Twenty years ago Lewis sent me down to Decatur to Karl Klement Ford to pick out a truck. When my decision was made, they started the paperwork for Lewis to sign the next day. We got there, signed the papers, and drove out of the parking lot. A great big ol' gravel truck threw a piece or two of gravel which hit the windshield and chipped it. Dadgumit! Lewis had it repaired in whatever way the glass people knew to keep it from cracking all the way through the glass. Since then, my son-in-law had the brakes redone on the truck about three years ago so that it was safe to drive. Other than that, the truck has just had the normal care given to any vehicle. So today Texoma Truck and Fleet Repair told me that the truck needed about two thousand dollars worth of work done on it. That is a pretty good sized bill, but for twenty years of service, hardly anything to gripe about. SO glad that it is being done before something got ruined. Anyway, maybe the government will get around to sending my $1400 deposit soon. Between my decision not to replace the flooring and the government stimulus, that pretty well takes care of things. God is good.
The hens placed 15 eggs in the nests today. They certainly have been producing their fair share and then some. As long as they have fresh water and plenty of feed, they are happy. They keep the grass down pretty good, too. Little lawn mowing dinosaurs!
The weather is cloudy and cool. Won't gripe, but rain is actually needed. Took a couple of buckets of water down to the new Macintosh and then ran water around the dwarf cherries. Still am disappointed that the apricots did not bloom out this year. Maybe they will surprise me. Not likely, but still.
Jennifer was wishing for some kind of bird that would eat the freaking love bugs. Only so much can be done to prevent those insects without damaging the soil or poisoning the critters that are beneficial. She thought maybe some kind of bird would eat the stinking bugs, but if they had a bird that would do that, you can bet that Florida would be hand raising those birds! Think they are so bad down there that they have to carry windshield wash just to drive from one town to the next. Won't chop down the Western soapberry trees, but the bugs don't seem to get on any other tree. Maybe a ring around the tree too far up for the hens or dogs to jump and soak the tree with something that would kill the bugs. Diesel? Nah, that would kill the tree. If any of you have an idea, please let me know. Dread having to fight those bugs.
Have failed to post the past several days of birds. The one for today is the Helmeted Guineafowl. Never have seen that kind of guinea, but know that the noise the regular ones make will send a person straight up the wall when those critters find a snake or anything in their territory that does not belong. Loud and obnoxious, but great snake hunters! If ever a person was infested with any kind of snake, a bunch of guineas would take care of the problem. Not likely to make any neighbors love a person who has them, but still. They roost up in the tops of trees in the summertime, and maybe they would roost in a barn or some other place in the winter. Not sure that they would adjust too well to a covered place unless they were raised there first. So many different characteristics with fowls! Hens are sweet like the kind out in my back yard, but have heard peahens screaming and would definitely not want any on the place. And ducks are so nasty that only someone with a good stock tank out in the pasture would want any of them around. They are funny, but such messy eaters and well . . . just nasty! Geese are more likely to take over a place and herd the other livestock! A drake will attack anything he considers a rival--especially his reflection in a glass door. We had to try to get inside the school before the school was moved away from Sikes Lake and the geese that lived there. Such fun to be chased down the sidewalk by a big, heavy winged drake! Have heard that swans are even worse! Oh well. At least they are not mean like hogs.
Mother used to tell the story of learning how to twirl a baton for her drill team. She carried that baton everywhere and twirled it along her way. They had an outdoor facility and geese between the john and the house. Mom apparently attracted the attention of the drake because he came after her. She used her baton to her advantage and the drake lay down and died. She cried and told Granny Kennedy, "I killed your big drake when he attacked me!" Granny told her not to worry because she needed a new pillow and that drake would make a good pillow full of feathers. Granny must have been a sweet ol' woman.
Just talked to Patty Anderson, my neighbor to the west on the lake. We were talking about how blessed we were to be able to afford repairs on this, that, or something else. During that week of the horrible weather, we had no electricity. Both of us had pipes burst and were without water for a week. And now the gas company found a leak in their line so they have been without gas for a week! Yep, we are blessed. Told her to send Donny up if she needed something cooked, but he has been going to get their food from wherever for the past week. They should have the gas back on by Wednesday. My truck should be ready by Wednesday--hope, hope, hope. Anyway, it is a blessing to be able to deal with such situations.
Just stepped outside to see what had the dogs in an uproar. The neighbor behind me was hauling crud out to his trash bin and making lots of noise. At least he did not hollar at them. They don't like him even a tiny bit because he has shot Thompson with a BB gun. You can imagine how this ol' woman feels about that. Patty says she would take a shotgun out there and ask the dogs, "Is that man bothering you?" But no sense escalating the problems unless it gets worse. Not that shooting my dog is in the least bit acceptable!
The dogs got a good case of the zoomies while they told me about things. They scatter hens every which way and run around and across the deck and the walkway to the hen house. Good exercise. Wish my ol' body could manage that kind of exercise!
Don't really know anything worth talking about. It is a good weekend for being at home and being still. Happy that we have not had a bad storm yet and praying that we will only get rains and such without the high winds and hail. It is Texas, but sometimes it can be mild weather even here.
May you all rest well and awake with the energy to appreciate life. You are loved.
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