Where Sunscreen Meets Spooky

 We happened to be shopping around Cracker Barrell last week, and would you believe they had Summerween things? This was even before The 4th Of July!! We were greeted with this.

This looked like a giant skeleton soldier. It must have been four feet tall.

But I did like this hand soap. It was sparkly and pretty.

A Halloween tree!

This was one of those dish towels you hang on the stove handle. It was tempting because we love cats.

These were two cute little shelf sitters.

Large bowl made from skulls

A large witches' house.

It's not easy to see, but this was a spooky ferris wheel!

This was actually pretty. it was a glitter globe that looked like a house. Pretty and sparkly glitter inside.

Yes, I did buy one thing. These cute little salt & pepper shakers. They are tiny, maybe only two inches high.

“July nights with October dreams.”

The Best Of The Rest

 Due to lots of storms, we had to watch all the fireworks shows on T.V. We should do ours later this week. So as usual, I am showing my favorites from the T.V.

“The world needed more fireworks- especially now that there was going to be a shortage of beautiful, useless things.”

- Scott Westerfeld.

Red, White, & Honk

 The Big Cat was dressed up for the 4th, but I think not as fancy as the cow was.

A couple geese in the neighborhood started feeling left out, so they decided to dress up, too.

I always like to post our granddaughter's first time with sparklers. Can you see how scared she was? She is 20 years old now!

“All dressed up and ready to honk at destiny.”

4th Of July 2026

 Happy 4th of July from the Big Cow in Virginia! I'm looking forward to seeing what you all have been up to this weekend. The Big Cow is ready to party! So are his friends, who will be on my next posts.

We will not be setting off fireworks this weekend because of this. Hopefully we can get together next week.

“A-Moo‑rica the beautiful, right here in the pasture.”

Glad All Over

 Our neighbor's Gladiolus are in full bloom. His entire yard is full of them!

Though they are very stunning, I have never liked them. This is because they are the #1 flower you see at funerals. So they remind me of death. Is there a flower you dislike for some reason?

“Gladiolus flowers are often associated with strength and courage, hence the name ‘sword lily.” Gladius is from the Latin word sword.”

Cheesy

 We made another visit to the locally Mennonite owned cheese shop, which is kind of like an old general store with a deli. The usual carriage was out front. Minus the horse.

O.K. maybe not eternity, but lots of good and unusual food.

They had this pretty 4th Of July wreath in front.

Look, birdseed shaped like crosses!

And cute birdhouses made from birdseed! 

The usual horrible dried pig's ears. The poor pigs!

Jewelry beads made from candy

Candy in miniature gas pumps. I don't understand this at all.

And lots of bee pollen!

"Bee pollen: the bees’ glitter."

Celebration In The City

 Here are some of the houses and decor for the 4th I am seeing around town.

I asked this squirrel to pose for me in front of a patriotic background. 

The houses

A patriotic mailbox

Spooky patriotic vehicle

The houses look like they’re waiting for fireworks to begin.