August 1st~ New Month

 August is the slow, gentle month that stretches 
out the longest across the span of a year...

As the sun sets in July, we welcome August with open 

arms, knowing that even brighter days lie ahead.

 

I don't know what the month holds, but many people I care 

for have birthdays in August.  To all of you a happy birthday

 from now. No matter what life dishes out, always remember 

to do something nice for yourself.  Just a little something.

Yesterday I found myself doing exactly what I told 

myself I won’t do. I know the “schedule” of Oliver, the

 black and white kitty.  At least that’s what I told myself.

 So by 6:15am I don’t do my usual stuff, instead I wait for 

Oliver to show up so that I can go and feed him. By 7:30

 no Oliver.  I did breathe sigh of relief when closer to

 8am both Oliver and Charlie showed up for foodies.

For the next few days we will be having what 

Arvid refers to as perfect weather. Gone (for now) 

is that scorching heat. Instead we have beautiful 

weather and we plan to make the most of it.

To all a very good day/new month.  Yesterday Arvid and 

I went for a walk around the neighborhood, it's been a long

 time since we have done so. Was just a  too hot.  Even

 though my knee hurts, I know I need to do some exercise.  

It hurt, but it also felt good.  Nature was in full bloom.

August is the border between summer and autumn.

Breathe in gratitude, breathe out negativity

 that’s the essence of a happy life...

~Nadiya~

Thursday July 31st~

 A world where animals are no longer harmed nor 

mistreated.  What a beautiful world that would be...

Yesterday morning I saw our neighbor across from us. 

The man who has the dog and who we believe takes

 care of the grey kitty. I'm not one to miss such a prime 

opportunity.  I knew I had to ask him a few questions.

To be on the sure side, I went out when I saw him

 walking his dog, who by the way is named Jackson. 

 I said good morning and right away I asked him what’s

 the story with the grey and black and white kitty.

  He said he has taken in the grey one and that

 the black and white was abandoned by its owners 

when they got evicted 😢. The abandoned kitty 

(black and white) is named Oliver. 

Our neighbor, Dave also feeds Oliver, but as long

 as we are here I will also make sure I feed Oliver. 

Dave said he may also just end up taking Oliver in.  I 

hope so because he is very loving and friendly. 

 I have also left them a bowl with water that

 I refill/clean everyday.  This is why I love animals

 more than I do  some people.  To abandon your fur 

baby in the wild that is unforgivable.  Now I will 

be even more on the lookout for Oliver 🙏

My Sniff is my happy place and I know that he knows

 that I will always protect him. After Brutus I did not think

 I would care/love another kitty so much  I was so wrong.  

I have enough love for Brutus, Shadow, Sniff, my California

 kitties, my Puerto Rico kitties, and all the kitties that have come 

across in my life. They all hold a special place in my heart.

No pet ever abandoned its owner because

 it was old or sick. Your humanity died

 the moment you abandoned me...

~Nadiya~

Wednesday July 30th~

Make this day your best yet by focusing 

on the good in every moment...

 The birdies are so close, but yet it feels so far away.  

They are still not staying very long on the deck, 

but they do sit right out of reach where we can

 still see them.  Very frustrating for Sniff.

The other day Arvid and I just had to get out for a bit.  

What better place to go to than Andy's Frozen Custard.  

I don't know about you, but after having Andy's Frozen

 Custard I would choose it any day over ice-cream.  

What is the difference between ice cream and custard?

The primary difference between ice cream and frozen custard 

lies in the presence of egg yolks and the production process.

 Frozen custard must contain at least 1.4% egg yolk solids,

 while ice cream typically contains less. Custard also tends 

to be churned slower, resulting creamier texture. It was hot,

 so Arvid and I ate our frozen custard in the car with AC.

Lately since we have been indoors so much, we have 

been watching way to much TV in between of everything else. 

 Even Sniff watches with us.  The thing is whoever gets up

 from their seat, it gets "stolen" by Sniff.  Last night it was

 my spot that was taken.  Ne never moves after that.

To all a very good day.  While I wait for my wildlife friends,

  I will enjoy the sunrise and a piece of heaven from Norway.  

Once you've had this chocolate, you will never eat any other.

Halfway to the weekend! Keep pushing forward...

~Nadiya~

Tuesday July 29th~

You know your life has changed when... going 

to the grocery store by yourself is a vacation...

 We spent all day in yesterday.  I did have to go to 

the grocery story, but it was so hot that I just was not in 

the mood to venture out.  Unfortunately I will have to go

 today.  Usually I like going to the grocery store, but in this

 heat I don't.  I know I can have it delivered, but I just like to

 go and choose my own fruit, vegetables, meat and such.

Yesterday Daisy and a few little birdies came for foodies. 

 I am so happy to see Daisy.  It means that Fatboy is not far

 away.  They came but did not stay too long.  It's a start.

I am now feeding 2 cats.  The grey one and the black 

and white.  I do believe they both have homes or at least

 are cared for.  They both have collars, and like I have said

 before, the grey one is allowed into the neighbors home.

If you are in Branson and looking to do

 something fun check out the Pink Jeep Tours.

Pink Jeep Adventure Tours, Branson

Morning is here already.  I am still waiting patiently

 for my knee to heal, but I honestly have come to

 the conclusion that it will not get any better 😭

The morning is here, let your soul expand.  

I get up every morning, and it’s going to be a 

great day. You never know when it’s going to 

be over so I refuse to have a bad day...

~Nadiya~

Monday July 28th~

Every morning starts a new page in

 your story. Make it a great one today..

The last Monday in July.  Though it has been a hot

 month, it was not necessarily a bad month, but we are

 all looking forward to a little milder days ahead.

Sniff and I continue to wait for the birds to show up.  

The are getting closer and closer every day, but still

 not there as yet.  Every day we hope it's the day.  This

 morning once again the black and white kitty showed up.

 I had another opportunity to give him some foodies.

As the new week begins, both Arvid and I now 

have a cold.  So far I do not have it very bad as yet, 

and in all honesty neither did/does Arvid.   I know 

it won't stop me from doing what I have to do.

We had a good outing yesterday.  We dined indoors,

 but we still had a lake view.  The food was good,

 but best was getting out a little.  We have mostly 

been indoors because of the heat we are having.

Wishing everyone a great week ahead.  May 

it be a productive and good one.  If you're ever in

 Branson, there are quite a few things to check out.

Say hello to Monday and a brand new

 week filled with endless possibilities...

~Nadiya~

Sunday July 27th~

Have a seat, standing there watching 

everyone else work all day must be exhausting...

Usually when Arvid gets the flu it goes on for 

about 10-12 days.  Somehow this time I believe

 he’s already on the mend. Hope so because when a 

man is sick it seems as if everything is on hold.

July is coming to an end. Not soon enough. 

So far it’s been an extremely HOT 🥵 month. Not 

only in Branson, but also in Florida.  We “enjoyed” this 

heat it in both places.  It seems that no matter where you 

are, you cannot escape this summer's heat.  That being 

said, I am loving the sunrises here in Branson.

Yesterday a few little birdies/sparrows showed up. 

Sniff was all over them like a hawk.  I know they 

should soon be coming back. I miss my Fatboy 

and my Daisy.  Hope they come back soon.

Maybe the heat is also keeping them away?

Usually on Sundays we go out, but it all depends

 today on how Arvid feels.  I mean one still has to eat.

  Arvid likes it best when I cook at home. So do I, but

 I also enjoy a meal out. Especially because I don’t

 have to cook and clean 😊for hours on end.

It’s been a month already since my mom’s 

open heart surgery. She says she’s doing great. 

Healing fast and is already back doing things

 she shouldn’t be doing as yet.  As Arvid

 would say, “she just can’t sit still.”

To all a very good day.  Our forecast is

 predicting some "milder" days next week.

  Of course if that's the case we will not miss

 the opportunity to enjoy the outdoors.

Today is one of those days that 

even my coffee needs coffee...

~Nadiya~

Saturday July 26th~

Slow down and enjoy life. It's not only the scenery 

you miss by going too fast - you also miss the

 sense of where you are going and why...

 Not much happened yesterday.  Finally a few birdies 

showed up.  They ate some foodies and took off.  Sniff of

 course was asleep so he missed the entire thirty seconds

 of their shenanigans 😂.  His patience wore off.  Maybe

 today we see some more. We sure miss them. Waiting

 is not easy.  Just look at how exhausted Sniff is.

Friday was quiet for us.  Did a few necessary chores, 

but other than that we stayed home.  Arvid is getting 

a cold/flu.  All I can say is that I am so happy he does

 not have to go through all I go through.  Men do

 not bear "illnesses" well.  That's all I will say.

Branson is very busy right now.  Summer is it's peak

 season.  Mainly June to August when school is off.

That goes on until December 31st.  After that 

it is quiet once again until February. 

Yesterday was a slow day, so I will do a little background

 on Branson.  I still don't understand the attraction, but everyone 

else does.  For the entertainment industry and the hospitality

 industry, Branson is a gold mine in it's peak season.

We spent a quiet day at home.  We watched a couple 

of movies and Sniff and I keep waiting for the birdies

 to come back.  Two showed up yesterday, ate a little but 

took off really fast.  As the sun was setting I saw a black

 and white kitty in the distance.  Never seen before. 

 I woke up this morning and he was sitting at

 the doorstep of the building right across from us. 

 Of course took off with foodies for him/her. 

 So far it's a good morning, but will be better if 

the birdies show up.  Sniff and I continue to wait.

Each new day has a different

 shape to it. You just roll with it...

~Nadiya~

Friday July 25th~

There's a reason we don't see

 the world in black and white...

 It is always good to wake up to a little group chat

 with our mom.  Yesterday she was feeling good so she

 decided to take a little walk outdoors.  Lucky us, because

 she sent us some beautiful pictures of their backyard in full 

bloom. NC as in Granite Falls is a little piece of heaven.

This is their backyard.  Vibrant colors everywhere.

We all need a place that is safe and wholesome 

enough for us to return for refuge.  For us it is our

 parents' home in Granite Falls, North Carolina.

Every morning while having breakfast we're on the

 lookout of the gray kitty.  He's super friendly and prances 

around with his buddy, another neighbors dog.  The neighbor

 opened his door to take doggie out for a walk and who runs

 out of the apartment?  None other than the grey kitty.

The Tesla Cybertruck has generated a lot of buzz, 

with reactions ranging from admiration for its unique

 design and capabilities to criticism for its aesthetics and 

practicality. Some find it a futuristic and innovative 

vehicle, while others see it as a impractical and ugly. 

 I find it interesting.  What do you think about it?

Yesterday we tried Applebees.  For some reason Arvid was

 very curious to try one of their appetizer combos.  Which 

he did.  He was so looking forward to it, but he sure didn't

 eat much of it.  When in doubt, I always have the salad. 

 I did, but the chicken tenders were overly battered and 

greasy.  Aside from that, the salad was not so bad.

It's Friday and it is staring on ou a bit milder note.  Has

 been this way the last few days.  Deceiving but nice.

Our bird feeder is out.  All we need is for the birds

 to show up.  Could it be the heat that is keeping them

 away.  Sniff and I keep hoping today will be the day.

Patience is not simply the ability to wait,

it's how we behave while we're waiting...

~Nadiya~

Thursday July 24th~

Your emotions are like weather

 patterns: they come and they go...

Back home in Florida, it is not such good weather either.  

This picture was taken close to where we have the house.  

Accompanied by lightning.  July so far is turning out to

 not be such a good month for Florida nor Branson.

Also yesterday Arvid installed the hook for me to hang 

the bird feeder.  I have not hung the bird feeder as yet 

because I have not seen any birds so far.  Sniff and I keep 

a constant watch.  Hopefully soon they will be back.

We have not really done much in the last few days

 we've been here, just what needed to be done.  Way too 

hot to go anywhere.  Arvid does run around meeting 

people.  I stay in with Sniff most of the time.

The temperature hit a high of 100F 38C, you really

 don't want to know what it was with the heat index.  

As evening came it "cooled" down to a nice 99F.  

This morning Sniff and I woke up to 68 cool 

degrees.  The warmup is coming, but for now Sniff

 and I love it.  Arvid still asleep, by the time he's

 awake it will be much warmer.  Thursday, 

hopefully I will not be cooking today.  `

Nothing lifts the spirit like a splash of sunlight...

~Nadiya~