A WOMAN'S WEEK AT THE GYM

If you read this without laughing out loud, there is something wrong with you. This is dedicated to everyone who ever attempted to get into a regular workout routine.

Dear Diary,
For my birthday this year, my daughter (the dear) purchased a week of personal training at the local health club for me.
Although I am still in great shape since being a high school football cheerleader 43 years ago, I decided it would be a good idea to go ahead and give it a try.

I called the club and made my reservations with a personal trainer named Belinda, who identified herself as a 26-year-old aerobics instructor and model for athletic clothing and swim wear.

My daughter seemed pleased with my enthusiasm to get started! The club encouraged me to keep a diary to chart my progress.

________________________________
MONDAY:
Started my day at 6:00 a.m. Tough to get out of bed, but found it was well worth it when I arrived at the health club to find Belinda waiting for me. She is something of a Greek goddess - with blond hair, dancing eyes and a dazzling white smile.. Woo Hoo!!

Belinda gave me a tour and showed me the machines. I enjoyed watching the skillful way in which she conducted her aerobics class after my workout today. Very inspiring!

Belinda was encouraging as I did my sit-ups, although my gut was already aching from holding it in the whole time she was around. This is going to be a FANTASTIC week-!!

________________________________
TUESDAY:
I drank a whole pot of coffee, but I finally made it out the door. Belinda made me lie on my back and push a heavy iron bar into the air then she put weights on it! My legs were a little wobbly on the treadmill, but I made the full mile. Belinda's rewarding smile made it all worthwhile. I feel GREAT-!! It's a whole new life for me.

_______________________________
WEDNESDAY:
The only way I can brush my teeth is by laying the toothbrush on the counter and moving my mouth back and forth over it. I believe I have a hernia in both pectorals. Driving was OK as long as I didn't try to steer or stop. I parked on top of a GEO in the club parking lot.

Belinda was impatient with me, insisting that my screams bothered other club members. Her voice is a little too perky for that early in th e morning and when she scolds, she gets this nasally whine that is VERY annoying.

My chest hurt when I got on the treadmill, so Belinda put me on the stair monster. Why the hell would anyone invent a machine to simulate an activity rendered obsolete by elevators? Belinda told me it would help me get in shape and enjoy life. She said some other s**t too.

_______________________________
THURSDAY:
Belinda was waiting for me with her vampire-like teeth exposed as her thin, cruel lips were pulled back in a full snarl. I couldn't help being a half an hour late - it took me that long to tie my shoes.

Belinda took me to work out with dumbbells. When she was not looking, I ran and hid in the restroom. She sent another skinny b***h to find me.

Then, as punishment, she put me on the rowing machine -- which I sank.
_______________________________
FRIDAY:
I hate that b***h Belinda more than any human being has ever hated any other human being in the history of the world. Stupid, skinny, anemic, anorexic little cheerleader. If there was a part of my body I could move without unbearable pain, I would beat her with it.

Belinda wanted me to work on my triceps. I don't have any triceps! And if you don't want dents in the floor, don't hand me the damn barbells or anything that weighs more than a sandwich.

The treadmill flung me off and I landed on a health and nutrition teacher. Why couldn't it have been someone softer, like the drama coach or the choir director?

________________________________
SATURDAY:
Belinda left a message on my answering machine in her grating, shrilly voice wondering why I did not show up today. Just hearing her voice made me want to smash the machine with my planner; however, I lacked the strength to even use the TV remote and ended up catching eleven straight hours of the Weather Channel.

________________________________
SUNDAY:
I'm having the Church van pick me up for services today so I can go and thank GOD that this week is over. I will also pray that next year my daughter (the little s**t) will choose a gift for me that is fun -- like a root canal or a hysterectomy. I still say if God had wanted me to bend over, he would have sprinkled the floor with diamonds!!!

WE ARE BACK TO THE DAILY GRIND

AND LOOKING FORWARD TO THE NEXT ADVENTURE, AWAY FROM THE "RANCH"

MrC and I had a very nice weekend away from the daily grind. On Friday evening, after we arrived at our friends home, and set up the RV etc. we rode with our friends in their car, to a Mexican restaurant for dinner. The food was excellent as was the conversation.

From where I sat I looked directly at a family of four. Mom, Dad and two little boys who were probably two and four years old. At first I was not really paying too much attention to the family, but something caught my eye, and that was all the food on the floor under the highchair of the youngest child. I don't mean a few crumbs, I mean, what looked like almost all of the food from this kid's plate, whole tortilla and all the fixin's. To say the least I was appalled that the parents were not paying close attention to their child, in fact as time went by it was plainly obvious they did not care about the mess, and as they got up to leave, shrugging their shoulders, brushed the rest of the food from their kids, onto the chairs and floor and left the restaurant stepping on some of the food as they went. I wondered what their home looked like.

Saturday morning, bright and early, John, MrC and I decided to eat breakfast at a 50's themed diner before spending a day at the range, shooting a Fun Steel match. It had been years since eating at a diner like this one, the food was delicious and the atmosphere took me back to memory lane, it was wonderful. John's wife Jeanette, is not a shooter, so stayed at home for some much needed R&R.

At the range we set up in our squads and proceeded to shoot the six stages. Now, I was not sure how I was going to perform as it had been several months since I had done any shooting at all, but I was pleasantly surprised and performed rather well. The placings have not yet been posted so I do not know where I ranked. It was extremely warm as we walked from bay to bay shooting the various stages and thank goodness we had an old umbrella in the RV which helped keep the sun off of me. I do not do well in the heat and was glad the day ended when it did as I was getting to feel very uncomfortable and irritable. We drove back to our friend's home for a nice cold drink then enjoyed a BBQ, under the shade of some lovely tall trees, which surround their home in the woods.

Yesterday, Monday, it was back to work for me. I was to work just four hours, then planned on returning home to work on my gardens But you know what they say about " the best laid plans" I received a call at my first clients home, asking if I would pick up an extra shift, to cover for a care giver who called in sick. Big hearted me . said yes I would do it, so ended up arriving home around 6pm.
As I climbed out of my car, I glanced at the vegetable garden, as is my usual habit, and thought I saw a row of peas moving. There wasn't any wind, so it could not be the wind moving my peas and as I looked closer I saw a tiny rabbit, up on his hind legs, happily munching on MY PEAS. Oh S--T, I said to myself and ran to the garden to grab hold of that little criminal by the ears, hold him up, and give him a lecture. Of course he was too quick for me and as I chased him he hopped very quickly towards the wire fence, we thought as rabbit proof, and wriggled his way through and out the other side, sheesh!!!!
The outcome of all this drama, was a quick trip to the hardware store for a couple of rolls of chicken wire, and with the much appreciated help from my honey, we now have 27 inches of chicken wire covering the " will not keep LITTLE bunnies out, wire " around my garden. I sure hope this works, if not then there will be another trip to the hardware store for enough chicken wire to make the fence higher.
Update: So far so good. I have seen the little rabbits sitting outside the fence looking in. *grin*

Next project is to build a squirrel feeder so they will leave the bird seed alone. They have knocked two of my bird feeders to the ground resulting in broken feeders which cannot be repaired. The next feeders I buy will be the type the squirrels cannot get bird seed from.

That is about all for now, there are a few weeds in the garden needing to be pulled.

A LITTLE R&R FOR US

Another week almost at an end, and I have not written anything since Monday. I have no real excuses except to say, I am darn tired. My job is not only physically taxing, but also emotionally draining. When you work with the elderly, or folks who are infirm for one reason or the other, then dealing with their daily problems and woes, leaves me feeling exhausted at the end of the day. Sooooo, MrC and I are loading our RV and getting away for the weekend. We are taking the ferry from Keystone across to Port Townsend and driving to Silverdale where we are meeting with friends. Tonight we plan of enjoying their company at a Mexican restaurant for dinner, then tomorrow we are attending a Fun Steel match at at the Kitsap range, which should be a good way to release some of my built up tension, as I shoot at and hit , or not, the steel targets. One way or another, just the fact that I am getting away from the work environment will recharge my batteries.
So wish us a happy relaxing weekend, we both need this one.

CHUCKLE

A blonde walks into a bank in New York City and asks for the loan officer. She says she’s going to Europe on business for two weeks and needs to borrow $5,000. The bank officer says the bank will need some kind of security for the loan, so the blonde hands over the keys to a new Rolls Royce. The car is parked on the street in front of the bank, she has the Title, and everything checks out.

The bank agrees to accept the car as collateral for the loan. The bank’s president and its officers all enjoy a good laugh at the blonde for being so dumb as to use a $250,000 Rolls as collateral against a $5,000 loan. An employee of the bank then proceeds to drive the Rolls into the bank’s underground garage and parks it there.

Two weeks later, the blonde returns, repays the $5,000 and the interest, which comes to $15.41. The loan officer says, “Miss, we are very happy to have had your business, and this transaction has worked out very nicely, but we are a little puzzled. While you were away, we checked you out and found that you are a multimillionaire. What puzzles us is why would you bother to borrow $5,000?”

The blond replies, “Where else in New York City can I park my car for two weeks for only $15.41 and expect it to be there when I return?”

If you were wondering

Gosh, It looks as though I have grown too lazy to post on a regular basis, but believe me this is not true. Now the warm weather has finally arrived, I have been spending more time outdoors in my garden, along with working at my job.
My vegetable garden is coming along nicely, now the temperature had risen and we are getting more hours of sunshine. I have spread a layer of Llama beans over the garden beds which can be used directly in the garden without danger of burning plants. One of my clients I work with, has two llamas and her handyman bags all the llama manure and wood shaving from their stalls. I asked Mrs S. who used to be an avid gardener before her illness, about the llama manure and she told me about the benefits of it's use in the garden, and says I can take as many of these bags of llama beans as I want. Today, the trunk of my car will be filled with as many bags of llama doo as will fit and my flower gardens will benefit from an application tomorrow on my day off.

Yesterday I drove up the Island to
Oak harbor and while looking around
the garden department of KMart
I found a beautiful hanging begonia
called Bonfire begonia and it was
marked down to $5.99,
of course you know I had to buy one.

Evidently these plants had just arrived
in the store so they reduced the price
as it is late in the season.

I also bought two beautiful Heliotrope.
What first attracted me to this plant
was the vibrant purple color,
then I caught a whiff of the
light, almost vanilla like fragrance.


There is always room for an extra plant or two in my garden, or I will make room *grin*


I did arrive home this afternoon with five more bags of llama beans, which will be spread over the flower gardens.
So you see I really have been busy, and not sitting around eating bon bons and watching TV all day.

Could this be called Potty humor?

Traveling across country by car, I decided to stop at one of those rest areas on the side of the road. I go into the restroom. The first stall is taken, so I go into the second stall. I had just sat down when I hear a voice from the other stall ask, “Hi, how’s it going?”

I am not the type to strike up conversations with strangers in restrooms sitting on a toilet. I didn’t know what to say, so finally I said, “Not bad.”

Then the voice asks, “So, what are you doing?”

I am starting to find this a bit weird, but I reply, “Well, I’m going back east...”

Then I hear the guy, all flustered, say, “Look, I’ll call you back. Every time I ask you a question this idiot in the next stall starts talking to me”

UH OH! WE HAVE BEEN BUSTED!

Last year we had caught a glimpse or two of a squirrel darting up into a tree, but none near the bird feeders. This year it is a different story. At first I thought there was just one squirrel, then a few days ago I was sure that the critter I was seeing seemed smaller. Yesterday I saw two squirrels gobbling down sunflower seeds so my suspicions proved to be correct.
I must say these two sure are entertaining.

"If I sit in the pan of seeds, I will get my share before the birds get here"

" I sure hope I can hold on long enough to get my fill of peanut suet"

"There's gotta be an easier way"

I really didn't think you would notice a few itty bitty seeds were missing!

The Bathing Suit

When I was a child the bathing suit for the mature figure was boned, trussed and reinforced, not so much sewn as engineered. They were built to hold back and uplift and they did a good job.

Today's stretch fabrics are designed for the prepubescent girl with a figure carved from a potato chip.

The mature woman has a choice - she can either go up front to the maternity department and try on a floral suit with a skirt, coming away looking like a hippopotamus who escaped from Disney's Fantasia or she can wander around every run of the mill department store trying to make a sensible choice from what amounts to a designer range of florescent rubber bands.
What choice did I have? I wandered around, made my sensible choice and entered the chamber of horrors known as the fitting room.

The first thing I noticed was the extraordinary tensile strength of the stretch material.
The Lycra used in bathing costumes was developed, I believe, by NASA to launch small rockets from a slingshot, which give the added bonus that if you manage to actually lever yourself into one, you are protected from shark attacks as any shark taking a swipe at your passing midriff would immediately suffer whip lash.
I fought my way into the bathing suit, but as I twanged the shoulder strap in place, I gasped in horror - my boobs had disappeared!

Eventually, I found one boob cowering under my left armpit.
It took a while to find the other. At last I located it flattened beside my seventh rib.

The problem is that modern bathing suits have no bra cups.
The mature woman is meant to wear her boobs spread across her chest like a speed bump. I realigned my speed bump and lurched toward the mirror to take a full view assessment.

The bathing suit fit all right, but unfortunately it only fit those bits of me willing to stay inside it.
The rest of me oozed out rebelliously from top, bottom, and sides.
I looked like a lump of play dough wearing undersized cling wrap.

As I tried to work out where all those extra bits had come from, the prepubescent sales girl popped her head through the curtain, 'Oh, there you are,' she said, admiring the bathing suit.

I replied that I wasn't so sure and asked what else she had to show me.
I tried on a cream crinkled one that made me look like a lump of masking tape, and a floral two piece which gave the appearance of an oversized napkin in a serving ring.

I struggled into a pair of leopard skin bathers with ragged frills and came out looking like Tarzan's Jane, pregnant with triplets and having a rough day.

I tried on a black number with a mesh midriff and looked like a jellyfish in mourning.


I tried on a bright pink suit with such a high cut leg I thought I would have to wax my eyebrows to wear it .

Thanks to Judy for the laugh.


Finally, I found a suit that fit. a two-piece affair with a shorts style bottom and a loose blouse-type top.

It was cheap, comfortable, and bulge-friendly, so I bought it.
My ridiculous search had a successful outcome, I figured.
When I got home, I found a label which read -- 'Material might become transparent in water.'

So, if you happen to be on the beach or near any other body of water this year and I'm there too... I'll be the one in cut-off jeans and a t-shirt!

BANKS LAKE....PART 2

One of the events at our annual trip to Banks Lake everyone seems to enjoy, is the Saturday afternoon potluck.

Peace to you too.

Everyone is too busy eating to pose for a photo.

MrC. has cooked his hot dog over the open fire just the way he likes them, and Bob is waiting for his to come out of the fryer. We used the fryer to cook all the fish Dale and Fred caught. There is nothing quite like fresh fish, cooked to perfection.

Fred pouring champagne.

---

Every year I have observed this tree growing on the rock and it is slowly getting larger.

MrC and a yellow perch he caught.

In previous years we have caught many of these perch, but sadly this year this was the only one. In fact the fishing was rather poor not only for perch, but bass and walleye too.

MrC doing his best to hook a "big one" It did not happen, and I was not interested in fishing at this time, as I was enjoying listening to the birds in this little inlet off of the main lake.

BANKS LAKE MINI VACATION

This past week I did not have any time for blogging as I spent all my time working, going to classes for further education for my job, then in between all that, I had to find the time to load our RV for our annual trip to Coulee Playland at Banks Lake with the Fishin' Club.
The weather during our last couple of weeks had been wet and dreary, so we were delighted to find sunshine as we headed up over the Cascades on our journey to Banks Lake.

We just love this beautiful drive along the tree lined road, with spectacular views of the mountains.

Does anyone know what these clouds are? They certainly were beautiful and interesting.

This year there is still a lot of snow left to melt away.

I seem to take a picture or two of these craggy peaks, every year we travel this route to our vacation destination. There is so much beauty, one can't help snapping every lovely sight they see. Well, at least I can't.

---

Our first day out on the lake, we went into one of the many little side channels off of the main lake. These channels and bays are very quiet and calm, and as we use a battery run trolling motor in these locations we make little noise.

Floating along quietly, we came across a turtle going about the business of enjoying a bask in the sun, but as we drew closer he became nervous, and with barely a splash, he dove of the branch and sped away under water.

This lovely Mule deer was quite nervous when she first noticed our presence. MrC and I sat very still in the boat and watched her, and when she felt we were not going to harm her she calmly went back to grazing.

We did have a nice trip away with our friends, and I will post more soon.

OUR WEEKEND OF RELAXATION

After I arrived home from work on Thursday afternoon, we made the decision to stay at home rather than risk the bad weather which was in the forecast. But after an hour or so, the weather made a change for the better so we said "what the h--l let's go anyway, so we loaded the rest of the food in the RV and left to catch the ferry from Keystone over to Port Townsend.

Our RV, although small and not a gas guzzler like those huge bus size rigs, is very comfortable and suits MrC and I just fine. AND we can get into campsites those huge RVs could never in in a million years squeeze into. Case in point was the campsite on the Dungeness River we were heading for. The road down into the camping area is very narrow, with turnouts in case you meet another vehicle. It was uneven with ridges and potholes after all the rain during this past winter, and, did I mention it is steep. Yes indeed, it is steep, keep your seat belt buckled or you may end up on the floor of your vehicle. *grin* So you see, anything other than cars, SUVS, pickups with campers and our small RV could not get down the road to the campground.

On the ferry crossing, these two cruise ships passed by, seemingly racing to get into harbor, they both left a wake which had the ferry captain telling us to hold onto our drinks when we ran across the rough water. He wasn't wrong as the little ferry did quite a dance across the cruise ship wakes.
From the dock in Port Townsend it was about 45 minutes drive to Dungeness Forks campground.

We have stayed at the Dungeness Forks campground on several occasions, and just before you cross the bridge a few yards before the campground entrance, there is a flat area beside the river where folks have made a camping spot. The ground is quite level and previous campers had made a fire pit. This time we were pleased to find that no one had laid claim to this lovely campsite, so we pulled in and set up camp. It was also a no fee area, not being in the National Forest Campground.

As we had already eaten on our drive to the campsite, all we really needed was dessert, so the fire was lit, and let burn down until there were nice hot glowing coals, just right for toasting marshmallows over. After a few, OK, more than a few, lovely golden brown, crisp outside and squishy inside, toasted marshmallows we settled into our cozy bed for a good night's rest, lulled to sleep by the water rushing by just a few feet from the door.
Take a look at the video at the end of this post, (turn your speakers on) and you will hear the sound of rushing water we heard, only it was muted inside the RV.

---

Next morning, after a good breakfast we dressed warmly, because the day was still chilly, and went for a walk across the bridge, through the campground, then followed the river along the trails which went up river. We went as far as we could before running out of trail. I am sure there are more trails but we just followed this particular one.

The trees look quite beautiful all decked out in moss. It was very quiet walking along the trail under these majestic trees, and we enjoyed the solitude.

A couple of old giants long since fallen and now clothed in moss

Every so often we would leave the main trail, to follow a smaller one, which would lead us down to the loud, swiftly flowing river. We had to speak loudly, to hear each other over the sound of all that very cold rushing water, making it's way over the rocky river bed, and eventually to the ocean. How beautiful this place is.

One very determined plant, clinging to life between the rocks beside the river. One good flood and it would be swept away.

---

From the campground, we followed the road up, and I mean up, for quite a distance. Our legs told us we were climbing on a steep incline going up and also when we walked back down. I think we need to do a little more walking , we are a little out of shape after being indoors all winter.

Being an avid gardener, I am always looking at all the plants I pass by. These little succulents with pretty little yellow flowers, were growing on the rocks beside the road.

This little red beetle caught my eye as he sat in the middle of the road. What a bright little fellow he is.

The bright colors of the wild Columbine stood out from the the various shades of green surrounding it.

After we had come back to camp from our walk, and were sitting beside the campfire, I glanced up and saw a flash of bright color about 25 feet along the riverside from where we were sitting. As we looked, a person launched themselves in a kayak, out from behind all the bushes on the river bank into the swirling water. He/she was shortly followed by three other kayakers. They were down the river and out of sight in a flash. I guess if you enjoy this kind of adventure it would be a Whoo Hoo! moment. Not for me, thank you very much. I always have the fear the kayak would tip upside down, and I could not get it right side up, and I would drown.

---

Next morning before leaving and returning home, we walked the trail which goes from our campsite up the river. We walked the trail until we came across a slide we decided was too unstable and dangerous to cross. There was a huge drop down to the river and calling out search and rescue would not have been a good thing, that is, if you were still alive when you reached the river waaaaay below!

It is so beautiful on the trail. The trees are covered in moss, as are the banks beside the trail. I was fascinated to discover so many different types of moss. The ferns come in all shapes and sizes, some growing on tree trunks, some pushing their roots into cracks in the rocks alongside the trail, other growing happily in all the rich leaf mulch.


The trail winds around, up and down and in some places is very narrow so watching where we put our feet was so important. One false step and you could end up rolling down into that icy cold river.

Since last year when we walked this trail, there must have been some high waters rushing down carrying all these logs along, until the piled up beside the huge rocks. Mother nature is quite creative when it comes to arranging logs in a river.

I found these dainty little flowers, the size of a small pea, growing in a shaded area beside the trail.

This video is taken from the bridge you have to cross to reach Dungeness Forks campground. You can just make out the white on our RV through the trees on the left. The noise of the rushing water is quite loud, but as I said, it is muted when you are inside the RV, and it is very soothing and soon lulls you to sleep.

Just love some folk's sense of humor

TIME OUT FOR US

Here in the Pacific Northwest, as usual we are getting our fair share of rain, and the Spring had been considerably cooler than usual.
MrC and I are not going to let this kind of weather, stop us from filling the fridge in our RV with food and taking off for the weekend.
Both of us have had way too much to do these past few weeks, so we are both now pretty much worn out. Getting away from the telephone, knocks on the door and work for a couple of days, will allow us to recharge our batteries.
We do "the time away thing" as simple and basic as possible, hot dogs and marshmallows for a cookout, if the weather permits, sandwich and soup fixins', snacks and of course plenty of coffee if it is cold.

Our favorite campground, Dungeness Forks, is right at the fork of two rivers, and is a fairly primitive area where no large RVs or trailers can go, but our rig is small enough to navigate the steep downhill narrow road, to the campsite. There are trails beside the rivers to walk, or we can just sit around the campfire gazing at the flames and let out our minds wander as they will. There sure is something hypnotic about the dancing flames which puts you into a state of relaxation, just what the doctor ordered!
I have another couple of days work and a class for further education to do with my job, then I can finally relax. I really am not all that thrilled about all this extra learning stuff, as I have not been in a classroom situation for many, many years and find it tiresome, and hard to retain all that is thrown at us in one day. I guess this is all part of growing older sighhhhhh! Oh well, I have just two more classes next week then it will be all done until we do a refresher next year sometime. You never know, I may have decided to retire by that time next year and won't have to sit through all the yaddda, yadda, yadda.


You all have a wonderful day.

RESTAURANT CLOSED TO RABBITS

A little while ago, as MrC opened the front door and looked out, I heard him say. "bring your camera and come out here and take a look at this"
Around here you never know what you are liable to see, so as I was walking towards the door I was turning on my camera ready to take the picture of a lifetime, OK, at least an interesting picture.


"Are you waiting for the gate to be opened?" I asked the bunny. He/she seemed to be looking longingly at all the vegetables inside the fenced garden. "Sorry wabbit, this is not a restaurant for rabbits, and these vegetables have not been planted for your enjoyment" With that he/she got up and hopped away.
Do I feel bad? not at all. We have about 9 acres of nice alfalfa pasture the rabbits can eat.

THIS 'N' THAT

Since 5/11/08 I have been adding a photo to THIS 'N' THAT for a future post. For the last two days I have been outdoors getting grass mowed, more vegetables and Perenials and annuals planted in the gardens.

"Sensitive fern"

Ferns are some of my favorite plants for the shady areas of my garden as are Hostas. I am starting to get quite a collection of ferns, but unfortunately, some of the most unusual ferns are quite expensive.

Hydrangea, Pansys and Agapanthus

Yesterday I planted the "endless summer" blue Hydrangea in the 1/2 barrel and today I planted white and blue pansys around the base.
I also planted the Agapanthus in the old wash tub and placed chicken wire around it to stop the rabbits from devouring the plants. A couple of weeks ago, I had planted a few marigolds in the tub and after the bunnies had found them, all that they left, are a few leaves. I am hoping the 1/2 barrel is high enough that the rabbits will not bother the pansys. I will not hold my breath on that one.

Some of the plants on the front porch.

A happy face.

My favorite pot on May 11th.

My favorite pot today, May 31st.

This is the third year the Hostas and Ferns have been in the pot and they are looking so lush and lovely.

All I have left to do now, is flush the irrigation system I installed last summer, set the timer for automatic watering for when it gets hot and we are away from home, then just sit back and watch everything grow. Of course I will still have to pull weeds as they come up, and feed the plants and vegetables for the best results. I must say, a few weeks ago I thought all the projects were never going to be finished, and I was already bone weary, but now all is done, I am well pleased with my efforts. I also thank my honey MrC for all his hard work, as I certainly could not have done all the work by myself especially building the fence around the vegetable garden and the raised beds.

THE BIRDS WILL THANK YOU

After each load of laundry, I collect the lint from the dryer filter, and place it into a mesh bag which held some fruit, I bought at the grocery store.

Several colors of lint to choose from.

A little Hummingbird collecting lint to line her nest.

The little hummer, sitting on a branch of the pine tree outside the kitchen window, is almost camouflaged against the green needles and brown branches. Her babies are going to have a nice soft nest to nestle in, after she lines her nest with the lint.
I was quite excited to see the Hummingbird collecting the lint, and would love to discover her nest, but it would almost be impossible to find in all the trees around here.
I have also seen Chickadees pulling lint from the mesh bag, to use in their nest building.

TUESDAY CHUCKLE, OR GROAN

An 80-year-old man went to the doctor for a check-up and the doctor was amazed at what good shape the guy was in.

The doctor asked, “To what do you attribute your good health?”

The old timer said, “I’m a turkey hunter and that’s why I’m in such good shape. I’m up well before daylight and out chasing turkeys up and down the mountains.”

The doctor said, “Well, I’m sure that helps, but there’s got to be more to it. How old was your dad when he died?”

The old timer said, “Who said my dad’s dead?”

The doctor said, “You mean you’re 80 years old and your dad’s still alive? How old is he?”

The old timer said, “He’s 100 years old and, in fact, he hunted turkey with me this morning, and that’s why he’s still alive... he’s a turkey hunter.”

The doctor said, “Well, that’s great, but I’m sure there’s more to it. How about your dad’s dad? How old was he when he died?”

The old timer said, “Who said my grandpa’s dead?”

The doctor said, “You mean you’re 80 years old and your grandfather’s still living! How old is he?”

The old timer said, “He’s 118 years old.”

The doctor was getting frustrated at this point and said, “I guess he went turkey hunting with you this morning too?”

The old timer said, “No... Grandpa couldn’t go this morning because he got married.”

The Doctor said in amazement, “Got married! Why would a 118-year-old guy want to get married?”

The old timer said, “Who said he wanted to?”

ANOTHER PROJECT FINISHED

With the help of my Honey MrC the vegetable garden we have been working on for the past few weeks is now completed. Today MrC used a sawsall to cut the rims out of three old tires we had lying around,then I placed them in the garden and filled them with rich topsoil and compost. Two other containers I am using as raised beds were also filled with the topsoil/compost mix. Then multiple layers of newspapers were spread between the beds then covered with a layer of pea gravel. Last of all I planted a few more vegetables in the new raised beds.
To see the finished project click HERE.
Now I need a nice hot shower to ease the stiffness in these old bones. MrC is already lying on the heating pad to ease all his aches and pains.

NUNSENSE

The wise old Mother Superior was dying. The nuns gathered around her bed. She asked for a little warm milk to sip so a nun went to the kitchen to warm some milk.

Remembering a bottle of whiskey received as a gift the previous Christmas, she opened it and poured a generous amount into the warm milk.

Mother drank a little, then a little more, then before they knew it, she had drunk the whole glass down to the last drop. “Mother, Mother” the nuns cried, “Give us some wisdom before you die!”

She raised herself up in bed with a pious look on her face, and pointing out the window she said, “Don’t sell that cow!”

IT IS FINISHED

I should say MrC's part is finished. Now it is up to me, to plant and tend the garden. So far I have several varieties of tomatoes, swiss chard, lettuce, spinach, garlic, carrots, parsnips, corn, sweet bell peppers, jalapeno peppers, peas, beans, several different herbs, four different varieties of strawberries, and many more things to get into the raised beds.

I am considering planting a clematis on each side of the arch.

ALMOST A FINISHED PROJECT

MY honey, MrC has done such a wonderful job of building raised beds and a fence surrounding my new vegetable garden. He also surprised me, for Mother's Day, with an arched entryway into the garden, upon which I plan on growing a clematis up each side. The only thing left to do is to build the gate and install it.
WHAT A GUY !!!!!! He does so much for me and I sure do appreciate it all, and love him dearly for it.
MrC says all the Broccoli from the garden will be will be worth all the hard work. This is a joke between us as he can't stand broccoli.

FAMILY CAR

A young boy had just gotten his driving permit. He asked his father, who was a minister, if they could discuss his use of the family car. His father took him into his study and said, “I’ll make a deal with you. You bring your grades up, study the Bible a little, get your hair cut and then we’ll talk about it.”

After about a month, the boy came back and again asked his father if they could discuss his use of the car. They again went into the father’s study where the father said, “Son, I’ve been very proud of you. You have brought your grades up, you’ve studied the Bible diligently, but you didn’t get your hair cut.”

The young man waited a moment and then replied, “You know Dad, I’ve been thinking about that. You know Samson had long hair, Moses had long hair, Noah had long hair, and Jesus had long hair.”

His Father said, “Yes, and everywhere they went, they walked.”

ONE HAPPY KEEWEE

When ordering Tulips last year, to plant in Autumn, I could not decide which of the 11 double Tulips I wanted, so I ordered a bag of mixed. Now I see how beautiful these brightly colored double flowers which resemble peonies are, I will order some of the other colors for next season.

Monte Carlo

Montreux

Double Price

This one is either Abba or Miranda

YES, THIS KEEWEE IS VERY HAPPY WITH THE FRUITS OF MY LABOR OF LAST AUTUMN

STOP BY HERE AND SEE MORE OF MY BEAUTIFUL TULIPS.

NEW SHOES

An eye witness account from New York City, on a cold day in December, some years ago:
A little boy, about 10-years-old, was standing before a shoe store on the roadway, barefooted, peering through the window, and shivering with cold.

A lady approached the young boy and said, "My, but you're in such deep thought staring in that window!"

"I was asking God to give me a pair of shoes,"was the boy's reply

The lady took him by the hand, went into the store, and asked the clerk to get half a dozen pairs of socks for the boy. She then asked if he could give her a basin of water and a towel. He quickly brought them to her.

She took the little fellow to the back part of the store and, removing her gloves, knelt down, washed his little feet, and dried them with the towel.

By this time, the clerk had returned with the socks. Placing a pair upon the boy's feet, she purchased him a pair of shoes.

She tied up the remaining pairs of socks and gave them to him.. She patted him on the head and said, "No doubt, you will be more comfortable now."

As she turned to go, the astonished kid caught her by the hand, and looking up into her face, with tears in his eyes, asked her "Are you God's wife?"

Tardy, Tardy

Yes, I have been tardy in posting, but life has been very busy lately. This past weekend, MrC and I were at a big Steel Challenge like match, just South of Portland, Oregon, called Man of Steel.
The weather was beautiful and I sure wish we could have brought some of the sunshine back to Whidbey Island with us.
Today it is overcast and looks gloomy, though it is not all that cold, so perhaps after I get home from work this afternoon, I can get outside to work on my vegetable garden. I will have a post up soon on the wonderful garden MrC is constructing for me.
Off to work I must go, check back in and I will endeavor to have news on the vege garden, perhaps as early as this evening.

UPDATE: You can see what has been accomplished in the garden HERE

SECOND UPDATE: click HERE

YES, SPRING IS HERE

I take my camera everywhere, even to work. Today I was at the rural home of one of my clients. This property has a wonderful spring fed pond, and many lovely Rhododendrons and Azaleas which are just covered in blooms.

Little legs paddling like crazy to keep up with Mama duck, are four of the twelve ducklings in this family. Mama duck was very nervous about my presence and kept her brood close by. This is the first family of ducklings so far, this season.

A large worker bee, nose down in a blossom, going about the business of collecting nectar and coming out all covered in bright yellow pollen.

This wasp appeared to be enjoying the warmth of the sun.

One of the many pleasures of my days, is watching the birds which visit our feeders or the gardens. Just recently I changed from the generic birdseed I was using to fill the feeders, to black sunflower seed, and also hanging a suet feeder. I am delighted to see quite a number of different birds enjoying the new bounty, and coming back for more.

There are many of these Golden Crowned Sparrows stopping by every day for their seed, and there are also White Crowned Sparrows, we nicknamed "little bicycle helmet heads" You will understand why we named them so, when you see pictures of them, within the next week, when I do the next post on my feathered friends.

Chestnut Backed Chickadee

Chickadees are cheeky little guys, often hanging upside down to feed. You have to be on the ball to snap pictures of these little birds, as they are never still for very long.

Black Capped Chickadee

This little guy held his pose long enough for me to zoom right in on him.

Mom & Pop American Goldfinch

We are delighted to see many goldfinches at the feeder since changing to black sunflower seed.

Thought provoking

Whenever I'm disappointed with my spot in life, I stop and
think

About little Jamie Scott.

Jamie was trying out for a part in the school play.
His mother told me that he'd set his heart on being in it, though she feared he would not be chosen.

On the day