up bright and early

I told myself I wanted up around 5 and at 5:05 my eyes popped open. Weird the way that works. I am packed and ready, just need to load the van. And it suppose to be a grand day. Ta all.

Almost ready

Look at the picture. We were so young. This was taken about a month after our wedding. I was so skinny! Sigh.

I have almost everything ready for the morning. Just have to pack a few things. everything is washed. I have the house cleaned. Dan is coming here after work in the morning. Today we want to clean out the van.

I am bring my laptop again. This time I know why it didn't work last time. It still might not work up there as the phone barely works but I can put my photo's on line if nothing else. I am getting excited. I wish we could stay a extra week. Oh well.

When I get back then I have to start doing pre-op stuff Getting lab work, pre-admission, getting my hair cut. Finish up with the house. I want to wash the curtains but Rick has to get them down and put them up for. My shoulder is doing pretty good since I am not working. Hummm, maybe I should cancel the surgery? But I know its just because I haven't be using it.

Last night Rick buried the raccoon. We waited until the neighbors where home and did it so they could see. Gave them a few hard stares. But. Didn't cause any trouble. They did look embarressed though, good.

Well, I have to go get my asthma med from the pharmacy, pick up some supplies and iron. We need to go get a good bottle of wine also. And I have to clean the critters cage out. Have a good one everyone.

Photo's below, Mama deer and her fawn survive.



The turkey are back
And one of my favorite places to walk.

Hint for the day.

Clean diamonds, rubies, sapphires, and emeralds. Simply soak the gems in Canada Dry Club Soda.

Send me yours and I'll let you know if it works.

Such lovely neighbors......Not

We arrived home the other evening and saw that there was a dead raccoon in my neighbors driveway. Probably one of the 2 that had been fighting outside our window every night for the last 2 weeks. Too bad. They might have even been the ones that hit it when they went to work in the morning.

So I wondered what our neighbors would do. Would they bury it, that's what we do with dead critters in our yard, or would they toss it in our yard under the cover of dark?

I saw them pull up that evening. One following the other. Heard them talking and saw the lights come on. I thought I heard their garbage lid drop and thought they had probably bagged the critter and put it in the trash.

In the morning I bring Zoey out. She smells something, Oh boy she huffs and puffs and pulls me to the front yard. Gee, what a surprise. The raccoon is now in front of our ditch by the road. Course they didn't take care of it after all.

I have lived across the road from these neighbors for about 14 years. Rarely they will wave. I have never spoken to them. We watch their house when they aren't there and have chased away a intruder or 2. I don't think they ever watch ours.

We like our privacy, assume them like theirs also. But..... you don't do that. You don't toss a dead raccoon so close to your neighbors. They start to stink. That problem becomes your problems. We take care of our nasty sad problems without imposing on our neighbors.

So I think I probably won't watch their property and be as neighborly as I have been. In our quiet do not disturb type way. Because.....neighbors still have to be good neighbors even if you rarely talk to them. And they didn't return the favor. What do you think?

2 days to go

Today we are going to a funeral of a woman I grew up with. She was younger then me and died of melanoma. Skin cancer. It ravaged her.

The number one cancer and people don't take it seriously. Probably because for most it is a slow progression. But for many it springs up rapidly and moved throughout your body in an relentless way, growing in so many places you just cant get it all out.

Why doesn't it get the same press as breast cancer? Whole lot of people making money off breast cancer. Don't get me wrong, it is a terrible cancer. We NEED to find a cure. But so is skin cancer.

And often skin cancer can be prevented. We need to being doing teaching from early school age on about sun screens, hats, sun tanning booths. Every day people are getting pieces cut of their faces and body. Disfiguring and traumatizing. But you rarely hear about it. No pretty ribbons, No T-shirts, No run for a cause to raise money for research. And why?

This crosses the gender gap. Age now is no reason as more and more young people are getting it. And the cost. In some cases years of getting the skin cancers cut off and seeing a doctor.

So please. Think about it next time you go out. Teach your children to routinely use sun screen. Wear hats if your going to be out and about on your bikes or walks. And check you moles. If you have more then 30 your at risk. If your fair and burn easy your at risk. If you use a tanning booth your at risk.

So I guess all of the ones above are my hints for today.

Everything is falling into place for the mini vacation. My son is moving in here to take care of the critters again and the weather is going to be great. Last night we had a huge storm, what a lightening show, it is suppose to rain again today and tomorrow. And then, lovely sunny days, low 80's in the day, 40's and 50's at night. Perfect.

I read through my vacation journal entries to get an idea of how long the drive was last time. If we don't stop it should take us about 9 hours. It is hard not to stop and take photo's though. For me. I want to be out of house at about 6:30, in Rick speak that means around 8. So today I am washing clothes and charging batteries and getting the camera's ready. We will only be gone 5 days so won't need as much as the first time.

We went for a bike the other day and yesterday went out to eat. I am reading a good book and have about 4 more to read after it. Light reading, no politics, I am fed up to the nose with politics. And I have been doing some deeper cleaning getting ready for my surgery. Gee, that is coming up quickly also. Plus I am getting everything ready for my lawyer because we are finally going to get our will made up.

The shot below I took on our ride. These are about our tallest buildings in town, LOL. Grain elevators. What would we do without them. And corn. Everywhere you look......corn.


And sunflowers this time of year. Summer is winding down and fall is starting to show its early signs of the colors to come. The trees are starting to turn and the air is cooler. The year has gone by so fast. Winter will come and I pray I stay healthier this time then last year. Seems like I was sick the entire Winter with one thing or another. I am not forgetting my flu shot this year.

Speaking of the flu. The swine flu is still around. Slowly claiming a victim here and there. Now some of them are young and healthy with no underlying illnesses. So remember, do all you can not to spread germs this year and I carry disposable sanitizing wraps. Sometimes a little precaution is a good thing.


Will, I have to go to the bank and do some shopping. Hello out there? Is everyone OK? Is there anybody out there?

Hint for the day.
For hiccups take a bite out of a lemon or lime slice. It works for me. They are gone pronto.

The Cabin is rented.

With late notice I wasn't sure if we would be able to rent our cabin in the Black Hills this year but we lucked out. So Friday. We are going on a short vacation.


I can smell that clean mountain air. It will be lovely to relax and mentally prepare for the weeks when I will be laid up. I have a new lens to try out also as I didn't have my zoom lens or my macro last time I went.



We will only be up there for a few days but that's OK. That way my son's will be here to watch the dog and Chester. I hesitate to board Zoey after the last time.


I would love to ride my bike down the mountain again, not up after the last time but don't think we will drag them up there for that. I can rent a bike if I want. But lately every time I go for a ride I have trouble with my asthma. I am just not in as good a shape as I was.


We have been walking and we went for a ride yesterday. Just a short bike ride. We were on grass and had a head wind and the next thing you know I am sputtering and gasping for air. I tell you its getting old. Sure takes the joy out of riding. Sure hope it gets better.


So this week I will finish getting my house cleaned and figure out what all to bring. And of course the van decided to have the check engine light go off as soon as I reserved the cabin. Sheesh, why now.

We were going to go to the town meeting today but Rick forgot his dentist appointment this morning and of course they rescheduled at the same time as the meeting. I would go alone but our car is needing repair. Maybe I can call my son to go with me.

Hint of the day.
Remove paint from metal lawn furniture or wooden picture frame. Spray with Easy-Off Oven Cleaner, let sit for ten to fifteen minutes, then spray with the highest pressure from the nozzle of a garden hose.

Sounds like it would be a good idea to wear eye covering for this hint.

Why I can't be a one party person

I never could see how someone could vote a straight party ticket. And at times, actually a lot of times I don't see how people can vote at all. But I do. But I don't trust either party.

If either side actually stands for something then they both have issues I agree with and issues I don't. I think it would be great if everyone could get an education. I don't want people starving and not having a home over their heads. I hate that they take our young people and place them in wars. Pawns for their war games over things like power and who's stronger. We are just chess pieces to most of them. Collateral damage to get what they want. And what is that exactly?

I don't think it is the same as what most people in the world want. We want to go to work, raise our family, be able to feed them and clothe them. See our children grow up happy and have children of their own. Most of us feel no need to fight anyone, be more powerful then anyone, take anyone else's money or home. But we are led by those who do. Who ever is in power in what ever country all over the world. Millions have died because of few that lead.

I have trouble understanding why we allow this. So that is why I find these tea parties and town hall meetings so interesting. Because just when I thought we had all actually become the pawns Washington seems to think we are we wake up and realize what's happening. And object, protest, fight back. And it isn't just one party for the most part. Oh sure you have those people who blindly vote a party still insisting whatever they do is OK. But, didn't someone once say it was the height of patriotism to voice our opinion, ( OK..... not exactly in those words), and isn't that the most honest thing I have heard out of Washington for a long long time?

So with that here's a Hint For the Day.

ARTHRITIS CURE (Paul Harvey)

Soak white raisins (yellow Dole plump up best) in gin for seven days then pour off gin. Eat nine raisins per day. You can grind the raisins and take one heaping teaspoonful per day.

Hummmm, raisin flavored gin!