Happy April Fools Day

Thought about going fishing.  I saw a boat on Craigs list that would be nice.  Anybody got $62000 for a three year old boat.  I'll gladly repay you next pay day.

Gray windy cloudy day.  Feels like it will storm.  Had a goose hover over us watching Jr while running at the WMA.  Just curious I guess.   Either clean the garage or hit some stores today.  decisions!

Steph, the kids are so adorable, I cant believe how big they are getting.  

I just have to say the thing I miss the most about not havin the kids closer is...coloring Easter eggs.  I love to color Easter eggs.  The last time colored eggs was when my son was  in college  he came home a day early so he could color eggs with me.   Ha! now he has a little girl so I am sure he is back to coloring eggs again.

Had a pair of loose dogs visit yesterday.  Yellow lab and a young  Golden Retriever.  Lab left when I stepped out, GR came for petting.  Jr introduced himself to his new BFF.  Sweet little GR.  Showers signs of recent hip surgery, leg being favored.  No collar, no chip.  Called up my favorite vet to see if he knew the dog.  He is keeping it at the clinic while we see if the owner is local.  The options were 1) I keep someone elses dog in the house, 2)see if the vets can keep it,3) call the LEOs to take it.  Apparently the sheriffs office wants to pick up these dogs, but puts them down if the owner doesn't reclaim within  the time limit.  That removes the sheriff from the calling list.  Jr wants a puppy, and this vet is partial to GRs, having had to put his down for cancer.  The Labby left and I couldn't find him, so maybe they live close.  But I live on a highway on one side and a county road on the other.  Lots of traffic.  The GR is a really nice dog, obeying me better than Sky was.

Steph, what a great photo!  Like Ginger said, I can't believe how big your kids are.  Such a cute family!

Doug, I hope you can get to the bottom of the dog mystery!  If the GR had recent surgery, he must be owned by someone.  It's too bad he had neither a collar or a chip.  I'm glad he's got somewhere to stay until you all can decide what to do next if an owner isn't found.  Sounds like he has one or two options for a new home!  I hope the Lab made it somewhere safe.  We've found ourselves with 4 or 5 strays at our house over the years (2 got in my car one day when I saw them on my way to work).  All but one of them were claimed by their owners.  One puppy went to our local dog control where she was spayed and adopted very shortly thereafter.  It was tempting to keep her, but we resisted, given how Ruby doesn't like to share her space or us!

Speaking of Ruby, I forgot to post about her close-encounter with a deer the other day.  After the skunk-spraying incident, we always go out with a flashlight at night and check the yard before letting her out, but in the daylight, I admit we're more casual.  We do a quick glance out the door (our yard is very small and we can see most of it) and let her out.  The other day, DH did that (about 5pm), and within seconds we heard all kinds of loud noises and thuds amd I saw a flurry of blurred activity go by the window.  I was my usual useless self in such emergencies (I yelled and then covered my eyes!), but DH ran right out, only to find a deer leaping over our fence into the neighbor's yard!

As I said, our yard is tiny.  We live in one of those over-developed neighborhoods with houses about 10 feet apart.  We've seen deer before (even in our yard once) but usually in early hours of the morning.  This poor thing must have been in the one corner we can't see from our door, or it jumped into the yard right as Ruby went out there.  The plant supports and cages from our flowerbeds were strewn all over the yard where Ruby and/or the deer trampled them, and a huge ceramic planter pot was tipped over on the patio 6 feet from its spot.  There was deer fur on the edge of the patio, so we think it may have slipped on the concrete (that was when I saw the blur by the window), but when DH got out there, it was leaping easily on the other side of the yard, so it must have been okay.  No blood on Ruby or on the patio.  Thankfully she didn't get kicked.  Needless to say, we are now doing a full security check of the yard before we let her out, no matter what time of day!!

Kota got home.. About a quarter mile away from us.  The little GR is actually the mother of the big lab and both got home.  Wife stopped at vets to see how the GR was doing when the phone rang asking about a lost dog-who will get a chip now.  We've actually met Kota before when walking Jr, but she is usually on a long line.  A really nice dog and well cared for.  But accidents will happen.  

Another dark gloomy day.  May hit the mall today.  Stop at the bookstore, have a good coffee, read some dirty magazines.  Check Sears for tools I need,  A new 'Mills Fleet Farm" just opened in Mankato.  They have Walnut boards at $10.95/board ft.  But they have them, and cherry.  Huge store, lots of adult toys.

May I have a drum roll please?  I am FINISHED!!  Totally settled!  OK, still have tools to unpack, but those aren't essential and will get to them by the weekend.  But, all the rooms look like people actually live in them, the stuff is on the walls, I'm settled!    Took me longer this time, but.....

Saw the Doc this morning and my BP is at goal.  He's going to add Flonase to my Clariton since I'm coughing a LOT and loosing my voice, again.  And he's referring me to an ENT who will likely refer me to an allergist.  Last time he had me get a chest scan.  Geeze.  I have severe allergies.  I cough.  Then my voice leaves.  Its not brain surgery!!!

It's scary how easily stuff can happen.  I'm glad that both dogs found their way home safely!

Yea Glenda,  all hail Queen of Moving :)  I don't know how you do it.  

Doug I am so glad you now know where the dogs live, you may get another visit.   In our little rural area, we are the house to go to.  All the dogs come to our house to play.   It is a good way for them all to socialize.

Tracy we do not have deer in our little area they are all around us but we think it may be due to the fact that there are many dogs in our little valley .   It is possible that that deer will go back and tell all the others, "stay away  from that house"  :)

May I resign my reign now?  PLEASE????  I feel every single one of my years after this move.  And, in self defense, I unpacked the tools this morning and organized the basement.  DS was prowling around down there last night and the thought of all the boxes being opened and scattered in  search of one lousy screw prompted me to just do it.

And, I've gotta admit, it feels darned good to know there is nothing waiting for me to do.

Now I'd like to sleep for the next week!

Does that mean it's time to start cookin Glenda :)  

I hope everyone can dodge all the weather that is supposed to come thru today.  Its dark and cloudy here, storms later they say.

Our poor Hot Shot is missin his buddy.  I think we might have to have a neighborhood doggy party soon to liven his spirits.  He is sticking pretty close to Ron.  He is eating good but he doesn't get to far away from the yard or the house.  He has not gone on his morning walk-about all week.

Sadly, Ginger, I am a very sick woman.  Saturday I baked four dozen blueberry muffins.  Sunday, I did two double batches of

brownies and a batch of sour dough bread bowls for Tuesdays chili.  Monday was a huge batch of pork burritos, yesterday, the guys had been asking for meatloaf so I made one for dinner and two for the freezer, today I'm taking the easy way with a roasted chicken with lemon slices and basil slipped under the skin, and homemade pasta.  The massive dose of antibiotics doesn't seem to be slowing this particular illness down one little bit.

Weather?  Woke up to snow on the ground today...just enough to cover the thick coat of ice.  Had to go find my ice scraper.  Sigh.  Now, after noon, it's 31 degrees.

A doggy party sounds like a GREAT idea!

The world is turning green.  I saw a snake at the WMA a couple of days ago.  Granted, its freezing this morning, there was snow yesterday mixed in with the rain, and that snake is wondering about waking up early, but the grass is green and the trees and shrubs are budding.   Only a few weeks left in the Possible Snow Season.

After years of govt cutbacks on roads, schools, social programs, MN  has a surplus of about 1.5 billion dollars in the treasury.  Governor wants to put chunks of it into roads, schools, social services.  Also wants to raise the gas tax to help rebuild the roads.  The estimate to bring the roads into good shape is about 8 billion dollars over some years.  Schools have been cutting programs and teachers and building maintenance for years now, we had a bridge cave in  and potholes abound.  The majority party wants to give some of the surplus back, cut taxes by 2 billion, and spend token amounts on roads and education, while cutting social programs to pay for needed services to roads.

Meanwhile, the state reps get a per diem payment for more than most people make , and do not have to present receipts.  It's an automatic payment, tax free.  I get really upset with politicians-party doesn't matter anymore.  Voting doesn't seem to make a difference.

Sky is funny.  We went shopping.  He knows the signs for a road trip.  Shoes, hats, coats, keys jingle.  I told him he was staying home, so he stayed at the end of the hall watching us.  One eye, peeking around the corner to see if he was coming.  He needs a good run-walking to the post office just isn't enough-but after two days of rain, I don't really want to run him through the deep grass.

Its a little chilly here today, we have had some nice warm weather.  Everything is green, dogwoods,redbuds, crabapple, apple , lilacs, all blooming.  It is beautiful except for the grass cause we have a flat on the mower and Ron has to wait till I am home to help him get the tire off.  We finally got his truck fixed so he can take it to town but needs my help to get to it.  

I am happy to say that yesterday and this morning Hot Shot has started getting back into his normal routine.   He even went on his morning walk about today.  I knew it would take a bit of time.  

Doug that is so funny about Sky.  I could just see him, peeking about the corner like...if I do this they might change their mind and let me go too :)

Glenda can you send me some of those brownies?  I kinda figured you had already been in the kitchen :)

Ginger, the illness is made much worse by the fact that the kitchen is incredibly awesome and just begs me to come play in it! However, today being Friday, it is my day off from cooking thanks to DH's boss who always sends home $50 worth of gift certificates on Fridays.  Bless his heart, knowing that someone else is doing the cooking is the only way to keep me out of the kitchen.  I truly do love to cook and bake.

So glad to hear that Hot Shot is getting back to his old self.  And Sky...wow, that pup has gotta be full time entertainment!

We have had rain all week...except for the ice/snow day.  So far today we are at a whooping 38 degrees.  Supposedly we have 50's coming, but they must be on the slowest mule cart they can find!  The folks in the next house have a car stuck in the mud all the way up over the top of the front tires.  The people who just moved out of the side of the duplex closest to me were ticked about where that lady opted to park so drove their huge hemi pickup truck all over the back  yard and just tore it all to heck.  Between the melting and the near constant rain this week, that back yard is a swamp.  So the poor guy who came to visit and parked in the back is really well buried.  Feel bad for him since he wasn't part of the feud and he's not gettting that car out without some heavy duty equipment.

Gosh....I'm at loose ends.  I'm totally settled, its my day off from the kitchen.....don't know what I'm going to do to keep myself busy today.  Maybe I'll break out a jigsaw puzzle......

Beautiful day.  Sunny, little breeze, 70F.  Hit the WMA by the river.  We watched a pair of Bald Eagles hunting from way up.  I don't know if they are a pair, or just friends, but the flying is fun to watch.  Then a big bird flew over.  Maybe a Golden Eagle.  It was big enough that I kept Sky close till the bird left.  Sky really wants to play with the geese.  He was in the weeds and shoulder deep in water and mud.  Rolled the windows down on the way home.  He then got a bath, a brushing, a hair cut, and another brushing.  I have no teeth marks, so it was a success.  I don't think he will get as hairy as Piper was, nor as heavy as Rags was, but he does get a shaggy butt, his mane gets long, and his ears look unkempt.  

I have another stack of brush from the hedge to haul out.  The old Honeysuckle gets really ugly.  I should have just dug it out when I was young and foolish and started a new hedge with nice plants.  

This will be a good evening for a stroll around town.

Glenda glad to hear you are all moved. Sorry about your infection but sounds like all was healing well. You said you felt everyone of your years on that move...can totally understand that. But then how in the heck where you into the kitchen doing all of that baking. Wow! Don't think I've ever done that much baking. Guess it makes a difference when you enjoy it and it has never been one of my fun things. My shoulders and back have never been able to handle much work in the kitchen. Went to a nice party today for the 95th birthday of a good friend of mine. They had kind of an open house at a restaurant in the area. The place used to be a grade school and it has been turned into a restaurant and motel. Seeing as she had been a teacher back in the day, this place fit, though it wasn't a school she taught at. Probably wasn't even there when she was teaching. Anyway, a nice time. Okay Doug, when I go to the Chat for the month of March....think that was the last one we were on, they have 6 pages listed but only can open 1,2...5,6. Seems once there are multiple pages they only show 4. Just a couple of dots or dashes in between. Least that is the way it looks on my end. Just wondering if it is any different for you or if you have figured that out, or anyone else can chime in if they know.