Tonight I set up the little round barbecue in the driveway and cooked a chunk of marinated tilapia for tacos tomorrow, and I grilled three chicken breasts, eating the small one for dinner tonight and the other two are to go in other dishes or on salads. Since the fridge has only a couple of ripe to eat tomatoes now there is room for this. I ended up with a puny five containers of tomatoes, but preservation is the name of the game. That's several meals in the future. The tomatoes usually make a fall comeback and I'll be able to either can ripe tomatoes or make something with green tomatoes before the year is out.

A friend retired last week, and I see on his Instagram that he is quickly turning his attention back to his painting after many years of neglect. We both post lots of garden and food photos, but his paintings are lovely, and remind me that I need to get back to the sewing and beading and embroidery I used to do a lot of.

Dorothy, are you doing more of your potting, or are you still moving things around from town to the mill to Beaver, and is the bridge still a mess? As time draws near to time to move out of the old house and into the new (old) house, you must have a checklist as long as your arm of things to tend to. I hope your plans are taking shape.

There is a blue heeler curled at my feet under my desk right now. We made eye contact when she arrived and she glanced toward the window as we both heard explosions of fire works. I think she'll be fine, but will stay close.