FINALLY, A BREATH OF FRESH AIR

 (A) Good morning....

 Soloed through chores while my assistants slept in. 

 Belle is looking so good!  It was cool enough for me to leave the ponie's masks off until I finished.

 Steph went down to pick up Finn and Cooper before she hit Wegmans up for donuts and bagels.

 Gary went down to Java and brought back a few things from the Market....like these peaches.

 I asked the kids if they wanted to pick onions and they all said YES!

 First the wagon had to be cleaned out, so the boys carried over a full watering can...very heavy!

 Everyone of our 4 grandkids got into it!

 Grampa gave instructions and they all did their part.

 What do you think of those big honkin onions?

 When they got them over to the farm wagon they each had a job.

 Sorting, cleaning, putting them in groups of 5, hanging them on the wagon....

 I missed a shot of Daniela manuvering about 10 cucumbers in her shirt...

 Then Coop and I went over to grab some green peppers.

 Somehow these flowers over by the indoor have survived the heat and drought.  Tough posies.

We all sat around the kitchen table for awhile before I had to drive Steph and Joe to the Buffalo Airport.

 Saying goodbye is especially hard for Steph.  The kids were pretty good about it.

 Finn and Coop just love "Big Joe."

 So we shuffled off to Buffalo...

 Not a bad ride...what a difference 12 or 14 degrees made.

Meanwhile back at the ranch, it was finally cool enough to consider riding.  Jen and the girls got Berlin ready (she's a mare by the way) and also groomed Masterpiece.

Ariana and Daniela have been wanting to ride since they got here.

Belle could not figure out where the other horses were, and was running around looking for them.

 Berlin was an absolute doll (although she did canter with Ariana when she was not supposed to).

 I went into the house to get Finn and Coop a drink and could not find Phoebe.  She was not inside or outside...I looked in the barns, studio, closets...everywhere, and was getting very upset and worried.  While the boys rode (did not get one photo) the girls and I looked for her.

 We called and called and called...no Phoebe.  At last, Daniela discovered her behind the couch in the kitchen.  She must have fallen off her pillow and did not have enough room to get out.  Did she whine or bark or move when I called her?  NO!  How long was she back there?  Nobody knows.

How could you get mad at this sweet face?  What a relief.

Jen took all the kids to her house.  I did chores.

 At last, we had a normal dinner.  A big salad...red leaf lettuce, apple, craisins, chicken, onions and crumbly blue.  And that's V-8 juice with lemon.  A healthy meal.

I've taken a shower, the house has cooled down....and a movie is in my future.

Night all.