What Are You Doing For Excitement Today?

[Diane Amberg]

Ours are showing up more often now. I think they may be starting to tank up for the long migration. I've got their feeder and lots of red flowers for them They really enjoy the Cardinal flowers, Petunias and Nicotinia and the big ever blooming Abelia bush.  Isn't it fun when they come right up to you?
  Our recent Newark Safety Town Day Camp got two nice articles in the daily Wilmington paper and also our local weekly.
   A little local 7 year old called 9-11 to get help for her mother who is diabetic and started having a very low sugar episode. The little girl stayed calm and was able to answer all the call takers questions just perfectly. We are all very proud of her. That is exactly the kind of thing we teach the kids at Safety Town using the 9-11 simulator I loan them every year.

[sixdogsmom]

Spent a lot of time sitting on the patio this past week watching all the critters. I love to watch the hummingbirds squabble over territory and the feeders. I also greatly enjoy the Sphinx moths as they gather necter early and late in the day. But my most amazing observation happened a few nights back. It was about 9:30 P.M. and I was sitting out there talking on the phone to my sweet man when up the steps came what I first thought was Charlie, my little black and white long haired Chihuahua. I thought she had gotten out of the pen. But then I realized that it could not be Charlie as I had her clipped last week. I HAD A SKUNK!!! Came right up the steps on the way to the water bowl I keep out there for the critters. He knew right where he was going. Well, sweet man says not to move, and to tell it to SHOO! I did, and he just looked at me, went back to his watering. Then I told him to go on home, and he left by a shortut between two of the storage cans I keep out there. I saw him again early yesterday morning, then about six A.M, he again visited the water bowl. This time I let him finish drinking before I 'shooed' him. I saw him again last night out by the fire barn marking territory and digging for insects. I knew that something had been digging around the yard, but didn't know what it was. Now I know, and am very careful going out at night. 

[Diane Amberg]

Do you find those little holes around your yard too? We have an almost all white skunk with a huge fluffy tail.  It minds it's own business around us, but shoots the local dogs. You are very nice to provide water for them. We have a bird bath top on the ground under a tree, that we use for the same thing.

[Wilma]

I keep an old skillet under the edge of the bird bath to catch the overflow and for the critters that can't reach the bird bath.  I have even had a turtle drinking from it.  A lot of the birds prefer the water on the ground.

[Judy Harder]

I, too keep a low container of water out for the critters. Most of the time, it is dogs and birds who refresh theirselves and for that I get entertained. I have gotten a kick out of the robins and blue jays and the little ones who during the hottest weather would come down and share in the pleasure o the bath. Had to refill it many times a day.
I know we have varmits here, I don't always see them but do smell their musk and see their tracks at times. Also when I let Scooter and Sassy out first thing they do is smell who has been here drinking out of their water dishes.

Irene keeps a regular bird bath for the birds and a squirrel makes it his when he comes around. Oh, since I am on north side of sidewalk, and have a couple of trees in shade, the squirrel comes to the area between the water pan and tree and lays belly to the ground for the longest time.........LOL Sassy sits in the window, just itching to get out and chase it off. LOL I know Mr. Squir thumbs its nose at Sassy. LOL

[larryJ]

I have mentioned in the past that my son is living in his mother-in-law's condo for the summer until they can return to their beach rental house next month.  His mother-in-law spends a great deal of time in China so this is not a problem.  He has, however, taken it upon himself to make repairs or other improvements to the condo while they are staying there.  He has fixed (with my supervision and limited physical help) the problem with the water leaking under the sink while running the dishwasher.  After replacing the end of the hose going from the dishwasher to the garbage disposal, it was discovered that the plug inserted in the garbage disposal for those that don't have dishwashers had not been removed.  Removing that plug solved the problem.  My daughter-in-law has just finished painting all the kitchen cabinets. 

A few weeks ago, he asked me to come there and inspect the a door on the outside of the condo that allows access to the water heater.  It was in terrible condition and falling off the building.  He and I went to the local hardware store and bought the lumber and other items needed to replace the door.  Then the weather got hot and it was impossible to work out on the unshaded patio. 

Yesterday, with the promise of cooler weather, I went over with tools and we cut wood for both the inside frames and the outside frames and put a new door in where the old one had been.  In earlier times, I would have done most of the physical work allowing him to help out when neccessary.  I had to let him do most of the work as I get a little winded if I overdo it.  I showed him out to measure and cut.  I taught him that no door or window or any kind of opening like that is going to be square, i.e., one side being the same as the other.  As it turned out, one side of the opening was about 1 inch shorter than the other side.  This happens because the original builder was not too careful in building the condo, or that minor earthquakes can settle a house causing it to be a little off-center in places.  I showed him the proper way to use the circular saw and the jigsaw and the correct way to nail the frames into place.  I allowed him to think about what we wanted to accomplish to make this door usable, and at the same time, look good.  All this took about five hours (we didn't push ourselves) to get the work done.  Plus, they lied a little bit about the weather.  We did work up a sweat.

He showed me............his detemination to get the work done............his pride in accomplishing something he had never done before..........His awareness that he can still learn from the old man............his gratitude for his dad.  It doesn't get better than that.  Oh, wait.............it did get better when I got a kiss and a hug from my beautiful daughter-in-law!

Today, I will be going back to take them to the airport as they have booked a trip to Hawaii for ten days.

Larryj

[Diane Amberg]

My new garage refrigerator arrived this morning and fits exactly where we wanted it. Soon I can start moving my pile of cukes and peppers,beets, squash and peaches out there and still be able to find things in the kitchen fridge. Watermelon, here we come! I'm feeling very lucky and blessed.

[Diane Amberg]

We just found out we are going to get a big new free standing Cabela's store near here. It will be one on those superstores with the animals, waterfalls and everything anyone would ever need for hunting, fishing and camping. My friends are drooling already.

[larryJ]

Along those lines.......we have two major shopping centers near us.  In one of them there used to be a Merwyn's department store.  It was similar to Sears or Pennys.  We did shop there a lot over the years when our kids were growing up.  Alas, Merwyn's went out of business a few years ago leaving a rather large store vacant.  In recent months it was rumored that Carter's Stores was going to open there and this was welcome news as my wife likes shopping for the granddaughter's at Carters and the nearest one was quite far away. 

We have two Walmart supercenters also in this area, both within ten miles of our house.  I don't do Walmart unless it is absolutely necessary.  Yesterday it was announced that Walmart was going to open in the vacant space where Merwyn's store was.  This center is home of some really nice stores and Walmart doesn't fit that role.  However, where the closest Walmart is to us, there was a Toys-r-Us store for many years and then closed recently to move down closer to the freeway.  I suspect that Walmart will close that store soon.  That will leave two huge buildings vacant in that area.  It is always fun to see the big stores move around. 

Larryj

[larryJ]

As is my normal habit, I signed on tonight to check the forum before retiring for the night.  I just read my last post and realized I made an error!  Oh, the horrors!

The name of the company that I spelled "Merwyns" should be "Mervyns." 

Sorry about that.

Larryj