Kimberly A. Cook

Military Romance Author

August

Seasons of the Heart

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A Double Delight rose for Dolly.

Is it still August?

Seems to me this month has been longer than usual. I know they call it the dog days of summer, but I think that just means dogs and people need to nap. A lot.

While on a small shopping spree at Dollar Tree last week, I saw the staff move out the school supplies. I turned and came face to nose with a wall of pumpkin and red truck harvest signs. Then I escaped around the corner and ended up in a fully stocked aisle of Christmas decorations.

No wonder I have no idea what month it is. They say when you’re retired, every day is Saturday. Okay. That was always cleaning day when I grew up. But retailers don’t make it easy to figure out the actual month either.

Given the fact both allergy and wildfire seasons came way too early to Oregon this year, shouldn’t I be carving a pumpkin by now? But nope, more to go.

A huge thank you to the incredible firefighters, pilots, cooks, support crew, mechanics, and law enforcement personnel taking care of the more than 13,000 firefighters on the line in Oregon and Washington, plus across the west and Canada. It’s been another very bad fire season.

And not to be forgotten, hugs and support to the people of Hawaii who seem to be getting ALL the rain. We could help out by using it here on the mainland to put out flames, but Mother Nature is not cooperating with any of us right now.

Which brings me back to August.

This is a transition month from the end of summer to the start of school and then into fall and winter. I tend to get a little melancholy this time of year. Most of it is the allergies wearing me down and the heat and wildfire smoke, but part is the change of seasons.

Then I jerk myself back into perspective and remain grateful that I am not on the fire lines – those folks have to be in amazing physical shape and brave – or bobbing around on an aircraft carrier off the coast of Iran. A salute to all of the above. It helps me realize how good I have it.

Then I remember it’s almost pumpkin everything time!

Which gives me an excuse to stay inside and read books, craft, write, and drink gallons of hot cocoa. Even though I pound down hot chocolate all year long. I don’t need an excuse to do all those things in the summer, but it is cozier in the fall and winter.

Yesterday I checked on the Akawa Butte Fire close to my favorite town of Sisters and it is ninety-nine percent contained. Then a turkey photo popped up. Given my recent book, Tactical Turkeys, imagine my surprise to see the wild turkeys forging back into the burned area to start over. So proud of those feathered fowl. They are tactical.

I’d put myself on a media diet this week to improve my August mental health. But when I checked an online order last night, I saw the news about Dolly Parton. WHAT? NO…

I loved that lady. Before going into a tailspin, I asked myself, “What would Dolly do?”

I purchased her Dream More ebook to find out. After reading the first two pages, it helped. Dolly is a legend who has left a hole in our collective universe. We were so blessed to have her in our lives. And being a smart cookie, she planned her legacy to live on after her. Epic.

While I process her passing, I will strive to embrace the four principles in her book that guide her Dollywood Foundation for the Imagination Library:

“Dream more. Learn more. Care more. Be more.”

How about that for a mission statement for all of us?

I can’t wait to read the rest of her book. She left us instructions.

Because I’ve got my own writing projects kicking my butt all over my office and I need to get back to the fight.

Dolly would.

And the wild turkeys are way ahead of me, leading the charge.

Dolly Strong everybody.

September is almost here.

Turkeys on the march into burned over ground in the Akawa Butte Fire. The caption “Birds, such as turkey, quail, and woodpeckers, are the first to return to a fire area, often as vegetation is still smoldering.” Photo taken 8-2-2026 Image credit to the Central Oregon District of the Oregon Department of Forestry, Prineville, Oregon.

August Summer Daze?

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by Kimberly A. Cook                      (Twitter@  WarriorTales)

August has gotten away from me. Between a record heart wave with à la mode forest fire smoke for 11 days, a house guest, roofers, a plugged up garbage disposal and a two-day writer’s conference, time marched on.

Today is our first half day of clean air and more humane temperatures. Yeah! For awhile there breathing was optional and not recommended. Thank heaven for air conditioning and forest fire fighters! And marine air from the Pacific Ocean.

So before it became harmful for everyone to be outside in August, including our Oregon Zoo residents, here is how they were enjoying the summer days.

Have a safe weekend and Happy Quirky Friday!

Is It Still August?

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by Kimberly A. Cook          (Twitter@  WarriorTales)

Have you ever diapered a heat pump? My aging heat pump/air conditioning unit decided to die on Friday. At about 101 degrees outside. I knew this because the house got warm and there was water/fluid leaking from the furnace. The unit had been limping the last two hot weekends, but in the full August heat wave it decided to officially croak.

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Spec Ops Cat was not amused about the demise of the cranky AC unit. It truly was the dog days of August for him. He coped by not moving. Period.

 

This was not my first rodeo with this piece of equipment. Over the years my “unit” has done such fun things as ice up and sound like a Huey helicopter landing in my bedroom and pee through my kitchen ceiling into the silverware holder in the sink.

I’ve hooked up a gravity drain using aquarium tubing and a bucket to catch water from the heat pump that would have impressed NASA.

One winter weekend the drain pipe froze so I had to switch to emergency heat for two days, which caused my electric bill to surpass the national debt.

Since the unit had been limping along, luckily I’d made an appointment with heat pump fix-it guy for Friday morning. He showed up and gave me one last possibility to cure the aging unit’s peeing problems. Most folks had a 75 percent success rate with the fix.

“You’ll know right away,” he assured me. Yup. Saturday morning the diaper (towel) was wet. My unit was a 25 percenter. Heat pump guy told me to “shut it down” if that happened, because I didn’t need to be breathing chemical laden air. Sigh.

This all happened because the “unit” overhead me talking about replacing it. I’m positive. Its lasted longer than most of the ones in my complex, but its been a challenging relationship.

After the first two leaking through the kitchen ceiling episodes, the HVAC wizards were sure they’d fixed it. I had the ceiling repaired and repainted.

The “unit” then decided to freeze the drain line again and once again water poured from my kitchen ceiling. So I left the three foot long opening the width of drywall seam tape, complete with the fancy sagging of the textured ceiling plaster.

Entertained the idea of using white duct tape to cover the gap, but most visitors don’t notice it since no one looks up. It’s my own personal art installation.

So now I have appointments with the ductless guys and the electric furnace guys. We shall see who wins my favor. I long for the days of working air conditioning, cozy heat and a fixed kitchen ceiling and no heat pump diapers.

A girl can dream can’t she?

P.S. In the grand scheme of things it’s no big deal. My heart goes out to the people in Louisiana who would love to have just a leak in their ceiling. Let’s hope for a much better September for all those deserving folks.

 

Are You A Lawn Swinger?

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by Kimberly A. Cook                      (Twitter  @ WarriorTales)

Saturday was a big day in my backyard. Finally the official set up and use of the lawn swing happened. Friends used their mechanical skills to fix part of the seat the Sunday before, so all systems were go for launch.

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One of my happiest places on this planet. Got a lawn swing?

 

This was a big deal for several reasons, first being the weather was so stupid hot and wet last summer the lawn swing never made it out of the garage. The tragedy of it all. Second, this vintage lawn swing is a family heirloom and brings back so many memories. It’s built like a tank and keeps on swinging.

Third, there is nothing like taking a summer afternoon swing snooze or a morning reading nap while moving back and forth and hearing the clink of the metal bounce against the frame. A calming, quiet, soothing ritual of time passing in slow waves instead of maniac moments.

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Juliet is back in town! That girl has got to keep herself together. 

 

Other reasons to celebrate included Juliet getting herself glued together for the second time after falling apart again. Gave her a black duct tape belt this time too. Gnomeo was quite happy to see her back in the neighborhood.

Then The Fairy rose showed off some late blooms in the early morning light in the garden. Pink, roses and clusters all in one rose bush, be still my heart. Aptly named since the Fairy Rock Garden is still under construction in the vicinity.

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This is the only rose in my yard with the guts and grit to grow in the clay soil instead of in a big pot. This Fairy Rose is hard core. Plus pretty in pink.   

 

August is a time to enjoy the lazy days of summer, take a snooze on a lawn swing and slow down and sip the lemonade.

Enjoy August!

 

Time To Play In The Mud!

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by Kimberly A. Cook                    (Twitter@ WarriorTales)

They may say these final hot August summer days belong to the dogs, but I think elephants know how to party too! At the Oregon Zoo baby Lily and her brother Sam are having a great time playing in the mud. What better way to cool off then making really big mud pie splashes!

Some of my favorite memories are playing with Match Box cars in the neighbor’s backyard, creating an entire road system for my yellow convertible and travel trailer to use. Dirt and a little mud and I was in hog heaven. Actually, those play days helped me get through the mud of Army basic training.

What is your favorite mud memory? Happy Quirky Friday!

Enjoying The Dog Days Of August?

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by Kimberly A. Cook           (Twitter@ WarriorTales)

Here it is Friday once again and summer is quickly moving along. Take the time to enjoy these precious days of good weather and frolic. Take a lesson from these happy Hungarian pooches who know how to enjoy a day at the beach.

Happy Quirky Friday!