Catching Up

seems to be something I'm not doing very well lately.  I did, finally in the month of June, change the top bed cover to something lighter.

I've almost finished with painting the outside of the house.  The paper wasps have delayed me.  I painted one as it emerged from a crack between wood and rock at the top of the chimney.  It fell but another followed it. I decided to stop painting until I get wasp spray. I'm allergic or I would just try and work around them.  

Between the rains and up and down the ladder, I've weeded and picked up limbs and moved rocks from the water garden so I could fit the ladder next to the house.  I've become braver and more trusting of my ladder placement judgement.  I have very few spots left to paint, just the trim.  Almost done!!!  The high spots will be done from the tractor bucket.  All with a two inch brush, too.  I'm kinda proud of my work.

It is hot and dry now.  A couple of afternoons were triple digits. Some that weren't felt that way with the humidity.  My painting follows the shade and in between I've picked cucumbers and onions, sprayed the hungry bugs with hot pepper/mint/Dawn tea, and moved things from my sister's house she sold.  Along with my regular "chores" I've stayed busy.

The old doe with a fawn thinks the garden is hers.  She likes the bean tops and the lettuce best.  The dogs were keeping her out but she convinced them to stay away the day they sniffed out her fawn.  The deer gave them a good stomping.  No one was harmed but the dogs let her graze in the garden now.

I've mentioned Pit Vipers or poisonous snakes have a smell.  Well, let me tell you something (the way Mom always started a wild story) I've been smelling something strange in our tool closet.  Told Hubby we either had a Copperhead or a skunk under the floor.  He said, Naw, the dogs would have gotten either.  They did one day...tore up jack shit as some would say.  I couldn't tell what was going on.  Had to take a piece of siding off to see under the floor.  There it was...a monster of a Cottonmouth snake.  The dogs did good.  Sad part is I think it got one of my Koi....and to think I've been moving those rocks, digging around, standing barefooted, never having my mind on a poisonous WATER snake.  Well, I'm thinking and watching now!

At night when I sit with ice packs on aching muscles and joints I try to read.  My latest book was A Parchment of Leaves by Silas House. I would like to share a line that struck a chord with me "That's all anybody can ask for, if you think about it-to have somebody love you and depend on you and take care of you when you're sick, and mourn over your casket when you die."

So, just like a letter from home, I've caught up through the times I've failed to post.

Happy Father's Day and may the rest of June be wonderful to you.

Well, Let Me Tell You Something...

and those who know me, know that statement always precedes a tale of madness, something almost unbelievable.  I remember when Mom would start a story that way, she was going to be telling someone "how the cow ate the cabbage."

I really wanted to have a relaxing weekend, but, no, didn't happen.  I opened the mail and my nightmare began.  Official notice from the home insurance, cancelled, effective March 3rd...WHAT?  But I just had an agent out and she thought every thing was fine.  She took pictures, we made a deal.   It's a farm house, guys, an old farm house, a working farm...but they sent a city boy to take pictures and his recommendation was we had too many liabilities!!!

Weekend, not in their office, city boy out sick...this is what I finally found out...his words, "white bucket, blue barrel and pipe in yard, furniture in the yard, steps going the wrong way, one porch rail broken and the steps are too long". 

Well, Thank God, I thought something was wrong with the house!!  You've got to be kidding me, cancellation because of a barrel in the yard??  They should have seen the place before hubby hauled the equipment to the bone yard!

Keep in mind, I am showing my liabilities, baring my soul to the entire world.  See the pipe and the blue barrels?  See the lawn mowers...guess they are a liability, too.  This is the back side of the house!!!  Were the steps going the wrong way, the ones that enter the basement?  Yes, there is a porch rail broken but it's winter and I am going to fix it, sooner now, than I had planned.   A tree limb broke it, we trimmed the broken limb, cleared the mess and did not call the insurance company.  I was waiting 'cause it was a door we never use except in summer!!!  It's to the screened porch.  The blue barrels are pressure tanks from the pump, waiting to be repurposed, because on a farm everything can be used for something else.  That piece of pipe is polished aluminum that is worth a pretty penny.  Hubbs was using it for irrigation and brought it to the house!

They should have seen this before I asked Hubbs to clean it up.  The work shop is to the right so where else do you put things?  Close to the place you're going to work on them is obviously not the right place...and I did not take this picture!!!!  This is insurance boy's picture.

...and here's his second picture.  Good photographer!  I know it's not a mansion but it's our home and a pretty good one.  Maybe he was offended by the painted pelvic bone of a cow that I had hanging on the gate post, maybe my dogs barking made him mad, who knows!  The only furniture in the yard is my lawn furniture that stays out year round. 

Whew, calm down, Gail.  I finally was able to talk to my agent and she was shocked.  She said, I just took pictures, every thing looked fine to me.  Then I found out she grew up on a farm.  Sometimes, when you're responsible for acres, the yard suffers a little but it doesn't make it a libility!!!

Any way, we shall see, when I get the complete list of things he didn't like.  My agent says, we will work and take more pictues of the same spots and TRY...TRY to convince the national office, we're not a libility.  If I can't do that, I'm not sure of the direction I will take.  I know I will probably advertise for the company here...and on Facebook.

You have seen pictures of my home before and I have had nothing but wonderful compliments...now if I can just convince the big insurance guys, I am not going to burn my house down nor trip a stranger, things will smooth out...until next year.

Cross your fingers, I am battling big boys!!

WELL..Let Me Tell You Something

I am sure you are familiar with this line since I did tell you once, this is how I began all my great tales.  Today there was a cloud over WalMart and usually that is my money you see floating away in that cloud.  Today was different, today I made a difference, today I still spent money but I left feelling good about myself.  Today I probably could have been arrested.

I had dropped Dalton and Andrew at the movies while I ran to Walmart. I quickly filled my buggy knowing I had to be back at the movies to pick up the boys.  Fast Forward to check out. 

I rarely have good luck at choosing a fast moving line and was expecting nothing more or less today.  Two men, one item, hurray!  Quickly rolled my five hundred pound buggy, mostly cat/dog food, behind them.  Another person joined me...now we have a line.  Well, it ain't moving!

Why, WHY, Why, did you ask?  Well, let me tell you something!!!  The gentleman in front of me, and I use that term loosely, was talking rudely to the check out lady.  Now, normally, I let people deal with their own problems unless they ask for my help. 

Not this time, no siree, not this time.  I politely suggested to the G-man, Hey, it's not her fault, back off!  His snappy little beady blood-shot eyes turned and focused on me.  First let me mention, I do not judge people's appearance only their actions, I only add the description now for dramatic effect.  The poor clerk was cowering and trying every thing in her power to calm this man down.  He had purchased a router and they would not accept it as a return, so we know by my previous experience if electronics would not take it as a return there was a valid reason.  Poor Clerk tried to explain this, Beady eyes was not listening but the whole world was listening to him because he was yelling.

Anyway, as I was saying, his beady eyes snapped my way and he said I'm not saying its her fault.  I said, Sure sounds like it to me.  She is just doing  her job.  Leave her alone.  He said, I just want to talk to a manager and I said take it the service desk.  I was calm and assertive just like the Dog Whisperer has trained me to be.  I truly think this man was suffering from "Small Dog Syndrome" something we all have been warned about often.

WELLLLL, he did not like my casual observations one tiny bit.  At this point, the line behind me cleared out, I felt like I was in an old west saloon and we were fixinta have a shoot out. 

The manager was there, another fine lady, and was also trying to avoid a scene and trying to calm his outraged asinine attitude.  So now we have two nice ladies, one loud obnoxious ass and me.

The discussion has turned to the price of the new router he brought to the front.  I know the cheapest one has been 69.95 and that is what this one rang up to be.  Not according to MR YELL To Make Myself Look Bigger thought.  They were on a shelf, a whole stack of them, and they were 29.95 and according to Craphead Law, that is the price it should be.

The poor manager and clerk were looking desperate and a little scared. Now, I tend to defend  helpless creatures and humans in need are no different. I was fed up.

Sir, I said, do you have anything else to check out, as he is dancing his little irate body around.  He stops and says NO.  Sir, I said, I suggest, you move on out and let us get on with business.  He started to say something and I interrupted and said, Have a nice day, Sir. Goodbye.  He stomped, he mumbled, he turned circles and you could tell he was wanting to really start something.  I stepped forward and started unloading my stuff.  He said something I could not hear, of course, too afraid to say it to my face!  I looked up and he said I'll have a nice day alright,  I said, I certainly hope you do, Sir.

The bad man exits.  The store security arrives, a little late, if you ask me.  He asks if he can help and both ladies say, no, this lady has already taken care of it.  The security guard smiles and says, ma'am don't work me outta a job.  He thanks me, the manager thanks me, the clerk comes out and  hugs me, almost crying and thanks me!!!!  They said you told him exactly what we wanted to but couldn't. I said I bet he beats his wife and the manager said, if it has one!  I said I have experience.  I work for the public too.  Today I was on this side of the counter and I got to say what I wanted to say.

I am thinking I need to get back on drugs or no one will be safe.