Riding To The Reserve

Good evening.
Today was good. We rode down to the reserve for smokes. We had to detour due to construction, making the ride quite a bit longer than usual. It was windy and a bit chilly. I was wishing I had my earmuffs on my helmet. After picking up our smokes, we went for lunch. The food was good. We noticed people at another table smoking so I asked the waitress if we were allowed to smoke and she said "yeah, just grab an ashtray"! We couldn't believe it, its been years since we've been able to smoke in a restaurant. Thats one thing I miss, having a smoke while waiting for the food to arrive and right after eating. We felt like we were in another country lol.
So then we popped in at Six Nations Choppers. We see the sign but have never gone to check it out. There was no one there, but then a lady came over and said she was the owners wife. She took us inside and showed us all around. It was amazing. A very nice shop. She was very friendly and gracious and told us how it all started out from her husband watching Orange County Choppers on tv and as a hobby, then turned into a business. They were actually away working on opening their second location. We saw some awesome bikes in there. Besides building the choppers they also work on Harleys etc. And buying from them is tax free! It was cool, we're glad we stopped in, can't wait to see the new store and it was very nice to meet Flo.
We were gone most of the day. Little R was with friends getting ready for the 4-H competition tomorrow. I am trying to prepare myself for my oral surgery tomorrow. The closer it gets the more nervous I get. I'm so afraid of being knocked out! Even worse is knowing I won't be able to smoke or eat. But I am really trying to think positive, everything will be fine and I will be happy its over and happy once I have dentures and won't have to deal with another toothache ever again. And I'll be able to smile without worrying about how awful my teeth look. Though then I'm sure I'll be the one who spits out the teeth when I laugh or something lol. Anyhow, I sure hope I feel up to going to the competition tomorrow afternoon.
I took a few pictures today...

















Some farms do these displays every year, advertising the fall fair in their towns. Pretty imaginative. Amazing what some people can do with bales of hay lol.
Oh well, wish me luck tomorrow. Have a good night.

Got The Bike Back

Good evening.
After I finished cutting the grass I started weeding a much neglected garden and what did I find but a Nicotiana flower, also from last year and also dark pink. This is just getting weird.
We went down to the bike shop around closing time lol and got back home around 10:30. Hubby is happy with the work done. I even got a new leather in the deal hehehe. Just want to say "thanks you guys", for staying until it was done. There is an old saying...get er done...lol. While we were there I had the opportunity to meet another guy who is in my MSN Group. He seemed like a very nice guy.
We stopped for gas just around the corner from the bike shop. The price there was $.72 and its still $.88 up here. There were line ups. My windshield was a mess, seeing as we had a bit of a drive home and it was dark, I figured I better clean it. So I was doing that while Hubby ran in to pay. Well didn't some jerk waiting start yelling at me! He was totally ignorant, rude and obnoxious. Telling me to "do that tomorrow". Before I could say anything the guy on the other side of the pump I was at, started telling him to shut up, relax and called him an asshole! I thought that was cool lol. Unbeknownst to me, he then went in and told Hubby "some guy is out there harrassing your old lady" etc. Meanwhile I had moved my car, but the bike was right behind me and "buddy" still couldn't get at the pump anyway. When Hubby came out I told him "hey that guy is in a hurry". LOL He already knew about it and went right over and gave the jerk whatfor. The drive home was uneventful (and seemed quicker than when Hubby drove down there? lol) He thouroughly enjoyed his ride home.
Thats it, thats all. Have a good night.

Computer Issues

Good morning.
Its been nice to spend a couple of days at home. Hubby finally hooked up the new dishwasher. It really is "whisper quiet"! It works great, I love it. Little R hasn't been able to go walk Gem, it seems Gem has pneumonia! But she is supposed to be better by Friday for the Orangeville Fall Fair competition. I don't know what kind of condition I'll be in on Friday after having all those teeth pulled, I'd hate to miss a show. Haven't heard anything from the bike shop. Hubby will be so disappointed if he doesn't get the bike back before the weekend. I guess it can be a challenge to get parts for it since its so old. We've heard nothing but good things about this shop and the mechanic. I'm sure whenever we do get it back, he will have done an outstanding job on it. Apparently there were several members of the Group I'm in at the Whalen doo, some I've even met before lol. I didn't see any of them. Some people I talked to I didn't know they were members until after. I had to rejoin the Group, MSN did some changing and I lost my membership. I haven't gone near it since last Novemberish. It would be nice to have the bike back for the Trike-In this weekend, I hope I am up to going also. We always have such a good time there, great bunch of folks there.
I've been having computer issues which started yesterday. I do believe its the phone line. There seems to be static on the line which comes and goes. If I'm connected when it starts, I get disconnected. It has been a real pain. I keep getting disconnected out of the blue every few minutes. We called Bell and they can send someone out tomorrow. UGH.
Well, I'm off to finish cutting the grass. Started it Monday and still haven't done it all. Have a great day!

Whalen Show & Shine

Good afternoon.

We headed down to Brampton this morning to a Show & Shine at Whalen Custom Cycles. They did a very good job with it. There was a live band and they had TONS of prizes for the 50/50 draw. We won a free oil change. They also had a draw for a plasma tv. There was a pretty good turn out of people. Saw Critter and Petoonia with her new paint. We were thinking of entering our bike if we were able to roll it out of the shop lol, but it was up on the table half apart. I felt kind of silly there without a bike lol. We brought the dog and its the longest he's been away from home since we've had him. He was a little freaked out by all the noise of the band and bikes. It got very hot and muggy too. But we all had a good time.
I've been corrected...Deb won 3rd and 4th place yesterday not 3rd and 3rd. But hey, whatever, thats still excellent. We would have won best antique/vintage today if we had the bike going lol. Oh well, next time.
Heres a couple of pics, have a good night...

First of the Fall Fairs...Fun Wow!

Good evening!

Today was great! It was Little R's second time showing Gem. We headed out in the morning to the Palmerston Fall Fair. They did well. They do 2 rounds, the first round is for showmanship, the second round is all about the calf. They didn't win, but they still get an envelope with cash in it and a small ribbon for participating. In the first round they got bumped up a couple of places after the judge made his first choice! The judges seem to tend to do that...line them all up and then change some of their positions. So that was exciting, she went from 7th place to 5th place and in the second round she came in 6th. Not too shabby at all! Our friend D.W won 3rd place in both rounds! Way to go Deb! They both did very well, and there were 4 very proud parents in the audience, plus a beaming uncle/trainer lol!
It was a pretty small fair, didn't even have midway rides, but there was plenty of other things to see and do. It was more of an old-fashioned, true farmers county fair. There was an antique tractor show/competition, threshing, auctions, judging competitions of everything from produce and livestock to quilting, crafts, flowers and baking. Lots of homemade goodies to eat. We checked out the handmade windmills and lighthouses for sale, got the guys card and may go buy one later. I have the perfect spot for a windmill in the backyard lol. There was pony rides and helicopter rides!
I got stung by a bee AGAIN lol. Dam it hurts more now than when it happened.
Today was also the Poker Run and we did pass by some folks we know who did go, as we both passed through the same town at the same time and stopped for coffee. I don't mind too much that we missed it because we had a great time at the fair. Besides it was cloudy and cool, and threatening to rain most of the day.
They've all gone to a tractor pull this evening, I opted to stay home with my Bear. Poor guy has been left home alone a lot this week and I just didn't feel up to it, I'm a little tuckered out.
So here are a few pictures from today...

Good Evening...

Good evening.
Well I went...to see the oral surgeon that is. I'm glad I did. We had an $80 conversation. We made an appointment to go and get 10 teeth pulled. Of course I'll be knocked out for that. I can't believe that after all these years and all the money wasted on "saving" my teeth I'm finally doing this! Its the first step towards getting dentures. Obviously I'm scared shitless too. I'll just be so happy and relieved when its all over and done with and I can smile freely again.
Here are a couple of pictures of that surprise Gladiola...

A Stressful Week

Good morning.
I am supposed to go see an oral surgeon this morning. His office is down in the city but he comes up here once or twice a month and works out of my dentists office. I had an appointment with him up here on the 30th, but there was some mistake and it turns out he won't be here on the 30th. I honestly don't feel up to it today. I have had a very rough week. I've already had one IV this week, don't want another one just yet. I don't know...I think I'm going to call and have it put off. I'm too stressed out today.
Yesterday, as I was walking around the yard looking at my gardens, which have been neglected the last couple of weeks, I noticed I have one Gladiola blooming. I planted some 2 years ago but they never came up. Those are another flower which you have to dig up the bulbs in the fall, which I never did. So its odd that one would have survived and come up. It is a dark pink colour with white on the inside. I also found an Impatien blooming, also a dark pink colour, which I never planted. Strange. Today looks dark and rainy, so I will take more pictures when it gets sunny out again. Another Dahlia bloomed and this one is a deep, dark red colour, very nice colour I think. My pink rose is continuing to grow and bloom. It has gotten very tall. This is the tallest I've seen it get, so I guess moving it last year was a good thing to do. My Clematis got broken (sigh) so it hasn't done anything more. The Sedums (Autumn Joy or Autumn Glory) are starting to turn purple which is a sure sign of autumn. All of my hanging baskets are completely dead from lack of water oops. The hummingbird feeders need to be filled weekly. I just read somewhere that its the time of year that they start migrating and will eat a lot more, and this is when they need it most. Also you will see a lot more of them and this is true. I know there is still a good month left of summer weather, but it sure feels like fall.
We got an email from the bike shop, the bike won't be ready today, or even this weekend. So we won't be able to go on the Poker Run. There is a Show & Shine on Sunday at the shop, we may go to that. We could always roll the bike out and enter it LOL. Its too bad, Hubby was hoping to get some riding in while he was off work all this week. As for Little R's mini bike, she is banned from riding it for a few days as punishment for doing something she wasn't supposed to and then denying it. She rode it so much that first day, her wrist has been sore ever since lol.
There was a 4-H meeting last night. There is another show tomorrow at the Palmerston Fall Fair. Look forward to that. In fact it should be pretty steady now. Fall Fairs every weekend. This is what they practise for all summer. They can win lots of money at it. And they get into all the fairs for free. And its just good clean fun.
Big R got a puppy! A Peekapoo. Half Pekinese, half Poodle. I've just seen pictures, she just got her recently. Her name is Penelope. Haven't heard much from Big R at all lately. I miss her.










So there it is. Pretty cool eh? Well, I'm off to start my day. Keep changing my mind about the oral surgeon. Part of me wants to go and get it over with, part of me wants to take a day off from stress and just stay home today. I'll make up my mind at the last minute.
Have a great day!

First Calf Show!

Good evening.
What a couple of days we've had. Yesterday I had a doctor appointment in the morning. I got some scarey, potentially bad news there. I guess I will have to go to another doctor for more tests now. I was a little upset, but Hubby did his best to keep my mind off of it. He bought me a new dishwasher! Yay! Finally. And its a very good one. Then we went to the 4H show Little R was in, but it wasn't really a show until today. It was a camp over learning thing and then they had a show today. When we got there, we found the kids by themselves, just the 2 girls and their calves. We were not impressed that they were just dropped off and left on their own and that again there was no one from their club there. Off we went to get some camp chairs and munchies and cold drinks for them. That seemed to lift their spirits. Unfortunately, Hubby and I know nothing about the calves or the shows so didn't know what else to do, except hang out with the girls and be supportive. We had to be back there at 4:30 this morning! So we came home and went right to bed and set the alarm for 3 a.m. There we were back at 4:30 a.m. I didn't get any sleep, as hard as I tried, as much as I wanted to sleep, my mind would not cooperate. I had also had a filling come out yesterday so that was bugging me. And there is something wrong with my right leg or hip which really bugged me all night. So, today was a very long day. It was a learning experience for all 3 of us. For sure we will be switching clubs for next year. We even talked to some people about that while we there. Little R didn't win, but it was her very first show. She did do very well and you wouldn't have guessed it was her first time from seeing her. She did get a brush (for brushing the calf lol) and an envelope with $10, consolation prizes I guess. All in all it was a fun, stressful, exciting, learning experience for all of us. The pictures I took aren't the greatest, but here are a couple of them anyways...

























Have a good night...I know I'll sleep like a baby lol.

Today

Good evening.
This morning I was up very early because I had an appointment for 9:30 and couldn't eat or drink anything for 3 hours prior. I had to have at least one coffee! Then we drove to Guelph Hospital. We got there an hour early, so we walked around down town a bit to kill some time. I was there for a CT Scan. When I was asked to sign a consent form is when I realized I would have to have an IV and be injected with dye, and that there was a slight risk of being allergic to the dye. Well of course this all got me a little upset. I thought I was there for a simple xray type of thing, wasn't expecting that. But I signed and went ahead with it, as it was explained that a severe reaction was quite rare, and the reason I need the CT Scan in the first place, checking for aneurysms, was something worth finding out. It was a freaky experience. I'm glad its over with.
On the way home, Hubby stopped to look at mini bikes and dirt bikes for sale. For a 1986 ratty looking thing the guy wouldn't budge on the price at all, so Hubby decided to look around. We stopped at Canadian Tire. They had just what we were looking for, the perfect mini bike for Little R, and the price was much less than that guy was asking for the old ratty thing! When Hubby made the purchase we were delighted to get another $100 off the price, not sure why, end of the season maybe. So we got a brand new mini bike for half the cost buddy down the road was asking for an old 1986. Amazing. Needless to say she loves it, she was on it all day. I never even knew she and Hubby had discussed it before and that she wanted one. Speaking of bikes, Hubby broke down and put ours in the shop for some TLC. We went with a new place which just opened this year. Hubby happens to know one of the guys who works there. We should be getting it back this week sometime. Again this shop seems good, the people are very cool and the prices are reasonable.
I've started putting together my Christmas shoe boxes for Samaritans Purse. I am getting frustrated with it. I just want to give these kids everything and everything just does not fit into a shoe box. I even called the 1-800 number with a couple of questions and found out there is no weight limit or anything, lol,and they basically won't refuse any donations. So far I've completed 3 boxes and they are bulging lol. I even had to leave out a couple of things grrrrr, they simply would not fit in, I couldn't squeeze another thing into these boxes. So I will end up with stuff left over, but will just put it away for next year, oooor, buy a few more things and make up more boxes. I'm surprised how difficult its been to get my hands on large empty shoe boxes. Next year I think I may just buy plastic boxes at the dollar store, which are also acceptable. At any rate, Hubby, Little R and myself are having great fun doing this, wrapping the boxes, shopping for the stuff to fill them and then packing them. It is a wonderful family activity. And its a great feeling to be able to help out the less fortunate kids around the world. I really wish I could do more.
Little R and Gem will be doing their first 4H show tomorrow! How convenient that Hubby is home all week so we can go together to watch and cheer them on. This should be fun. Check for pictures tomorrow lol.
Good night.

Just Weirdness

Good morning.
Last night was just weird. The three of us went to town, had a little shopping spree. When we got back home and let the dog out, he took off. The three of us were out there looking for him. He was visiting, a couple of doors down, and they didn't bother sending him on his way. After everything that just happened with that other dog, we can't have him running around the neighbourhood. Lately whenever I get to shop its always just before closing time and I get rushed, I hate that. I end up making bad purchases. I think we are finished with back to school stuff. I don't remember having to buy all this stuff when I was in school. I can't stand the styles of most of the girls clothes out there.
We were hanging out in the driveway, chatting with some neighbours and it was just weird. Everything seems weird around here lately. D.A came over, quite intoxicated, it was all weird, very awkward. Whats done is done, and things just aren't the same around here. Its a shame, its too bad, but I'm not the one who needs an attitude adjustment. To his credit, he did come over here and he did try, but he was smashed. It may have been different and less awkward had he been sober. I'm sincerely hoping that in time things can go back to somewhat normal around here. Meanwhile, its just all weird.
The Poker Run is next weekend and it looks like we won't be going. We were planning to go, then talking about it last night we decided we have better ways to spend our time, like getting on with fixing up the house. There is always next year. The bike is in no shape for it. Its making a funny noise now. Hubby was going to take it to a shop today, but again there is so much else to do. The dog needs to go to the vet. Everything is in different towns. We'd spend half the day driving from town to town. The following weekend is the Trike-In, which is just down the road and always fun. Since we don't have a trike, but have friends in the trike club, we usually putt over and hang out. I guess its no biggie to drive over rather than ride this year.
This was not a good summer for me. Weather-wise it was awesome. But I am not a happy camper. I have issues. Hopefully by the end of 2006, some things will be taken care of and straightened out and some stress will be alleviated.
Hard to believe the summer is almost over and school starts up in a couple of weeks. As bad as it was for me, it flew by.
This new computer is great. Sadly its just as slow as the old one, due to being on dial up. I really have no clue what its capable of, haven't even hooked everything up yet. Though it is loaded with new stuff, I miss my old stuff lol. I hope it rains today. Have a nice day.

Dog Fight!

Good afternoon.
So there's Little R, taking the dog for a walk and another dog runs out to attack our dog. Of course it scares the heck out of her and freaks her out, so she does the right thing and lets go of the leash. I wouldn't want her to try to get in the middle of it and get hurt! The owner of the other dog comes out and starts yelling at her that she needs to "control that dog"! Then he kicks our dog! The nerve! Our dog was the one on a leash buddy. And you may not know how your dog is when no one is home, because you aren't there to see it, but I wouldn't be the first one to say, I'm afraid he may come right through that window! YOU need to control YOUR dog pal. For whatever reason, these two dogs go nuts over each other, but the other one is the aggressor. They are both neutered males.
The bad news is, Little R did something to my computer. The good news is, I got a new one! Yay! Its awesome, it rocks.
Hubby is taking a much needed holiday from work next week. Looking forward to that. Maybe between naps we can get some things done around here hehe.
Have a lovely weekend.

Cat Fight!

Good morning.
Another late night for me, been a lot of those lately. It must be the full moon.
Speaking of cats...the other day I'm sitting at the computer and all of a sudden I hear all this screeching and thumping, its a cat fight, sounds like its right outside the window where I'm sitting. I go out to investigate and there they are, two cats, up on my roof! They just happened to be near the spot that I have a hummingbird feeder hanging...hmmmm. One of them, the apparent aggressor, was the one I wanted to adopt and the other one for sure lives across the street. Well, then a neighbour comes over, after hearing all the commotion from over at their place, and asks if I want him to get his pellet gun! I was quite shocked that he would shoot cats...on my roof no less! LOL Nooooo, he was just going to scare them off with it, duh. It turned out, all he had to do was shout at them and they both took off their seperate ways and jumped right off the roof. And theres me in my nightgown holding a broom and my neighbour with his pellet gun, when another neighbour drove by and just kind of looked at us funny and shook her head LOL.
When Hubby and I took the dog for a walk this evening, I saw two shooting stars as soon as I walked out the door! Very cool. I kept watching for more after that but didn't see any more.
Other than that, things have been pretty quiet and uneventful around here. I've been neglecting my gardens. It was so hot for so long, so much rain too, and now its been quite cool out. It looks like my Easter Lillies may bloom, I think I see flower buds coming up. Most of my hanging baskets are pretty much dead. I tend to forget to water them and they don't get the rain because they are hanging under the eaves. I have great plans for next year already!
Well, I think I may be getting sleepy enough to go to bed (at 4 a.m sheesh). Sweet dreams...

Sigh...

Good evening.
I went to bed over an hour ago and just woke with a start. Not sure why. I think it could be the full moon.
I once asked the neighbours what their big problem with dog poo is. It seems to me, its no different than cat poo, or bird poo or rabbit poo or any other kind of poo you may come across in your yard. And that its no big deal to clean it up just like anything else when you're cleaning up your yard. The answer I got was, that they just don't like to have to pick it up. So now I would have to ask, if they don't like to pick it up to get rid of it, why don't they mind picking it up to throw it in our yard? I think I know the answer, its obvious. I think the answer is, because they are petty jackasses who just want something to complain about. Just because they don't have a dog but we do, every dog poo they see MUST belong to our dog, even though there are lots and lots of dogs around, and they ALL get loose at times. We don't have a cat, but they do. So what should I do when I find my gardens dug up? When I find cat poo in my gardens? When I find dead things and headless birds in my yard? Should I dig up THEIR gardens? Should I fling the poo and dead things in THEIR yard? Maybe I SHOULD, but I probably won't, because I'm not a petty jerk. I just clean up my own yard and don't worry about where these things come from, or who to blame. They seem to invent excuses to justify their petty asinine behaviour. I just think the fact that they won't pick up dog poo and put it in the garbage or wherever, but they will pick it up to throw it in our yard, speaks loud and clear.
Good night and sweet dreams.

Good morning!

Good morning.
I'm a little sore this morning. We went riding again on Monday and I got a sunburn in parts not previously kissed by the sun. We went to a few more yard sales. We discovered a town we had never been to before.
On Sunday Hubby told me I need a new helmet and we were going to look for one. I didn't see any I liked, and frankly I like the one I have. But I did want to find a solution to the buckle irritating my skin, (remember my metal allergy?), I didn't want to have to do another year with a scarf wrapped around my helmet strap. I bought and tried a $20 "Hair Glove" and it works! Its just a leather sleeve with snaps, meant to go around a ponytail. I put it on the strap, after I do up my helmet I slide it over the buckle and I'm good to go! It looks a little funny, but not nearly as funny as the scarf I think. Hubby is so happy to have the bike back on the road, he rode to work this morning. I hope they aren't calling for rain or anything.
Little R got home so late last night we were already in bed and didn't get a chance to talk to her. So I don't know how the 4H competition went yesterday. We didn't bother going because she wasn't participating. She went to observe and learn. But her friend D.W did compete.
All in all, we had a lovely long weekend. Hubby told me several times how much he enjoyed himself. It really was fun riding around, just the 2 of us. Not having to worry about what the rest of a group wants to do. And again the bike started up every time and ran like a charm. As always we met some interesting people in our travels. And we got some excellent deals at yard sales. We got a tripod for my camera for $10. Now we can get some pictures of us together! I got another pile of books. I picked out a pile of movies and then realized we no longer have a VCR lol. But I plan on getting another one anyways. We were pretty limited in what we could buy because we were on the bike. We had the saddlebags crammed full. We did see a lot of stuff that we could have used and would have bought if we were in the truck or car. Oh well, a lot of places were actual antique barns and stuff that will be there the next time we're out too. It seems like a lot of people have permanent yard sales going lol.
I picked a few more tomatoes from our garden. The green peppers don't seem to grow as fast as the tomatoes.
Today will be dedicated to housework. I'm going to stay inside, keep out of the sun and heat, catch up on my soaps, and get the house cleaned up.
Have a great day!

Sore And Sunburnt Euphoria

Good evening!
What a fabulous day! I guess I needed to get my butt back in the saddle. The bike ran like a charm! Our ride was awesome! It was our first real putt this season, it was quasi-long, my ass was so sore, but it was one of the best rides we've ever had! It was perfect (since there is no such thing as perfection, it was as close to perfect as it could have been). It was a very hot day. We both got sunburnt. We are sore and stiff, but it was so worth it. No pressure, no agenda, no time restriction or itinerary, nobody else to worry about, nobody elses plans. Just us, our bike and the road. We did have a destination, but it wasn't a MUST. We took our time, made a few stops. It was fabulous! We were gone all day. We met another couple while stopped at a Timmys, who were very cool people and had a very cool bike. They had a new seat, with air-ride! Very cool. After we got back home, Hubby took Little R to town for Iced Cappacino, and then to the farm. We had a lovely family evening together, then Little R went for a sleepover. I feel all warm and fuzzy lol.
There is this cat who's been hanging around here. The first time I noticed it, was the night of a very bad storm a few weeks ago and it was sitting in the ditch behind the house, looking all scared and pitiful. I may have even mentioned it here back then. I decided that night I wanted to rescue it, and even had Hubby out in the storm trying to find it. I'm allergic to cats and have never really liked them much. There was just something about this one...He didn't find it that night, but agreed if it came back we could keep it. We even bought cat food the next time we went shopping lol! Anyhow, I see it around all the time but it never comes near me. I now believe it belongs to the folks across the street from us. For one thing thats usually where I see it. Earlier this evening, it was sitting in the driveway across the street, under their pick-up truck. Bear was in our garage. I started trying to call it over, Bear heard me and came out to investigate, then he spied the cat. He started creeping over to it, I kept calling him back and he kept inching his way across the street. Finally he went over and I was freaking, not knowing what would happen, telling him NO, and being ignored. He went right up to it and it didn't flinch. He sniffed at it, walked around it, sniffed some more and trotted back home, content, his curiousity satisfied! I couldn't believe it, this cat didn't bat an eye! I thought for sure they would attack each other, it was an amazing thing to watch. I was so proud of him for being so well behaved, no aggression. And just amazed at how the cat just sat there and ignored him sniffing at it.
Sitting outside, while Hubby and daughter were out for their scoot, and as dinner cooked, all was right with the world. The sun was shining, the birds were singing, a radio playing in someones garage, children playing and laughing, the older kids riding dirt bikes in the field, it was like sitting in the middle of "Pleasantville". The hummingbirds were at my feeder one right after another. Even the cats and dogs were getting along lol, I got to feeling a little euphoric! It was one of those days when there was nowhere else in the world I would rather be.
And so, have a pleasant night.

What Funk?

Greetings...its after midnight...Today was long. It started out happy and good, got a little bitchy and tense for a while, then it ended up happy. The Hubby got the bike ready for a ride tomorrow. He tuned it up, cleaned it up, put some new mirrors on and put in a new battery. So we're good to go. I'm a little apprehensive (of course) because we haven't rode much at all since last season, and tomorrows ride will be kind of long. I'm sure we'll be fine. Just worrying about Hubbys back.
We ended up in emerg. again last night (surprise!). This time it was for Little R. She's had this horrible barking cough for a couple of weeks. It was getting steadily worse. I had made an appointment with the doctor, but couldn't get one until next week. Last night her chest was starting to hurt from all the coughing, and it just couldn't wait until Tuesday. So off we went. In and out within an hour and a half. It was busy. So whatever it is, it was started by some virus and is now just a lingering irritation and they gave her a prescription for it.
Anyhow, the three of us spent the day together, which was nice. We got a little bit of 'back to school' shopping done. We cleaned the bike together. We had to go shopping for parts and whatnot. We hung out together at home, I got a bit of weeding done. Got all the grass cut on Friday.
Last week when Little R went to visit my nephews family, she got stung by a bee. I got stung by a bee today. Man it stings. Not as bad as the time I stepped on one and it stung my foot though lol.
I was going through my bargain box of books and I did get 40 for $1. We stopped at one yard sale in our travels today and I got a couple of old childrens books, not in very good condition, but, quite old. One of them is another Laura Ingalls Wilder, in paperback and poor condition, but I just want to read it lol.
One of my bargain books happens to be "How To Stop Worrying And Start Living". I've skimmed through it a bit and I know all this stuff. Positive thinking. Lately I seem to have forgotten how to do that. But its all coming back to me.
I'm sorry I've been so miserable and negative lately. I'm done now I think. I had it down pretty good there for a while. Just think happy thoughts and you'll feel happy. It really does work.
This Monday, there is a 4H competition where Little R can do her thing showing Gem. She keeps changing her mind. She doesn't feel ready. But their motto is 'learn to do by doing'. I'm hoping by Monday she will decide to go for it. I'm sure the first time is a little scary but all the more reason to just get the first time out of the way right.
We are planning to go to Wonderland at some point. Neither Little R nor Hubby have ever been there. I'm afraid it may be too much walking for Hubby. And the thought of my daughter on those rides doesn't thrill me. But I'm trying to think happy thoughts lol.
I picked 3 more tomatoes today!
Well I seem to be pulling myself out of this latest funk, I'm glad. So is my family I'm sure lol.
Have a great night.

The Angry Gardener

Good morning...
I know I sound like a very angry person sometimes, ok, a lot of the time, and thats probably because I am. But honestly, I TRY to be happy. What I don't understand is, where is all the empathy? I've been told that I have no empathy. I do, but I've made a conscious effort not to show it to certain people out of anger towards them. Its a matter of you don't have it for me so why should I have it for you? Again, all I can say is, walk a mile in my shoes.

It seems the rain has finally passed and we may actually be in for a nice weekend. Its a long weekend. How weird it feels to have no plans. I'm sure we'll keep busy.

I took more pictures of that Dahlia, the bloom keeps growing.





I used the flash in the first picture which makes it look kind of pink in colour. But what beautiful flowers they are! They will have to be put in different gardens next year due to how large they are.

Today will be dedicated to cutting the grass. I had started it the other day just before the storm hit. We ate one of our tomatoes with dinner last night and it was yummy.

Ok, I'm off, the grass won't cut itself. Have a lovely day!

I Can't See The Pasture For All The Damn Sheep

Good afternoon...
Well that was quite the little storm last night. Amazingly the power only flickered off long enough to screw up the clocks and whatnot, it didn't stay off. We were out in it for a while, watching the clouds, looking for funnel clouds. Woohoo! The wind was whipping at times. I haven't read the news to see if there were any touchdowns, I hope not.
I must say the idea of moving is looking better all the time. I have come to realize I am surrounded by sheep. I did touch on this in my previous, but since deleted, posts. The whole "follow the leader" crap. What a bunch of lemmings. And highly educated sheep/lemmings at that! Handing out diagnoses and counselling, LMFAO.
Man, I so deeply wish I could control the universe. I wish I could stop all the things from happening, which I had no control over, that have formed the person I am. I wish I could be plastic and pretend to be perfect, so that all the world would think I was perfect and would like me. Puleez.
You know what folks? Don't pretend to care, when you don't. Don't pretend to understand, when you don't. Just be real. Be the self-righteous, judgemental jackasses that you are. Whatever gets you through the night you know.
Ouch. Isn't it true that you're just not the same if you don't have someone, ANYONE, to look down upon? To feel superior to? Unfortunately, I've known many a sheep in my life. I've seen the end results too LOL, the CRASHnBURN baby, when the REAL WORLD lands in YOUR backyard. The real universe where you have no control over the events which transpire. I was just a lucky one who got to experience things before my time. And yes, I would agree, that we are the masters of our own fate, BUT, there truly are things over which we have no control. It is the accumulation of life events which forms the people we are, the way we think, the way we view the world.
It is so funny to me, (I really do laugh out loud when I think about it), that of the ACTUALLY EDUCATED IN THE FIELD people I have spoken to, all on my own, without the helpful advice of any sheep, they have all told me the same things: I am strong, if not, I wouldn't be here today; I am intelligent, if not, I wouldn't be here today;and, I do quite nicely in life, all things considered, thank you very much.
Its a shame there seems to be more sheep/lemmings/jackasses in the world than strong, intelligent people. Who knows, the world may be a better place otherwise.
I'm going to do some dishes now...YUK...

Midnight Ramblings

Greetings....
Its 1:30 a.m, I just can't sleep again. Its too hot even with the a/c going. I was asleep...I think the dog woke me up. I took him out. Another thing about living here which I never experienced in the city is the stars! Its unreal. Who knew there were so many? The Little Dipper is right there in your face when you walk out the front door. Also, the quiet! It is so quiet and peaceful out there, its surreal. I LOVE it. I only wish it was a weekend so I could go wake the Hubby up, make him a cup of coffee and drag him outside with me. Why have it if we can't enjoy it once in a while?

Little R did come home with Hubby today. I'm glad. Its a little hard to believe the summer is half over. Why does winter seem to last forever and summer is gone in a flash? I must admit I like the fall. Or I used to anyways. I guess really I like all the seasons. How boring it would be without the changes of seasons.

I am so fucking depressed, all I can do is cry. Anything I think about brings on a flood of tears. Nothing, absolutely nothing, not one single thought, brings a smile or a feeling of joy or happiness. Nothing feels 'right'. It feels like my universe is off, slanted, everything is slightly atilt. Its bizarre. I HATE it. Is it just PMS? Sometimes I believe that. Maybe its menopause... As if to prove it isn't just my PMS but really the universe, my cd holder keeps popping open, out of the blue, all on its own, for no apparent reason. And then it won't close. Maybe its the heat and humidity. I seem to recall humidity making one of my old computers act up. And really, this computer isn't new. Sigh.

Well God bless Lorazepam...it keeps me calm, it helps me sleep. I think I'll take one right now and go lie down and read. I picked two tomatoes from our garden today! I wasn't sure if it was too soon or what, they are almost ripe. Hubby says put them in the dark and they will ripen. Can't wait to eat them. My very own fresh homegrown tomatoes...Again amazing the silly little things that do excite me sometimes. I'm insane.

Did I mention we got this spray from S.W (Thank You!) for removing skunk odor? I've been putting it on the dog, but his face still reeks. When you get a good whiff of it, its nauseating. He must have got it directly in the face, poor guy. On the bottle it tells you to put it in his nostrils too. I'm going to put it on him again tomorrow. It says it may take a few applications. Amazingly no one could smell it in the house the other day. Its just when you get close to his face that the smell is strong.

I guess its easy to feel depressed in the wee hours, alone. I already feel a little better just thinking about things to look forward to. There is plenty to look forward to! Little R finally received her 4H Club membership card in the mail today. That is her free ticket into all the Fall Fairs. That is really something to look forward to isn't it? It will be awesome to see her showing Gem. I hope she does well. I hope she enjoys it! Then theres back to school to look forward to. My favourite part is the shopping! Hard to believe she is going into grade 8! When I was a kid, my life did not seem to go as fast as my kids' lives have gone. And then theres Thanksgiving, where I will try to put together a big family doo and my family will not co-operate and I'll be all hurt and upset and missing the good old days and fall into a depression. My birthday falls around the same time as Thanksgiving, getting old, something else to get upset about. Then comes Halloween. We like to have a good time then, but Little R is nearing the age of too old for trick or treating. I think this will be her last year for that. We like to decorate the front of the house and dress up and have a good time with it. Its been strange here. We get plenty of trick or treaters, but we always end up with a ton of candy left over. I don't think we get as many as we thought we get. I think after this year, we'll let Little R have a party rather than going trick or treating. And maybe put our efforts into more elaborate decorating. Then comes the dreaded Christmas. That used to be my all time most favourite time of year. It has become the biggest pain, stressful, depressing, emotional, disappointing time. I used to get manic. I shopped until the very last minute. I wanted my kids to get everything they could possibly want or need under the tree. But I found I was always surrounded by people who are miserable at Christmas. It didn't used to be that way. I used to be around people who wanted to celebrate and share the peace, joy and love. Not so these days. Again, too, because my family has dwindled down so much, there isn't much family to be around. I really miss having Big R. She comes up, but doesn't stay long enough. It breaks my heart every year when she leaves. That I do not look forward to. I have had this obsession around Christmas of 'traditions'. I think its time to try something new. Of course I always go through this big thing of missing my Mom at that time. She loved Christmas. I still remember the big family dinners. None of those people are with us any more. I'm not sure what I'm going to do differently this year, besides try to tone down on the money spent. (Somehow I can't even imagine that really happening). I don't know....sigh. Here it is the beginning of August and I'm thinking about Christmas already. I like to be prepared! LOL.

Ok I think I'm done babbling, my pill is kicking in nicely. Hope you're all having sweet dreams. Until later....

More Photos

Heres another shot of the Dahlia plant, a Hydrangea (Snowball Bush) which seems to be hurting, this thing is 2 or 3 years old and tiny. And a tomato turning red in my tiny vegetable garden. And a Sedum (Autumn Joy or Autumn Glory), the "flowers" turn burgundy in the fall.

Photos

Good morning.
Heres some photos. This is my sister, my dad and my hubby.




And here is Big R, my great-nephew, my dad and my nephew.




And here is Big R and her guy.





And this is the Dahlia, given to me by a nieghbour.





This plant is huge, I had no idea it would get so big. They have to be dug up in the fall, stored over winter, then planted again in the spring. There are many flowers on each plant. When the neighbour gave them to me she told me they don't bloom until September-October...hmmmm. Maybe she was talking about the other bulbs she gave me which are Canna Lillies. Again I have no idea what to expect from them and they have to be dug up in the fall also.

Have a good day, its gonna be another scorcher.