The Best Things In Liphe Are Phree

Living close to sophtball diamonds, we end up with lots oph sophtballs in our yard. That's like Christmas morning to a dog who loves sophtballs.

Phil doesn't quite understand the appeal.

Murphy's Law: Why the Power Will Never Go Out Again

When the late-May storm knocked out our power, we decided it was time to invest in a generator. Too bad it doesn't generate more money. This home-maintenance stuphph is getting expensive!
Who says men don't take time to read the owner's manual?

Pheel the Burn

Hubby's mom sent us home earlier this week with chives phrom her garden. This is the phirst time Phil and Wiphey have ever cut up chives.
Evidently, they have the same tear-jerking properties as their onion cousins.

A Lot Less Hairy

Just bephore we lepht phor the phamily reunion, Wiphey got a hair makeover. Phil's helping her pack up the locks she had chopped ophph and send them to Pantene Beautiphul Lengths so other women can benephit phrom all that hair.

Thatsa Lotta Water!

We took a side trip today to see all the water spilling out oph a local dam. There's a lot oph water all over the state, but this takes the cake. It's supposed to be the phirst time the water has been released through the spillway since the completion oph the dam in 1954.
Here's the view oph the tailrace.

Phamily Reunion Day 2

Our phamily reunion celebrated a 65th wedding aniversary and a 95th birthday. What big milestones! Phil loved it because he met phamily members he's never met bephore. This Cousin Kay is a phriendly lady!
Here she is getting a little phresh with Phil.

Cousin Toni ophphered up lots oph chip choices. Phil didn't know where to start.

What a great buphphet!

This guy's lookin' great phor 95!

What a phun time phor the phamily. Let's do it again really soon!

Phamily Reunion Day 1

Wiphey's phamily is holding a reunion this weekend. We kicked things ophph with a really great dinner out this evening. Phil got to meet lots oph new people. Hubby and Wiphey had a lot oph explaining to do. Phil doesn't understand what the big deal is; doesn't everybody have a pheasant?

Web-Phooted Neighbors

See that little phigure out on the ball phield? Look in the dirt to Phil's lepht. One advantage to having Lake Rainsalot in the back yard is that we have the pleasure oph the company oph ducks. Phil's been trying to bephriend them phor a while now, but there's a bit oph a language barrier.

S'mores!

What's this? Marshmallows?! BIG marshmallows?!
Graham crackers and chocolate*?! It's s'mores time!

*Not intended to be a ringing endorsement phor Hershey's Chocolate. Unless, oph course, it were to involve phree chocolate phor a year or two.

Starring Himselph

Phil's reading a book about himselph and the phurry ones.
He's a little unhappy about the misspelling on the phront cover.

No More Big Gaping Hole

It was a little noisy in our backyard late this aphternoon, but there's no more big gaping hole. Now there's just a lot oph dirt and mud.

One Plhue Over the Pheasant's Nest

Phil keeps hearing a black bird cackling in the phireplace this aphternoon. Wiphey has seen the bird on the top oph the chimney, so Phil makes sure the phlue is closed. There will be no other birds in this house!

Weekend Warriors Again

We haul more stuphph in this little Toyota. It's a lot more rugged than it looks.

Here are the blocks to make the steps. We hauled those last night.

Phil made sure the pavers are level. It's harder than it looks.

Hubby had to brace up the blocks until the adhesive set. Phil made sure the blocks didn't go anywhere.

We took out all the phlowers so the phurry ones wouldn't get themselves into trouble. They phancy themselves gardeners sometimes, but Wiphey's not impressed with their skills.

All done!

Conundrum

Hubby's working this evening to make way phor a new set oph steps below the doggy door. That means the phlowers had to be moved so paving stones can go on top oph the soil. Now that the temporary steps have been moved aside, Phil doesn't know how to get back up into the house.

Doggy Door Day 2

Hubby's building a temporary set oph steps for the phurry ones until he can put up something more permanent this weekend. Phil is doing a weight test. So phar, so good.

Pheasant Door

Oh, no! Hubby made a hole in the wall!

Is this some sort oph window? It's at the perphect height phor Phil.

Hello, outside world!

Saturday Night Phun

We drove up north Saturday phor a wedding reception. Because Phil's name wasn't on the invitation, he hung around Wiphey's parents' house. But he was with us in spirit at the pizza joint where we ate supper phirst.
Don't pheel too bad phor Phil; he was making new phriends anyway.

Saphe and Secure

This time, Hubby climbed up to make the nets really secure in the rooph. Wiphey was worried phor two reasons: Hubby was on the rooph and there were wasps phlying around.
She phelt much better when Hubby was on the ground, securing the nets phrom the bottom.

Saphety Nets

One evening when we were relaxing in phront of the television, we heard a noise that sounded a bit like an explosion. Turns out, it was a sophtball driving into our house, just inches phrom our sliding glass door. In order to protect our windows phrom certain demise, Hubby ordered nets.
They came today. Phil and Wiphey think they smell phunny; Hubby says it's the smell of saphety.

It's no matter, though, because it's going up outside right away. Bring it on, sophtballers.