Mowing And Melons

We’ve got a cooling trend going on here in the White Mountains of Arizona, and Terry and I have been taking advantage of it to get a lot of yard work done. Terry has been weeding along the fence line where she wants to plant some more wildflowers, pruning plants in the greenhouse, and making everything look tidy.

For the last two days, I have been mowing the grass in our backyard, which is nearly an acre. I have a self-propelled push lawnmower, which helps, but surprisingly, it still makes my back and hips hurt a lot. I told Terry I may have to invest in a cheap riding lawnmower, although that seems like a waste of money for such a small area.

This whole region is full of rocks, and every time I mow, I find more rocks. I keep moving the larger ones to circle the things we have planted, but by the next time I mow, it seems like more of them show up. I’m not sure where they come from.

Speaking of not knowing where things come from, Terry planted two golden watermelon plants in one of her raised garden beds back in June that she started from seed in the greenhouse. The plants have gone wild, spilling out of the garden bed and across the ground, but we weren’t seeing any fruit on them.

It seemed like it was just a few days ago I was out there looking and did not see anything, but yesterday Terry found big two melons hiding among the leaves and a lot of much smaller ones that are just getting started. If you’ve never tried golden watermelon, you really need to. They are smaller than the more familiar watermelons we see at the grocery store and even sweeter-tasting. I’m really looking forward to when it’s time to harvest them.

It’s Thursday, so it’s time for a new Free Drawing. This week’s prize is a copy of Philly Warrant Unit by lifelong friends Tristin Kilgallon and Mark Fusetti,who grew up on the same block in Philadelphia. I recently featured Tristin in an Author Spotlight. Though life led them down different paths, their bond endured, and years later, they found themselves working side by side in the First Judicial District of Pennsylvania Warrant Unit, a specialized team tasked with locating and apprehending wanted fugitives in Philadelphia and the surrounding counties.

Their book isn’t a traditional cover-to-cover read. It’s a powerful collection of short stories, true accounts that reflect the intensity, tragedy, danger, and dark humor that come with the job. Some of the stories will make you hold your breath, while others might break your heart, or make you laugh out loud. But you can be sure that all of them will give you an authentic look at a world rarely seen by the public. Whether you’re interested in law enforcement, true crime, or just want a raw, unfiltered look at the streets of Philadelphia through the eyes of two men who lived it, this book is for you.

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 to foreign countries, only entries with US addresses and e-mail addresses are allowed. After 30 days, unclaimed prizes revert back to the drawing pool for a future contest.

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Thought For The Day – I have the body of a god. Unfortunately, it’s Buddha.