HOT HOT HOT here in Arkansas!

Lordy, it's been hot the past week!  Yesterday, it was only 97.  But it was 101 in the SHADE on Tuesday!  That's just tooooo damn hot!

And, of course, the condenser on our air conditioner gave out yesterday.  I guess Josh and I will be on a purchasing adventure first thing this morning.  What a hassle.

With the design and age of our house, we don't have any way to install "central air".  So we have to make do with window units in the bedrooms.  The unit we have in the "great room" is one of those floor standing models from Walmart, and that's the one that gave out.  The great room has 17 foot high ceilings and is about 700 square feet.  That's a big volume of air to cool.  So, we'll have to find something that will handle it.  Add the problem of sliding windows that are only 17 inches wide.... and a floor unit is about our only option.

Anyway, enough about the air conditioning!

Ariel saw a very large rat snake in the guinea cage the other day, eating eggs!  So, Josh had to go shoot the darn thing.  It was 72 inches long!

Grand daughter Ariel with the dead rat snake

Yard patrol expert Peanut inspects the dead snake

Earlier in the week, she found this nasty visitor to the front porch!  Yikes!

Pygmy rattler on the front porch

It was curled up under the rocking chair.  It's a good thing we've been drilling snake awareness into her little brain.  She and the dog were both close enough it could have bitten them.  Now she finally understands why we say NO FLIPFLOPS!  Wear your darn shoes, girl!

The hot weather should continue for another 6 weeks or so.  Josh has been watering the garden.  It's looking great.  We're getting yellow squash, zucchini, cucumbers and okra now.  We've harvested potatoes twice.  We should start having tomatoes any day now.  I can't wait!  I love fresh tomato sandwiches!