UNTETHERED -- GUINEA FOWL A' GO GO

With Bonnie's encouragement, I have started moving around, intent on getting some of this weight off. My stationary bicycle became too boring, so we sprung for a high priced bike at a yard sale last week and for $8.00 I have become untethered. I have not ridden a bicycle since I was about ten years old and it was a shaky venture at first. Little by little it is coming back to me and the workout feels great. Now I need to name this bargain bike. Suggestions please and I will work out a prize for the winning name.


I have a plan as we take another run at raising Guinea Fowl again. We purchased 20 keets at the poultry swap meet last week. Some are 3 weeks old and the rest are six weeks old. We're not trusting them to any mother other than ME. Starting Wednesday we will let one or two of the older keets out of the cage. We know they will stay close to the others and we know they are too big already for the bigger Guinea female to kill. Little by little we will turn one or two more out until they are comfortable in the hen house.

Why would I try this again? Because I believe if I can build a large enough herd of Guinea Fowl, we can trust them to serve as guard patrol and keep predators away. Then I can add some laying hens to our chicken flock.

Tomorrow our California boys come for a visit. Needless to say, I shall be busy for the next seven or eight days. When I return, I will update you on the bike name, the Guinea Fowl progress, the bridge progress and wonderful tales of the visit from Ian and his buddy Kenneth. Meanwhile, let me suggest a movie for you to watch. If you haven't seen TAKING CHANCE with Kevin Bacon, you must. Let me warn you, it is a "two sock" movie.

Well, there is a second contest. The first is to name the bike. The second is to see who can remember what the phrase "two sock" movie means to me.

NO BOREDOM ALLOWED

If you have spare time this weekend and you can't find many new posts, take a look at some of these posts that are already out there.

Blunt Delivery will have you choking with laughter.

Read this entry of Joey's Pad, read the comments, then read his response that follows.

Kenju at Imagine has a delightful picture and story.

And a delightful, unusual Colorado wedding can be found at Ralph's Homespun Headlines.

MORE FROM THE EVENING DRIVE

WE HOPE EVERYONE HAS A GREAT WEEKEND!

July and August, 2009 progress

May, 2009 Bridge Replacement starts

BRIDGE SAGA

Remember the flooding two years ago that took out our historic iron bridge? Above you see the first picture taken 7/3/07 showing the water reach the bottom of the bridge and people gathered on the bridge despite warnings. The second picture taken 7/4/07 shows the water and debris destroying the bridge. Even after the metal buckled and the boards washed away, people have continued these two years to bypass roadblocks and venture out to fish. Now the bridge is being replaced.

GIVE ME A NOD AND A SMILE

Do you like to be acknowledged when you are awaiting customer service? We fill most of our prescriptions via mail but occasionally we have to fill a prescription locally. We stopped using pharmacy services from Walgreen's because they were rude and made too many errors. We started using a local pharmacy and have been pleased overall.

This drug store is well staffed. They have 3 to 4 Pharmacists on duty all the time as well as 5 to 6 Pharmacy clerks on duty all the time. My complaint is their lack of recognition when I approach their drive-window or even the counter inside. You do not know if they realize you are there. Outside I do not want to honk, but I will rev my engine hoping someone will look up and nod, so I know they know I'm there. At the counter I will cough but they still won't look. Even though they are busy at the moment, how much could it slow them down to simply look at me and smile?

Yesterday I sat in their drive in lane for ten minutes and stared inside to see them all looking away from me. Suddenly a young clerk came running to the microphone with a big smile on her face and I thought finally. Only she was yelling at grandma who had just pulled up on the lane next to me. They had a long, personal conversation and then grandma drove away. The clerk did not even acknowledge me as I awaited another five minutes for someone to ask what they could help me with.

Maybe this pharmacy and a few other companies you might know, need to add a personnel position. Why not create a job for a Nodder and Smiler.

CALIFORNIA AMBASSADOR

Our second oldest grandchild, Ian, will visit next week from California. His siblings and his mom are caught in other activities so Ian is the only one who can travel right now. He is bringing a friend named Kenneth. It will be nice to meet Kenneth and it will be wonderful to see Ian. We have not seen any of our California kiddos in a year.

Gramps is looking forward to having two strong backs to help him next week. Ian knows what to plan on since he has worked here before but we're not sure if Kenneth will be prepared. Regardless it will be a trip for both boys to remember and it will certainly fill our hearts. I can't wait to start putting plates of bacon, toast and (more) eggs in front of these growing 17 year old young men.

This seems to be the only picture I have of Ian by himself. I'll be taking a lot more next week. This ROTC photo is two years old.

HOT OFF THE PRESSES

There are my amazing kittens in the chicken nest on page 72 of COUNTRYSIDE MAGAZINE, Sept/Oct. 2009 issue. I was very pleased that they printed my pictures and short essay regarding this fun finding in my hen house. Most of you probabaly remember the story and I still have the original photo on my sidebar.

MORE THAN A PRETTY FACE

You all know that I depend on Adam at THE JACK SACK to keep me updated on 24. Well, he also happens to be a fine writer on other subjects and I hope you will follow the links to his current post. First here is my comment:

Adam, this is excellent! I am not a sports fan (unless my grandchildren are on the field) but I watched Michael Vick signing his new contract and I sat in amazement at what was taking place. I believe in this post you have said it for old befuddled people like me and for regular sports fans and for all who did not have the "Benjamins" to buy their way out of a legal hassel and/or criminal act. May I have your permission to link to this post on my blog?

And Adam said:

Thank you, Annie. I would be honored by your sharing this with your readers.

So dear readers, go read this.

MY CHECKBOOK IS IN FRONT OF ME

Most of our household bills are paid online. Our electric bill for our primary residence is paid by check. It is one of very few checks I write these days. I've put the one for July off to the last minute because it is HUGE.


The air conditioning in our home is adequate as long as the outside temperatures are 90 degrees or below. Once we get in the 95 degree range, we might as well be pouring dollars down the toilet. Our AC runs constantly and I have fans situated around the house but it still seems extremely hot.

I do have multiple fat rolls over my body that collect sweat while I am slumped in a chair. When I stand, droplets will run from strangely creased areas and actually help with momentary cooling.

Was that TMI?

Just write the damn check.

MAKE THE CONNECTION

Have you seen The Ageless Project? I found many blog friends there. The primary rule for signing up is to provide your birth date. It has been a long time since I signed up so I'm not sure of the current rules for joining but I found out about it originally from my newspaper when blogging was a relatively new thing.

Have you ever seen The Ageless Project?
Are you a member of The Ageless Project?

(Visiting the ageless project today I learned that many of the bloggers have not posted since 2006. Where did they go?)

LOSING GROUND

(click to vote) VOTE FOR COURTNEY!

We are running out of time and her number is bouncing between 35 and 38. Let's all jump in today (the final day I think) and push Courtney's great photograph of her brother Taylor over the top of the competition. She is a very talented photographer and the daughter of the equally talented Jamie Dawn of Jamie Dawn's Mindless Blather.

(click to vote) VOTE FOR LUCKY!

We have more time to vote for Dana's dog Lucky in the Cute Dog competition. I didn't enter Slim because she would have knocked the other dogs out of the running and besides I want to support my friend Dana of Life Is Good.

You can vote daily on each of these sites. I am pretty sure today or tomorrow will be the last day for Courtney. Lucky has got quite a few days left for you to vote.

MY REALITY SHOW

This reality program is called "Dealing with the heat". I am on the den couch watching TV and/or movies while Slim guards the chickens by peeking out the curtains. Slim loves to perch behind me on the couch and we think she may be confused by her feline side:) What is your Reality Show about?

YOURS TO COMPLETE

This fun Meme is from Sammy's blog and she got it from Diane's blog. It is a good one, so help yourself if you want to do it and then mention in the comments so we can read yours too.

1.] How come I can never find: a ball cap or one of my wigs. I try to keep three ball caps ready with one by each door. It never fails that someone will come to the door and I won’t have on a wig and can’t find one single ball cap!!!

2.] I wish I'd never started: drinking white wine with pineapple sherbet.

3.] I wonder why: my spouse pretends not to hear me when we are in the same room but hears me fine if I’m whispering in another room?

4.] Mama always told me: never wear underwear with holes because I might be in an accident and need to be taken to the hospital.

5.] There's this one thing in my closet that I just can't seem to get rid of: the heart pillow that Ron was given to hug each time he had to cough after his triple by-pass.

6.] My favorite guilty pleasure is: Sorry, blog is not properly rated for answer?

7.] I always forget to: put everything back in the right compartment of my purse.

8.] I have never: stolen one thing in my life and believe that is normal but some persons find it strange.

9.] I'm obsessed with: plans to start exercising.

10.] One of my favorite memories is: Going with my son and daughter to the park after church on Easter Sunday and taking photographs among the gorgeous flowers.

MORE WEEKEND PHOTOS

I just wanted to add more random photos from our neat weekend visit to my daughter's new home. No Nancy, we did not take Slim. My daughter doesn't have a fenced yard yet.

Let me add an update about Michael's visit with us. (Remember we kidnapped him and brought him back with us). He has enjoyed computer time, drawing time and inventing time. He made a working crossbow out of wooden skewers, tape, rubberbands and a sewing needle. He painted our fence posts, worked on the porch, helped me in the house. We call him our indentured servant. His mother and Hope will come tonight then they will leave tomorrow and take Michael away! Boo Hoo Hoo!

For your information, David and Goliath (the kittens born in the chicken nest) are doing very well. Goliath is especially funny because he and Slim (our dog) are best friends and put on quite a show most mornings.

Mr. Gibson is definitely a rooster as he sports a nice red comb already. Chicklet is still in question and we're hoping she is a hen because the coyote is depriving us of our hens almost daily. Sad to say Rebecca did not survive her third adventure outside the chicken house. Last night their mother, Elenore Hen, took Mr. Gibson and Chicklet onto the roost for their bedtime.

Who killed the guinea fowl keets? We blamed a snake but caught the female adult guinea in the action of doing the deed. Sadly she got all twelve before we solved the crime.

My living room is complete (except for a few things we have to do) and it is lovely. The only problem with redecorating one room -- you want to do all the rooms!

TURNPIKE TRAVEL

RON AND KIT RELAX BEFORE THE OTHER GUESTS ARRIVE

MY MICHELLE (CHELLE), ME IN THE MIDDLE, MY ONE "L" MICHELE. I FEEL LIKE I RAISED BOTH THESE GIRLS.

MY CHELLE AND HER HOPE. NO WAY IS HOPE MINE -- SHE IS HER MAMA'S.

CHELLE AND KIT'S BEAUTIFUL NEW HOME.

Chelle, Kit, Mike and Hope moved from Missouri to Oklahoma. Since we live in Oklahoma, you would think they would be living closer to us. Not true. Our trip to their new home which is basically connected turnpike to turnpike is 45 min to an hour further than they were in Missouri. Oh well, it is every bit worth the travel to see them and to enjoy their beautiful new home.

It was a double treat to see One "L" Michele and her beautiful family. She and Chelle have been bestest of friends for about 25 years and both are super moms, cooks, wives, workers. Who would have thought silly girls could grow into such successful and talented model citizens?

Is this a happy Monday for you? It certainly is for me. That could be a bad thing. I read once that there are more heart attacks on Monday after a good weekend than after a bad weekend. The reason -- after a good weekend it is more difficult to return to the workplace.