The Centipede.

 The Centipede.

 

Patty’s littlest dog got her out of bed with one of those “ALERT” barks night before last. So, Patty got up to see what was wrong. Roxie had found a huge centipede—you know, the ones that bite. But Patty was barefooted and a paint can was nearby, so she banged the paint can down on it. The feelers were on one side of the can and the backend was on the other side. She felt it could not get out from under that can, so she went back to bed—only to get up three or four times during the night to be sure the feelers and butt end were still where they were before she went back to bed. Not much sleeping went on in her house that night. She planned all Sunday how she was going to remove that thing and put it in the trash to be hauled off. Then today she picked up the paint can and the thing wiggled! She promptly called me and asked me to come get rid of it for her. She had sprayed it enough to wet the flooring with bug spray, but you know how it is. Just ick!

 

Sterling is not doing all that well with this shingles mess. Talked to him about getting some help to get Jacqui to the horse-pital on Wednesday, but he is convinced he can handle it. Still wish he would call his youngest son or his friend George to get a bit of help that day. He just keeps on hurting. From what others have said, this stuff is totally miserable and lasts forever and a day. Cousin John says he still has the stuff after five years. They give kids shots for chicken pox nowadays. We just had to come down with the dadgummed things as kids. Nice little virus to carry around the rest of one’s life!

 

Sat out on the deck early this morning while it was still a bit cloudy and cool. Wonderful time of day for any time of year, but precious to those of us who have endured this horrible heat. The wind was enough to blow a body across the yard, but at least the blow torch was not lit. Anyway, the hens and chicks wanted to see what the old woman had in her lap. Gave them a few of my Italian green beans and a few bites of broccoli stems. They will eat anything on a spoon or off the deck. Sylvia was jealous and ate a couple of beans. Funny critters.

 

Gave Thompson a Benadryl today. Not sure if it has helped the itching that much, but at least he has been a little less actively scratching. Poor baby. Guess we are blessed not to have the spiders here that they have down at Jennifer’s place. Osiris, their big Husky, has a bad place on one leg that was swollen and oozing. The vet thinks it was a spider bite that made a cyst and burst. Now the dog is on antibiotics and antihistamine. See, we are not the only ones that have to deal with the bugs and wooly boogers!

 

Got a post card from Texas.gov today to tell me that it was possible to see what the local property tax rates were going to be IF the entity adopts its proposed tax rate. NOT that knowing will change even a tittle or dot of its amount that we have to pay out. My feeling is that the idea of transparency is just so much stuff that came out of the south end of a north bound male bovine capable of fertilizing an entire town full of cows! A lot of good it does us to object to tax rates! Our wonderful city does not bother to listen to even one idea suggested by the voters—to the extent that more votes are counted than were cast. Yup. Right there is your bona-fide package of shtuff!

 

No matter what folks think they remember and how much history we dig out of the past, people always think that the government means to do well by those of us who are just taxpayers. The only—definitely ONLY government that is meant to be just and fair is the government of God. Ten laws broken down into two commandments: love God before all else, love your neighbor as yourself. ALL things belong to God.

 

Rest well, my friends. You are loved.