Today we are supposed to hit 107 degrees and 110 tomorrow.  I have been out several times to make sure the animals have cool water and shade.  The turkeys really seem to dislike the heat.  They pant and run around and then collapse in a pile.  They have shade inside and outside but it is still difficult to escape the relentless heat.  I sprayed the alpacas with the hose.  They love that and will stand for as long as I squirt them.  The goats, on the other hand, hate to be sprayed and will run away and hide.  

I got some creative work done today and hung some red and white lanterns on the patio for the Fourth of July.  I hope to find some blue lanterns or stars or ribbons or something to hang between the lantern strings.

The baby swallows were out of the nest and flying around this morning.  Several of them landed on the wire that connects the lanterns.  I can tell that they are the young ones because their breast feathers are a lighter color than the adults.  They are pretty much the same size as the adults and I cannot tell them apart in the sky.  There must be about a dozen swallows darting about this morning.  There were three hummingbirds too.  They took off when I hung my asparagus fern out near the feeders.  They will be back this evening.  

Grandkids and moms will be coming over to swim this afternoon.  I'm looking forward to a dip myself.  I started a new diet this week.  I also started my morning walks again.  The diet is a "smoothie" diet.  I get to make a special smoothie for breakfast and then another one for lunch, and eat a normal dinner.  I am supposed to be able to lose 20 pounds in two weeks!  We shall see.  So far I have lost 2 pounds in two days instead of a pound a week.  I like the smoothies but I have difficulty not eating between lunch and dinner.  I blew it yesterday by eating some of the grandkids snack cheese crackers.  I couldn't resist.  My downfall is not sweets, you see.  It is salty snacks. So far today I have been good.  It is because I did some sewing and I drank the smoothies over a period of time while I worked.  Maybe if I go swimming, feed the animals and make dinner, I will be able to refrain from eating until dinner today.  Then, I have to be careful not to overeat at dinner too.  The diet does say to eat a "normal" dinner.  I blew that yesterday too.  Oh well, we do the best we can, don't we!