Delayed post

First I’d like to say Happy Veteran’s Day to all fellow veterans out
there and hope it was a good one. All set to do an early post today
my body rebelled and I didn’t even get out of bed until 10 am. Then I
went out to sweep and shovel the snow to feed the feral cats and
make a path to the car in case we needed it.

After doing that and fixing a quick bite I laid back down and fell
asleep again. So here I am at this late time putting this together to
get it on the blog. We also missed the Veteran’s Day parade but have
seen some coverage online.

When this is done I’ll hopefully get some things done that didn’t
get earlier before turning the TV on to watch a rerun of Perry Mason.
On another note, tomorrow there will be a full moon if anyone is
interested and we’ll wait until later tomorrow to see if the clouds
go away long enough to see it here.

Some people locally are mad that the snow plows didn’t get out
sooner. They seem to forget it is a holiday for city workers and I’m
just guessing someone had to approve the extra money for holiday pay. Things can get slick on the roads, be careful out there and take it slower than you usually would.

Leaving early to allow for the longer drive time beats ending up in
the hospital or morgue. Enjoy the rest of our Monday, Veteran’s Day,
as we will.
Comments are always welcome.

Just watching the lawn

My mind seems to travel more than I do and another day got away
from me. Distractions were many and while my brain was thinking
of odd things my body was content to transport said brain from
distraction to distraction.

When we returned from cruising to the grocery store early this
morning I noticed this patch of grass covered with frost. After the
groceries were put away I went out and snapped the picture above.
Not sure why so much time was spent looking at this marvel of
nature but I should have been getting things done.

Of course the little piece of Gods green earth reminded me that just
last week I took another picture around the same area. In this one
it was dew on the grass and not frost. Both caught, and held, my
attention. Seven days, a week, and things changed dramatically.

Most people would probably just walk by and not notice the dew or
frost, but I’m not most people. The sun glistening off the dew and the
water beading on the blades of grass was amazing last week.

And the hair like frost got my attention this week. If more people
actually looked at what is right in front of them I think the world
would be a better place. It doesn’t coast anything, isn’t time
consuming, yet definitely makes one feel better for having looked.

Enjoy our Friday evening as we will. Now for some coffee and a bite
to eat as I forgot lunch.
Comments are always welcome.

Kodak moments

Yesterday afternoon I ventured outside with the camera on the off
chance there would be a Kodak moment awaiting. When this robin flew
on the fence rail and started bouncing up and down I figured this must
be it. Either that or I had slept through winter.

Then this colorful cardinal popped up in some bushes and the smiles
started. My lucky day, hope for one shot and get two. Sure they’re
pretty common birds around here but to see both within minutes was
pushing my luck. But we have the memories now.

But the luck didn’t end there. Just as I was ready to give it up and go in to warm up this White necked sparrow flew onto another bush so that made three. This one also seemed content to just sit around and enjoy the sunshine since the snow Wednesday.

After taking the last picture of the sparrow it was time to go back
inside to warm up and have some coffee. Some day I may invest in a
photo editor of some sort but for now I don’t think pictures look
too bad without one.

Now more coffee and a short break before doing a few chores to test
if I’m up to snuff. Enjoy our Saturday as tomorrow we set the clocks
back.
Comments are always welcome.

Of good days

I know, it’s late again. The morning just got away from us as the
wife and I sat at the kitchen table talking. So when she went to
bed I knew to get on this.

Early this morning we did a grocery cruise to restock the cupboards and perhaps find some marked down Halloween candy. The employees were friendly as usual and even those shopping seemed in a good mood. There was no it snowed on Halloween or it’s only in the teens for temperatures.

Smiles everywhere! As we were leaving we got to the entry door about the same time as a gentleman about my age so I stopped to let him come in before going out. He just smiled and waved us through. Still smiling he said ‘you sure get your shopping done early’. And I guess we do.

So I told him to have a good day and he wished us the same as we
headed to the car. As I was putting groceries away I was still
smiling and thought wouldn’t it be great if every day went like that.

One day without someone getting offended, impatient, or rude. Well
today we got our day and I have to admit it felt good and still does.
Enjoy our Friday as we are now holiday free until the 11th. Now for a
cup of coffee and some candy.
Comments are always welcome.

Had to do it

We keep learning life’s lessons no matter how old we grow. I found out yesterday I may be stubborn. After over a week of suffering through what ever it was I let the wife talk me into going to the Emergency Room. Things have changed in the 5 years since I was last there.

Think it’s safe to say I do not like hospitals or going to same. But
there are times when even skinny old rednecks can benefit from a visit.
When back in the room a nurse told me to take off my t-shirt and she
would put a gown on me. I bit back a snide remark but did as she
requested.

So there I am with a hospital gown on yet still wearing my jeans and boots laying on a gurney hooked up to a heart monitor and various other machines I knew nothing about. When the doc came talk led to the Navy and he used to a Corpsman. Good enough for me.

After a quick examination doc announced my chest was ‘tight’ and I wasn’t taking in much oxygen, as if I didn’t know. But the little clip on finger reading oxygen level said 96% so I wasn’t too worried. So after a breathing treatment that lasted an hour and chemicals ran through an IV doc asked it felt good enough to go. We were gone.

I now have the medicine to get better fast and the wife and I found
something to laugh about. After picking up prescriptions for steroids,
anti-antibiotics, and cough syrup with codeine we were sitting at the
table when I scratched my belly and got a funny look.

It felt like since my ER visit a nipple had grown on my stomach! This
made me question what they injected with until I lifted the t-shirt to
discover the leads for the heart monitor weren’t removed before we
left. That was certainly a relief.

Enjoy our Wednesday as it looks like more snow here on the east coast of Iowa and I’m ready for the up to 5 inches of the white fluffy love from above.
Comments are always welcome.

Liking it!

This is what it looked like outside this morning when I took a peek
before venturing out. Last Sunday as the cats were grazing after being
fed, a turkey vulture was circling the neighborhood while wrens chased
each other around the old pine tree.

Have to love the weather. It was predicted, up to an inch of white
fluffy love from above but none was to stick to roadways or sidewalks.
Yeah, I think the roads didn’t get the memo they were supposed to be
warm enough to melt the snow.

No complaints here though. As always, the falling white fluffy love
from above is fun to watch and makes me smile. It’s covering the
litter and other man-made scars on the landscape and turning
everything white.

And we may get another round the night before Halloween. Those who get paid to look important on our TV news and guess what the weather is going to do say it may be bigger than this one! We’re ready. Not quite up to able yet, but working on it.

Was out twice yesterday feeding the critters and will be again today.
Should even make it over to Dads this week for a visit. It may be
snowing a little but we don’t have to worry about mosquitoes.

Enjoy our Tuesday wherever you are.
Comments are always welcome.

Change of plans

Was going to do a different post but felt that could wait until
Friday and air my feelings about the soap opera which some call the ongoing battle between our President and the Speaker of the House of Representatives. The Speaker of the House is the presiding officer of the U.S. House of Representatives.

Our current Speaker of the House does not get along with our President and has a habit of storming out of meetings with same claiming to be offended by something said and address the nearest TV News camera. I always thought the title ‘speaker’ meant someone well versed who could enter a meeting and have a civil discourse with anyone.

Apparently not. Our House of Representatives is the lower house of
the national legislature and the Senate is the upper house. The House
passes Bills which then go the Senate for a full vote and then, if
passed, sent to the President for consideration. They also initiate all
Bills related to revenue and the impeachment of federal officers.

With all the impeachment talks going on we know what they’re concentrating on. The House has spent an estimated $300 million so farin their attempt to impeach the President and I feel have broken many laws in doing so. It has not been put to a vote, it is as partisan as the day is long, and many more.

If the Speaker of our House cannot manage a simple meeting with the president, how can she manage the House of Representatives? She is the poster child for term limits. I would mention television coverage of the meetings and inevitable walk outs but that may be a post for another day.

Enjoy our Thursday as tomorrow we’ll return with a post complete with
pictures. Now I need more coffee and a cheeseburger.
Comments are always welcome.