• Oak mites….their rally hum…calls from Oak Trees in the area….come here, come here we have an excellent victim to drop down on.  Only the fearless need apply…lots of body to cover  and she’s a sweller…our hard work is wonderfully visible.
• Storms and heavy rain passing through.  Dog that is afraid of thunder for the first time in her life.  I blame this years new neighbors who set off firecrackers over and over again during fireworks season in Missouri.  Next door activity is much more disturbing than in the distance.  Quite frankly, I haven’t recovered yet either.
• Periodic phone calls from Cass County Emergency Management for weather related warnings.  Necessary, but beside our bed at night we each have 3 instruments that ring…the phone, IPAD and watches…I could compare it to a full ensemble brass band!
• This years drift of young salesman going through the area selling themselves and asking for donations to assist them in their endeavor to share the word of God.  The Iowa/Missouri Youth Alive organization .  Tonight ours knocked lightly on the door at twilight.  While he answered the door, I was off to the bedroom to fetch and load the gun.  Perhaps as a result of our careers in the law enforcement community, we trust no one!  And I question why anyone would think it was a good idea to knock on strangers doors at nightfall.  While I was up for all of the other reasons, I was googling guns.  I need a different woman friendly, smaller grip gun!  Especially since I heard the oak mite relatives are coming for me.

Until next time…