No CDL Required

DS had this afternoon off and was willing to help his old mama so I rented a U-Haul truck and we went out to our storage locker to sort through the things that needed tossing, load up the pieces of furniture I want to keep, and leave the rest there to be cleaned up and (hopefully) sold.  It was surprisingly inexpensive to rent the truck for 4 hours--$19.95 + 69 cents/mile.  (we drove 32 miles)  I agreed to the least expensive "safety package" i.e. insurance so the total was just a few pennies over $60.  Not bad.



We were very smart and loaded the things for home first, then the things to donate, and finally the things to toss.  As you can see I rented the exact right size truck.  First stop was the dump, then here to unload the donations into the garage to be cleaned up a bit first, and then we carried the table, desk, cedar chest, framed painting, and end table into the house.  Another big step toward getting control of things.  Thanks again, DS, for sweating and getting dirty with me, also for backing up the truck at the dump and into the driveway.  On a related note, we put the table (that Durwood didn't like) that I bought for $10 at the Salvation Army a couple weeks ago back into the U-Haul and I dropped it back at SA on my way to return the truck.  Didn't need it anymore and don't have a spot to store it so the Sally Ann gets to double-dip.




I found these two baby butternut squash on the vine yesterday.  These two better grow up and not fall off like the earlier one did.  Maybe I'll figure out a way to support them...




 
Here are a few of the "things with petals" that didn't make it onto the blog yesterday.  First the lantana.  It's so pretty.  I love the shapes of the florets and the colors too.  Red, yellow, and orange are my favorite colors.

 




Then there's the candy-striped petunia.  Always a favorite.



 

And the zinnias.  Great colors and they bring goldfinches.  What's not to love?






August 8--Vincent van Gogh, Roses.  It seemed like every rose was blooming at the same time.  Gina stood at the edge of the garden and wanted to sweep them all up in her arms.  These were old roses.  Roses from before hybridization had robbed them of their fragrance.  Roses from before they were bred for color or shape.  Roses like the ones that grew in thickets in the pasture of the farm and bloomed in simple five-petal flowers that made bees drunk with pollen.  Gina loved the dark red roses with petals like the richest velvet but she was also drawn to the yellow ones with the petals as soft and sweet as fresh churned butter.  She left the pink flowers for the milk-faced maidens who lolled in the shade with ice water in their veins.

This evening I went over to Durwood's to hang the pictures I framed yesterday.  The place is starting to take shape.  Tomorrow I intend to chain myself to the sewing machine.  No one better want me to do anything--and don't call.  I need a break.
--Barbara