Just thought I'd write something here. There is a lot going on right now. We just spent a week in California with some friends that moved out there about 12 years ago. They put us up for a week and this was after their daughter had married on Sunday. We were treated like royalty, or very nearly so.
California changes like everything does. If you haven't been there in 9 or 10 years, you will notice differences. Part of it may be because you haved changed in that interval. It seemed a little harder to get to the beach. It seems about half the cars are Toyotas. There are not as many old VWs around. It was quite easy to find a tennis court to play on. I noticed there weren't many bumper stickers on the cars. This was Orange County so there may be restrictions on that. The vegetation is still beautiful and the mountains. The sun and cool breeze are the same.
I was a bit out of sorts for the trip. Just difficulties in adjusting to change plus a sore mouth that lingered the whole week.
It was fun though. We did things, saw things, learned a little and had some laughs. We came back on Saturday.
Our house is in upheaval because we are preparing for a garage sale. There was no Sophie to greet us when we returned. We had her "put down" before we left. The garden is doing well, especially the pumpkins. We had our first tomatoes today.
I sincerely hope that you are healthy and happy.
Monday, July 23, 2012
Thursday, June 21, 2012
Comes with the Territory
While going through some things in preparation for a garage sale, Brooke found some old letters from her Mother, Gloria. Her Mom was writing to keep her daughter up to date on what was going on in the family. I was already in the picture at that time and Brooke had been hired in Battle Creek.
One particular item of interest was the fact that a groundhog had taken residence in Percival's(an old neighbor)barn. The animal was wreaking havoc on the garden and Brooke's parents were trying to get rid of it. Ray(Father)and Mr.Percival were taking turns sitting out at the picnic table with their shotguns. Brooke's brother Matt was involved also. I don't know if they were ever successful...like Luke and I were.
When we moved in this house, Percival's grand daughter was living in his old house. She and her husband were restoring the "barn" and that's when the current groundhog moved over to our yard. First, the critter dug a den under the grape vines. (Maybe that's why some of them died off?) Then he moved to a fabulous place, under the shed.
It was a lot of fun to read the accounts in this connection to the past. Gloria's personality shines through and will be shared with family members. Wish she could still be with us in person.
It might be a good idea to send a letter now and then to a friend or family member. It is something they are more likely to keep and maybe years from now it will be reread and appreciated in a much different way than it was originally intended.
One particular item of interest was the fact that a groundhog had taken residence in Percival's(an old neighbor)barn. The animal was wreaking havoc on the garden and Brooke's parents were trying to get rid of it. Ray(Father)and Mr.Percival were taking turns sitting out at the picnic table with their shotguns. Brooke's brother Matt was involved also. I don't know if they were ever successful...like Luke and I were.
When we moved in this house, Percival's grand daughter was living in his old house. She and her husband were restoring the "barn" and that's when the current groundhog moved over to our yard. First, the critter dug a den under the grape vines. (Maybe that's why some of them died off?) Then he moved to a fabulous place, under the shed.
It was a lot of fun to read the accounts in this connection to the past. Gloria's personality shines through and will be shared with family members. Wish she could still be with us in person.
It might be a good idea to send a letter now and then to a friend or family member. It is something they are more likely to keep and maybe years from now it will be reread and appreciated in a much different way than it was originally intended.
Sunday, May 27, 2012
Groundhog Day
One of my favorite movies. Today though was a different story.
Brooke had just left for a wedding in Detroit and I had a list of things to do so we would be ready to leave for Toronto in the morning. I was upstairs looking for something when I heard Luke (my dog) bark. Just a single or double bark and then silence. Luke is like an alarm. Sometimes he just barks and you don't know why. There is a reason and frequently it's just a loud noise like a car door or a shoe dropping to the floor. No one was here so I carried on with my task. Another bark...if only I was smart enough to interpret this unusual bark! I looked out the back door and saw a groundhog looking like he/she was getting ready to claim our hot tub as their new living quarters.
Just recently I had put some moth balls in the den that had been established several years ago under the storage shed.I had heard that it was a good way to keep unwanted animals away. I thought, "Hey, maybe that worked. Now, what?" I let Luke go out to chase off the groundhog.
Luke has no fear when it comes to confronting critters. He has killed a skunk, a baby rabbit and a squirrel that I know of. He chases rabbits and squirrels but has little interest in cats. I thought he would chase the groundhog away but after a minute or so the animal felt trapped and was in a standoff with Luke barking mere inches from it at the base of the cherry tree.
Concerned that Luke might get bitten, I tried calling the dog off but there was no way he was backing down. I have three bows in the garage and a pathetic assortment of arrows. I grabbed a bow and an old wooden arrow with a broad head on it. This should make short work of the intruder. I waited for a good shot from about ten feet away. I thought there was no way I would hit Luke. The arrow flew about a foot over the groundhog. If you've never shot a bow, that is a common occurrence on your first shot. I returned to the garage to get more arrows. I chose a very similar arrow for my second shot with similar results. Closer though, so I was zeroing in. The third shot was a charm, an aluminum shaft with a target tip. I felt no remorse for shooting the rodent. Luke found his chance to go for the throat and did so.
When the groundhog was dead Luke started carrying it off toward the front of the house. Was he going to eat it?! I called him back and took him in the house. I left the carcass out in the yard.
Back to preparing for our trip to Canada where we hope to see Gabe play T-ball and soccer. Ciao.
Brooke had just left for a wedding in Detroit and I had a list of things to do so we would be ready to leave for Toronto in the morning. I was upstairs looking for something when I heard Luke (my dog) bark. Just a single or double bark and then silence. Luke is like an alarm. Sometimes he just barks and you don't know why. There is a reason and frequently it's just a loud noise like a car door or a shoe dropping to the floor. No one was here so I carried on with my task. Another bark...if only I was smart enough to interpret this unusual bark! I looked out the back door and saw a groundhog looking like he/she was getting ready to claim our hot tub as their new living quarters.
Just recently I had put some moth balls in the den that had been established several years ago under the storage shed.I had heard that it was a good way to keep unwanted animals away. I thought, "Hey, maybe that worked. Now, what?" I let Luke go out to chase off the groundhog.
Luke has no fear when it comes to confronting critters. He has killed a skunk, a baby rabbit and a squirrel that I know of. He chases rabbits and squirrels but has little interest in cats. I thought he would chase the groundhog away but after a minute or so the animal felt trapped and was in a standoff with Luke barking mere inches from it at the base of the cherry tree.
Concerned that Luke might get bitten, I tried calling the dog off but there was no way he was backing down. I have three bows in the garage and a pathetic assortment of arrows. I grabbed a bow and an old wooden arrow with a broad head on it. This should make short work of the intruder. I waited for a good shot from about ten feet away. I thought there was no way I would hit Luke. The arrow flew about a foot over the groundhog. If you've never shot a bow, that is a common occurrence on your first shot. I returned to the garage to get more arrows. I chose a very similar arrow for my second shot with similar results. Closer though, so I was zeroing in. The third shot was a charm, an aluminum shaft with a target tip. I felt no remorse for shooting the rodent. Luke found his chance to go for the throat and did so.
When the groundhog was dead Luke started carrying it off toward the front of the house. Was he going to eat it?! I called him back and took him in the house. I left the carcass out in the yard.
Back to preparing for our trip to Canada where we hope to see Gabe play T-ball and soccer. Ciao.
Friday, May 25, 2012
The Joy of Gardening
Already, simply by writing this title, I'm self cautioned about alternative meanings. I am only referring to the real thing, clearing the ground, planting seeds (or seedlings) and weeding.
We are struggling mightily with those tasks. The perennial beds must be weeded and mulched. This is unpleasant if you suffer from back pain. The work in a garden is rewarding in it's own way. Gardens are thought of as wonderful places. We sow and we reap. We treat the garden well for we must sustain the soil for future use. In order to move the mulch I felt I had to fix the landscape wagon we have had for a few years now. I needed a ball bearing and possibly an inner tube. A visit to Taylor Hardware didn't solve the problem but they said to check TSC.
They did have a replacement wheel and switching a tube between two other wheels got the wagon back to use.
Every Spring the gasoline engines have to be brought back to life. This year the rototiller was in poor condition. The pull rope broke on about the 5th pull. I had removed the battery a couple of years ago so, in order to use the electric starter I used my jumper battery. I'd get it running, disconnect the battery and in a few minutes it would stall out.
I know this shouldn't be a big problem but I'm kind of teetering on the edge of becoming an old man who doesn't do these things any more. I got out the owners manual and watched some youtube videos and got my mojo back to work on the machine. I think I'll have it in working condition soon.
So progress is being made and I have a feeling of accomplishment. I enjoy the time out there and the work has made me stretch and flex a lot more than what I had been doing over the winter.
I spoke to an old acquaintance who told me about a series of DVD's that were about these gardeners who were also amature detectives. I have watched a few of these. Not too good, but they keep me interested in gardening.
I've gotten interested in the NBA playoffs this year. I would like to see the Heat win. I think LeBron has paid his dues. Last year I wanted anyone else to win, so I am throwing my considerable influence behind Miami this season.
Thanks for checking in.
We are struggling mightily with those tasks. The perennial beds must be weeded and mulched. This is unpleasant if you suffer from back pain. The work in a garden is rewarding in it's own way. Gardens are thought of as wonderful places. We sow and we reap. We treat the garden well for we must sustain the soil for future use. In order to move the mulch I felt I had to fix the landscape wagon we have had for a few years now. I needed a ball bearing and possibly an inner tube. A visit to Taylor Hardware didn't solve the problem but they said to check TSC.
They did have a replacement wheel and switching a tube between two other wheels got the wagon back to use.
Every Spring the gasoline engines have to be brought back to life. This year the rototiller was in poor condition. The pull rope broke on about the 5th pull. I had removed the battery a couple of years ago so, in order to use the electric starter I used my jumper battery. I'd get it running, disconnect the battery and in a few minutes it would stall out.
I know this shouldn't be a big problem but I'm kind of teetering on the edge of becoming an old man who doesn't do these things any more. I got out the owners manual and watched some youtube videos and got my mojo back to work on the machine. I think I'll have it in working condition soon.
So progress is being made and I have a feeling of accomplishment. I enjoy the time out there and the work has made me stretch and flex a lot more than what I had been doing over the winter.
I spoke to an old acquaintance who told me about a series of DVD's that were about these gardeners who were also amature detectives. I have watched a few of these. Not too good, but they keep me interested in gardening.
I've gotten interested in the NBA playoffs this year. I would like to see the Heat win. I think LeBron has paid his dues. Last year I wanted anyone else to win, so I am throwing my considerable influence behind Miami this season.
Thanks for checking in.
Saturday, April 28, 2012
Skateboarding Grandma cracks up
I never thought it would happen in our neighborhood but a couple of days ago, Brooke Lamson, Grandmother of two broke a foot bone in a skateboarding kerfuffle. Having fun with her grandson Gabe and playing with the O'Brian twins she fell and landed on her left 5th metatarsal. It has been a few days now and it isn't going well. If you've ever had to use crutches, you know it's inconvenient. It's also not so easy. How can one carry something when the hands are required to push on the crutch grips? How does one manage coupons? Brooke doesn't want to use a fanny pack but something like it will probably be necessary.
Walking is slow. Steps are difficult. This is supposed to be done for 6-8 weeks! There goes tennis. Robin (Brooke's sister) gave some tips. Robin had broken her ankle a couple of times. One tip is to get a chair that rolls and use that to get around when you are on the main floor of the house. Robin also has a walker that she offered for use.
We used one of the motorized chairs at Meijer yesterday. That's not bad. At least it has some speed. Just as with a car, it's better NOT to back-up with them. A few items in aisle 10 needed re shelving after we tried that. Once we adapt, I'm sure things will go more smoothly.
Oops, gotta go, Brooke wants tea!
Walking is slow. Steps are difficult. This is supposed to be done for 6-8 weeks! There goes tennis. Robin (Brooke's sister) gave some tips. Robin had broken her ankle a couple of times. One tip is to get a chair that rolls and use that to get around when you are on the main floor of the house. Robin also has a walker that she offered for use.
We used one of the motorized chairs at Meijer yesterday. That's not bad. At least it has some speed. Just as with a car, it's better NOT to back-up with them. A few items in aisle 10 needed re shelving after we tried that. Once we adapt, I'm sure things will go more smoothly.
Oops, gotta go, Brooke wants tea!
Thursday, April 12, 2012
Wednesday, April 4, 2012
Ball Machine - For Rent
It took more than expected to get the new ball machine ready and fully equipped. The guy I bought it from on ebay, for some reason had used pictures of a different model machine. Mine was one step up from the one pictured so it comes with a remote control for controlling the feed (start/stop) or the "sweep" (start/stop). He said he never had the remote, so I had to buy one. That was an extra $65 when you include the $15 shipping. The other thing of importance when getting a tennis ball machine, is consideration of the balls to use. After researching this I found the only choice that made sense was to get Tretorn Micro X tennis balls. They are pressureless so they don't go flat. They have a well designed cover and will probably last for at least three seasons. They each have 700 million air bubbles trapped in some kind of foam. I bought the 72 ball case.
Today was the first day I tried out the machine. It was nice and sunny with a pretty strong breeze. I sat up the machine, it's a Silent Partner unlike my other partner. I just guessed at what the controls should be set to. You can control the ball speed, ball height, spin, feed rate (time between shots) and whether you want the shots to come to more or less the same spot or shoot randomly around the court. I noticed the first two balls had more velocity than the rest. I guess the battery loses just a little power and then seems pretty steady. The feed rate was too slow, so I adjusted that and it was too fast then. It took a while but I saw the balls had a slight back-spin even though I'm pretty sure I had it set to slight top spin.
I hit all 72 balls with forehand and I was terrible. I reloaded and sat for a few minutes to let my heart-beat slow a little. Everything was fine, so I hit a few volleys then backed up and hit backhands. They were not quite as terrible as the forehands but pretty bad.
I think I'll be improving quite a bit this Summer and getting a fun workout with my Silent Partner. I will let some of the tennis kids rent the machine and possibly they could work around here in exchange for practice time. I wonder if kids these days would even be interested in that. They may just pay the cash.
Today was the first day I tried out the machine. It was nice and sunny with a pretty strong breeze. I sat up the machine, it's a Silent Partner unlike my other partner. I just guessed at what the controls should be set to. You can control the ball speed, ball height, spin, feed rate (time between shots) and whether you want the shots to come to more or less the same spot or shoot randomly around the court. I noticed the first two balls had more velocity than the rest. I guess the battery loses just a little power and then seems pretty steady. The feed rate was too slow, so I adjusted that and it was too fast then. It took a while but I saw the balls had a slight back-spin even though I'm pretty sure I had it set to slight top spin.
I hit all 72 balls with forehand and I was terrible. I reloaded and sat for a few minutes to let my heart-beat slow a little. Everything was fine, so I hit a few volleys then backed up and hit backhands. They were not quite as terrible as the forehands but pretty bad.
I think I'll be improving quite a bit this Summer and getting a fun workout with my Silent Partner. I will let some of the tennis kids rent the machine and possibly they could work around here in exchange for practice time. I wonder if kids these days would even be interested in that. They may just pay the cash.
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