We are always fascinated by the different types of plants and trees they have here.  This is a Memosa tree.  I hope I spelled that right.  It has a delicate blossom of pink or coral color with tiny strands trailing out from the center.  We haven't seen many and didn't know what they were.  The blossoms in the picture aren't as showy and nice as usual.  It has turned very hot and dry here and even the trees are struggling for moisture.  By the time we took this picture the blossoms on all the memosa trees we could find were past their prime.

This is our front lawn.  A week ago when we moved in, it was lush and green and freshly mowed.  Most of the last week we have had temperatures over 100.  One day it was 108 degrees.  We haven't had rain for several weeks and it is very dry.   Normally we have a lot of humidity but lately it has been around 25% which is more like Idaho humidity.  The country side that has been so lush and green is drying up. All of the lawns are turning brown.  Even the trees in the heavily wooded areas are showing some moisture stress.  The locals tell us that temperatures this high are not normal this time of year.  The crops are slowly being damaged as the corn is really stressed for moisture and some of the soybeans are wilting.  Everyone is worried about fires over the July Fourth holiday because large fireworks are legal here.

This corn has not been moisture stressed because it was planted early and is in a low area of better moisture.  We are actually standing on the edge of the lawn where our other district senior couple stay.  I took it to show how far along the corn is here.  This is field corn but there is lots of sweet corn here and we have been eating fresh corn this week.  We also have fresh tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers and squash.  We enjoy buying fresh vegetables from the Amish people because they pick them fresh each day and sell them at little stands along the road.

Our interesting road sign of the week.  We were trying to find a road to a member's house that someone had taken us to after dark and ended up in this new area.  Notice how dry the lawn is in the background and the stunted corn in the field behind.

I hope you can read this and enjoy.  It was in an e-mail and I took a picture of it.  I guess I'm a bit technically challenged but didn't easily know another way to post it.  We are in hillbilly country and people enjoy reminding us of that.  We have a meal appointment this week and the good sister told me she planned to cook up a mess of possum.  She broke out giggling when she saw the look on my face.

We love working with the elders and enjoy taking care of them and feeding them.  Elder Sorenson is the shorter elder and told us this week he wrote home to his mother and said he had found another set of grandparents on his mission.  We just hope there are senior couples that will love our grandsons where they serve.
Elder and Sister Peterson  (Hillbilly grandparents to some fine young elders)