While Fred was working hard on that ash tree he took down, I was taking pictures. It was an absolutely lovely day today. There were some cloudy spots, but mostly breezy and sunny - slightly cool so it was not too bad if you had to do manual labor - like splitting wood. He did get some moral support from Woody, who hung around only a little while and then disappeared into the underbrush - on a hunting trip, I presume. He's a smart cat and knows to stay well away from flying wood chips and chunks. He does like to be with Fred, though.

I found this last rose of summer out by our memorial bench. When I looked this rose bush this spring I thought it had winter killed, and forgot about it. The grass and other flowers grew up around it and since I don't have anything else there that needs much care, the only way I realized it was there was that it was such a vivid color against the green background. Fred's mom gave it to me many years ago. She loved roses and grew some beauties. She gave them lots of special care and always had a profusion of blossoms.

I have wild pink roses that do very nicely - no attention needed for them - and I've always tried to prune this one and mulch it for the winter like Ila did hers, so perhaps that's what's kept it alive all these years. I was happy to see it blooming and will give it some proper attention this fall.

I meandered about the yard planning what will need to be done this fall before snow flies, but then had to get back to work on a new pile of documents that need to be scanned for the Cabot Historical Society. Some of these go back to 1790's when there were hardly any settlers here and Cabot was first being organized. Some of the old papers are really hard to read because an "s" in the middle of a word was penned more like an "f" and I automatically read it as an "f" which reminds me of a silly routine Victor Borge used to do about punctuation . . . and I smile.

Hot weather coming tomorrow, but the nights will remain reasonably cool so it should be a good stretch of end-of-summer-vacation weather. I feel sorry for those kids and teachers who will have to be in classrooms next week, though!