Cold Records?

 The news said we might set cold records yesterday and today.

Start of summer and we got rain here, could not even reach 60 degrees with snow falling in the mountains.

Great, eh?

Well maybe better than 100 or 105 degrees.   

Next week might hold some sun.  Forecasts change so quickly.

I can't believe we bombed another country.   Happened while I napped, had no idea.

Its unconstitutional but our current Holy Leader has no qualms about violating that ancient document.  Meanwhile in Texas they are requiring the Ten Commandments be posted in schools.  Must be a don't do what I do, do what I tell you to do sort of thing, if you think about it.  Also...its unconstitutional but again, nobody cares about that old piece of paper anymore here.

Strawberry season is almost done in the valley.    We're spoiled really.  Once you taste Oregon berries, there's no way you can eat ones that come from elsewhere.  The California strawberries are so gross by comparison, without flavor.   

I had strawberry shortcake tonight.  I also make "freezies" of strawberries I cut up and put in the blender with yogurt and whatever other fruit I have.   I keep them in the freezer in extra car cups I've accumulated, and get one out when its hot.  I do not like blueberries as well as strawberries.  I have raspberries growing in my yard and pick them as they are ripe now.  They're too expensive at the farm stands.  And mine aren't chemical sprayed.   The blackberries won't be ripe for awhile.  They've only begun blooming.

My final cat appointments are the end of next week.   I have no idea if the people catching cats will be successful. The Brownsville folks have ten spots FCCO but 14 or so cats.  I left them a drop trap and my two larger live traps and they were supposed to pick off the adults sooner and I'd get them in somewhere but they haven't caught even one. Or even tried.   I'm frustrated but its their issue not mine, I have to keep telling myself.

After 20 more spots end of next week, then on the Monday after, I'm done for the summer.  It's a huge relief to me.  

I found that my rear bumper on the car was falling off on one side too, and spent a day rigging a repair for it.  It may or may not have caused the ticking sound.   I haven't driven it much since fixing it.  Only to go get the strawberries.  When I got to the strawberry farm, right when it opened, there was already a line up of people.   Whew, I got some before they ran out.

This is what the bumper brackers that hold on the two sides of the bumper cover should look like--one coming from the top, one from the bottom, joined together and secured beneath the car.  This is the side that had them still in good repair.

Here is what the other side looked like.  It had been causing serious noise, vibration, rattling, and maybe even the ticking, not sure.   The top one was broken near the bolt holding it in and the bottom one was detached from where it moored to the top one.

I debated trying to think of how to fix it, then just decided to pull hard on both after removing the bolt and broken piece of the upper one, and attach both under that bolt.

 

So I did and so far so good.

The repair, at least for now.  Hope it holds.

When the rain stops I have to raise the front and look for things there.   I have no desire to do anything like that in pouring rain.   

I'm just lazing around basically, playing with my cats, finishing books.  Falling asleep with the TV on, like a proper older person.   

I can't help but think of little kids, people, animals, when bombs are being dropped.  Lives lost, suffering caused, hardships upon hardships, destruction.   And here I sit sometimes complaining about nothing at all.