Tis a sad day in squirreltown.....

Tragedy has hit my back yard once again....and not only once, but TWICE this weekend. You can see two dead as a doornail squirrels in this picture...one is at the left of the silver colored pole and could be mistaken for some leaves. This has been happening at regular intervals for the past.....oh, thirty years or so. I have REPEATEDLY asked our power company to PLEASE install squirrel guards on the transformer that is situated at the top of this pictured pole. So far my requests have fallen on deaf ears. I don't want the guard because I'm a lover of squirrels, mind you....but because of the inconvenience it causes when they create a power failure, preceded by an earth shaking boom that sounds like someone has pulled the trigger on a shotgun right next to you. This is the sound a transformer makes when it goes. Unfortunately, I have one located in the extreme corner of my yard.

When I first moved here I thought squirrels were really cute and I fed them....I even tamed a few. But after so many years of them destroying things.....they have actually become pests and I'm not so fond of them anymore. However I hate to see this sort of thing happen. I am, after all, an animal lover and they could have babies in a nest somewhere. Although I'm more apt to believe that they were males headed home after a long night out with the boys and were attempting to sneak in before the little woman noticed how late it was. Both of these deaths occurred very early in the day....between 6 and 8 a.m. I'm sure they will be sorely missed by their families.

The first one occurred early Saturday morning and we were without power for about 5 hours. I considered myself lucky it was for only that long since we had had a very strong storm a couple nights before that took down many wires and trees north of us. I'm sure the power company had more than enough to do with that mess. So before I could get my grandson to pick up the first squirrel and appropriately get rid of it, we had another one occur about the same time on Sunday morning! This waking up to no power is getting old. I need my coffee in the morning. Let me put more emphasis on NEED....I mean I REALLY need my coffee in the morning!! This time it took about 7 hours before it was restored. CHA CHING. Overtime galore.

So I am going to obtain the name of someone who has some importance in their job description at the power company and I'm sending them this photo. I am going to, once again, plead with them to please put up a squirrel guard or some sort of deterrent to keep this from constantly happening. It certainly would be a lot cheaper than paying overtime for their workers to come out on a Sunday to get our power back, not to mention all of the neighborhood being inconvenienced. We average between one and two occurrences a year and we've had two already and the summer is just starting. The squirrels here have no natural predators other than vehicles and their population has really gotten out of control. Unfortunately Mollie, even though I'm sure she's still a legend, is just too old to help out anymore.

On a brighter note....we had family movie night on Saturday night. My family stayed the night as it was HOT and they do not have central AC. So after supper we settled in and watched Gran Torino with Clint Eastwood. Wow, its sad to see that such a superhero of the past (Dirty Harry) has aged.....but then, so have we all. It was a good movie....Depending on where you live, its true to the ways of our society now. Lots of racial slurs but without them, the movie would not have been realistic. It shows firsthand what a horrible violent society we live in and that most people just run from it (relocate). Only problem with that is that someday we will run out of places to relocate to. Eastwood's character doesn't want to move and he's a bitter old man with a family that doesn't understand him and doesn't really want to be bothered with him unless they need something. Thank goodness for the small bits of comedy here and there to lighten things up a bit. It was a good movie, the ending is very thought-provoking. Would I want to buy it and keep it? No. Would I have been mad to have paid $8. to see it at the show? No. Do I feel like I'm a better person for having watched it? No. It was a good movie....but definitely not for all audiences. It did deliver a message and I wish it could help the way things are in today's society, but it won't.....and that part is sad.

Happy Father's Day.....

This handsome man is my father. Believe it or not, he's 72 in this picture. To say I miss him is a huge understatement. He was such a good man and I was so very lucky to have him for my father. You can't really tell here but his eyes were intensely blue and my grandson has those same blue eyes.

He was a hard worker and a veteran of WWII. He supported his widowed mother for 35 years, up until her death. He and my mother had a wonderful marriage and after she died, he looked at me one day and said something I'll never forget. He said that he felt like a bird with a broken wing. How romantic and deep is that!

So, Daddy.....even though I haven't been able to hug you for 20 years, you know that today I'm thinking of you stronger than usual and I know that you knew you were loved. Thank you for everything you did for me and for your sage words. I live by those words to this day. Thank God for men like you.

Summer came in with a light show.....

Wow, summer certainly did come in with a bang. It was humid all day but then after 8 p.m. the thunder started up. I was so tired last night by 10 pm that I ended up going to bed with the constant noise of thunder outside my windows. The dog and I were comfy and I was thankful that I was dry as I heard the rain coming down in torrents. I fell asleep in no time and slept very well. There was a time that I was so frightened of storms that I could not sleep through them. Something has happened to change that....probably age. Now high winds are about the only thing that really does frighten me. We didn't seem to have anything like that last night so I guess thats why I slept so soundly.

Earlier in the evening when I went outside with my dog I heard something that sounded like a jet engine. I was thinking to myself that maybe one of my neighbors was getting some power washing done but I didn't see any activity around me. Then my attention was drawn to my AC. Hmmm, it seemed to be coming from that unit. I went inside and turned it off and sure enough, that's what it was. Fear gripped me.....oh boy, this is JUST what I need. Have my AC go out on FRIDAY night just before a weekend where they've promised hot and humid weather. I called my AC guy anyway....hoping that maybe he'd be available and he was! Thankfully he only lives about 2 miles away so he came right over. Come to find out, it needed a cleaning. We looked back on the records and I hadn't gotten it cleaned last spring (last year) not to mention I hadn't even done it this year yet.....I usually do that in May and it must have slipped my mind. So he cleaned it and now it sounds fine again. $65. Not too bad if you think about the comfort involved. *Sigh*......yes, I'm spoiled. ....but only in a very few small ways. *grin*

I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend and a wonderful long awaited for SUMMER. I've finally finished Pillars of the Earth and have started on the "sort of" sequel, World without End. It's really not a continuation, as this second book takes place about 200 years later but it does involve the descendants of characters from the first book. I'm not very far into it as yet but its starting out just as good as the other one. This book has a little over 1,000 pages. Keep smilin'~

Lunch break and a stretch.....

I told you the squirrels at my place were gutsy and this just proves it without a doubt. I took this through a closed window and screen but I seriously think that even if I had been outside he probably would not have gone far. I went through a huge bag of seed in one week and finally just took the danged bird feeder down.

Hope you got a chuckle out of this. Nothing I've thought of so far can keep them out of the seed intended for the birds.....I even greased the pole on the one in the front yard.

Moving right along to other things happening in my little corner of the world....my granddaughter graduated from kindergarten today. It absolutely flew off the scale on the cuteness meter! All those kids looked so darn cute I could hardly stand it. Now usually girls have always outnumbered the boys, but this year in her class.....it was 17 boys to 6 girls. They all had "diplomas" and their teacher did some creative stuff with a magic wand and *Poof*...they were in first grade! Granddaughter wanted pictures taken with all the teachers and aides and office staff and librarian and janitor and bus drivers and lions and tigers and bears.....oh my. Everybody loves her...she is just such a social butterfly, that one.

Why, why, why.....

Why, on a Friday at 5:30, would any grocery store close down all check-outs except the self-serve and the express?

Why..... do drivers of those really big SUV's pull up next to you and block your vision when you're trying to merge into traffic, knowing full well you cannot see through them or over them if you are in a regular sized vehicle? I've decided....the bigger the vehicle, the smaller the brain.

Why.....do some people, without a handicapped plate or placard, think they can legally park in a handicapped space as long as they stay in the vehicle and wait for their passenger to do the shopping and/or business. This is no different than stealing money out of the register and then leaving an unsigned IOU note.

Why.....do some people throw trash on the ground when there is a marked receptacle within sight only a few yards away? I intensely despise litterers....I'd like to cram every single item they casually toss out for someone else to clean up right down their throats. I'm so sick of picking up fast food cups, wrappers and bags that have been thrown out in front of my house. Some day they need to invent containers and wrappers that will disintegrate and totally disappear after being exposed to the elements for a few hours.....because lord knows we are never going to stop these lowlifes from littering. They just don't get it.

Why.....do some poor excuses for humanity still continue to donate expired food to the needy? I'd love to publicly humiliate every single one of them. They have to remember....life turns on a dime and someday it could be them in need.

Why....is it that whenever a program is put in place to help low to moderate income people, its often those who have plenty of money who will be the first to try to take advantage of it and get all indignant when they're turned down? Isn't GREED one of the Seven Deadly Sins....guess they don't think it applies to them.

Why.....is there NEVER a cop around when that idiot passes you like you're sitting still and you're actually going five over the speed limit?

Why.....do some people practically kill themselves in order to beat you to the ATM, then take 15 minutes filling out their deposit slip and signing checks, holding up the line? I've seen this many times at the bank drive-up window too.

Why.....do some idiots honk their horn the very NANO second the light changes to green? I've often wished their car would stall and not re-start right after that and then people would be honking at THEM. The mere thought of this puts a big smile on my face....am I bad? Nah, just honest.

Why.....do some people wait until they get up to the fast food drive-through window before getting their money out.....and often they are frantically searching for change? I think they may have a problem with the definition of the word FAST. Oh..and while I'm on the subject of fast food...

Why.....oh why do these drive-up window employees of fast food establishments INSIST on giving you your change back by giving you the bills and then putting the coins on top of them so it slides off and onto the ground? Whenever I come across a very rare employee who does it the RIGHT way.....coin first so it rests in your hand not ON the bills....I praise them highly. There have been times that I've been in just the right mood and instructed them to give me the coin first just as they attempt to hand me the bills. I know they probably don't appreciate it, but its MY money!

Day to day life takes a lot of will power to keep from smacking some sense into somebody. It doesn't get any better the older you get because our patience has worn pretty thin by then and we have to rely on common sense and the law of averages to keep us under control.....knowing that every single one of these idiots, who were apparently napping when G0D handed out common sense, will get paid back sooner or later.

Whew....I feel better now. (putting soap box away for a short time)

Save me.....

If I could only take my eyes out, give them a nice warm bath, then a wonderful cooling massage with healing herbals, treat them to a long and restful nap and put them back in....I think it would feel sooooo good. I have been reading..... reading.... reading. I'm a reading fool. I turn into a snarling bitch when the phone rings or if somebody happens to come over because I want to get back to my BOOK. I am 500 pages into it (a little more than half way) and it draws me back to it as much as an opium den does an addict.

I've done a lot of reading in my time.....and most of them were really very good books. But this one....this one just grabs me. What a writer Ken Follett is. Kudos to him and his wonderful book, Pillars of the Earth. I need someone to come over here and do my laundry for me and also clean up around here as I can't bear to tear myself away long enough to do it myself. If the book wasn't so big, I'd even try and smuggle it into work. I wonder if an author has ever been sued by a reader's family for alienation of attention?

Did you know.....

Did you know.....You can sure learn some off-the-wall stuff from the younger generation....some of it is quite helpful.

Did you know....there is a website you can go to where you can put in your cell phone number, then make up another number that you'd like to have shown as the caller I.D. read-out when you place a call to a third number that you key in. It will call that number from your cell phone and show the fake caller I.D. number you've chosen on the recipient's phone. This is just plain scary and I'm telling you so that you won't be fooled if someone calls you and says they are from a certain business and tries to get info from you. You check the caller I.D. and its their number and so you think the call is legit. Not always so. Use extra caution. Don't give out any personal info unless you call them.

Did you know that you can keep something for 10 years and never use it, but the very day you throw it away, you will find a use for it. I know this is one of Murphy's Laws....but its actually true.....believe it.

Did you know that even paper towels are not what they seem; the cardboard roll itself is bigger around, giving the impression that the roll is the same size as always, but, in reality, there aren't as many towels on the roll as there used to be. First it was toilet paper, now these. I think a lot of marketing people think we are a bunch of airheads that won't notice. We notice....but what can we do? I really hate the deceit part. Check the cereal boxes.....same height, just not as wide.

Did you know you're not supposed to keep an item with rechargeable batteries in it in the charger when not in use? I didn't. Cost of new batteries = $16.50

Did you know that a lot of our good old American foods that have been around for generations are being made in China or Mexico? Don't believe me? Start checking the labels....you'll be shocked.

If you change one burned out lightbulb in a two bulb fixture, the other one will burn out within two days. This happens even if you wait to change the burned out one, hoping the other one will go too and you can change them both at the same time. Even if you put brand new bulbs in a two bulb fixture, they will burn out at different times.....which just fascinates me for some reason. (it doesn't take much to amuse me).

Keep smilin'~

Talk about spoiled.....

I never thought that I would ever be doing something like this. As a kid, we always had cats and dogs plus various other animals on the farm. They were all healthy and lived nice long lives. I have to be honest and say that we didn't do anything special for our cats or dogs. The cats would come inside during the day if they wished, but were put outside for the night. The dog stayed outside all day long but was brought inside for the night. He was given dog food as a supplement but he mostly lived off of table scraps. He was given bones to chew when they were available.
He lived to be 19 years old.

Now my dog just had her yearly checkup at the vet's, much to her dismay. I swear when we get within a quarter mile of that place her whole demeanor changes. She becomes a quivering mess by the time we get into the waiting room. All the dogs in there are the same way. The looks on their faces go from extreme nervousness to pure terror. I think they mentally communicate with each other and they are all convinced that what lies beyond the waiting room door is a fate worse than death. I can't understand why they don't feel the vibes of relief and jubilation coming from all the dogs who are finished and are coming out and will be now going home....tails up in the air wagging furiously instead of tucked between their legs and hugging their bellies. Prancing merrily, instead of having to be dragged. Ever notice how a 15 pound dog can make itself feel like it weighs 198 pounds when it doesn't want to go where you want to go? I especially like the ones who seem to grow an extra pair of legs and place them strategically alongside the doorway so moving them is next to impossible. Some dogs actually hold grudges. I once had a toy manchester terrier who wouldn't even look at me, let alone come to me, for approximately 2 weeks after a visit to the vet. After that I made my daughter take her.

But anyway, my dog, pictured above, is perfectly healthy.....she's had all her shots and her nails clipped and has a shiny new license. However the vet did tell me that she's getting a "little buildup" on her teeth. They try and push teeth cleaning and when I find out the price, my brain shuts down and my head automatically starts shaking no. Well....she asks.....do you give her any bones to chew to help clean her teeth. Yes I reply....I have tried to give her bones....all varieties...flavors, colors and sizes. My dog has.......issues. Maybe it was something her mom said to her at a young age or possibly it was caused by being bullied by the neighbor's cat....I don't know....she just has ISSUES. When I give her a bone....no matter what kind it is....she will happily take it and then her mood immediately changes. She starts to fret and then she starts to whine and cry. She will carry the bone all over the house....going from room to room frantically searching....here, there....everywhere. After about 20 minutes she will reappear, sans bone. She has 'buried' it somewhere. I have found bones in my basket of clean clothes, under the bed, under the couch cushion, in the laundry hamper, under the pillow on my bed and under a throw rug...just to name a few spots. She will never chew the bones....she only HIDES them.

So now I have to brush the dog's teeth. Yep, you heard right. I actually have a tube of doggie toothpaste, which tastes like chicken (and this is not from personal knowledge) and a toothbrush, along with a rubber thingie that goes over my finger if I would rather use that. Fortunately she's been very good about it and actually LOVES to have her teeth brushed. Good lord.... what's next. I suppose I'll be shaving her legs and armpits soon. Bikini wax .... pierced ears.... plumped lips....good grief, this could get totally out of hand.