CLOUDS!!!! and FOG!!! now if they would only drop some of their moisture!!! I dont ever remember going this long without rain. Yeah when I was stationed in Fallon, Nevada (shudder) we went awhile with no rain, but then we would get gully washers, and I do mean gully washers. It was amazing to me to see rain that hard, gather that fast and flood everything so completely. I was in Wally-World one bright sunny day, and heard thunder. then it sounded like B-B's hitting the metal roof. I paid for my purchase and went outside...WHOA!! It was raining so hard you couldn't see across the parking lot. All the desert people were standing in the doorway not moving, waitinf for the rain to subside. Pshaw say I, it's only water, Im used to it, Im from Washington state, land of the perpetual mossy yard. I find my car, but I and my purchase were soaked to the skin. I drive slowly through the now accumulating water on the parking lot and find my way back to US 50 and headed West. HA!!!! I nervously laughed while driving because I could not see ANYTHING!!! I knew that I should be getting close to my turn, but who knew? You couldnt stop, someone would hit you, you couldnt pull over, you might fall into a canal, so you had to keep on keeping on. I will say that was probably the dumbest thing I had done in awhile. I did find my turn, and prayed that there was nothing coming and headed across traffic and across the Carson RIver to my own road. Once off the hiway, it was better, but the "MIGHTY" Carson River which was usually only 10 feet wide and 1/2 " deep was actually a raging river!!! Since I only lived 1/2 mile from the river I was hoping that the old timers were right, it would not flood where I was. It didn't. But I have not seen rain like that Ever, nor Since. But I would love to see some like that right now, right here. We are so dry, I will wake up and smell woodsmoke and PRAY that it is some weirdo who thinks they are cold and have a fire in their fireplace instead of some teenager camping in the woods. If a fire got started here right now, It would go forever!!! I guess what I have been trying to say is WE NEED RAIN ! And LOTS of it, and a long lots of it. Now all of you remind me in January that I actually said this. Because once it does start again, it prolly wont stop until next summer. And I will un doubtedly Bitch about it. I have a very short memory.

Oh GOODY!!! The jets are flying again. No TV for me tonite! I dont mind them as long as I know they are going to fly. I will just go to bed and read. It is when I settle in to watch something and they start that I get upset. So I will sit there with my remote in hand, volume UP.............VOLUME down. THey are a necessary part of living and working on a Navy Base though. Actually I live just over the trees from the field. They line up on my house, bounce on the roof, over the trees and then practice their landing and take offs.

I need to get my big fat arse up off this chair and go do something useful like find quotes from caterers for the fundraiser at the Playhouse. catch ya all later...have a nice one, and pray for rain!!!

I now have TWO Lola's at the feeder. (Lola is a Douglas Squirrel, sex unknown) Lola was there yesterday, and I got a really good look at her. Yep It's a her. She has 6 little pink titties on her tummy all bursting with milk. She sat there for an hour chomping on sunflower seeds, and looking very glad to be away from her babies for a while. I know that there are at least 4 different ones, as I have seen them all at once either screaming on the fence at the ones on the feeder, or screaming on the ground at the ones on the fence, or growling on the feeder at the ones on the ground and the fence. OH and there is Sal! Big Cahunas, definately NOT a Lola. So now I am still wondering if they will be bringing their babies to the feeder, or if they will be really smart, and kick their little asses out the door to fend for themselves.

Rehersal tonight went really well. THe woman playing Aunt Abby is a cold fish though. She looks right through me, and does things her way. Oh well. The rest of the cast listens to me, and I get along with them all, so maybe she is just shy. (read that BITCH) shame on me. I still have to get the light cues programed in before Thursday night. THe Press from all over is invited to attend, so we gotta look reasonably professional.

Came home tonite and Most Darling Daughter Donna had brought me a steak!!! I have been craving a really good rib steak, but the price of Beef right now is AWFUL, So I don't buy it. But She did!!! :-) good girl. Steak at midnight...yum.

I have tried cutting down on my Caffeine intake. I tried only one cup of coffe. Nah, that didn't work, so I bought Decaf...why even bother. SO I mixed the decaf with the regular and it is just right. Still gives me the caffeine rush I need every morning, But not enough to make my heart race, or my blood sugar jump so high. So I can tell the Dr that I have cut my caffeine consumption in half and not be lying!! cool huh?

Have not heard from Errant Son in awhile. He must be doing ok. No calls to come visit him in jail, no requests for money. Wow, do you suppose he actually has his act together? NAH..............not Tim...

Well I have tried everyway possible, and I still can't get a picture to appear here. Gotta learn more. back to the help file....

Which VW Are You?

by Auto Glass America

Whoo-hoo!! I'm A VW Rabbit Truck!! yep, that's me alright!!! Actually used to drive a VW Rabbit. Deisel powered, Got 49 MPG. Unfortunately I also had a 16 yr old Son who just got his license. Went through 3 clutches, an engine and a transmission in less than a year. "It wasn't me Mom!" Yeah right, how come that car worked FINE until the day you started driving it alone? Could it be the speed shifting? could it be the speeding? The hot-rodding? NUH-UH!!! I really loved that car. It was bright Red and was the first brand new car I bought in my own name. (after husband) only problem was it had absolutely NO guts! couldn't merge very fast on the Interstate, had to give yourself lots of room, chug, chug, chug, but then it got up to speed and ran like the wind until the first hill, then chug, chug, chug. I did a LOT of right lane driving!! Washington has lots of hills, and mountains. hardly any flat land. When that glacier melted, it dumped lots of rocks in piles. Then Nature took over, and covered it all with trees.

gotta run...be back soon!!!

I just spent a nice 45 minutes snuggling with Bea Bunny. She and I sat at the window seat and watched the birds while I combed out her long fur. She has become a much calmer bunny since her "surgery". She has discovered dried bamama chips. oh MAN!! I walk towards her cage in the evening and she is on her back feet sniffing at the top of the cage wanting her 'nana chips. She is so cute. I give her "bunny Bon-Bons" about once a week. I will go out to deadhead my roses and bring in the blossoms that are spent. SHE LOVES THEM!! I was wanting a tooth-purr today, but alas, she was not willing to give one. Spose I better go get ready for rehersal... I have to tape the commercial for the Playhouse tonight. UGH...

I just read Brenda's blogand I can really relate. She laid down to take a nap, and woke up 3 hrs later. I Have all the time in the world, and I feel so very guilty when I do take a nap that extends longer than an hour. Why? I'm 57 years old, raised a family, worked my butt off for the Navy Exchange for 37 years, earned an adequate retirement, and I feel guilty when I want to sleep? Whats up with that? I'm sitting here right now so damn tired, at 330 in the afternoon, wanting to take a nap, but I haven't done ANYTHING today, so I think if I do I will be a lazy slob. I have no energy, I can't breathe very well, I really want to take a weekend or a few days and go someplace and just sleep. With no guilt, and no interuptions. Of course the masseur that looks like Sam Elliott or Harrison Ford would be allowed to interupt my sleep. ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh...

I have GOT to learn how to make this blog pretty. Put in Pictures, list my favorite blogs, etc. Add a spot for comments so I can know if there really IS any one out there reading this.

Leslie aka CRITTERCHICKread me on Friday, 'cause she mentioned me. WHOO-HOO!!Thanks Les!! If there IS anyone out there, who would like to clue me in on how to add comments to this feel free!!! dreamer@galaxynet.com is my email. I am sorta computer literate, but not really, so keep it simple. I like step by step instructions. My daughter the Bio-chemist spouts "read the manual MOM!" I gotta be Shown how to do something, and then I can do it. I wasn't born with a computer chip in my back side like she was. Hey, since I am retired now, and not entirely BROKE, (YET,) Maybe I should take a web design class at Skagit Valley College!

(Egads, I just reread the past few blogs, and found all the typos that I missed when I posted! I have got to edit before I publish and post huh? )

I am watching the TODAY show, and they are showing fashions for full figured women. They all look really sharp. Now why am I afraid to dress like that? I am sooooooo inhibited!! My Daughter isn't! She wears what she likes, and looks good. I don't always like her taste, but she always looks good.

We got the cast selected for OVER THE RIVER AND THROUGH THE WOODS last night, so one more thing down and off my plate, ARSENIC AND OLD LACE opens Friday Sept 5, then I can devote time to OTRATTW, and get the Fundraiser over with. Next season, I am gonna stick to just two shows a season.

I can not get my brain wrapped around any one thing this morning. I have a lot to blog about, but can not focus. I shall return...maybe...yeah.

I can NOT believe that I fell back to sleep this morning and slept until 130!! Then I got up really tired and just vegged all day. Didnt even get out of my nitegown until 600!!

I put up 41 pints of peaches yesterday, so today I wiped off the outside of all the jars, and made pretty labels for them, labeled them all, and stood back and admired the work I did.

The forests all around us are tinder dry, and brush fires are starting everywhere. It wouldnt take much for the whole island to just erupt into Flames. The Sheriff has posted a total Burn Ban. No camp fires in campgrounds, no burning brush, no burning of any kind. Meanwhile I have a huge pile of brush that I need to get rid of. After trimming the Wisteria, I piled it all up and was waiting for the rain to hit, so I could burn it...not now!! Guess I'll have to take it to the dump. I wonder if they charge for yard waste? They compost it all, so they should be paying ME!! huh!

I dreamt about two of the cutest kittens you ever saw last night. I do not need any more cats, I have 4 already, but these kittens were so real!! and so beautiful!!! Kittens are my most favorite thing in the whole wide world!! I love them from the time they are born and still wet from amniotic fluid, until they are 6 months old. By then they are teenagers, and Lord knows what they are like!!! shudder!!!

Whoo!! Gas is 2.01 a gallon in town!!! Aren't we glad we fought a war to keep oil prices and gas prices DOWN!!!?? phhffftttt...

I got the Iris transplanted yesterday, and weeded the rest of the garden. Felt good to get dirty again. I still need to get the back end of the deck area planted though.

I bought 25 pounds of peaches yesterday, and 4 cases of jars. I called Bob and he will be over this afternoon to help me peel and can the peaches. I might try some spiced peaches this year too. I just LOVE to can. It makes you feel so self-sufficient!! I like sitting back after everything is done, and looking at all you have put up, to eat the rest of the year! Must be the pioneer in me.

Rehersal last night went really really well. We still need to cut some time off the length of the run though. Of course it might help if all of the cast members could be there all at the same time. We have never had a full cast . The flu or some bug has been making it's way through everybody one at a time. At least it will be before the show starts! Last show I did, which was RUMORS, we took on of the players out by ambulance just minutes before curtain! That was a real challenge!!! We made it though and the audience was absolutely WONDERFUL about the stand in and the use of the script!!

This coming up weekend will be very full. Friday I have to be there for setting the light cues, and Sat and Sun is painting the set for "Arsenic...." and then Auditions for Over The River And Through The Woods. Whew!! Arsenic opens Sept 5th and then I can devote my time to OTRATTW. Once that gets running, then I get to spend my time and energy solely on GODSPELL> I am so worried that I won't do something right. ARRGH

Well I hope I didn't ruin the Wisteria. My neighbor is getting tired of it trying to take over his gutters, and I agree that it has grown out of hand. It is a real mess this time of the year. Winter it is a great spot for the chickadees to eat their sunflower seeds; Spring it is just gorgeous with its grape cluster like flowers, and oh the aroma!!! and then the leaves come out and it is a fabulous spot for the squirrels and the birds to play hide and seek in. But Fall? A ROYAL PAIN. THe vines are really trying to take over the world. they have to be cut back. So This weekend, I went out armed with my lopers and gloves and started chopping away. The roots have spread out just under the grass and starting to grow way out in the middle of the yard. The real challenge here was finding out which root it was, and cut it at the source. Whoo what a mess. I just decided to go under and cut off all roots that looked like they were heading North, East or West and see what happens. I might just end up with the very small original plant. I doubt it. It has been growing for 10 years, and I don't think anything would kill it. Guess We'll see come next spring.

My Zuccini plants have taken off like a rocket!! I was very concerned that the rabbits had killed all hopes of zuccini this year. I planted 8 plants, and now I think I may have over done it. I have quite a few baby zukes growing. Zuccini bread this fall!!! yeay!!!

Today I had planned on transplanting the Iris corms that I got from the farmer down the road. He had big tubs of corms sitting on the side of the orad signed FREE, so I grabbed a ton of them. So I need to get them in the ground before they die. I think I will put them at the end of the deck, to cover the ugly underside. I know they will take over the yard if I am not careful, but that would just be less lawn to mow.

I went ahead and picked all the peaches off the tree, as they were ripe on one side and rock hard on the other. Last year they rotted on the green side before they ever got ripe. We tasted one of them and they were good, so I picked the tree, and hope that they will ripen on the counter. I made jam out of the ripe ones , and it is really good!!

Albertson's has tree ripe peaches on sale for 1.00 a pound, I think I will go get some and can them. I love peaches. In all my spare time, I can do this. I think I will recruit Bob to help. Hmmm what a good idea...

My Life is getting really complicated! It must be, as I have not had time to blog (read this as not having time to Think about what I want to blog) That coupled with feeling like SHIT all week and rehersals to attend. ARRGGHHH. I have over extented myself. (IM JUST A GIRL WHO CANT SAY NO) I love being involved with the theater, what I dont like is the distance I have to drive to get there. 20 miles in, 20 miles out, and traffic.

It is summer and every damn tourist in the state feels like they have missed Washington if they dont drive their big Motorhomes up Whidbey Island. It took me, I'm NOT joking!, 15 minutes to get on the highway Friday. Ferry traffic was coming from the south, and they were all trailers or motorhomes all doing about 40MPH. Once I found a break in the traffic, I too headed North, at 40 MPH with no where to pass,( as if it would do me any good to pass anyway) and wanting to very badly.

Yesterday I decided I would go the back way into town, and pick up the highway at the stop light. That at least releived me of the frustration of having to wait 15 minutes for traffic to clear. It only took me 5. Then I was right behind the traffic doing 40 MPH that had already been on the highway. GRRRRR I hate Summer!!! For those of you who dont understand....Speed limit is 55 MPH in most places. Lots of curves, no passing zones. Whidbey has become the short cut from Seattle to Victoria BC. zip up I-5 to Mukilteo, drive on the ferry, meander up State Routes 525 and 20 over Deception Pass. and then another island and another ferry and you're in Canada.

I have a great crop of Peaches ready to be picked. Unfortunately I cant reach them. Ladder is too short, tree is too tall. I pickad all the ones I could reach, and plan on putting up a batch of Peach preserves this afternoon. They smell soooo good. There is nothing that smells more like Summer than fresh peaches. I have a Peach Yankee Candle that smells just like that and it makes my mouth water when I light it.(Drool)

I am pet sitting. I now am responsible for three dogs, 4 cats a bunny and a fish. I live in a zoo!! The dogs are being really good though. They for the most part are staying outside. Even Donnas big Wuss Bandit. He usually sits under my window and whines. He is sleeping in the sun on the deck today. Last night was fun though. 3 cats and two dogs ON my bed, 1 dog right where I would step on him when I get up to pee in the middle of the night. Which I did three times. Dog didnt learn...Dont know where cat # 4 spent the night. Bea-Bunny slept in her cage. I didnt sleep...

We walked the Coupeville Arts and Crafts Festival Yesterday. I remember when it first started some 30 odd years ago. It was a side bar to the Sportsman Clubs' salmon Bar B Q. The Indians would come and build their alder fires in the city park, and the sportsmen would catch the fish for the indians to cook. They stuck alder sticks through the fillets, and stuck them in the ground around the big fire. When they had smoked and cured properly then we all ate until we popped!! THEN we walked through the 20 or so booths that were set up. Rules were you had to sell only HANDMADE by YOU items. Well the salmon Bar BQ is long gone, the Sportsmen are no longer involved, the artsy craftsy people have take over the town. Literally!! they close down the roads and spread the 250 or so booths up and down the streets. Anything is sold there now. Mostly handcrafted, but not by the sellers. There was a lot of yard art whimsy, but it was all very expensive. The only thing I bought was a coffee cup made of pottery, and a small bar of lemon grass soap. Was rather disappointed. Maybe it was because I had seen it all many times before. Nothing new.

Half of the cast was out sick today so we only ran through act 1 once. Those that were there were perfect!. This was the first time off book with prompt, and they had it nailed!!! I was so proud of them all. We will see who all shows up tomorrow. Let's get the illness out of the way now, we dont want to have to replace the cast like we did with RUMORS!

The Jets are flying again tonite. Must be getting ready for another Squadron to go overseas. Liberia is heating up, but I heard that we were starting to beef up the Sea of Japan, to see what North Korea is up to. Dear Lord, Why must it always be US? We couldn't get it right in Iraq, even though we did get rid of Hussein, We still have yooung men dying over there. Why dont we hear about the Iraqui casualties? Now that we are there I think we need to kick ass and get it right. I was dead set against us going, But now that we are there, we really need to do it right this time...

Well I am Broke NOW!! I took the car in for it's 60000 mile check up, this is where they replace the timing belt. 767.00!!!! I almost shit a brick. I knew it was gonna be spendy, but the last time I had a timing belt changed they had to replace the whole engine and it only cost me 700 for the whole thing!! Shudder!!! Well the car is better than new now they said. LORDY I should think so. Bob came and picked me up at the Mazda dealer, and we drove to Fir Island to get some fruit. Only got blueberries, the rest was really spendy. I had to kill time until 5:00 PM so we just putzed around. Saw some really neat old farms. We took only least used roads, and shared them with tractors. Going only 15-30 MPH, and followed the dikes of the Skagit river.

Came back to the Island and killed time sitting in parks, trying not to spend money. A really nice day, bought me lunch, and talked a lot. Got my car back and headed home. Friday is my night for Bob, but I guess since he spent so much time with me today, he thought that was enough. He headed back to his house and said See ya tomorrow. Ah Well, now I can take my bra off and scratch.....AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH Guys just haven't got a CLUE! :-)

I woke up with an unGODLY migraine headache!! (are there any OTHER kinds of Migraines besides headaches?) went back to sleep with my head buried under my pillow and woke up at 1230 when the playhouse called wondering where I was for my 1200 meeting. Shit. I had to re schedule. I am still in pain. Didnt take my insulin or my pills untill 200 really late, so I need to cut back on my evening dosage. I am gaining weight, 25 ponds since I retired! NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I need a treadmill. I will not get out in the early mornig to walk, I know me, but I would walk here in the house while I watched the TODAY Show, or did email (Laptop). I guess I should put myself back in debt and go look at SEARS and get a really good Proform. Donna would use it too.

I bought a scale, I HATE IT!! I hate myself! I hate my clothes, I need a new body. I need to feel good again. Physically and Mentally.

Errant Son emailed me today, He had a fully loaded AK-47 pointed at him at work the other night. I heard the call on the scanner, but NEVER assumed it was my son!!! Lord keep him safe. I hope he has cleaned up his lifestyle. Really sounds like it huh? (groan)

I have to direct Act III tonite, so I hope my head is better by then. WOrking on THE DOCK BRIEF for September's Fundraiser, Blocking OVER THE RIVER AND THROUGH THE WOODS and getting ready for Auditions mid August, then I will be Directing Act I of that, and then I will be full time working on Auditions, and rehersals for GODSPELL, my very first Director position. GOd, I will Never be as good as Rusty is, I watch her and wonder why I am even here. It just comes naturally to her. But then Ill be she couldnt set a plan-o-gram or set a section of Health and Beauty aids either. Bet it's more fun Directing...

I'm losing it!!! I got up early, made the coffee and sat down to watch Katie Matt Ann and Al, about 845, It hit me OHMIGOD it's TRASH day!!! I jumped up got dressed, had the can dragged all the way to the street, momentarily giving Donna bad thoughts because she didn/t remember it either. (She will call on her way to work, when she passes garbage on the street, and tell me MOM I forgot about the trash. Then I get it out.) I straightened up and grabbed my back and looked down the street and noticed there were NO OTHER cans out. Hmmmm Says I, this is WEDNESDAY is it not? duh.......NO!!!!!! so I drug the can back to the garage, and prayed that no one saw the Weird old lady down the street.

The weather has cooled dramatically!!! The fog is doing it's August thing, and forming over the water at night, then creeping over the land mass just before dawn, then waiting for the sun to rise high enough to either burn it off or move it back over the ocean to wait until night fall again. IT really cools things down. We have had no rain at all for over a month, and the evergreens are starting to become everbrown. nobody's grass is green, it is all brown or dead. It has been a good year for blackberries though. They are in early. I already have 4 big bags of them in the freezer waiting for time to process them.

"Lola" has had babies, or i think she has, her little tummy has titties on it, that are plainly visible, I wish she would bring them over to the feeder so I can see what baby squirrels look like.

Gotta run....

What a fruitful day!! I got out and split a big bag of kindling, been trying to get that done for almost 4 months. Just did it!!! Then I picked a big bunch of red plums off of Lea's plum tree. (yes I did ask first) So once the wood was split and the plums picked I moved inside and made a batch of blueberry jam. then 2 batches of plum jam, baked a blackberry cobbler and poached a Salmon for dinner. I am WOMAN hear me ROAR!!! I am waiting for the tomatoes and pears and apples to come in. Then I will can tomatoes, and pears, and make more applesauce for Donna!!! She loves my applesauce, so it shall be!

Getting Bea fixed did not do much for her disposition. At least not yet. She nibbled on me some this morning, and bit Donna on her boob. Still a bitchy bunny!!! Maybe I oughta show her a recipe for rabbit fricasee? Bet she'd improve then...

I was wool gathering on my way to work Friday morning. I drove without seeing, paying attention to the road, but not seeing what was around me. Half way to Oak Harbor, I woke up, and realized what I was doing. That was sooooo unlike me. I am usually the one who notices the deer standing in the fields, the coyotes hiding in the corn, The birds, The level of the lakes etc. Once I realized that I was ignoring that around me, I again started looking. Every thing is soooo dry this month. Absolutely no rain in July. IN WASHINGTON!!! Dry!!! Anyway, I looked out across Hastie lake and noticed that the fence posts that march right across the middle of the shallow lake were almost on high ground. THe lake is that low. On one of the posts half way across the lake I caught a glimpse of white, and looked again. It was a bald eagle just sitting there. Staring out across the Lake. How many other cars have driven by that location? How many other drivers were not looking at what they were passing? How many others missed the opportunity to say that they saw a bald eagle sitting on a post in the middle of a lake? Maybe the Bald Eagle isn't a threatened species. Maybe people just haven't seen them because they weren't looking?...hmmm

I was reading one of my favorite Blogs this morning, and Colin mentioned that he was relaxing by spiting a bucket of kindling. Reminded me that I have a living room closet full of dry cedar shingles, that have been sitting there waiting for a nice relaxing day to split them. That day just might be today...can't think of anything better!

I hate that the days are getting shorter and shorter. We live in a higher latitude than most of the US, and our days are very long in the summer. It gets light around 345 or 400 around Summer Solstice. It doesnt get totally dark until after 1030 PM. This allows me more bird watching time. I love watching the morning come alive. I love that I can get up make my coffe and enjoy the morning before everyone is up and running. I also love going to bed while the world winds down, and watching it get ever so slightly darker as the seconds roll by. Watching the animals bed down, The Hummingbirds running in for a late evening snake before bed. The Squirrels running up for the peanut that will allow them a midnight snack. and the Swainson's Thrush with his haunting melody telling everyone go to sleep.

I do however LOVE the Fall and Winter!! I do not do HEAT at all! I wait for storms to roll in, and the wind to howl. I LOVE IT!!! Unfortunately the days are really short in the winter. Light at 800, dark at 430! I would go to work in the dark, and get off in the dark, never seeing daylight except for the weekends. Hey!!! I can see it now....I'M RETIRED! :-)...

LIFE is getting in the way of my retirement!!!! I started to work very part time at the playhouse, just to relieve JAnis while she goes on vacation. But to get trained, It took all day every day last week. Then I had rehersals for Arsenic and Old Lace, We were blocking so it was important to be there.

I did not get to spend much time on my deck at all. Today I plan on spending some time on it!!

I looked carefully at my Zuchinni plants and I actually have a few really tiny baby ones that the damn rabbit missed on his munching way through my garden. I wish to hell I could find where he is getting in and plug it up. I thought I had all the holes under the fence pugged, but must have missed one.

I still have to finish painting my office. I have the front half finished, but never got around to the back half. The house can wait until winter though. The weather has been just too darn good to be stuck in the house remodeling. Still have not finished the transition strips on the wood floor, and still have to paint and finish the living room. Then it is into my bedroom then the bathrooms. I have come to the conclusion that remodeling is ALWAYS a work in progress. You are never done, as by the time you finish the whole place, you have changed your mind about the color, or the style, etc. Or in my case, you procrastinate so long that the first part NEEDS to be repainted. Or you run out of money. Something...

I took Miss Bea Bunny to the Vet yesterday and had her spayed. She is not a very happy house bunny right now. She justs sits there looking at me as if to say "You mean nasty Bitch! I Hate you for making me hurt like this, MY TUMMY IS NAKED AND HURTS!" I got up several times in the night, because I was so worried about her. She hadn't eaten or drank any thing, and no bunny poops either. I was so afraid she would just sit there and die. I laid on the floor in front of her cage and talked to her for almost an hour at 300 this morning. She finally munched on a few rose petals, and liked the water off my finger, so I felt confident that she would live at least until morning, so I went back to bed. This will make her a much friendlier and healthier bunny, or so I have read. She just cant get out and play with the cats until she is healed though. They were all four sitting in front of her cage staring at her this morning. THey were commisserating with her I know, telling her, "Yeah, she did that to all of us...she is a real masochist!" But Hey!!! They did it to me too!!! now all of us are un productive!! At least in a sexual way...

What a WEEK!! After being retired for 4 months, and doing nothing, I am back in the saddle again. I am training to relieve Janis once or twice a month in the box office. So I have to work for a week to get all of this training. then I should have my own life back again. We also held auditions for Arsenic and Old Lace, this week, chose the cast had the first read through, and gave a chamber of commerce skit of this seasons schedule. I work behind the scenes because I get stage fright really really bad. Well I had to get up and speak about my show GODSPELL, for 5 minutes. My heart was beating fast, I was hyperventilating, and thought I was gonna pass out. I made it though. There is a real reason I do not go on stage and perform. NOOOOOOOO!!

I sat this afternoon and watched a train of squirrels go back and forth from the feeder to their woods. I put a whole bunch of peanuts in the shell on the feeder, and they are scarfing them down like crazy, Storing them up for the winter I assume. All of the baby finches are out also, they can fly and they can feed, but as soon as an adult bird hits the feeder, they start begging and chirpping and fluttering their wings. It is so cute. They will all be gone soon.

I am really tired tonite, so I think I shall go read a book. At least start one, and I know I will fall asleep soon. G'nite!!

started training at the Playhouse today. Janis is wanting some time off at the end of the month, so I will train to take her place. Only be 1 0r 2 days a month, but that is all I want right now. I worked long and hard for 38 years, Now I want to enjoy NOT having to work for awhile. Might have to soon enough if my Medicine keeps going up in price. (Shudder) We cast the play Arsenic and Old Lace last night, and two of our recently picked cast members declined the roles we had given them. Ungrateful bores!! So we went back to the drawing board. Still have a cast. Start read throughs tomorrow, oughta be funny!

The new pilots are learning how to land on a carrier deck this week. THey wait until dark, which up this high in the latitudes is 10:00 PM and then they make their circles, round and round the area, landing briefly on the field and then take off again really fast. They call that "bouncing". It is very loud and annoying especially when you are trying to relax and get to sleep. They are needed though, and they are protecting me so I can sleep safely, so "QUIT YOUR BITCHING, MARY LOU!" The new ones are realy bad, because they keep hitting the "gas pedal"and making whomping noises over and over.

Well I made an appointment with the bunny doctor, to see Miss Bea on Friday. Then we shall see if she needs to be fixed. I think so, but the receptionist had never heard of that. Makes me wonder how many bunnies he sees. All I have read says that females NEED to be fixed or they will get ovarian cancer. I dont want that, and I really dont want more bunnies. But then I dont have but one female, so...duh...

It appears that we might be having June's weather in July! Usually June is very wet and unsettled. Thunderstorms, rain, rain and more rain. The strawberries have a tendancy to rot, the Little League Tournaments get rained out, over and over again. THis June was absolutely Gorgeous!! no rain, no thunderstorms, brown grass, and all of the tournaments went through just fine.

Here we are in Mid July, and it is cool, cloudy, dark, and about ready to get wet. Lord knows we need it. I would love to have it RAIN! Big bloppy, wet rain drops. A good soaking rain. The midwest and Southeast has been getting hit pretty hard, but we are as dry as a firecracker! The Madrona trees along Madrona Way are stressed and some are dying. They tolerate dryness pretty well, but this is far beyond a little dry. The past few years have had unusual dry patterns. I know, I know, I bitched about the gray and wet this spring, but with all the rain we had, we STILL were under our normal rainfall.

The cats are all perched on their own respective windowsills, soaking up the cool refreshing air, and wishing I was the type of MOM that would let them go outside. (too bad, too many nasty Coyotes out there that LOVE kitty for lunch!) My kitties are window kitties, and NEVER go outside. If by chance they do escape, by pushing a screen out in the middle of the night, they immediately run to my bedroom window and scream, until I wake up and let them back in. Boy do they purr then. "MOMMIE! You'll never guess what I saw out there! There are really scary things out there. Please fix my screen so I can sit in the window again." A slave to my animals. Yep, that's me. I mentioned to Chemystery that I spoiled my pets, she responded with a sarcastic, "Mom, you spoil every one around you!" harumph!! Well, that is my job!!

I still am wondering where the birds all went. I hear the doves in the trees, but dont see them en mass at the feeders. And my woodpeckers are all gone, presumably pecking at bugs in a dead tree. The Juncos are still here, but I doubt that they ever leave. I hear a Swainson's thrush in the woods. but he is so shy, I never get to see him. I do love his voice though.

I planted a mass of petunias around my vegetable garden. (or what WILL be my vegetable garden, once I get all my house projects done) and with the flowers came a bonus I never expected. BUTTERFLIES! Well, Guess I need to start cultivating butterfly flowers along with the hummingbird poseys. Although they seem to prefer the same ones. SCORE!!! :-)

First round of Auditions for ARSENIC AND OLD LACE was last night. For once, we actually had enough men try out that we should be able to select a great cast. Only one auditioned for Mortimer though, and He wasn't exactly what I had in mind. It is very hard though, because I keep seeing Cary Grant in that role,. and can't quit comparing the two. Another round tonite, and then selection, so maybe someone will show up and surprise us.

I have got to start working on GODSPELL also. Need to get the Staff congealed, and start advance planning for publicity. this is gonna be really a hard sell in this town. It is soooooo traditional, Dutch, Presbyterian, old school. A lot of the members refuse to have anything to do with this show. What a shame. It was created in the 70's by John-Michael Tebelak, after going to an Easter Service and coming away lost. He thought there had to be a better way to get the word of the Lord out. He appealed to his generation, (70's, hippies, flower children) and came away with a fabulous Show. Stephen Schwartz added some really great music, and away we go. Now there are more and more churches that realize that in order to survive, they need to change with the generations. Hopefully we will be able to appeal to those for our audience. Even if you are not a very religious person, It is a great show, and the music is addicting, I find myself singing songs from it all day long.

IT is almost 10:30 so I had better get my big behind up and busy, I now have to plan my day, as I have things to do other than being RETIRED! shoot. CHORES!!! Laundry!!! CATBOX!!!! :-(

Way back in March when I was blogging hard and heavy with the Iraq War, I was up all night, for fear that if I slept, something bad would happen. I was reading every war blog there was, on both sides of the fence, to try and form my own opinions on what was really going on. It was really getting to me. I was stressed out anyway because I was so newly retired from such a high stress job, and did not know how to let go and relax. I was looking at all the blogs I could find, bookmarking some that deserved another look and skimming over others that weren't worth the ether they were using. One such blog I wrote about in my archives as a calm in the storm. I decided that he was refreshing, no war, no politics to speak of, and he watched birds! I started following his blog, and was quite sad that it looked like he had just given it up, presumably to finish working on his house. Well He is back, and I am glad. I think you all would enjoy Colin's blog Journal in the Heartland He walks all over Scotland, and chronicles his journeys. Very interesting.

By the time I got to Bob's to pick him up tonite, he had taken a turn for the worse, and was not up to dinner. I left him there and came on back home. Chemystery was home, which surprised me, because she said she was going East of the Mountains to spend the weekend with her husband. TUrns out he was going to have to work all weekend, and as she said, "I am not going to drive 200 miles to sit in an unairconditioned house with the weather in the triple digits, while my husband is working on the towtruck all day." Can't say as I blame her. It is much cooler on this side of the Cascades. So she is sleeping and so was I, but now I'm wide awake. I hate it when I can't sleep. GRRRRRR guess I'll go read more of Nevada Barr's new book. G'nite

I am getting right into this retirement life!!! I woke up late today, 830, and fixed my coffee. The fog had not lifted quite yet, it was starting to recede off the hill and head back to the Sound. I could hear the ships with their fog horns blaring as they attempted to make the turn from the straight into admiralty inlet and on into Puget sound. The Pt Townsend Ferry tooted as it pulled in and I swear it was right THERE!! only three miles away as the crow flies, but if the tide was only a few hundred feet higher, it would have been in my driveway. I love listening to the deep whhoooots of the ships. it is so Peaceful. Yep. it really is.

The EA6-B's were in a different bouncing pattern this afternoon. They were taking off over the house for a change, usually they are landing over the house. Anyway, they did a hard left turn right over the house, I almost recognize the pilots. God they are getting younger and younger. I remember when I first started working on base, the Lt. and LtCdr's were older men, and I flirted with the single ones, Now I think I Burped the Captains and Admirals!!

Halleluia!! I think Robert is going to actually buy a new truck! His is only 20 years old and has 350,000 miles on it. and no paint. He came in with the primary paperwork. I talked him through getting a loan on line, and he should know the answer tomorrow. His application got kicked back because in the spot where you put how much you pay a month, he puts zero for his house payment, and for his mortgage balance he puts zero, and for all other loans he puts zero. So they think he is trying to hide something. Nope, just always paid cash for everything. Owns his home outright. strange dude. It is totally unamerican to be debt free. I at least have a mortgage.

Still no birds today. I hope it isnt because the dogs are scaring them away, I try to keep them away from the feeders. It just might be the heat. For July it is very hot and dry. Really unusual for us. No rain in almost a month. If it wasn't for the fog, we would have no precipitation.

GOtta run. Told Bob I would pick him up for dinner in 45 min. That was 30 minutes ago...oops.

Good grief Has it been THAT long since I blogged? Must be getting busy huh? I still have not finished painting the office. I still have not finished laying the bricks in the garden, I still have not finished weeding out the front beds. WHat the heck HAVE I done? Cleaned the kitchen, did the washing, CLEANED MY BEDROOM AND BATHROOM. No minor fete there, but it is done now.

I finally finished stuffing and colating 650 envelopes full of advertising and donation literature for the Playhouse. It is time to get the programs full for the next season. I volunteered. It's done. I tried licking the envelopes...NAH!! NY TON TUCK TO DA RUF OF MY MOUD> So I just decided that there had to be a better way. Went to Office Max and asked the girl if she had any envelope lickers...she stuck her tongue out at me!! Actually she had a very rudimentary tube with a sorry ass excuse for a sponge on the end of it. I bought it, but it was use-less. The playhouse has a really neat one, so yesterday I sat in the lobby for 2 hours "licking" envelopes. Now the fund drive is on it's way.

I am Asst, Directing ARSENIC AND OLD LACE, then Asst, directing OVER THE RIVER AND THROUGH THE WOODS, then I am Executive producing a one act play for a british gentleman. THE DOCK BRIEF. THEN I am Directing GODSPELL> NAh I'm not too busy... SHEESH

I actually cleaned Bea Bunny's cage out today. SHe is getting really bitchy. She wants to rearrange her cage, knock the litter into her food dish, move the hay around. I think I need to get her Fixed. They say she will be a much calmer house bunny once she is. Better call the bunny doc tomorrow and make an appointment for her.

"Lola" is getting braver and braver around me. She doesnt run off the feeder when she sees me any more. Just doesnt want me getting too close. The Hummingbirds must be starting their migration back to Costa Rica, as they have not been draining the feeders at all lately, I went from filling 6 feeders twice a day to only filling 2 feeders once a week. I have been told that once their broods have fledged they head east of the Cascade range and fly south following the flowering plants. I am going to keep the feeders up for awhile though, some of them are trying to stay all year. My first hummer this year was February 27,

The Black Headed grosbeaks are getting sparser also. With all of the caterpillars out now, most of the birds are feeding on them. The doves and the sparrows and the finches are still here, the chickadees and the woodpeckers are gone for awhile. I miss them.. They will be back this winter. They like my peanut chip suet blocks!!

One of my favorite blogs is back up and writting again. Journal in the heartland. Colin in Scotland. He is a nature lover also, and he and his wife are remodeling their house. I like it.

Pureland Mountain is also back up again. I guess Blogger and him had some major malfunctions. Glad to see they are al worked out. WIll have to read and catch up on all he has done tomorrow with my coffee. Right now it's bedtime...But the Jets from the base are flying low, and bouncing again. Must have a bunch of new pilots trying to get their carrier landing qualifications in on the outlying field. Swell. Makes for great sleeping...NOT

I slept in today!!! wowser! Didn't get up until 9:00, but then I made my coffee and took it out to the deck and soaked up the rays until it got too hot, then rolled out the umbrella, and read the great book on grilling. As soon as the coffee was finished, and the great horned owl on the wall, hooted three times, I went in and got the strawberries out of the refer and started in again. Didn't get very far though because I was out of jelly jars. GRRRRRRR so get dressed, load the dogs into the car, and headed for Freeland. Ace only had 1 box of three different kinds, so I bought them and headed home. I really need to stock up on wide mouth 1/2 pint jars and pint jars. Gpt three batches of jam cooked and canned and now I'm out of sugar!! Can't win. Guess I will just freeze the rest whole and save them for mid winter strawberry shortcake. YUMMY.

I stirred the jam with the WOODEN SPOON again. It is really worn down on one side, from the years of being stirred with by right handed people. You look at something like that and really SEE it and then you think about the hands that are no longer here, that used to hold it. I KNOW it was used by my mother, and it MAY have even been used by my GRANDMOTHER. Now it is used by me, and if it lasts long enough, maybe by my daughter, where it might get worn out on the other side...she is left-handed.

Bob brought over 3 dozen oysters for July 4th's dinner. Yum.

Oops gotta go get the jam out....

I am in the process of processing 25 lbs of fresh juicy sweet strawberries. I was kinda hoping Chemystery would come home and help me but she had other plans. (bed) My back is aching from standing, but the work will be worth it. I absolutely LOVE strawberries. These are right from the field today. I am freezing the good ones and making freezer jam out of the rest of them. So far I have 3 quarts of frozen berries and 9 pints of jam. Still have one more flat to go.

I splurged on a really neat umbrella for the deck. It is a very mechanical one, that bolts right to the deck, collapses down and ties in so the wind wont get it. And it hangs freely with the umbrella part, and covers almost 1/2 the deck. I was so thrilled when I saw it, and just knew that Bob would like it too. He came in and saw it and had a fit! He LOVED IT. The first thing that I have bought that he didnt bad mouth. He is a tinkerer, and wants to improve on EVERYTHING. This is the first thing that he liked just as it was. I was thrilled, really thrilled. The whole family came over and just at 2:00 THE RAIN CAME!! I opened the umbrella, and it covered everybody and the table too. It is going to be really great.

We still need to put the hand rails on the deck, but since it is only 2 1/2 feet off the ground, there isn't much rush. I enjoy sitting out there and soaking up the sun, and watching the wildlife. I even took my play out there to block act one. I had 6 easter egg candles standidng in as the cast, and I had sticky notes for the furniture, and I discovered that we need to talk about the set. I am not at all sure it will work as proposed. Too much running back and forth.

As I was making the jam tonight, I grabbed an old wooden spoon that must have been in Dad's gear. I was using it to stir the sure-jell, and an old memory popped into my head.

I was about 6 or 7 and we were in a very old kitchen. Mom was making fudge. Now back then we didn't have marshmallow cream, so Mom had to make it with sugar and hersheys cocoa. I remember her stirring and stirring the fudge with that wooden spoon. I was sitting on a kitchen stool, and watching carefully. I got to stir it in the beginning, before it got too hot and dangerous. I remember the feel of the spoon on the bottom of her wear-ever aluminum pot, and tonight that feeling came right up through the handle and into my hand. I remember her beating ang beating the fudge until it was glossy, and then pouring it into the pan to cool. I know that she always was upset because the fudge was always grainy, and crumbly, exactly the way my Dad and I loved it. I could never understand why she was so upset with it, we liked it and n't we the ones she made it for in the first place? I always got to lick the pan and scrap all of the fudge off of the sides. Wow, haven't made fudge like that in years. Probably turn out smooth and silky, just like she always wanted it to...

THE DECK IS DONE!!! Well Almost! We do not have the railings up yet, but I have my deck chair and table on it and it is being used as we speak. What a neat neat thing the deck is. There is just something so much different about sitting on a deck, 3 feet higher than the yard. I have no idea why, but it makes you feel good!!! Donna came home from work today, and actually joined me outside. She would not have done that just sitting on the grass. We have a Family BBQ planned for Sunday.

I saw the first baby Hairy woodpecker today. HArry came flying up to the suet feeder, as he usually does in the morning, and right behind him came what I thought was harriett, but there was red on his foreheadm not on the back of his head. He hung there upside down along side his Daddy, while Harry pecked at the suet. Jr. was chirping or buzzing (whinning) and then Daddy pulled out a piece of peanut and fed it to him. This went on for about 15 minutes. I had never seen that before. I wondered if Harry got the boys and Harriett got the girls. Don't know. I am anxious to see if Lola brings her babies to the feeder. Will I know they are babies, or will they be the same size Lola is? Hmmmmmmm.

Mariah has stacked out her territory on the deck. on the throw rug right by the door. As if to say OK, This spot is mine, you guys can have the rest of the deck.

I have four cats sitting here just staring at me. I am out of Science Diet. Their bowls are EMPTY. Now mind you, they have PLENTY to eat, in the form of Fancy Feast and cream, and dog food But NO!!!!!!! If the bowl is empty and the BAG is too, then they must be starving. Mindless of the fact that they just finished eating. THEY ARE STARVING AND GOING TO DIE IMMEDIATELY! GUess I had better get my shoes on, and go get some Science Diet...I might be LUNCH!...

Wowser!!! The deck is coming right along!! We just might have it ready for this weekends BBQ. I am so thrilled. Bob is working so very hard on it. It no doubt will withstand the 8.9 Earthquake we might have, not to mention that it is free standing, so that if the tsunami that might hit because of the 8.9 earthquake, hits, I will have a raft to survive on. Hmmm better stock the deck fully, so I can survive. Food, Water, First aid, Pet food, batteries, flashlights, both red and green ( Remember I will be floating, so it will be a water craft, gotta have port and starboard lights. OHHH might have to pre-register with the coast guard, and get numbers for the side. Any thing over 12 feet needs to be registered I think. This is 16. Oh wait, It COULD be 16' WIDE and only 12' long huh? Oh and oars. need to have some oars and a rudder. I guess we could incorporate those into the handrails, might work. BLANKETS!!! Won't need a porta pottie, just hang over the side, won't have to worry about pollution, as I will be the only one left up here. Might wanna consider a litter box for the cats, I dont think they would take too easily to hanging it over the side.

OH!! SHIT SHERLOCK!!! It just dawned on me...this Ark will be full of non-reproducing animals. They have all been fixed, including ME!!! darn.

Oyster Roast at the CPO Club today. OHHHHH MYYYYY Yummy. I had never had raw fresh oysters until about 15 years ago when Bob first took me to the club for the Oyster roast. Now I look forward to it every year. 7.00 and all you can eat oysters. They put them on a big hot grate over really hot coals, and keep turning them until they pop open with a steamy hissssssss. Baked beans, and cole slaw and fish sticks round off the menu. You load up your plate with oysters first, then go back for the beans etc. Gotta remember to bring your oyster knives and tabasco sauce and lemon. you open the oyster, and slide it right on down. Nice and warm and fresh and GOOD!!! no slime, these are really fresh right from Similk Bay! Now you dont have to wait for the roasted ones, you can reach in and grab as many raw ones still in their shell that you can eat. I like mine just hot enough to want to open easily, but not so hot that they are cooked too solid and become chewy. There ain't nuttin' better on a mid June day in the Pacific Northwest, than a good old fashioned Oyster Roast!!!!! Ya'll gotta come up and try it some time.

MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM!! I just introduced My darling-daughter-most-adored (Chemystery) to a wicked treat. She is 36 and was in bed reading her porn, when I got up went into the kitchen and called her to come here. She grumbled, came out and said What? I then showed her fresh strawberries, sour cream and brown sugar. She quizzically sat down and I proceeded to show her how to pull the stem off, dip the end into fresh sour cream, and then dip it all into brown sugar, and pop it into her mouth. Her eyes lit up and her attitude instantly changed. "Man, something this good shouldn't be legal!!" says she, and we sat there at the table in our pj's and scarfed down 2 pints of fresh strawberries, dipped in sour cream and brown sugar! what a wicked wicked midnight snack. (says she grinning wickedly...)

I am having a devil of a time adjusting to this new desk. I am used to looking at the monitor straight on, and sitting as close as possible to the desk. This is one of those really cool looking office type l shaped desks with the monitor in the corner and the keyboard under the top, at a 45 degree angle to the monitor. Since I am NOT a great typist, I need to look at my keys, and the monitor at the same time. It is much easier when I can just raise my eyes up and look. Now my neck is getting sore from constant turning. There has Got to be a reasonable solution to this. right now I am sitting crooked in my chair, with the keyboard off the shelf and on top of the desk right under the monitor. Seems to work, but the monitor is still kinda high. Guess I will eventually get used to it. or not...

I have a big project with The Playhouse. I am getting ready for their big Advertising beg-a-thon to all of the businesses in town. We depend on our advertisers for support with our programs, and our scholarships. In the past they have not done a full scale mailing to every business, just the ones they have dealt with in the past. Since this town has grown A LOT, It is really time for a full scale blitz. That is where I come in. All 600+ businesses on the Northern part of this island will be receiving a nice letter, scanned on my neat new HP scanjet, and printed on my new printer. Now all I need to do is stuff all 600+ envelopes with all of the info needed. SHEESH.

OOPS!! My favorite Saturday morning tv show is Best Of taste, a locally produced cooking show, which goes to different locations and cooks. I guess they havn't been following the Franco-boycott. They have 4 French Chefs on, making 4 french dishes...BUT they are drinking 4 WASHINGTON wines. Ok Cool.

I had a really good chuckle this morning, I read GROUCY OLD CRIPPLE who was ranting about how absurdly ridiculous we have gotten about being POLITICALLY CORRECT. Actually he wasn't ranting, just observing in his own special way. I love waking up with Denny...

decided to get up and fix myself a breakfast of steel cut oats...package says you can nuke them. Wow, says I, Maybe THAT is the way to go, you wouldnt need to stand there and watch them cook so they did not burn. I put them and the water in the bowl, and covered them then nuked them for 5 minutes, let them sit for another 5. I came back in to eat my wonderful breakfast, and they were all over the bottom of the microwave, none in the bowl, no water left, a dismal failure. I scrapped them off the oven and poured myself my thrid cup of coffee. I hate instructions that dont work. They said a large bowl, I did, but what they didnt say was that it needed to be a VERY LARGE bowl. I may try this again, or I may just give up trying to cook them.

gotta remember to buy a lotto ticket today. Mega lotto is up to 180 million, and regular lotto is up to 16 million, either one would definately make my retirement a much more pleasurable event. I could take a really long vacation. I would ask my sister to retire, and we could buy a motorhome and go to Alaska. We could hire our own nutritionist to go with us, and make it a working vacation, to get our health back to where it needs to be. Donna has already said she would not quit working, she says she worked too hard to get here, now she wants to know that it is what she really wants to do. I can understand that. I would set up a trust fund for all of the kids, Tim, Scotty and Donna, so that their lives would be comfortable, but not handed to them. I know Tim would fritter it away. Scotty would go to Medical school, and become a surgeon, or a physical therapist, or whatever he wanted to be, He is smart, just not rich.

I must be the only person in the world who has not read the Harry Potter series of books. I guess I should remedy that huh? Well while I am on one of my many cruises, I can read them. Sit in a nice deck chair, with a big floppy hat, and sunglasses and read. Maybe with a nice Chi-Chi, or some such wicked drink by my side. gads!!! what a way to live. A nice Carribbean Cruise, with a suite, and a personal butler, and maybe my own personal trainer...ahhhhhhhhhh...

Up today at 530. Stomach rumbling and cramping...maybe my malais yesterday wasn't just a function of this weekend. Maybe I have a bug. I keep thinking that as many birds that I have around my feeder, could I get salmonella? Is it airborne? I wash my hands thoroughly after touching the feeders, but I still wonder.

I am going to go on a critter getter campaign. I love animals, I love gardening, I love flowers. They do not mix! I had a garden roto-tilled and ready for planting. I bought petunias to edge the plat with. They smell so sweet at night, and It made me feel really good planting them. The rabbits LOVE the blooms. I bought a really pretty tickweed plant that had nice orangish yellow flowers on it. The rabbits love it. In fact, it is muched to the GROUND! I don't want to have to fence it off, but I may have to out of self-defense. Maybe a little picket fence, that will just delineate the garden plat from the grass. I have not had a rabbit problem before, so one of three things could be happening. We could have a lack of Coyotes now, which is something new. Usually they are right out side the fence every night yapping and killing. We could have a major rabbit population explosion, (tied to the fact that there seems to be a lack of coyotes) The rabbits could have just this year found the feeders, and the seeds that have been spilled on the ground. I have identified two areas where they are getting in through the fence, so now the question arises, Do I spend lots of money trying to plug holes in the fence that they might just dig under? Or should I quit feeding the birds? (nah) Or should I just give in and not continue planting things that they like. I wonder what plants repel rabbits? They seem to like everything.

Donna bought some Scottish steel-cut oats the other day. They are a pain in the butt to cook, but they are really really good. chewey and nutty. Not at all like our oatmeal. They are good with some butter and cinnamon, maybe a little sweetner. Yumm!!! (guess what I am having for breakfast?)

I have to get busy blocking act one of Over The River and Through the Woods. I have a meeting with the director June 28, and need to have it ready by then. I also need to get busy on GODSPELL. That is the one I am directing. I really need to find a Musical Director, THe one I had is getting transferred to Spain. We are really going to miss her. I hope she comes back.

I feel like I am being over scheduled. Now why? I dont have anything else to do. Why do I feel that having one thing scheduled every day is putting me into a bind? I guess three months of sitting on my ass has gotten too comfortable. Gotta get up and get going, gotta do it, gotta...

Well I knew I would be down today. I had way too much energy this weekend. I woke up late, 630, and got my coffee made, then started right in reading my blogs, however, I threw my whole schedule off and couldnt recoup.. Bob came over about 100 after saying that he would be hee around 1030. He started in digging, and got the hardware cloth buried for the rat guard. (?) Tomorrow he is planning to get the concrete piers layed out and then lay the weed blocker down, so that the weeds wont grow through the deck. I can't wait until I can take my morning coffee out back and sit in the sun and watch morning arrive. You just watch, the first week after it is finished, it will be raining!!! this is after all June, and usually the rainiest month of the year...

I am soooo tired and achey!!! I started on the office last night. I moved out the old desk, and stacked it in pieces in the Living Room along with all the other crap that was stacked in there. Then I started in painting. Got one half of the office painted, and vaccuumed, then put the new desk in and hooked the computer back up. Whew what a chore. I then went to bed, but was so tired, I could not sleep. Read until 230 this morning. I got up this morning, and started in again, got the front of the house all cleaned and re-arranged, put a turkey in the oven, and washed all of the rugs. The house with the exception of my bedroom and the utility room is CLEAN!!! yeah!!!

Bob is going to build my deck this week!! Surprise!!!! I have been waiting over three years for my deck, Looks like it is a reality now. WHOO_HOO!!! I am so tickled. I can get up and drink my coffee on the deck, and watch the birds and squirrels, just like a real Plutocrat...

THE ALDER TREES!! That is what I was trying to remember to blog about!!! Whew!!

Yesterday on my way back home from Bremerton, I took the back way along port Ludlow and Oak Bay. The road is very quiet, and covered with tons of alders and maple trees. As I was driving down this one long stretch of road, I noticed that it looked like late Fall, or winter, I couldnt figure out what was wrong, but knew something was. I drove for about another mile, and then it hit me, all of the trees were leaf-less. Totally bare. At first I thought that it was a big stand of dead trees, but as I looked harder, noticing the sky through the bare branches, I saw them. THOUSANDS and THOUSANDS of Caterpiller tents. THe tops of the trees were COVERED with them. We are having an infestation of Tent caterpillers this year, they are everywhere, but they have not denuded our alder trees so far. Doing a good number on the peach trees though. You can not walk out in the back yard without getting at least one of the buggers dropped on you. (shudder) I had never seen such devastation as I saw yesterday. I guess we need a really cold winter this year to kill the suckers off. You'd think that with all of the caterpillers, there would be more birds that eat bugs, than usual, but so far they are not here. Robins are, but not much else. Just seed eaters. MAybe now that they have all hatched out, the birds will come. Eat hardy little guys, we dont want those creepy things eating all of our trees bare...

The Bad part of going through 35 years of collecting books, is that when you open them,( to make sure you hadn't stashed a million dollar check in one of them,) the old memories come flooding back. THere are a lot of School books, which bring back memories of old boy friends, and old hurts, there are tons of self-help books, that bring back the struggles you dealt with, alcoholic parents, weight- struggles, divorces, etc. Then there are the Nature books, and photography books, and natural history books, and the coffee table books, etc. I closed my heart and put them in the bags. There are all of Dad's books on building log cabins, self sufficiency books and old navy year books. These also went into the bags. I will give them all to my sister who will keep what she wants and then send the rest to charity. Oh and the whole collection of Dr Suess and Disney books that we bought for the kids. These I will keep JUST IN CASE I EVER HAVE GRANDKIDS! (phhfftt yeah right!) All of my management books went! If I ever do go back to work, I do not want to get that far up the management chain ever again. Oh swell, the sound of freedom is back. So much for watching tv tonite!!! THe deer chasing plane just went over, soon the others will follow, and that will be it for hearing anything until they quit again. Hmmm. Might be a good time to finish the office huh? wanna help?...

hmmmm...now I'm really getting worried about me. I can't remember if I gave myself my insulin shot this morning. My blood glucose is 113, which is good, But I really dont think I did. I am not going to risk it and take another shot and go into hypoglycemia, I will just watch it and if I start going really high, I will dose then. This is what I get for getting up so damned early. If I continue to do this, I will have to establish a ritual, like wake up, make coffee, take insulin, drink coffee, eat breakfast, take pills, then take nap. If I nap BEFORE I get dressed, I wake up and wonder if I did, but if I get dressed and take a nap LATER in the day, then Im ok. JEEZ...retirement is really confusing huh? Life shouldn't be this hard...

Now I'm getting scared! I was up at 545 watching the birds, and getting Chemystery off to work, and I thought of a topic I needed to blog about. I ran in here, dialed up and went totally blank...I'm too young to forget things...How old am I? :-)...

wow!!! didn't realize that I haven't blogged in almost a week! My how time does fly when you don't have to worry about time any more! One day flows into the next, and the planes keep flying...In fact they should be starting just about any time now. The sun is down, and the dusk is rapidly turning over into night. Just about the time you think yay, a night without planes, the first one makes it's very low, very fast, very noisy run over the field, and over the house; scaring the deer off the runway. It would not do at all to have a Navy jet going at full throttle to hit a deer, suck what is left of it into the intake, and then veer off and crash either into the woods, or into the housing area. Since My house is one of the first ones after the trees, I really am glad they shoo them off. Don't like drop in visitors!!! :-Z

The Squirrell war seems to have reached a truce. As long as the first squirrel in does not see the second one coming, then they get along fine. I saw them do something different today, but I have no idea what the significance of it was. Squirrell No.1 chased #2, along the fence line, but then he sat on the ground staring up at the other one and slapped his tail on the ground for about 3 minutes. Then he came back and started munching on sunflower seeds again. ???? Anybody have any idea?

I drove to Bremerton today to meet with the regional EEO investigator, who interviewed me about my case. I don't have warm fuzzies about the outcome, but at least I am giving it an all out try. What do I have to lose? And I might just maybe win this. OH please Lord!! let me win my case. It would sure make the end of my career seem bittersweet instead of just bitter.

The baby sparrows are out in full feather now. THere are about 7 of them that fly down to the feeder with their downy feathers fluffed up and the yellow outline of their big baby mouths still wide open and begging! They are eating seed now, but as soon as Mom or Dad flys over they all start waving their wings and begging. They are so cute to watch. Momma Bird has the patience of Job. I'd get tired and start slapping 'em. SHUT UP!!! MOVE OUT!!! FEED YOURSELF!!! Harry the Hairy woodpecker, and Mort, the Downy woodpecker are going after the peanut suet like there was no tomorrow. THey fly right up to the window feeder, hang there and peck away until they have a beak full, then fly off, only to return for more. The females of both species visit also, but they are quiet about it so I hardly see them. The males are noisy, and like to let you know they are in the neighborhood.

I really need to get my ass working on my office. My house has been torn up since I retired, I have Donna's bedroom finished, but I still have not finished the office. I did give all of my paperback books to Phyllis, and she is passing them around the neighborhood!! there must have been 300 of them!!now It is the text books next. I still have my freshman year in college sight singing book. no words, just 300 pages of music to sight sing. WHY? tons of text books from college, tons of cook books, 10 year old magazines!! I AM SICK!!!!! Get rid of them!!!

I think I will go in and take a long soaky bath, light a candle and reeeeelaaaax!!! see ya...

It starts again!! the hottest day of the year when everyone has every window and door in their house wide open to let in the cool night air, and the Base is bouncing jets again. This will be the forth night in a row that they have bounced. There must be something in the wind, as we still dont have all of our squadrons back in country yet, and for two years there has not been this much night flying. Now it is every 30 seconds, right over the top of the house. They are so low, you can read the pilots names on the side of their cockpits. I know I should not complain, it is after all the SOUND OF FREEDOM, but when it goes until after midnight it gets really irratating. They have too fly at night to practice hitting the carrier deck after dark. and since we are high up in the 50 degrees latitude, the sun does not set until almost 930 pm. AH well, better just grab another book and settle in for the evening. It is only 1030 and just finally dark. (long dusks here too) wont be sleeping early tonite!!! I had the girl child rub my back good with aspercreme so I should be ok for the night. I hope...

The planes quit flying at 1215 this morning. The quiet woke me up, and I could not get back to a good deep sleep. I tossed and turned, and my back was aching sooo bad. I finally got up at 200 and surfed awhile, finished my book, read an old map, and saw the crack of dawn. actually the birds were chirping at 335! still very dark, but SOMETHING told them it was time to wake up. I wonder what that is? I think I finally made it to sleep around 445. I hope Donna was not late, I usually wake her up at 500 to start getting ready. I even forgot to make her coffee!! oh SHAME! I turned over about 700, turned on the today show and slept fitfully until 900.

It's gonna be another hot one today!! it already is in the 70's and it isn't even noon yet!! I went out and filled the hummingbird feeders and the sun was very warm. I wish I had my deck built!!! I think laying out in the sun with it beating down on my poor sorry back would feel really good. I would give anything to be pain free. I want energy again. Of course I know that some of this is due to the nasty cold I have in my nose. achy, lethargic, stuffynose, cough. SHIT!! I want to get my office finished!! I just have no energy!

I guess I need a vacation. Oh sure you say, you are on a lifelong vacation, but I'm not. I wake up every day and fall into the same routine, and see the same scenery, and look at the same mess, and set the same goals, and dont fulfill any of them. I need a change of pace. I know!!! I need to have an affair! a really romantic, fulfilling, make-me-feel-good-mentally-and physically-affair. A LONG one. yeah right...

WELL, WE CAN CERTAINLY TELL THE WAR IS OVER, AND THE PLANES ARE HOME....EVERY NIGHT AT 915 THEY START FLYING...RIGHT OVER MY HOUSE. i LIVE JUST THROUGH THE TREES FROM THE PRACTICE FIELD WHERE THEY PRACTICE THEIR NIGHT TIME CARRIER LANDINGS. I HAVE TO YELL SO YOU CAN HEAR ME. WHEN THEY FLY, THERE IS NO TELEVISION TO BE HEARD, NO RADIO, NOTHING. SO I BLOG, OR READ. IF THEY ARE GOING IN A CIRCLE IT IS POSSIBLE TO GET SOME SLEEP IF YOU REALLY CONCENTRATE ON NOT HEARING THEM. IT IS WHEN THEY BREAK THEIR RHYTHM THAT YOU WAKE UP, WHEN THEY HEAD BACK TO THE BASE FOR MORE FUEL, AND IT BECOMES QUIET...HUH? WHAT WAS THAT!!!!! OH! QUIET. THEN YOU GET USED TO THAT, AND THEY COME BACK AGAIN. aT LEAST WE ONLY HAVE THE EA6B'S NOT THE F14, F16, OR F18'S NOW TALK ABOUT LOUD...

I started in on my office today. got about 10 bags of books out of it, and into the back of the car. They are going to the forgotten childrens fund garage sale, I must have 500 books, of all kinds. I hate to throw a book away, but it has become a big issue, I rented a storage locker for 3 years to store all the books in while I was gone, and came back with about 200 more!! I need to start taking advantage of the library. IT'S FREE!

Think I'll go get my shower, wash my hair and go read for awhile. sniff, sniff, oh goodness, I smell jet fuel. must have been dumping some.

Still having a problem getting air into my lungs. A good deep cleansing breath. I know I must have some weird virus. THis morning I couged up green gook, YUCK! I have been getting up to make sure that Chemystery has gotten up to get ready for work. I know she is an adult, but she still is my daughter. I am so proud of her and the fact that she finally is on her way to a good career. It took her long enough. Most people starting their careers are 21 or 22, and she is almost 36, but she did it all herself, and for that I am very proud. I digress...I have been getting up at 500 Am and staying up. The birds are barely awake by then, but the quail are. It is so nice watching the morning come alive. The first car start in the neighborhood, the first dog bark, the first bird, the first squirrel. Then there is the first Ferry horn. It is almost 5 miles away, and I hear it loud and clear. I drink my coffee, pack her lunch for her, and get her on her way, then start in with my routine. This morning I got busy in the kitchen, did my laundry and then started in on the story boards for the last two plays I produced. CHEAPER BY THE DOZEN and RUMORS. Got those all put together and ready to take to the Playhouse to post in the lobby.

Bob came over about 500 and we went in to Anacortes to a show. FUNNY!!! it was put on by the Anacortes community theater as a fund raiser. I was mean and made him take me to dinner at Gere a Deli's. Good chow. They have the freshest salad bar I have ever seen. Not a lot of extraneous crap, just good fresh veggies and home made croutons and salad dressing. They use dinner plates for the salad bar instead of those wimpy little onesz that most places use. For the main course I had lasagna. When they brought it to me I could not believe the size of it. It was Huge. I could not even begin to eat it all. It was also delicious. Should have used the wimpy salad plate I guess...

I had a really bad day today. It was Chemystery's first day of work, and she was excited and I was too for her. BUT at 500 am just as she was going out the door, i woke up. I had planned to get up and fix her coffee first. I went back to bed, and she came back in, MOM, DO YOU HAVE JUMPER CABLES? i did, but we couldn't get the cars in the right configuration, to jump start her. So I gave her my keys. MY CAR!!! she's driving my car!!! OHMIGOD! I taught her to drive, I know how scatterbrained she is, and she has my car!!!! As there was nothing to do but go back to bed, I did. and I thought...she is 35 years old now, I taught her to drive when she was 18. Surely she has improved since then. She drives over the mountains in the snow, I know she has to have improved. I gave up worrying and went back to sleep.

I woke up feeling really really bad. I had pains in my chest, and I couldn't breathe, My chest was really really tight. and I ached in every muscle and bone I had. Must be a virus or something. I slept off and on until noon, got up and called triple A to come jump start Donnas car.

I checked the mail and sure enough there was my June retirement pay. However, it has deducted 378.00 from my pay for my medical. Now I am supposed to get free medical until i am 65. So I called the NEX and HR is looking into it. This is so freaking frustrating. I wonder if anyone else is having this many problems. Makes me wonder just who is doing what in NEXCOM...

i just went back and re-read some of my old entries to see if they made any sense. They do to me. But I see that one of my entries got posted twice, hmmm must be making up for the times when blogger lost my original entry.

I am writting this and watching the Memorial Day Concert in Washington DC. what a sniffer!! good thing I have kleenex on my desk. I'll have to watch it tomorrow again, because my dear friend Linda called tonite and we talked for almost an hour. It was WONDERFUL. She retired April 1, and we were comparing notes on our lives since NEXCOM. It appears that all is not well at Headquarters, and neither one of us cares a whole lot any more. There isn't going to be any brain trust to draw from. As I told her, we have just undergone a hostile take-over, and nobody knows it. THere are no more military in charge except the Admiral, and God knows he must be as frustrated as hell, dealing with all of these civilians, and ones that haven't even been with NEXCOM for very long at that. whoo-boy.

As We said to each other tonight. Who cares. I wake up watch the wildlife, watch the morning come alive, work on my many projects, and enjoy myself. NO MORE STRESS, and no more deadlines. I have the rest of my life to finish what I am doing. Dear Lord, make it a long life!! i would like to have as long AFTER NEXCOM as I did IN NEXCOM! 37 years. Shit I'd be 94! I'd outlive my roof!!! maybe I better rethink this...

ok Linda, If you read this...Lola and Rita and Sal are the squirrels. I have no clue which one is which and there may actually be FOUR of them. who cares? I am having fun with them and this, and hope you have fun reading it too. Send it on to anyone you think would enjoy reading it.

I have a whole huge bag of peanuts now. THe squirrels will be well fed. I went into Mt Vernon today, and hit Costco for the peanuts. only 4.00!!! their birdseed wasnt very cheap though, ill stick to what I have. Bob saw Sal the other day and said that if all were in proportion, like Sal and Lola And RIta, his balls would hang to his knees. SO that I need to rename my squirrels. pffttt if they are that well endowed, they do not have any worries about being named girls names. they will remain Lola, Rita and Sal...

I have a whole huge bag of peanuts now. THe squirrels will be well fed. I went into Mt Vernon today, and hit Costco for the peanuts. only 4.00!!! their birdseed wasnt very cheap though, ill stick to what I have. Bob saw Sal the other day and said that if all were in proportion, like Sal and Lola And RIta, his balls would hang to his knees. SO that I need to rename my squirrels. pffttt if they are that well endowed, they do not have any worries about being named girls names. they will remain Lola, Rita and Sal.

THE WAR day 3

The start time was an hour later this morning. Maybe because it was so grey out. The first volley was fired about 730, by Lola of course. She came in screaming...ALRIGHT ALL YOUSE GUYS, LEAVE, IM HERE NOW!! Now mind you there WERE no others. But as soon as she got settled in after opening her big mouth, in runs Rita! well the chase was on, and the fight started. Lola won this battle, and was back at the squirrel feeder. She was entirely in the feeder, with the lid almost shut on her tail, throwing corn and sunflower seeds over her shoulder and out of the feeder. She found what she was looking for...PEANUTS!!! she situates it in her mouth, and runs down the pole, to hide her find. While she was gone, in runs Rita, and goes up the BACK side of the pole, and gets on the big tray, and starts in on the sunflower seeds. Lola comes back, doesnt see Rita and sits there eating corn. MEANWHILE two california Quail arrive on the scene. THey are scratching under the tube feeder, eating the Nyger seed that the goldfinches have spilled. Then along saunters SAL. Nonchalantly looking around for Lola or Rita. Sal then gets under the feeder and starts munching on the spilled corn. Lola looks up, sees Sal, grunts and growls, which causes Rita to look over the edge and see both Sal and Lola, and the skirmish is on...the three of them are chasing each other through the grass, and up the pussy willow bush, and over the feeder, all the while Mariah is watching from the spot she has under the picnic table. She just shakes her head and goes back to sleep. THe quail left when the fight started, and returned later to finish their breakfast. I have heard the quail for years, but they have never come into the yard until today. Must be the cracked corn, or the nyger seed. Or, hmmmmm , could be the wildlife highway that Lola constructed, ya spose?...

THE WAR day 2

At about 530 this morning, Lola came to the feeder. At least she tried. She was behind the wisteria vines, on the fence, and Bandit saw her and started barking. LOUDLY. so she started chattering...LOUDLY, that woke up Rita, who came down the fence line screaming at Lola and Bandit. so we have bandit barking. LOUDLY, Lola chattering LOUDLY and Rita screaming. All of this woke up the Hairy woodpecker who has found the fence post, and started drumming. LOUDLY. At about 700 I said screw it, and got up. By this time Sal had appeared on the scene. Sneakly little devil, he runs along the ground while the other two are sitting on the fence. Guess who gets there first?
By 800, all of the wildlife was awake and feeding. THe Goldfinches have arrived enMasse, and they are pretty, but sing all day, LOUDLY. THe woodpeckers, all drum and PEEK loudly, the doves are fairly quiet, but their wings make a whistle when they land, and that makes noise. THe doves are also horney little rascals. They are paired off right now, and the males are busy trying like hell to make little doves, but the females aint having it!! They chase each other on the roof next door. She moves away about a foot, he puffs up and oooAh oo oo oo;s then scoots over to her, and she slaps his face and moves away. ALL DAY LONG!! I do love Spring though. And I do enjoy watching the birds.

I actually planted about 20 feet of petunias today. Mostly purple and pink, some striped. I had them inside sitting on the computer desk last night, and the aroma permeated the house. I had forgotten how sweet and lovely they smell. I wish I could put them under my bedroom window. Cant though, Mariah and Bandit would trample all over them. Tomorrow I plan on planting the holly bush, and the hydrangia and Lilac bushes. WOW, I'm actually gardening again. I hope I keep up with it. I am having the deck built soon too...

WAR!

War has been officially declared in my back yard! The War between Lola, Rita and Sal. Yep, there are THREE and they all came together at 630 this morning right underneath the feeder. Lola chased Rita and Rita ran into Sal, who then chased Lola, and the three of them screeched and growled and whistled and chattered for almost an hour. they went their separate ways. Lola came back to the feeder and was up on top eating sunflower seeds. Then Rita waltzed back in, and started feeding Under the glass feeder in the grass. Soon Sal was there too, only she was on the squirrel feeder with her head buried in the feeder, digging for more peanuts. When she came up for air, Rita also did, and saw Sal and yelled at her. That made Lola peek over the edge, see them both, and scream, and start chasing all over again. Finally Lola was on the feeder, Sal was on the fence and Rita was sitting on top of Mariah's dog house...all grunting at each other, but all chomping down on sunflower seeds or cracked corn. The peanuts have all been stashed away for winter. Need to get some more. A truce was declared until all mouths were empty then it started all over again. IT was a HOOT watching them all. I Wish I could get close enough to mark them so I would know which one was which, and if there were any MORE lurking in the forest, waiting for an all clear to come Chow-down...

Bob came over today wanting to get the yard roto-tilled. I was planning on digging into the office, but I guess that will wait. I needed to level out the yard where my renters' dogs had dug giant holes. I got the distinct pleasure of raking it all level. My back is compaining loudly about it too. I want him to do along the fence line also, so I can plant along it. I want to get the holly tree, the lilac bush and the hydrangea all planted this year, and I want to replace the camelia bush. We did manage to get the two patches under the old carpet dug up, worked really really well too, all the grass and weeds under it were dead, so all we had was earth and worms. Perfect for gardening. I am going to plant petunias along one side of it, and who knows what else will end up there. I am planning roses, but We'll see. I know THERE WILL BE BULBS COME FALL!

Hector came over and brought me books to choose a deck from. I am going to have a deck this year come Hell or High water. It may not be big, but It will be a deck, or patio. I am looking forward to spending my mornigs in the sun drinking my coffee, and watching the birds. Might even take the laptop out to the deck and write the great american novel. (yeah right!) Say wouldn't it be neat if someone would come out with those really cute little faces like ICQ uses, that you could pop into the story anytime without a lot of putzing? Or little flowers or picture icons...

Rain woke me up this morning. After a week of sunny spring weather, the rain was very welcome. It was a heavy but light rain. I know, HUH? It was a lot of water coming down in little bitty rain drops, OK? I knew what I meant. No wind, which is very unusual for us. What woke me up was the hiss of the rain hitting the alders and the wisteria. Then the birds hit. I filled the feeders with nyger seed yesterday, and within 1/2 hour, the goldfinches had re-discovered it and were back with a vengence. This morning they had doubled in number. The wisteria was full of gold birds. Looked like a spring christmas tree. Noisy too. I'll bet the neighbors are loving it. The hummers are going through the juice like you wouldn't believe. Right in the middle of all of this Lola came in. THen another Lola. so I have to think up another name to call the second Lola, when there are two of them present. I can't tell them apart, and in fact there may even be THREE lola's. There was a smaller one, and the belly fur on it was lighter. Today and yesterday both Lola's were the same size and had orange fur on their bellies. I do not know if their fur changes in the spring, but the other one would not have grown that much in less than a week. So. Lola number two, will now be called Rita. Now mind you, when Rita is there all alone she will be Lola, until Lola number two shows up then it is Rita. confused? so are they. I wish I could get close enough to either collar them, or splash a color on their backs so I could tell them all apart. Both squirrels were on the feeders, and neither of them knew the other was there. When Lola finally saw Rita, she screamed like mad, and Rita ran to the fence. They are soooooo territorial. only sposed to have 1 per hectare, but there must be more, other wise there wouldn't be ANY!! :-)

It is supposed to rain all this week. We need it. Unfortunately Mike didnt get the lawn mowed before it started, so it will be quite high again. I need to get the battery replaced in my mower, so Poor Darling daughter will have something to do when she moves back in. I wouldn't want her bored.

Errant Son was released today at 500 AM. Doesnt seem quite right for them to just shove him out the front door, with no money, no ride, no nothing. I of course picked him up. We had a really nice day, and he did wonders in the garage for me. I can almost even get the car into it!! Never had a car in it before. it's a virgin garage! He went through most of the boxes that were his and pitched out 90 % of it. Fixed him a good dinner, and went to bed. Took him back to the ferry today, God KNOWS he couldnt spend more than one day with MOM. THe Mother who went to visit him every time she could, when no one else would. The Mom that bought him new shoes because his fell off his feet. The Mom that got up at 430 to pick him up at 500. Harumph! Think Id learn wouldnt ya?

Today was another glorious day. Warm and a light breeze blowing through. The birds are starting to fledge too. I had a Fledgling Junco under the feeder, almost stepped on him. His down was still sticking out helter skelter, but he had flight feathers. I bent to pick him up and off he flew to the fence, and waited unti I left then back to the feeder floor. I have mourning doves, hairy woodpeckers, downy woodpeckers, goldfinches, purple finches, house finches, pine siskins, hummingbirds, juncos, towhees, white crowned sparrows, etc all vying for my affection.

Lola was out bright and early this morning also, and so was little Lola. Big Lola, saw her out of the corner of her eye and started a "growl" while eating her corn. It wasnt loud, but it was loud enough. Little Lola backed up and ran back down the fence and into the woods. Funny!!

My Son gets quite a kick out of me and my wildlife. Just shakes his head.

andy goes back to his mommie tomorrow. I am sure that she will be so glad to get home to him, although I will really miss him. He is such a little Pill, and has this house standing on its ear. He even sleeps with the dog now. I have really corrupted him. Fancy Feast salmon instead of Eukanuba, and science diet instead of kitten Eukanuba. Ah well, he hasnt lost any weight. He scared the crap out of me yesterday, he found a new hiding place, and I thought Tim had let him outside. I was about to panic when I noticed him way under the computer desk. WHEW!!! I could just hear Lynn now!!!

This week is Playhouse week, Things to do there, then next week Darling adorable daughter moves back home. SHe can help me get the office arranged, and go through all of the books and pitch 'em. Then while she is working I can paint, then another room will be done!!! AH... getting there...

Mother's Day! I was called by the ICSO at 9:00 this morning by Errant Son. Hey Mom, Happy Mothers day!!! I'm getting out tomorrow at 500 am can you pick me up? 500 AM!!!! ARE YOU NUTS!!!!!! STAY ANOTHER FEW HOURS!!!!!!!!!!!!!! nah, Ill pick you up. Then he will come home and work for me for a day or two, Get the garage cleaned up and then help me move the crap in my office. I need to get my office done, so I can get the Living area cleaned up. Then I can have people over.

It was such a nice day today. THe sun was out, the breeze was cool

I need to get off my Arse and get busy. I need to pack up all of the thousands of books that I have been hauling around all over the world, and get them GONE. Books are a downfall of mine. I was raised to believe that books were your best friends, and should always be treated with respect and honor. You do not get rid of your best friends, at least not on purpose. But I need to. They are taking over my life!!! I read voraciously, and keep every book I have read. Needless to say, they are stacked everywhere. I looked through them the other day, and there are so many, that I dont want to part with, but I NEVER look at them. Guess I need to just be ruthless and go for it. put them into commissary sacks, and take them to the thrift store. Don't look through them, just do it!! then I will have lots more room in my closets, my office, my bedroom and my garage!!! Yes, there are SOME I will keep for reference books, but most will be gone. Maybe I should just call the thrift store and have them come pick them up. I still have my Music Harmony book from my freshman year in college. That was in 1963!!! no words in this book, just notes of music. Page after page of notes. EGADS!!!!! I am sooooo sick.................

Whew!! Finished bedroom number 1! It has all the paint on the walls, the floor vac'ed, the windows washed, all extemporaneous crap out of it, and in the Living Room. Tomorrow Bob will help me move the secretary into the bedroom, and Tim's Rocker, then it will be closed off and kept clean until Chem moves back in again. (or not). I am anxious to get my office done. All the books and book cases out and the new computer desk in. THe walls painted, the windows washed, and the feeders hung at the window; then it will time for my bedroom. That one wont be so hard. The last one will be harder, the livingroom area is huge. Im still not certain what color to paint it, i'm thinking of a light mocha latte color. the base boards will be white. But then Im not sure about that either. If I make the base boards white, then I should make the door moldings white also huh? dang.

I hate decisions like that. I am not a decorator, I know what I like in other peoples houses, but I cant decide what I want in mine. I wish I was really really rich, so I could afford to pay someone to change my house around when ever I get a new bee in my bonnet. fun huh?

Thursday evening I went to a retirement party for Another one of the long time associates who decided to take advantage of the buy-out. It was really nice. All of the retirees were there, it was so nice seeing them again. hardly any of the current associates came, which wasnt such a good thing, but it was really great re-associating myself with the old friends.

When you spend your entire adult life driven by the need and the drive to succeed, you leave behind the innocence of old friends. You forget there was anything out there besides what you see around you. The associates you work with at the current time, you count as your friends, when they or you leave, you lose track of them. I did anyway. It was very good to see some of them again.

I am cat-sitting. My old boss has gone to see her daughter in North Carolina for two weeks, and I am lucky enough to have custody of ANDY for the duration. He is a Ragdoll, pointed and mittened. and what a bundle of energy!!! He is only 9 months old, and full of piss and vinegar. He has the entire household standing on its ear. He has not quite accepted the attentions of the house human yet. (that being me) He hisses and bites, but lays just out of reach and stares at me. He also lies in wait for Loki or Ethel to nonchalantly walk by and then he attacks!! FUNNY!!!

Speaking of funny, I was watching Lola this morning. I had purchased a squirrel feeder and food for her, thinking she would leave the bird feeder alone. Well she did finally discover it, and crawls INTO the feeder, and digs to the bottom of the corn and seeds to get to the peanuts still in the shell. She very carefully adjusts it in the front of her teeth with it sticking out the long way in front, then runs down the post, and up the fence and into the woods, then back again for more. (We must be going to have a hell of a winter if she is storing up already!) On one of these trips she noticed the sunflower seeds on the other feeder tray. She runs up the post,and onto the seed tray and JUMPS over to the sunflower trays. eats and then repeats the whole process. up to the feeder, digs for peanut, runs to woods, runs back up the seed feeder, over to the sunflower tray. etc. I was watching, and all of a sudden she mis-calculated the distance, landed on the glass table, which was covered with hulls, and slid right over the edge. She got up, shook herself off and looked around to make sure nobody saw her, and did it again. FUNNY!!!!

I am going to finish Chemystery's room today, and start on this office. I have to get the crap out of my living room! My quandry is what the hell to do with all of my books!! I have been keeping them for years, and it is really time to purge them. Where should I send them? The jail? the hospital? the Senior center? the Library? The dump? a garage sale? Oh I hate this...