The last of the coneflowers

This will probably be the last coneflower shot you will see for a little while.  I love coneflowers when they are blooming, but oh what an ugly mess they can become.  But when they become that ugly mess, is when the goldfinches love them.  I have left them a good while, but today was that day of reckoning.

First I stood and looked and looked to make sure I seen no yellow jackets stirring around anywhere in the mess.  I didn't see a single yellow jacket...for something so little they can carry a powerful punch.  So Roger came out to see what I was doing...I gave him the job of manning the wheel barrow.  and I pulled up coneflowers and weeds and grass.  Remember I said it had become one heck of mess.  I don't know how many loads went to the compost pile, but we got it done.

I had sprayed round up earlier....I am not crazy about using it but my weedeater is so hard to start that I just quit battling it a few years ago.

I came in from all of that and did up dishes after I showered...I am done for the night.

Which leads to the fact that I can watch Jeopardy again!  We have Directv and have been without that channel for I don't know how long.  We have missed Jeopardy, even if it was reruns...and Songland...I was so afraid we were going to miss The Voice.  So I am a happy camper that way.

I hope you all have a nice weekend...Lorelei is here tonight, and possibly tomorrow night...one of my daughters is going to come sew tomorrow.  After a visit to the quilt shop!  So that is fun to look forward to.

I want to share a couple things....

A couple sunflower shots...

they were both taken late Sunday afternoon.

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I have nothing important to share.  A ho-hum beginning to the week but ho-hum is good in this case.  Things could always be a lot worse.

We did drive over to Tuscola, Illinois to what used to be the Outlet Mall.  It used to be full of shops....today it was empty store after empty store.  I doubt there were 2 dozen cars there to shop.  I so wish I had counted.  I seriously don't think there was a dozen and a half.    But was feeling generous and said 2 dozen. We stopped in the kitchen store...just because I always go there.

Every so often I get in the mood to buy a slicer of some sort.  But I look at them and think they would just be something else to wash and store.  So I will continue to use a knife.  A knife is quick to wash and I already have them and a place for them.

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I came across the video below by chance...being horses it caught my attention.  You just have to watch it...and notice all the time that she is setting while talking...notice the horse gathered close to her...and one reaches and nudges her every so often.  I think she is amazing...

Old and falling apart...

Just a little photo...nothing to do with this post.

I just wonder how many of you struggle with getting older.   Do you accept it and go on and do the best you can do?  Do you struggle against it...or rage against it?  I must admit I have some of all the feelings.

Yesterday, Lorelei's dad came to borrow something of Roger's...while we were waiting for Roger I had him see if he could start the power washer....it is just easier to have him do it.  Somethings Roger thinks he can do and can.  Others he cannot.  Anyway, it started practically first pull.   Jeremy came for a chop saw, but went home with a bit more. A band saw rather than the chop saw...and acetylene torch and tanks.  Jeremy will use them and that is better than it setting there.

Anyway, got three sides of the house washed as well as the north side of the garage...the other sides could use washing, but they are nothing compared to the sides washed.    I was worn to a frazzle by the time I did them and Roger felt like he had to be out there, and I did need him to start the power washer a couple times.  And he helped with the hose, etc. But the real fun began when we were taking the hose off.  I cannot tell and do it justice...but for something so simple to get us both so worked up and worn to a frazzle...it was one of the times I raged against my age, against what my body is doing.  But eventually we got the hose lose, I got the hose wound up and Roger got the power washer put away.

Oh, I guess the photo looks like I feel and look....I have sure seen better days physically.  But I am still here....still moving.  And it feels so good to get something accomplished that has been worrying me in the back of my mind for such a long time.