Alli Greets Company

Yesterday afternoon our son Travis and his wife Geli came over for a visit, which was nice. We always enjoy spending time with them. They brought us a dozen eggs from their chickens, and while they were here Travis mowed the hill on the side of our place. Terry told him he didn’t have to do that but he doesn’t want us “old folks” out in the heat too much. Thanks Travis, we appreciate it.

While they were here, Tommy from Home Improvement Services Company came by to look over a project we have been talking about, building a deck off the back of our office. We have a freestanding deck behind the garage, but we would like another one that we could just walk out the back door onto. He’s supposed to get back to us with an estimate in a week or so.

We don’t get much company and Alli has only met Travis and Geli a couple of times, so she was a bit wary at first, keeping her distance. I gave Travis some treats to feed her and pretty soon they were getting along just fine. Then we went out back and he threw a ball for her a few times and they were instantly buddies.

I put on her correction collar and leash when Tommy came because I was not 100% sure how she would react to a strange man. She’s always been friendly to the two or three women that have come around, but he would only be the third man besides Travis and a plumber we had here a couple of weeks ago. Again, she was wary until she realized that he was welcome, then everything was fine. She doesn’t bark, she just stands beside me and watches people until we reassure her that they are okay. That’s exactly what I expect out of her.

The room we use for our office in the back of the house started life as an add-on porch that was then enclosed. It has a lot of windows, and I don’t think very much insulation, so it gets really hot back here. We do have a window AC unit, but because of the way the room is configured,  it’s kind of out of the way and doesn’t do a whole lot for us. Tommy mentioned a Hisense portable air conditioner that he picked up at Lowe’s when the big unit in his house stopped working and he was waiting for a repairman to get parts. I did a quick search for them on the Lowe’s website but have to do some more research, and look to see what Amazon has to offer. It might be the answer to our problem.

Be sure to enter our latest Free Drawing. This week’s prize is an audiobook of Hands of Onyx, book 2 in the Sav’ine series by Stacy Bender. It’s a story about cybernetic soldiers escorting a long haul space freighter to the outer rim planets, dealing with saboteurs who are trying to stop them and a crew that includes a half-blind medic, an explosives expert who is a sociopath, and an interrogator suffering from dementia. What could possibly go wrong?

To enter, click on this Free Drawing link or the tab at the top of this page and enter your name (first and last) in the comments section at the bottom of that page (not this one). Only one entry per person per drawing please, and you must enter with your real name. To prevent spam or multiple entries, the names of cartoon or movie characters are not allowed. The winner will be drawn Sunday evening. Note: Due to the high shipping cost of printed books and Amazon restrictions on e-books and audiobooks to foreign countries, only entries with US addresses and e-mail addresses are allowed. After 90 days, unclaimed prizes revert back to the drawing pool for a future contest.

And finally, here’s a chuckle to start your day from the collection of funny signs we see in our travels and that our readers share with us.

Thought For The Day – I made a huge to do list for today. I just can’t figure out who’s going to do it.