Weather Watchers.

 Weather Watchers.

 

Ok, the weather forecast says that we might have all kinds of good, cold, wet stuff by Wednesday afternoon. As long as the winds don’t blow us away, that might not matter all that much. Right now, the wind is only blowing at 13 mph. Jennifer said that it was really rocking the big rigs on her way here this morning. And it seemed to her that they were all empty rock haulers with their tailgates flapping in the wind! Scary!

 

Sylvia and Thompson gave Jennifer their usual greeting: licks, jumps, more licks, vocalizations, and lots of snuffing her all over! They were making themselves acquainted with her dogs by proxy. One of her dogs had to go to the vet today. And, of course, it was Luna who gets carsick! Reece did not complain about it, so maybe the windows being down made a difference. Now if Reece can remember to give her the meds, maybe she will feel better soon.

 

We are having some animal crackers for a snack. Sylvia really likes animal crackers. Thompson could care less about animal cookies, but he is rather fond of a FEW kinds of cheese. Who knows why a dog would be picky about cheese?

 

Since the temps are not supposed to get over freezing tomorrow, the hens are going to have to stay in the coop. They have a head of cabbage hanging in the middle coop, so they may need another head in the morning. It would probably freeze, come to think of it. Bleah. Winter is hard! At least we have had some rain and may get some more. Water is totally necessary to this old world.

 

Jennifer bought a plant at Kroger the other day and did not know if it was toxic or not. Well, guess what. Now the plant has to go sit on her desk at work because the cats could die if they nibble on it. Such is life and critters.

 

Something like plants can be so uplifting just to look at, but they can also cause some problems. Lewis and some plants just did not get along. We went to Six Flags Over Texas one summer and had to deal with what felt like an acre of lantana and his allergies without any meds. Now let me tell you, dear hearts, that was truly scary! That park was covered in plants!

 

On her way here this morning, Jennifer had to throw on her brakes and then speed up quickly. The tower to her computer fell over, so now she is in the office trying to see if it is going to boot up. Fingers crossed here.

 

Despite the wind and low temps, it is rather pretty outside. A stupid squirrel climbed the post in front of my window and chattered at me this morning. Those creatures definitely have an attitude! He didn’t exactly use his paws, but flipped his tail at me several times. His thoughts were clear enough to me. Nanny, nanny, boo boo! Hmmm.

 

Jennifer may or may not post tomorrow evening, but be patient. She has plenty to do to keep her busy around here. If nothing else, she will be trying to keep the house warm.

 

May you all rest well and appreciate all the many blessings that God has given us. You are loved.

Sunshine and Shadows.

 Sunshine and Shadows.

 

Did you know that a flame has no shadow? Just sitting here thinking about a quilt top that my great-grandmother made that was called Sunshine and Shadow and remembered reading that Jesus was the light, and like a flame, there is no shadow with Him. Yes, sunshine can cause shadows, but it has none of itself. Just interesting.

 

Our day has been somewhat like that—sunshine and then some shadows. The wind, naturally, is blowing enough to keep the sunshine from keeping us very warm, but such is life in Texas. The hens are pretty smart cookies; they huddle down in holes that they dig and stay with their ends to the wind. But right this red-hot moment, they are out in their favorite corner where they can be seen from the living room window. Athena and Rhody stand out as different from the Marans and Wyandottes. But they don’t even know that they are beautiful.

 

My phone rang a bit ago. My granddaughter called me just to talk. Love that to the moon! She and a young man are going to the Stock Yards this evening. She gets to wear her new boots. Not sure if she got the boots for the wedding she attended recently, but they will be perfect for downtown Ft. Worth. At the wedding, she had on the most beautiful dress—blue. She said that she doesn’t usually wear dresses, but she really likes that one. Just about every woman has a favorite dress. If the old woman ever bought another dress, it would be floor length.

 

The FedEx man came today as did the mailman with packages. Now a big box of lamb and rice dog food sits in the living room. Then Jennifer bought some neat pillow things to be used later. A bottle of dog treats, some monk sweetener, and a couple of jars of dog vitamins came in the other boxes. That should be the extent of FedEx deliveries for a while.

 

Stephen and son came last night to put the feed in the bins. Got to see the “new to him” car that was bought that day. Such a grin on a boy’s face. He was so very happy. Glad that his dad can teach him what he needs to know to take care of it. But Stephen also told me that the “bacon seeds” were not doing well. Not sure if that was the first batch of piglets for that sow or what, but sometimes the little ones just don’t do well. It always hurts to lose a critter.

 

Won’t have to let the water drip tonight, but this will be the last time it will be safe not to do so. Seems this next week is going to be colder than the whiskers on an Artic seal. Brrr. Good thing the trees have not been trying to bud out yet. REALLY want some fresh fruit this year. Need to find some kind of netting to put around my peach tree. Last year a squirrel ate two of the nicest peaches! Dadgum squirrels! Of all the fresh fruits available to us from the markets, nothing tastes nearly as good as what you pick off the trees in your own back yard!

 

Have not even had the computer on today after reading over some stuff on FB and my mail in AOL. Just not interested in seeing what idiocy is going on right now. Once in a while someone will come up with a good jab. Like that guy named Kennedy out of Louisiana. He is a bit like Will Rogers to my way of thinking. Enjoy hearing him handle words and phrases.

 

Did just now check the news. Seems Queen Elizabeth has Covid. Certainly hope that it does not take her out. Then on to the news—well, news if you want to call it that—that Russia seems to be putting their generals in line for an invasion of the Ukraine. God help us and those people. So very sad that this has come about.

 

We know the world needs our prayers. No justice, no mercy, no common sense. Let us ask our Father for healing of this world and its ills. We know that He will make things change, but sometimes it just seems such a long wait.

 

May you all rest well this night and find a reason to hope in awakening. You are loved.

False Spring?

 False Spring?

 

Sitting here not even wearing a long-sleeved shirt makes me think of spring. If we ignore the forecasts, we could just blithely go about our monkey business and play in the dirt to plant things. My father-in-law would have been out plowing his garden by now. And mother-in-law would be busy cleaning out the brooder house so that they could set up to raise a new crop of chicks. As much as baby chicks appeal to me, the idea of raising more chickens can just go by the wayside. Normally, hens don’t last that long. But mine are healthy and well fed, plus they have the protection they need from varmints and weather. Have lost small chicks in the past to rat snakes, and that still bothers me exceedingly, but just because the right kind of equipment now resides in the coops does not mean that growing more chickens is the best idea around. Sometimes think that a lamb or even a goat might be better than having a dozen or more chickens. Pretty sure the City of WF does not approve of sheep or goats in the city limits. Any larger animal would require year-round hay with our climate. Sigh.

 

The one thing to be dreaded about spring is the storms. Oh, we can have storms any time of the year, but the spring storms are nearly always some variations of tornado or cyclone. We sometimes have deadly downbursts of wind that can tear the roof off of big buildings, too. Sounds quite a bit like what has been happening in England and Ireland for the past couple of days. Really have to feel for them. They have lots of trees that kill folks and hamper travel either by road or by rail. Not so sure about how effectively our Amtrak trains travel in different areas of the U.S., but it does not seem we have as much disruption as they do. Of course, our country is humongous compared to either England or Ireland. Shucks, Texas is bigger than most of Europe! When a large tornado hit us back in ’79, it traveled through parts of Central North Texas to Oklahoma—miles and miles of storm. Don’t remember off hand how many miles it covered while on the ground, but just from Vernon to WF takes about an hour when driving. My guess is that is about 60 to 70 miles. Then it traveled north from WF through the rest of Texas to Oklahoma going east by northeast. When we were in high school, our science teacher told the sisters to take us all to the basement because the barometer was dropping drastically. Sure enough. The north part of WF got hit by a tornado! That was the first time the connection made sense to me.

 

It must be a really nice day for flying. Some of the smaller planes have been going overhead toward the southwest. Think a couple of ranches out that direction have their own landing fields. It’s actually pretty neat that Texas has little airstrips all over the place. But when there are so doggone many miles between places, it just makes sense to have more places to put down a small plane. Eventually folks will have those little private planes that look more like hover craft. When the price comes down to about the same amount as a good motor boat, we can start worrying about the traffic in the air.

 

Someone on this side of town must raise pigeons. The tall electric lines are completely covered with all colors of them this afternoon. Haven’t seen any hawks lately, so those creatures must have moved on to better hunting grounds. They don’t mind picking off a random pigeon, but my guess is that an entire flock might make it more difficult to focus on just one.

 

Jennifer called this morning and told me that she was going to have to drive a different car. Gary drove her car and messed it up somehow. Certainly hope the loaner has four-wheel drive. She also told me that she was having some things shipped here. By the time the next Chewy order gets here and a box of raspberry jam from Illinois—well, the bench out front may get a little loaded!

 

Trying right now not to think about situations that seem too desperate, but know that we all need to consider the lives of those in the Ukraine, those still terribly affected by Covid, those who are fighting orphan illnesses like Nate S. and Jacob the Lionhearted. Then there are the caretakers like Kathy’s husband Stilton Jarlsberg. Let us ask for peace and healing. Only God knows best what we really need.

 

Let us rest and be joyful. We know that we are loved.

 

Sunshine and Cackles!

 Sunshine and Cackles!

 

SUCH a beautiful day! Thompson has had to go out on the deck twice now to sympathize with the hens. They lay an egg and stand outside the coop to carry on about what they have done for the day! “Laid a biggun, Ladies!” And Thompson says, “Arroooorah, roooah!” But then he carries on like that for ambulances, too.

 

It's so pretty that the old woman had to walk down in the side lot and pick up a few pieces of trash that had blown into the corner near the house. Yes, it could stand to be raked and the sunflower stalks disposed of, but that probably won’t happen anytime in the near future. C’est la vie.

 

The frost was down on the pumpkin this morning, and the water bowl by the steps of the deck was frozen over—not solid to the bottom of the bowl, but definitely frozen. Since then that bowl has been rinsed out and fresh water put there and inside the first coop. It is supposed to freeze again tonight and then have two nights of non-freezing weather before all crud breaks loose! Snow and freezing rain are in the forecast for Tuesday night and Thursday. Will have to remember to post a note somewhere to remind Jenn to let the water drip in the sink and leave the doors to the cabinet open. Eventually we will see spring.

 

Read on the news that someone left a cargo ship loaded with expensive cars to burn. Wow! What a mess. Wonder what the fish, octopuses, and sharks will think of that “present.” Can’t imagine any of them honking the horns or blinking the lights. But who knows? Maybe a burnt VW would make a decent place for fish to swim. Or not—most likely not.

 

The Lincare van is coming up the road to take a bunch of bottles down to Patty’s place. Noticed yesterday that she only had about six bottles left. Reminded her that the weather is supposed to get icky again, so she ordered oxygen from Lincare and Dr Pepper from Walmart! Giggling to myself. The only two things we can’t do without around here: oxygen and Dr Pepper.

 

Wish everyone could enjoy the sight of these silly hens scratching around in the corner close to the fence. They are just SO industrious! They have that entire corner pretty well scratched up so the dirt is obvious. But they keep coming back to it, so something is attracting them.

 

Had an old sharp-pointed rake type thing banged through a head of cabbage, but the girls apparently did not want it like that. So, now it is hanging from a chain in the middle coop. We will see how that goes. If they have to stay in for a couple of days, it will get chewed up—pecked at, anyway.

 

Just can hardly wait for spring. Would love to have some nasturtiums planted and placed on the front porch along with a few geraniums along the walk. Probably won’t try to plant anything this year unless it is just a pot of something. The bluebonnets are coming up gangbusters, but only the bachelor buttons are giving them any competition. Now if the old woman would sit down there by the posts and pull some of that grass, the hens would love me forever—or at least until they got it all gobbled up.

 

Just made some chicken noodle soup that turned out pretty tasty. Took a container of chicken salad down to Patty yesterday. She liked it very well. She is a little like me in one respect: what someone else cooks is nearly always better. This soup was made with the broth from the breasts that made that salad. Love to use Mrs. Dash to flavor things like that. Just yummy!

 

Reading a series of books that are good but a little infuriating. Each one has another one in a series of the same kind. Found one so far that did not cost anything. Read five of the six available, but would not pay for the sixth one. Argh! Steve Higgs writes several different series with different characters. Sometimes the characters overlap into another series. That is actually a bit fun because it makes the characters even more believable.

 

Think we need to thank God for good health and ask Him to heal those who are in the care of doctors and idiots. Kathy Jarlsberg is being kept alive with blood donations since the chemo they continue to give her is never going to allow her body to heal by itself. Honestly think chemo is the most horrible way to try to “help” someone overcome cancer. Yes, some folks have been cured, but isn’t it just possible that they would have recovered without that stuff? Guess that is not one of my strong points. It just seems barbaric to make someone suffer the way she has. Then there is her husband and daughter. Father, help them!

 

May you all rest well and find something to make you smile. My cousin John sent me an entire email full of funny cartoons. That was neat and made me laugh. Wish those would transfer here, but that is pretty well beyond my capabilities. So, will just tell you what matters most: You are loved.

Chicken Salad.

 Chicken Salad.

 

Left three chicken breasts on slow cooking this morning while making a trip for my appointment. Came home to perfectly cooked chicken. Now it is chopped up and mixed with craisins, bread/ butter pickles, celery, and dressing. Plum yummy. Need to put labels on the containers in the fridge to say “chicken broth” on them. One of these days will come up with a good label that sticks where it is needed. Meanwhile, Patty said she likes chicken salad, so will take some to her in a bit.

 

Ordered groceries to be delivered from Market Street this morning. Had to go through the process three times before it was at the right store and for delivery rather than pickup. Duh. Honestly feel pretty dense at times. Just hoping nothing essential was left off the list.

 

We might not have received much rain last night, but we certainly got our share of wind! The dogs had to have their thunder shirts on to calm down a bit. Sylvia whimpered and whined a bit, but then she settled down and went to sleep. She was not sure she even wanted to get up this morning. Knew exactly how she felt!

 

The mailman brought the dogs their marrow bones. These are smaller than the last batch and may be a bit tougher. It took a couple of minutes for Thompson to conquer his. Their licking treats that go inside a plastic holder came yesterday. Thought maybe Jennifer might want to use them after she gets here to keep them busy. Sylvia can take one out of the holder in nothing flat!

 

Looks as if we might get some more snow next week. You won’t hear any cheers of delight from this quarter. Getting the hens inside and keeping them there is not a biggie, but they need something to keep them busy. Ordered three cabbages. It usually takes about a day for them to eat an entire head—depending on the size of the cabbage. Need to move a holder inside the first coop to keep it off the floor. Have a chain hanging from the rafters that will hold it up, but need to figure out how to put something all the way through it so they don’t get it dirty. Yes, that is probably the least of their concerns.

 

Ran out of craisins while making the chicken salad. Not sure just where to get a package that big again. Michelle Malay cleaned out one of her freezers and found them in there. They have been mighty tasty in several dishes. Think a “normal” package is about three ounces. This package was 48 ounces. She may have found them out at the Base.

 

Patty’s friend just drove by. Need to check and see if they got the little dogs taken to the vet’s office. Thought it was Patty’s car that left our road a bit ago. Yeppers! Toenails trimmed and puppy dogs back home to have their lunch!

 

Just went out to pick up eggs and found an old garden thing that might be driven through the cabbage head to hold it. My dogs are so silly. They went out into the workshop with me to look around. They always find something that “might” need to be moved and explored under. Not this time, kids! Not in the mood to try to move things around out there. So, they took a few treats instead after we came inside. Rewards for not doing any grumping!

 

Got a letter from some agency wanting to know if two of my former neighbors would be good foster parents. Yep, they definitely would. They are both good with children, and considering that some folks are pretty horrible with kids in the foster system, it was easy to recommend them. Just pray that God blesses both the children and the couple who are willing to help them.

 

Can actually see green down in the east lots. Woo whooo! Just wish that some of it could be that clover planted last year. Actually saw some growing along the fence last year, but it may have either been sprayed or cut too close to the ground. Sigh

 

As usual, this old woman is about as dumb as dirt, but will try to smile about anything just a wee bit funny. If you want to share a funny with us on this blog, please do. Most of us could certainly use a little laughter.

 

Please pray for those who have health problems and feel as if the problems are insurmountable. Each of us has been there at one time or another or can understand.

 

Rest and be easy. Winter won’t last forever. You are loved.

That CLEAN Smell!

 That CLEAN Smell!

 

My house smells good this afternoon. Maria did such a good job. She even polished my poor desk in the living room. She also cleaned off the couch where the dogs always camp out. Next time she won’t have to clean three of the rooms since the door to Hanan’s room is always closed. It’s just nice to know that if Lance or one of the boys come, it is ready to be used.

 

Talked to Michelle Malay today and found out that she is doing just fine. It always worries me if she does not answer. She has six large dogs out there. My two can easily trip me, but six! Can’t even imagine!

 

The nice FedEx man that has been delivering my packages said that Friday is his last day on this route. He will still be working out this direction, but not on my street. Chris is a very nice young man. He is a former Marine and veteran of the mess in the Middle East. We talked about the problems that so many veterans have. Not all the counseling in the world would ever heal the minds and spirits of some of those folks. Simply too much to consider how they had to react to the things around them when the Iraqi were blowing up babies in carriages!  Father in heaven, give those men and women peace and a sound mind.

 

Maria did all the work, but yours truly is so very tired this evening. Just have to remember to let the faucets drip tonight as it is supposed to freeze again. Such fun.

 

May just sit down and turn on the TV. Think it has been months since it was last turned on!

 

Sharon’s niece Kimberly is having some more health problems. They want to put a port in so that they won’t have to try to get a vein every time they do an infusion. Please pray for her. Veins tend to blow out after they have been destroyed by too many punctures. Poor little Jacob has the same problem, but the disease he has makes his skin so tough it is like trying to puncture a piece of leather. And he is having similar problems.

 

Let us pray for peace of mind and for a cloud of love to encompass our world. Each person matters to God, but not very many realize their worth to Him. Let us seek to show that love in any way possible.

 

Rest and be renewed in life. You are loved.

No Need to Knock!

 No Need to Knock!

 

Saw something on FB this morning that made me laugh. One of those doormats had a picture of a small dog like the ones Patty has looking out from under a blanket. The words: No Need to Knock! Yep! My big dogs are just as vociferous as her little dogs, but neither of us needs a doorbell as long as the dogs can hear an engine or a cat or a dog or any strange sound that makes them wonder about what might be going on outside. They announce the mail truck, the trash truck, the guy going by to deliver Patty’s meals or her packages. Then there are those days when the wind blows worse than normal. Something blows by on the street or down on the highway, and these two guardians think they have to sound the alarm! Certainly hope that this semi-drought does not progress any further. Tumbleweeds make interesting “monsters” that fly across the lake bed and stack up around the bottom of the hill. Get a bad enough wind and those monsters will stack up across the highway against the State Hospital fence!

 

Talked to Robin Christian just a bit ago and found out that Illinois is having a drought there about the same as here. They have had one fairly decent snow, but it won’t be enough to soak in and keep moisture down in the ground for their fields. It is so sad to see things die off for lack of water. Of course, have seen the reports about places in Africa where the animals are dying off and the people starving for lack of water or any way to produce food. The goats and cattle can’t wander far enough to find grazing. And the wild animals are just as bad off as the more domesticated stock. We all need to ask God to bless our earth with rain in due season. No matter what kind of things come out of the ocean to feed folks, we have to have enough of it produced or gathered to feed all the hungry people. Have read that kelp will feed livestock, but then, how does one get kelp from the ocean to the people in Ethiopia? How can we feed Texas cattle with enough seaweed to make it through a drought? Seems to me that only God can help us.

 

Did a little Southern engineering this morning. Had a beware of dog sign on the fence next to the end of Lakeview. The zip ties on the top of the sign were broken off. Went out to put more on the top of the sign and took the wrong size out there. Decided wire would last longer and work better. Now the sign is reattached firmly with wire. Meanwhile, it occurred to me that the zip ties would keep two of those little cubby things attached to each other for a nesting box in the middle coop. The hens raise up on their legs when they are getting ready to drop their egg, so they have been dislodging the top cubby. Turned it over so that the two open ends were together and the hens have more room to stand up. Took me long enough to figure this out! Duh. Some folks are just not into seeing things from a practical point of view. Guess who is one of them!

 

Took a test at the clinic yesterday and found out today that it was negative. Yay! Next week is the one where the nurse scrapes the bottom side of your brain through your nose for a covid sample. It is a horrible virus and would not want it in any way form or fashion, but that test has got to be improved! Horrors!

 

My dogs snore. Sylvia reminds me of Lewis. Deep, rumbling snores! She does not talk in her sleep, however. But she also wakes up at the least little sound if she is in the living room with me. She will give me an accusing stare if my noises are enough to make her think she needs to get up and go somewhere with me. Tried to spell the word “accusatory” and could not get Word to even consider my spelling. Oh well. The meaning is disapproving and that is how Sylvia feels about any extraneous noises made by yours truly. Oh well.

 

Offered Thompson a marrow bone snack and watched him make a mess. But he found it on my desk later and reached up to get it. He is funny. He really prefers getting his own snacks, thank you very much. But if he thinks that Sylvia might get it—well, Katie bar the door! He will get it first or run over me trying.

 

Just went out to prop the coop door open again. That wind is something else! Looked out to the east lot and noticed a SLIGHT green tinge to the grass. Maybe we will have some grass this year after all. Have been thinking that the stems on the apricot trees looked a bit thicker. Hope they get to make fruit this year. The frost nearly always got at least a couple of trees years ago.

 

Was able to hook up the water hose again this morning and put out water for the critters. We are supposed to get freezing temps again this week, so had to put the cover back on the faucet. Such is life. At least the dog water bowl is easy to fill and has nothing inside to be covered.

 

Made some banana pudding this morning and had planned to use the whisk attachment to the Braun tool that Jennifer bought for me. WHY the attachments are never where the old woman thinks they should be, who knows? Ended up using the mixer and whisk that daughter-in-law gave me. One of these days—nah, organization will never happen. It takes thought. Rolling eyes here.

 

My nephew Danny’s son Jacob has an incurable disease that is similar to RA and a bunch of other stuff that makes folks miserable. The insurance company was refusing to pay for the drugs he needed, but the company that makes the drug is letting them have it for something like $5 a month! That is such a blessing for them. Anyway, Jacob has a terrible time when they have to stick him for any kind of blood work. His veins are not good after all he has been through.

 

Then there is a lady named Karen S. whose son also has some incredibly rare diseases that prevent him from walking. Karen is older and should not be lifting, but her son fell and HAS to be lifted. Please pray for her, her son, and any answers that can be given to her for help. She really needs a full-time helper that the boy can learn to love. Only God can give answers to situations like these for Jacob and Karen.

 

Rest and enjoy whatever life has that makes you smile. You are loved.