Sunday...

Never made any breakfast today. Just started working. Deep cleaned the bathroom (took almost three hours!) Put the beef roast in the crock pot around 9:00 AM. Layered carrots, cut on the bias, chunks of peeled russet potatoes (they seem to hold up better in slow cooking), an onion, quartered, the beef chuck roast, with Montreal Steak Seasoning pressed in on all sides, sliced Portobello mushrooms and a handful of thyme sprigs (also added water and a splash of Worcestershire sauce).

When it was a bit warmer, got the trimmer and headed back next door. This time I got it all done. Jake was right! All the grape vines and raspberry bushes were just traps for the Farmer Jack garbage. Cleaned all vegetation out from front to back. (Will still need to pick up all the trash, but my back was hurting from all the weedwacking). See the photos for the mess I have to deal with!

Came in, took a shower (was literally covered with dirt and grass) and changed clothes. Just after that, Jake and Carla came in, returning from their weekend in Bay City (and returning my car!)

They told me tales of their adventures, including their day trip on the Appledore IV, an 85 foot topsail schooner (I stole the picture of it from the website, so my Mom could see it). Sounded like they had a LOT of fun and good food! Jake rigged the TV so I could see the pictures on his camera - nice!

We exchanged presents. I gave Jake his birthday present - a short branding iron with the initials JEG on the end, for branding steaks, etc., after he grills them (or, as he pointed out, he could also brand Carla or Scruffy. Neither Carla nor Scruffy were amused). They gave me my Father's Day present, an iron birdbath, with a little fairy sitting on the edge. She's got one foot out of the water, and a little bird is perched on it. Put it in a temporary spot (have to give the final resting spot some serious thought) and took a picture to post.

I invited them for dinner and they accepted. All I had to do was make some biscuits, and then serve the roast beef, carrots, potatoes, onions and mushrooms. I made the left over pan juice into gravy. Not bad... not bad at all!

Jake insisted on cleaning up, so Carla and I visited in the living room. When he was done, they left. I turned on the NASCAR race and laid down to give my back a rest. After the race, went back outside with a trash bag and my trusty stick-with-a-nail-in-it and started picking up the next door trash. Was nowhere near being done when the bag was filled, and my back was screaming in protest, so quit for the night. Came in to update this, and call it good.

Nice weekend!