{"id":97511,"date":"2026-06-30T07:15:20","date_gmt":"2026-06-30T14:15:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lilesnet.com\/dailydiary\/?p=97511"},"modified":"2026-07-01T07:26:03","modified_gmt":"2026-07-01T14:26:03","slug":"its-almost-july-and-its-overcast-and-cool","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/lilesnet.com\/dailydiary\/?p=97511","title":{"rendered":"It’s Almost July And It’s Overcast And Cool???"},"content":{"rendered":"
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I always wondered how she kept her coffee warm!<\/p><\/div>\n

Our collective carcasses became operational a little before 6:00 am, which is deeply suspicious behavior for retired people.\u00a0 We’ll be sending our internal timers to the shop for immediate repair.\u00a0 Retired and awake at 6:00 am?\u00a0 What is this nonsense??<\/p>\n

Before cleaning up and pretending to be presentable for the day, I made a few modifications to the dripline.\u00a0 Since we moved six stalks of corn to the patio, the planter needed some additional irrigation\u2014although, given the circumstances, “irritation” may also be accurate.<\/p>\n

While Mary trimmed, I wrestled with the drip system until everything was properly balanced and no plant could accuse us of favoritism.\u00a0 We worked until about 10:00 am., at which point it was time to stop looking like garden gremlins and get ready to go.<\/p>\n

Before going inside, I checked the berry patch!<\/p>\n

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The berries are ripening faster than we can eat them!<\/p><\/div>\n

Here’s some blackberry trivia:<\/p>\n

\u2022 Blackberries are not true berries botanically\u2014they’re aggregate fruits, made of many tiny drupelets.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Each little bump on a blackberry is called a drupelet, and each contains a seed.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Blackberries are related to roses, apples, raspberries, and strawberries.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Wild blackberry bushes are often called brambles.<\/p>\n

\u2022 A blackberry plant’s thorny canes can create nearly impenetrable thickets.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Blackberries have been eaten for thousands of years and were used in folk medicine for sore throats and digestive issues.<\/p>\n

\u2022 They are rich in vitamin C, vitamin K, fiber, and antioxidants.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Blackberries turn from green to red to deep purple-black as they ripen.<\/p>\n

\u2022 In folklore, it was sometimes considered unlucky to pick blackberries after a certain autumn date because they were said to be “spoiled” by the devil.<\/p>\n

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We go out morning and night to do our picking.<\/p><\/div>\n

I had to stop picking and eating because we had errands to do!<\/p>\n

First, we are off to see the vampire!\u00a0 Yes, I needed another blood test for a doctor’s appointment next week.\u00a0 \u00a0I like visiting my\u00a0phlebotomy technician sometimes known as Elvira!<\/span><\/p>\n

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Be gentle, dear!\u00a0 Because Doc Cote is watching!!<\/p><\/div>\n

After the bloodletting, we went to Benjie’s for lunch since it was right up the street!!\u00a0 Benjie’s was as expected, wonderful.\u00a0 I was a good boy and decided NOT to have my normal root beer float since I have gone over my sweet 190 pounds.<\/p>\n

Leaving Benjie’s, we went to Staples to get a 2027 calendar because some of our upcoming events are not in 2027.<\/p>\n

Next stop was Home Depot, where we picked up some patio hanging baskets and extra potting soil!<\/p>\n

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The Silver Fox became a pickup truck again!<\/p><\/div>\n

Home again, home again, home again, all!\u00a0 \u00a0Since we are having a party on Saturday, we did some decorating, and I spent an hour separating about 1,000 “diamonds” that were accidentally mixed up yesterday.<\/p>\n

Mary decided to decorate me in the process!<\/p>\n

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While Mary decorated for the 4th, I sorted through 1,000 “diamonds” that had gotten mixed up.<\/p><\/div>\n

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We sat in the kitchen so a) Mary would have a chair that supports sitting up, b) a place where the lighting would not make one go blind, and c) a hard surface to hold the tools and supplies, making it handy!\u00a0 Oh, I forgot, a place to see the latest episode of “The Last Ship”!<\/p>\n

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Hard at work in the kitchen.<\/p><\/div>\n

Diamond painting is a relaxing craft where you place thousands of tiny, faceted resin “diamonds” (drills) onto a pre-coded, adhesive canvas.\u00a0 It combines the principles of cross-stitch and paint-by-numbers to create vibrant, shimmering mosaic-style artwork.<\/p>\n

How It Works:<\/p>\n