet.  I'm not sure what happened to the basket that is usually in that spot--must check on that.  Then the big news of they day was that Biden has finally agreed to bow out of the presidential race which is a good idea and I hope the replacement can get the job done to beat Trump.

That wraps up another full week. Thanks for stopping by.

 

 

Week 28

Hello and welcome back. All last week was brutal with the triple-digit heat so we didn't get out to do much.  Thankfully this week we are getting a good break with the delta breeze cooling things a bit.  It's pretty sad when 98 degrees sounds good and feels so much better.

Here are last week's pictures:

Day 190- Monday, 7/8/24

We're doing a whole lot of play and exercise inside the nice cool house.  Bailey can't understand why walks are just not an option right now even after the sun goes down but we do have a big open downstairs where she can really run and play fetch to get that energy out.

Day 191- Tuesday, 7/9/24

Target run and done!  It's nice and cool in the store too and I'm filling my cart with cool item to make cool and refreshing meals to eat.  And then there is Bailey with all that pent up energy just so happy to see anyone one of us return from anywhere.  LOL!  She is jumping for joy and ready to come back inside now that I'm back from the store.

Day 192- Wednesday, 710/24

I had to switch to ice coffee in the mornings and am really looking forward the cooler weekend and start to next week.  Our back yard does get some decent shade now and if we wait long enough for that shade to cool a bit I can take Bailey out for about a 10 minutes to play in the grass.  That is it though and then we are both spent from the heat even in the shade.

Day 193- Thursday, 7/11/24

She loves to have some lap time when I get home from work even if she can't really fit on my lap anymore.  She's also still an aggressive chewer even though she's no longer teething.  That is just the way labs are and the reason why we have so many chew toys for her.  Rusty loves to watch her from afar in his nice safe room.  One of these days her energy level will be a better match for him.

Day 194- Friday, 7/12/24

This afternoon John gave Bailey a nice refreshing shower.  She obviously no longer fits in the sink for a bath which she misses but doesn't mind the shower at all.  We have this lick pad that suctions to the wall and is covered in peanut butter that helps keep her still and entertained.  It works great!  Later it was time to relax with a nice cold drink.  TGIF!

Day 195- Saturday, 7/13/24

What is this world coming to? Our politics have gotten so out of control.  On a happier note the clouds came in today to help cool things off but even still ice cream sounded good to have while watching this movie.  Challengers was actually better than I expected but did have an ending that made us ask, "Is that it?"

Day 196- Sunday, 714/24

I turned on my oven and made brownies in the cool of the morning so we could have them as dessert for Sunday dinner tonight.  Sadly Bailey had a rough day.  She just couldn't keep any food down and was feeling lethargic.  Thankfully she perked up at dinner time and was able to keep the small meal we gave her down and then a pupsicle calming treat later.  So glad it ended there or we would have had to take her to the emergency vet.  As for us, once she was settled, we enjoyed a nice grilled chicken dinner with the family.

That wraps up another full week.  Thanks for stopping by.