Pocket dialled!

Early running around to get a lock, and fill the tank, buy sundries, do some banking. The weather was taking a nose dive. It is freezing and raining. No snow yet. On the way home my phone rang but I didn't get it before the message took over. I saw it was Rich and tried dialing back right away. No answer after several tries. Then I listened to the message. I heard both sides of a conversation Rich was having about his experience with Yellowstone Motors. It was a long conversation. I finally reached him and we figured out he had pocket dialled me-he did not call. He was lucky it was me.

Since it was raining when we got home Buster did not want to disembark the van. Fortunately, that van shuts off the overhead lights after a few minutes so the door can remain open without exhausting the battery. Next thing I knew Honey had re-settled in her place. They camped out and had a nap. I worked in the cockpit area- lots of detail work. The daisy chain of 12 volt outlets is both impressive and embarrassing. Phones, GPS, Satellite radio, cooler, computer, battery backup, 120 volt inverter, etc.

Did some prep for cold weather. I'm on schedule for an early Friday departure. Checked the forecast again and my butt needs to be back here before the 9th or bad weather all the way home.

Snow business

While Facebooking it, Paula asked how much snow we were going to get. I checked the NOAA weather site because I had no clue what she was talking about. I am delaying my departure by one day after checking two weather sites. I thought of leaving immediately but I would have run right into the storm in Utah. It should be on its way past by Friday and the temperatures will likely minimize the aftermath. If I have to sit a storm out, home is the place I would prefer to do it. I may leave Medford a day earlier because another storm is due to blow through. Crap! My intentional blizzard driving days are over.

I have clean clothes, the Van got an oil change and checked fluids. It is pretty well sorted out. I got a suitcase to ride shotgun. It will house cameras, etc. and I will get a computer lock to chain it to the car frame. It looks better than my jumble and may keep some things from prying larcenous eyes (Marion, Illinois bastards). I am in pretty good shape to leave and travel.

Starting to Get Some Fall Color

The Virginia Creeper on the yard gate turned red. There is gold creeping into the Cottonwoods and the Willows are turning too. I am looking forward to the trip over South Pass on Thursday as I wend my way toward Oregon. My days are shortened because the cold mornings are too cold. But I have been busy. The Ford Van is finally getting whipped into shape. Due to weather it has been emptied and hurriedly repacked several times so no real progress until now. I've had to work around Buster because the little sneak takes up residence when I am not looking. The battery backups/power supplies are charging overnight. I'll get some service for it tomorrow but will try to get it in to Todd D. in Medford. He is Matt's friend and a genius mechanic.

I fiddled with Facebook a bit after a trip to town. Honey is starting to hit her stride as a large dog. We are going through quite a bit of Purina One. She is so energetic that she maintains her lean frame. The coyotes seem to be getting bolder at night. I let the hounds howl but brought them in about 10:00. I think she is good one on one but not with a pack.

Cooked a pot roast today. That should get us through Thursday. I have been watching the vaunted PBS series on the National Parks. Some beautiful sights but the pace seems deadly to me. Reminds me of asking my dad to help with my Algebra-ended up getting a lot more than I asked for.

Go Doncos!

Denver did a good job whipping up on Oakland this afternoon. When it became obvious they were doing well enough that my full attention was not required, I stayed close and attacked a stack. I found a magazine from 2005. So it was time. In fact, I made quite a little progress this week. It might not be immediately obvious to a stranger but I can tell. The dumpster can tell. It is feeling like progress.

I had to register for Facebook in order to get to somebody's page. Now I am getting into Facebook. Spent a little time with it today. I am not sure I entirely "get it" but it is pretty easy and it seems to post your verified friends' activities which kind of keeps you up on their lives. I think it will be fun.

Richard, who does not do well on his own, called late Saturday night. Val is in California with her family. Rich was going through some of dad's old stuff. He was "a saver" too. The tax returns from 1949-1956 were a chronicle. The hospital bill for Richard's 1950 birth at St. Luke's was $181.00. Insurance paid all but $64.00. It was a five day stay at $15.00/day. Mom had $1.25 worth of physical therapy. In another document Aunt Esther had written an account of Grandma Bosco's funeral (my great grandmother). It was all hearts and flowers and really quite good. No mention in this account that she was so frozen with arthritis that they had to break her bones to get her in the casket. Her memoir does honor the woman's personality. All interesting stuff.

Friday my premium for donating generously to PBS arrived-very promptly. I holed up in the Studio and committed eight CD's of Classic 1960's tunes to the computer and iPod. I am starting to get some duplicates. Itunes will eliminate duplicates but I am not sure how accurate it is. I have five renditions of "Unchained Melody" but they are different treatments by different artists. I like them all. It is easier to leave the duplicates on than take a chance and have to re-record them.

Joyce and Gary called from Pittsburgh. Raining there but she is very excited her son is engaged and she got a new car and their John Prince reservation starts January 27. Doc and Jan will get there November 13 from Delhi, NY. The snowbirds are starting to chatter.

I cut back on my Metformin attempting to determine why I was/am gagging. I am not very hungry when I take it but when I do finally get hungry it feels like it is too late. A drink of water even and I am in trouble. But in cutting back I got a little binge going yesterday. Back on it today. Couldn't finish my dinner tonight-all of which is on the plus side for the plus sized.

Crazy weather-smoke today, yesterday was a two jacket morning and I had to re-install the blower to cool off the house in the afternoon-it was warm. Friday night the coyotes were on the move and poor old Honey about wore herself out. Because Buster has backup now he is really quick to open his yap. He loves to get her going.

Same Dogs, different light

Sun seeking rather than sun avoidance is the trick these mornings. Honey made herself a nest in the sunshine and Buster became even more dappled by the sun.

Whatever form of the epizootic got me yesterday lingered today. Pooped out. I was feeling better by 5:00 p.m. so chanced a foray to the store. While in the parking lot I was struck by another wave of nausea and extreme hunger after I choked it back. Decided to try a Chinese remedy at the Oriental Palace. Takeout. While waiting Scott R. came in-I have known him for 40 years or more. He introduced me to his "sweetie." She was Rasty's daughter Missy. I had never met her. I told her Rasty and I had been good friends and she gave me a look. Then I told her I had taken some of the pictures used in the funeral and she said she put the slide show together and that made the connection. Scott O.F., and, me O.F., waxed a bit philosphical. He said his life had been a pretty good ride. I allowed as "You have to play the cards you are dealt and do the best you can." As Scott has a bad arm from a war wound (he says) and he really did have some good jobs- state of Wyoming and CWC and has served the tribes in various ways despite starting out as a hairdresser and having a wife who was vegetableized by the local hospital, I guess if he can say he has had a good run, he is a testament to the resilience of humans or the fabled stoicism of the Native American. And good on him!

Rich called on his way back from his northwest circuit. He makes me laugh. He has been a GM car guy all his life. Made snide comments about my Dodges and Fords. His company car is a Chrysler Pacifica and he is in love! He had his friend Rodney start looking for one for him to call his own. He says it rides great-not tiring at all. He said Alicia called him. Heather and Tom are going to leave their baby with Alicia while they go to a play in Denver. Alicia asked about food. Heather said "We don't feed him any processed food. All he likes are hotdogs and macaroni and cheese." Alicia needed a reality check. "Aren't hot dogs and macaroni and cheese about as processed as you can get?" Yes. they are my dear. We won't tell Heather. I hope I am well off the planet before we get a President Tiffany or Heather...or Shanequa.

Well the coyotes are encroaching on us tonight-close up and it is time to get the dogs in.

Busted a Nut Today

I had been sidling up to this day-not looking forward to it. But the license plates expire on the 30th and the property taxes needed to be paid. I have mixed emotions about having worked to have all the plates expire in the same month. It saves trips to Lander but it is a pretty hefty sum. We loaded up and went to that fair city and the courthouse. Alas! Every 8th year we must have new license plates-not just a sticker. This is that year. Not only was my wallet flat, my afternoon was pre-empted. Five sets of plates (two more in Florida to do) awaited. Vehicles newer than 1992 were relatively straightforward and went well. I dropped a nut on the rear Lindy plate. Searched and searched. No luck. There is a very rez-looking twist of wire temporarily holding it. The back plate on the Ranger went on with no fuss. The front one was fastened with rusted bolts. Really tight space. Finally broke one and the other is still holding - The Ranger has a crooked smile.

As a treat for "doing my duty" before the 11th hour, we had lunch al fresco at the Gannett Grill. Rather I dined on the deck so I could see the pups and Honey stuck her head out the window and complained. Then they dined in the van. It was a nice treat but I think the place has slipped a little. And...I had some stomach upset this afternoon.

I tried to call Matt. Welfare check, because, as Sooz informed me, Medford and Ashland had forest fires. I was using my new headset as recommended by Richard-a Blue Parrott-66' range model. I do not know how to work it apparently. But it looks cool-a boom mike and flashing red and blue lights. I can now look as demented as the others in Flying-J truck stops. R2D2 with whiskers. I have a heck of a phone bill for somebody who averages about two calls a week. Would hate to miss one! And Verizon does provide my Internet coast to coast.

Couldn't Get Warm

It got down to 34 degrees outside last night and it was cool in the house but cooler outside today. All my foliage shades me in the summer and in this transition season still keeps thing cool. I finally decided to pack up the dogs and go for a ride with the car heater on. Then I remembered it was Tuesday and scooted to the 789 Casino. It didn't take me long to gamble away my free $5.00. Harry and Irene F. were there. I bought this place from them over 35 years ago. Irene loves to gamble. She had to go home from the grandkid's birthday party before the cake was served because her oxygen was low and her generator couldn't keep up a couple of weeks ago. She was just fine without any apparatus today. And she had some winnings in hand. I dined in and they got their free lunches to go. The casino served penne pasta with marinara sauce and two generous meatballs, garlic toast and tossed salad with dressing of choice and a soft drink. I was warmed by the coffee shop, the tasty grub and the warmth and generosity of the Northern Arapaho tribe. It really seemed a treat today.

I came home and attacked a new corner of the house and made significant progress. I need to keep at it-the time is getting shorter and shorter and the list is still long.

Another Fascinating Weather Report

Serious rain in the night and a turn to the unpleasant side today. I decided to check the NOAA weather site and saw a "Frost Watch" had been declared. The mid-morning was spent putting the swamp cooler to bed for the season, washing a few windows, taking the powerful ventilating fan out of the living room window and cleaning it. Closing the pneumonia holes warmed the cabin right up.

I am happy to say the summer house enclosure survived a serious wind test last night. While working on that I got a scratch on my forearm from a Russian Olive tree. It was not a serious scratch at all. But today it was itching and quite red-annoying. I put Neosporin on it and went to town for water and a few sundries. I went into a serious fade at Wal-Mart. Coulda been the scratch, blood sugar, the cold, allergy, low potassium or lack of sleep. Came home, took stuff, and tried not to go to bed but finally did. I awoke about quarter to eight feeling quite a bit better. No dinner tonight but I had a tuna salad for lunch about 2:00 so I am fine.

Now for Something Completely Different:
David, Jason's friend and former boss has a bigger and newer boat than Jason's 27 footer. But he has no dock and Jason has a 60 footer. Moorage rent is sold by the foot/month in Florida. David's boat is living at Jason's rent free. Jason's is living a couple doors away at an unused dock. Boat privileges come with both arrangements. Jason met a lady in the park where she exercises her black lab and he exercises his golden. It turns out she works at a resort in Bimini-some 70 miles by sea. Her husband is a fireman and he frequently takes his 22 foot boat to Bimini which is a pretty daring thing to do. So a plot was hatched. Jason would take David's boat on his first open sea adventure with the experienced hands and they would have the resort dock and berth there in Bimini. Jason said they got stopped by the Coast Guard 4 times which he thinks is some sort of record. (David's slacker eldest son was living on the boat for awhile-I am wondering if the Coast Guard knows something Jason doesn't.) The following link takes you to Flicker where Joe's pictures of the trip reside.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/themojoe/sets/72157622294395871/show/with/3937780293/

Blustery Day

Overcast this morning but it straightened up for awhile, tried to storm and now we are having real Wyoming winds. They are testing my morning handiwork of hanging my tarps to enclose the the summer house. That project went pretty well but we will see what we see in the morning. The summer house might end up in Lander with sails on it.

I checked out the football on the tube saw the Broncos were up soon and scuttled off to Dominos for a pizza. Took a detour to Arby's for their 5 for $5.95 special-a favorite of the hounds and I needed to get a milkshake to get some Iverheart down their little gullets. We made it back in the first quarter of the ball game, I dozed through the second quarter and enjoyed the victory. The Cleveland quarterback got sacked about four times by the same Bronco-it was pretty funny. I did some channel flipping because PBS was having a special fund drive for local original programming. I like to support it but I also like the premiums - "thank you gifts"- having built a good portion of my iPod library with music from those programs. I watched one of those very programs about the Tie Hacks in Fremont County "Brothers of the Broadax." Dubois in particular drew lots of Scandinavians who cut millions of railroad ties between 1917 and 1942. They floated them down the Big Wind. It was pretty fascinating. Damn, those people were tough.

Interesting Day

I missed a call from Janet yesterday so I tried to return that this morning because when I discovered it, it was too late to call country folk. Rich and Val called from near the Budweiser plant in Colorado this morning - they were on the way to meet daughter Alicia and Sean who had obtained tickets to the Wyoming/CU game (a 27-0 rout by CU). One of my longtime friends, Dave, made his annual Christmas call. It felt like telepathy because I had the road atlas out yesterday trying to see how Valerie was going to Santa Cruz to take some furniture to her daughter and I spied David's town and thought of him. He and Don have been together for 32 years. They are going to dispose of their stock and close up the antique store by June of next year. He had news of different folks than I regularly keep track of so we had plenty to talk about. But we were interrupted by my Jehovah's. They wanted to draw my attention to an article that said if you reject Adam and Eve, the whole Christian thing falls apart. I wanted to say, "Exactly," but they are sweet and kind so I kept my mouth shut and we visited. Mrs. Jehovah was along this time and she seemed very nice.

Honey has changed the mail lady's behavior-she crammed packages in the mailbox (as well as the tax notices -yippee skippee). One of the packages was a book from Alibris-a Jonathan Kellerman mystery- postage cost more than the book. That shot the rest of the day. It was a 465 page gripper. I had made a pot of Serbian Wedding Soup with dumplings yesterday so food was healthy and taken care of- lots of lentils, barley, kidney beans, tomatoes, corn off the cob, and a can of chicken with my secret sauce. Not my best effort but tasty enough.

Big Night Out

Rich called on Wednesday-on his way to Jackson, WY and environs for his job. He said he would be back through on Thursday. He called from up there-he had never been to Thayne and Star Valley (little Switzerland) and was impressed by the sights. I told him to be sure and stop at the Cheese Factory. As it turned out we were able to get together for dinner. I thought to introduce him to the delights the Roost but then remembered I had town chores and precious little gas in the van. So I said the Casino. I was there plenty early as he had called from Dubois. Good thing because the place was packed and I got the pager for the dining room 30 minutes in advance and settled down to big time gambling. I started with $3.00 got up to $6.50 and then back to $3.00. But I had the heady experience of being wealthy for a few minutes. My pager went off and I was just sitting down when Rich showed up. We had a nice visit. He and Val really seem to be a team and have good times. His daughters are being cool to each right now. Cousins are getting along fine-Susie gets up at 5:30 every morning to go care for her friend up the street with terminal breast cancer and goes again at 5:30 at night.



It is really kind of sad to see such famous trenchermen as Rich and me becoming pikers in our dotage. We ordered prime rib and both ended up making a care package for the dogs who were delighted. More evidence of Rich and OCD: he has become a sequential eater: all the potato, all the veggies, then the meat. I'm not sure when that started but I used to feed him when he was little and we had sit-down dinners at our house so it is not lifelong behavior.



He complimented me: said I didn't look like I gained weight this summer. In fact I am wearing pants that are a full size smaller-two inches less around the middle. But that has always been the story of my weight fluctuations. Anyway more inches to go hopefully and the dose of beef was enjoyed and I think needed.



Richie brought me some cheese from Star Valley and told me not to cut it until I got home. I never did mind him at all.

Home Improvement

The seasons are changing. I have curtains on both back doors to keep the bugs and wrong temperature air down but mostly to allow the dogs free roaming. Closing the door on them results in whining, barking, scratching and general misery no matter which side they are on. I bought shower curtain liners and very cheap blankets last year. The shower curtain liners work fine, the blankets are made from dryer lint I think and remain stiff as a board and will not "hang." I went scouting at the Neat Repeat. What a mess that is-you would think it is run by retarded people...oops it is. So it was off to WalMart where I was pleased to find cotton blankets for under $10 and a lined curtain panel for not much more. It is great but I had to employ my tailoring skills to the length: staple, staple, staple, staple, staple. I may get some of that iron on tape if I can remember where I put the effing iron. THERE is a low mileage appliance.

I also got some tarps to try to enclose the summer house this winter. The lawn furniture out there is taking a beating from the elements.

More toys: My Amazon order arrived. Part is going to Florida unopened. Sony bluetooth stereo headphones for the iPod Touch are great! I am not sure I ever did hear the lyrics to a lot of songs. I spent Tuesday in the "studio" and nearly filled the iPod. The old iPod photo has a huge hard drive and far exceeds the 8 gig memory for the touch. (I'm convincing myself to get a bigger memory iPod touch. ) I also took another run at filling cards with photos for yet another pair of Photoframes. Something is amiss. These cards won't accept the pictures either. I am frustrated to the max on this project.

Beautiful days these are. A friend sent the following link of the uplifting sort. I love the pictures. It has music and is a little treacly but nice nonetheless. A little treacle doesn't hurt us.

http://www.lshs64.com/enjoytheride.html

"Let's Talk Gum Control"

That was on the reader board at the Methodist Church. Clever and timely what with Serena, Kanye, Assemblyman Duvall, and U.S. Congressman Dipstick. Those flapping gums do cause us problems.

I am just in from stargazing. This after sunrise gazing, cloud gazing, pasture gazing, goose gazing, sunset gazing. Not a whole lot of successful activity. I have tried a few things but gravity was my enemy the past couple of days.

Honey has rendered her pasture watching kind of boring-the coyotes are laying low or gone. I heard her growling after supper and went outside. She was removing a big branch from the irrigation canal. She was really working at it. She was successful. She makes me laugh.

Patrick Swayze died today. Too young to go but under the circumstances, it is good it is over. I saw most of his movies. I think I taped Roadhouse. To my knowledge that was the first major movie to depict "doing it" standing up. Hot, Hot, Hot.

A beautiful warm day-it started warming up last night. It was warmer at 10:00 p.m. that it was at 10:00 a.m.

A Chill in the Air

These cold mornings are a reminder that mid-September usually holds a freeze that marks the end of the growing season. I am sending messages to hold off awhile for the sake of Hollis' beans. First freeze is usually a big waste anyway because after the freeze, the days turn warmer and if you picked the right time to cover your garden plants they will prosper for awhile. If you didn't pick the right time you get lots of black stuff. I went around doing interim weatherization today.

They are also a reminder that the days are going at a gallop. I've been deconstructing the Ford van in prep to try to impose some order for traveling. My little helpers complicate things. Buster keeps wanting to take up residence and Honey finds all sorts of interesting things to play with. I left more in Florida last year-it does not make sense to haul too much back and forth but there is still a great deal to stow.

I have to admit I am still fond of my destinations but the actual road trips are no longer the adventures they were. Maybe I can find ways to make them more exciting. Twenty hours west and forty three hours east are the driving times but that is the minimum time. At some point it turns into a job, then at another it seems like punishment.

For the Birds

A Sandhill Crane family visited this afternoon. The pictures are taken at the very limit of 20X magnification and the bottom one has been cropped. They are taking off in the top one. They were kind of shy staying behind a cluster of Russian olive trees. They are noisy birds and it seems they can throw their voices. They are often not where you think they are from the calls. That beautiful purplish stuff is the prairie grass gone to seed. It has been wet enough that re-seeding is taking place. A very nice sight.

The Old Cowboy and the Newlywed

Tom, the guy in the foreground is about 40 and has managed to elude capture for many years, He is a good-looking cuss and has had his share of romances. Well, with a girlfriend with, not one, but two buns in the oven, of the female persuasion, he took the leap. In Wyoming it is well known that gestation in the human female is very unpredictable for the first birth-anywhere from 20 minutes to nine months but subsequently takes nine months. So folks are pretty down to earth about it. An old timer was giving Tom advice:
"Now when the baby comes, don't get up in the night the first time. Play possum when it cries. She's going to cut you off anyway. Might as well give her a reason. If you don't, pretty soon you will be getting up every night. Then she will want you to do it in the morning. Next thing you know you will be changing diapers in the afternoon too. Then you will be too tired to get your chores done. Then the place is going to start to look like hell. Then the Boss man is going to run your ass off. Then where will you be? Don't get up the first time!"

Well, we will see. Tom is a pretty nice guy and his brother and his wife have a great relationship and kids. Son Matt is a sharer of child duties and has reaped the reward of a close relationship with his daughter. Daryne beat the duty by saying baby caca made him throw up. But I have seen him with his arm up a cow's ass to the shoulder. Stay tuned for more news from lovely Cora, Wyoming. Thayne and I have a bet.

Very cool this morning. My hands hurt in spite of the warm coffee cup. But it turned into a beautiful late summer day. The only firm thing on the agenda was the trip to town that has been put off a few times. Radio Shack sent me a sale flyer. Then they closed for Labor Day weekend. I settled for a 5% discount, came home and checked Amazon and ordered a newer model for less. Radio Shack's is going back. As long as I was in town, I bought a good steak to go with my corn on the cob. I got a minute steak for the hounds. We were all happy with our barbecue this evening. I was like a kid at Christmas watching the live-blogging from the Apple extravaganza. They have made some cool improvements but I was hoping for the iPod Touch to sport a rumored camera. Further rumors say there has been a technical glitch and it wasn't ready for prime time. They did lower prices on several models. I am still pondering. The Nano has a new video camera and some upgrades.

Well, Duh!

Without benefit of a partner in life (thank the Lord for small blessings for us both), there is no one to arch an eyebrow, or say "Wipe the corner of your mouth, there is a teeny bit of bullshit left there." So the blog must perform the function of providing me feedback. I have spent days fasting, meditating, and in silence to achieve some detachment from the everyday world. Then I notice that I am feeling somewhat aimless! That was the point of the exercise. Not much longer though. The dreams are getting downright weird.

Sandhill Cranes were among the Canada Geese today. Mostly mamas and juveniles. The daddies did a flyover-they are impressive! Six foot wingspans. The guns are booming all around. Thayne told me the daily limit is two and since geese mate for life, you are supposed to kill one and wait for the mate to return and kill that one. I can see the logic but that game is definitely not for me. A camera is my limit. Besides, I tasted goose once.

Honey leaves a little hair on the fence every time she goes through it. That is often. She went exploring this morning and must have fallen in the mud. She sheds it pretty fast, though. Buster took the initiative for a little walkabout today too. I was glad to see it.

Thayne stopped by this evening and gave me some excellent sweet corn. I had some Whirling Dervish Wedding Soup cooking in the pot but with corn in hand, Burgers and sweet corn became supper. The doggies like it when I barbecue. Honey finished hers and came looking for mine. She didn't get much. I saved a patty for their breakfast.

Rich had called on Friday wanting cuzAnn's phone number. Her summer home is in Saratoga. Rich and Val were going to a Val family gathering in Encampment. Ann can be kind of a stick but she and Ralph went and they all had a ball. Val's dad, Stan, has had a hobby of fixing up old wood/coal stoves and he has an assortment. His wife Rubyalice and her girls made peach pies on a coal range, blanched green beans from the garden and had other home grown treats. The light bulb might be coming on for Casper-raised Richard. There is an incredible amount of joy to be had from life without cash-flash and keeping up with Joneses. When he called tonight he was still pumped. Can there be anything better than a homemade peach pie from a coal stove and fun friends to share it with? Board games, a few skittle shots, and good yakking. Ann and Ralph stayed until 10:00 p.m. They'll have a tale to tell in Dallas.

Still pecking away at household tasks.

Labor Day

Hazy and Wet and Cool. Quick moving thunderstorms really dumped on us yesterday. It is not unpleasant. It is another day for me to be "at loose ends." Things are just fine but kind of directionless. The housework is progressing but never-ending. I am losing a little weight. That too is never-ending but may explain a little difference in-what? I have more energy but am just laid back I guess. I am very happy with my summer season so far. Maybe I need to stir things up.

The local news has been horrific. Some dude (likely drunk) fell in the ditch just up the road and drowned. Another Native American out of prison for a whole month lured a deputy out of his house and proceeded to attack him with the sharp side of a hatchet. After receiving serious injury the cop went for his gun and the guy disappeared but was later apprehended. The guy had been in prison for stabbing his aunt , the woman who raised him, multiple times. I don't know what he was doing out of prison. Motivated crime is scary enough-the cuckoos make me nervous.

The doggies are doing well. Honey has really attached this summer. Some days she is just plain chummy. Buster is more active and has always been chummy after he got over being Mr. Wild Child. It is hard to remember that he would not come in the house for the first two years of his life and I had to have the mobile vet come to the house for shots, Thayne fed him while I was on the road and I was afraid to get too attached to him because a bad end seemed imminent. Now he is like glue.

Football season is gearing up. I like that. CSU whipped up on CU, now if Wyoming can whip up on CSU-that is a big rivalry. But it is the NFL that I really like. Am I ready for some Football? You betcha.

I need to get the Ford van to the garage for service. The traveling season is around the corner and the tires need to be rotated and it needs a good going over. Preventive is better than breakdown.

I am getting grumped at by Honey. She thinks I have been typing long enough and she needs to be played with-she is funny.

How did it get to be Wednesday already?

After a day and a half of semi-vegetative but enjoyable life, I got cracking today. Several loads of laundry, filling the dumpster (working on it), watering trees that are not benefiting from the irrigation ditch. Thayne is doing another round on the pasture irrigation and it is easy to stand over the fence and visit. I learn more stuff that way. The areas that do benefit from the ditch are looking good. The water subs under my hill and most of the trees are getting good water. The skeeters are also enjoying it. I am going to Fog Them Up tomorrow if it is calm. The bugs are really annoying right now. Flies are sticky, mosquitoes voracious, Gnats multitudinous. Honey had a huge bump on her nose for awhile today-I am sure it was a bite. I am going to watch her carefully. She killed a vole today. Buster seems to be gaining. He has gone trekking with Honey a few times-not too far but it would seem his meds are doing their job.

I got a Swanson's Vitamin catalog today which reminded me I had ordered some supplements for him and me. I took some. My feet warmed up gradually. Shoes seem looser. Hopeful signs.

A drunk Indian lady got into my house this afternoon. I don't know where Honey was. She was all fierceness after I showed up. I was ticked. The lady said she needed a jack. I told her I didn't have one. She looked at the fleet and seemed incredulous. Hey, I have insurance-I have changed my last tire-I am old...let my fingers do the walking. Good Sam Emergency Service is on my speed dial. In fact, I think I do have a jack or two around here but whether they would fit her car...I was not going to be bothered after having been intruded upon.