Why is it?

Thanksgiving is over for the year and all the dishes are done and
put away which gave me a little time to think. In the picture above
a squirrel is eating the bird food we put out so the birds eat the
cat food. Seen it more than once, a bird would swoop down and get
one piece of cat food in their beak before flying off.

Only the cats do what one would expect and eat their own food. Even
though the cats are feral they don’t seem to have the instincts to
hunt for their food. We noticed today, after we got home from doing
the grocery shopping, that the kittens are now officially full-sized
cats.

We go through a big bag of cat food every week just feeding the
cats and a few birds that help themselves. And there are at least
four cats outside waiting when I go out to feed them at 6 am. Even
mama cat gets into the act when the wife leaves for work around a
quarter to 10.

Finally saw a cardinal today but at a distance. The pictures will
get put into the computer later and if they turn out we’ll share
a few tomorrow. Today we’ll be getting some of the leftover turkey
into freezer bags as we don’t think we can finish it before it
would go bad.

Enjoy our Friday even if you’re among those who shop on Black
Friday. The wife tried it once and didn’t like it, I’ve never
tried it and like that just fine also. Now for some coffee and a
turkey sandwich.
Comments area always welcome.

Good food, same old luck

We had our turkey and all the trimmings yesterday in an early
celebration of Thanksgiving as the wife works the holiday. Of course
the mashed potatoes and gravy kept calling me so I had to have 4 big
servings before pushing the plate away.

Went out to feed the feral cats this morning and the fickle finger
of fate pointed my way again. Just as I opened the door a cardinal
was again perched on the fence and my camera was inside on the
computer hutch. Knowing the bird would be gone by the time I went
back inside and grabbed the camera the cats got fed first.

When that was gone one look was all it took to realize the fence
was empty where the cardinal used to be. Looking at nearby trees and
bushes confirmed it, no bird. No sense hanging around as the day is
windy and temps are dropping. Sooner or later said birds will sit
still long enough to get a picture.

We haven’t got any snow here but did get some good thunderstorms last night. The lightening lit up the night sky like flash bulbs on a fashion runway and the thunder had a throaty rumble. Not sure
how much rain we got but the cat food dish had a half inch of water in it.

Enjoy our Thanksgiving Eve and remember those who work the holidays to keep us free, safe, and healthy. If you’re having a good spread on the holiday thank a farmer, and as we’re doing so in peace thank those who fight to keep us free.

Now for some more coffee and perhaps some leftover potatoes.
Comments are always welcome.

A few pics

The picture isn’t the clearest but I took it because I thought the
balloon was a birds nest at first. As I was taking pictures of a
great sunrise and glanced over it appeared as if the ‘nest’ was
moving in the wind. Once it was known it was a balloon then seeing
the papers to the right I thought littering had gotten too bad.

The balloon could have been lost by accident and just caught in the
tree, but how did the papers get there? We’ll probably never know
as I’m not curious enough to climb the tree to find out.

Oh yeah, the sunrise. I thought the pictures turned out pretty good
so will share a few here. Noticed the sun now rises and sets closer
to the south than earlier in the year. That makes for a different
view and new obstacles. If it slips much further south any view
will be blocked.

Nearby a squirrel looked happy to have a walnut and was ready to eat. He stood there like this for longer than I would have thought possible before putting it in his mouth and running off.

The leaves that have fallen off the trees are all over yet some
of the ground cover is still green. Not sure why that is but find
it interesting anyway. Didn’t see a lot of color this year but
that could just be in our little portion of the world.

Enjoy our Tuesday, or Thanksgiving Eve Eve, if you prefer. We are
having our turkey today as the wife works Thanksgiving so before
long I’ll have had enough turkey to last until next year. Now for
some coffee.
Comments are always welcome.

Need some luck

Found out yesterday my luck hasn’t changed. Went out several times
with camera in hand hoping to see some feathered friends with no
luck, but did see a bird. After filling my coffee cup I went to the
window in the back door to see a blue jay pecking in the cat food
dish.

Did get some pictures though. Looking up at the clouds making all
sorts of patterns against the blue sky I was amazed. It was a sight
to see and as I noted different clouds also realized there wasn’t
enough time in the time to finish the task.

One of the feral cats decided he wanted to play with a nearby
rope and had a great time as a sibling watched. The cat played with
the rope for quite a while before deciding it would be more fun to
wrestle with the other cat.

While that was going on there wasn’t a bird to be seen or a squirrel
scampering anywhere around our neighborhood. Been waiting for my
buddy the hawk to land in the big oak tree across the alley without
much luck as there aren’t any small birds to prey on.

Finally, the wifes mad at me again but that’s nothing new. Told
her about a dream I had where she jumped in her new Hyundai and left me in a motel in Florida. Even though I already knew it she had to tell me she had a Ford Fusion and not a Hyundai.

Enjoy our Monday on this Thanksgiving week as we’re that much
closer to getting all the turkey we want for the entire year. Now
for some coffee and pictures.
Comments are always welcome.

Sunday snicker

The frugal Lutheran walked into the house panting and almost completely exhausted. “What happened, honey?” inquired his wife.

“It’s a great new idea I have to be a better steward of our resources,” he gasped. “I ran all the way home from the stewardship committee meeting behind the bus and saved $1.50.

“That wasn’t very bright,” replied his flustered wife. “Why didn’t you run behind a taxi and save $10?”

Missed again

After we put the groceries away yesterday I would have sworn I did
a post earlier in the day. Was so sure it wasn’t checked and another
day was missed. This getting old thing is confusing. I don’t like
brain farts.

Today I told the wife a candlelight breakfast was in the works and
she should just relax until things were ready. Imagine my surprise
when she wasn’t impressed when I turned off the kitchen light and
placed a serving of pizza rolls in front of her.

Explaining that the flickering light from the TV was almost as
good as candlelight, pizza rolls were sort of Italian, and Italians
are supposed to supposed to be romantic got me nowhere. What ever
happened to ‘it’s the thought that counts’? The pizza rolls were
good though.

And here on the east coast of Iowa the sun has finally broken
through the clouds and is shining bright. It’s been so long since
the sun was out we almost forgot what it looked like. After this
post is finished I’ll be outside enjoying the occasion. Perhaps
some wildlife will sneak out for a look also.

Finally, turkey day will be here next week and so far it looks
like we’ll have good weather for it here. If you’re planning on
traveling for the holiday you may want to check the extended
forecast on the off chance it’s right.

Enjoy our Saturday as we will. Now for some coffee and a bit
of lunch.
Comments are always welcome.

Of good days

Some days you think you hit the jackpot and that’s how the day
started. I slept 5 hours straight last night and when my eyes were
open for the first time the digital clock said 5:01 am. That made
me feel guilty that I had slept more than 4 hours but I did feel
pretty good getting the extra hour.

So camera in hand I went out the back door to see a cat that I
hadn’t seen before. The cat seemed a little jumpy and wouldn’t let
me get too close so we said our goodbyes. The critter moved out
towards the alley when he met someone that wasn’t too happy to
see him.

This smaller cat started growling and got in the new friends
face and before I knew it the fight was on. I ran out thinking
I’d break it up but had second thoughts. Neither was backing
down and it sounded like two sumo wrestlers going at it in a
boxing ring.

After a short time the smaller cat must have realized it was
a losing battle and took off with his tail between his legs.
The bigger cat just sat back down like he was enjoying the day.
That was about the time it started drizzling again so we
parted ways and the cat went down the alley while I headed for
the back porch.

The two fighting felines must not have crossed paths again as
it has been quiet since the first bout. And being an old fart
that suits me just fine.

Enjoy our Thursday as the weekend starts tomorrow. Now for
more coffee and whatever else I can round up.
Comments are always welcome.

Missing the critters

Another day got away from me as I wondered what happened to all the wildlife around here. At first the belief was the new neighbors putting their dog out was the cause but didn’t stand the test of
time.

So after looking at looking at what local photographers were taking
pictures of it was noticed that their recent photos were of trees
and statues instead of the usual birds and critters. Perhaps it’s
just that time of year when the critters hunker down and stay put.

And even though I go outside several times a day I have yet to see
the critters who used to be all over. I don’t think they’re watching
the impeachment hearings on TV, so where did they go? If we find out
we’ll pass it along.

The feral cats have been around at feeding time but even they have
become scarce after filling their bellies. Mama cat still shows up
to eat but has taken to being around after dark. Don’t know if she
got bit by a vampire bat or she now prefers eating at night.

We’re going to get more rain tonight here on the east coast of Iowa
before the temperatures drop tomorrow. Claim is we’ll start the
day in the 50s and end the afternoon in the 30s. That’s the fun
part of living of Iowa.

Enjoy the rest of our Wednesday as we will. Now for more coffee and
thoughts of supper.
Comments are always welcome.

Of great days

Had one of the those two fer days that started out with an overcast
drizzly day and was still drizzling when we got home. Left early to
pick up donuts and visit Dad then went to Steel Plow Burger Company
for lunch.

The visit with went good and as happens talk turned to the farm.
Dad recalled the time Mom wore a red sweater with her skirt and he told her not to get near the bull. Then he added ‘you know how it goes when you tell a woman no’.

Well she got near the bull, the bull took notice and charged, but
there is a happy ending. Dad said he never saw a woman in a dress
clear a 6 foot tall barb wire fence so fast before or since. He also said she didn’t have a tear on her dress or any cuts!

We talked of the distinctive sound of the Johnny Poppers, old sugar
wagons, and life in general. Not long after that it was time to go
and we said our goodbyes. When I got home the wife and I thought we would try out the gourmet burger place and we did.

The Steel Plow Burger Company had me when I noticed a bison burger
could be had with my choice of cheese. So it was a bison burger on
an onion roll with pepper jack cheese and lettuce, tomato, onion,
and lettuce to make it healthy. The wife got a ham and cheese with
a bowl of soup.

After a short chat with my oldest son the food came. The bison
burger was a perfect fit and the french fries were good too. The
wife claimed her chicken enchilada soup and sandwich was good also.
So we left to return home with full stomachs and smiles on our
faces. If you live close you should give the Steel Plow a try to
curb your burger pains.

Enjoy our Tuesday and tomorrow we watch out for camels. Now I
have to keep moving so I don’t nod off. More coffee is in order.
Comments are always welcome.

Of dreams and more

Last night I had another strange dream. Knew it was a dream as I was
at my senior prom. Having never been to a prom the fact of said
dream became obvious. I had not attended any dance or reunion since
I left high school and never had a desire to do so.

So I was at the prom with and actually had a good time. Ok,
borderline nightmare. My Chevy was parked in the lot in case a
quick getaway was needed and when friends stopped to chat talk
turned to cars.

My first wife was my date and always saying that I loved my cars
more than her. She may have had a point as she is my ex now. After
the prom some races were set up and cars headed for the marked off
quarter mile to see who got bragging rights. And that’s where I
woke up.

On another note, after the backyard shootings in California our
legislators are calling for stricter gun control laws. Lord love a
duck! California already has some of strictest gun control laws in
the nation, that aren’t working, and they want more?

You cannot deter the criminal element with laws against law
abiding citizens. It is well past time to quit blaming the gun and
start blaming the shooter. The vast majority of which got their
guns illegally anyway. Go after the gun runners and shooters instead
of trying to demonize the legal owners who have done nothing
wrong.

The 2nd amendment is written as it is for a reason. There is no
interpretation of ‘shall not be infringed’. Instead of going after
legal gun owners and the NRA politicians would better serve us by
just doing what they swore to do. Protect and defend the
Constitution.

Enjoy our Monday as it’s the first day of the rest of our lives.
Now for some coffee and breakfast.
Comments are always welcome.