Let's not use the Swiffer and say we did.

Anyone agree?



A rare sighting. More clouds, please? A little rain shower, perhaps?

Welcome to the Licker Sisters’ summertime faces gallery. (More to come.)

Eeeks. That old face makes me laugh. Chloe would rather be inside, sprawled out under the ceiling fan.

Sorry, Bella. Your swimming pool sprang a leak. We’ll buy a new one at Toys R Us real soon. Promise.

It only takes a few steps into the outdoors that make their tongues wag. Intestinal gas again, Chloe?

So, what do you do when the heat index is 105F? It’s shocking, especially after the chilly spring just left a little over a week ago.

What I do…

Move the coats and jackets from the rack in the laundry room to a back closet.

Sneak photos outdoors for five minutes at a time but not too often.

Stay inside, vacuum the lazy way and promise to use the Swiffer another day.

Imprint the correct spelling of “vacumm vs. vacuum” in my brain instead of relying on spell-check every time. Two u’s, two u’s, two u’s. Now, maybe I’ll remember.

Wash lots of laundry.

Watch Julia Roberts’ weekend on movie TV. Cry hard and laugh hard at Pretty Woman and Steel Magnolias for the twentieth time, watch Big Brown lose the Triple Crown, watch Olympic trials, and feel sad for the loss of dear James Kenneth McKay, better known as Jim McKay, the host of Wild World of Sports. Have I known him all my life and watched him in front of a black and white TV in a tiny living room since childhood? Yes. He was a highlight of our week.

Use the garden hose on wilting flowers and shrubs and work around the pond and yard, only from 7-9pm. Intend to read blogs. Listen to a Cicada for the first time this year.

Promise to plant a flat of Snapdragons soon.

Promise to get into the pond with the Koi, tadpoles, and snakes to organize overgrown plants. Maybe in a few days…

Give the dogs a bath in the guest bathroom and marvel at the black, oily ring around the tub when the job was done. Let them air-dry in the sunroom. Take Advil for the aching back.

Arrive at the garden center early in the morning, with camera. Piss off a mean, ugly old lady who was annoyed that I took up two feet of walking space in front the butterfly bushes when there was eight feet behind me. In her haste, she trudged in front of me and my lens, knocking into the butterflies and their bushes. She must hate photographers and butterflies. Poor woman, maybe the heat made her mean.


On the way home I stopped to fill my gas tank and saw a sweet, young mother ask for three dollars of gas. My gut feeling told me she was a single parent, with a young son and a toddler girl on her hip. I reached into my handbag and drew a five dollar bill, handed it to the cashier, and asked her to make it eight. This is critical. Someone has to help.

Miss numerous hummingbird photo opportunities and become disgusted, but giggle at the sleepy bumble hanging on the nectar feeder.

Stop at the big pond for only three minutes or until my scalp starts to burn.

From inside, watch the birds splashing in my backyard pond

then watch the sun dry them from my shaded front porch.


Listen to a favorite radio station on the Bose and think about this post while remembering that sometimes, summer heat brings out the worst and the best in people.

And, I thank you for your comments on my “Cool Camera…” previous post. You’re all fabulous photographers. My new camera options are overwhelming!