Thrice All American

We have been taking full advantage of all the glorious days that summer has to offer. We spent some time with my family in the beautiful mountains of Pendleton county. We went horseback riding and the young'uns tried a little farming. It was their first time on a tractor and I have a feeling it won't be their last. Little Scarlet drove it all the way down to end of the field (funny how the only person she came close to running down was her mama) and Little T put those bales on so straight I could have sworn he's done it a million times.

Afterwards, they got to ride in the back of the pickup to the cabin. When I was a kid, riding in the back of a pickup was no big deal, we did it all the time. I have preached to my kids how unsafe it is and that there is no way in hell they are ever allowed to ride in the back of a truck. So of course they liked that ride better than the tractor.

Once we were at the top, we all bailed out and began looking for sticks to start a fire. The whole time, three different people could be heard saying,"Watch for rattlesnakes!" They have killed several there this summer, two being right outside the back door. There is an electric fence around the perimeter of the house to keep out the "wild cows" as Little T called them and several members of the family are lobbying for the bottom wire to be lowered all the way to the ground to keep the snakes out of the yard.

Blazing fire, marshmallows on a stick, you can't ask for much more than that. Well, maybe you could throw in some hot dogs and a pair of shades. Little Scarlet's no fool, she knows how to keep the smoke out of her eyes.

Today's steady downpour has finally reined us in for a bit. I am trying hard not to notice the mountain of laundry needing folded or the inch of dust that covers my sewing machine. I think they are calling for sunny skies tomorrow.

Hope your summer is a blast!