Pussycats III

     Biscuit, "my" lilac point Siamese or enough of the bloodline to look like a classic has become quite the boon companion as of late. I knew that if I let him come to me under his conditions sooner or later I would win him over.  Well, it finally happened!
     We had a cold spell awhile back so I put a blanket on the front porch for him which he took to almost right away. Then we had an ass biting cold front come thru so I got some sheets of cardboard from work to put between his blanket and the cement pad of the porch. Not long after that I began noticing that he knew my car when I got home from work, give a big stretch and come meet me and almost (in his mind) guide me into my parking space. I keep his food in my car so when I'd get his breakfast he would be right at my feets going to his food bowl.

     It had been around 2 months that I'd been feeding him that he finally put his nose to my fingers but still showed a very skittish attitude towards me. Maybe 2 weeks ago he first let me touch him if only for a brief moment. Then last week he finally gave in to my "undeniable kavorka" ... animal magnetism! When  feed him his breakfast I always kneel and hold my hand out so he can approach me at his comfort. Well, he came and gave me his usual nose to finger touch and went to get a bite to eat. Then he gave me a full noggin on hand rub before another bite of vittles. After that came a full body against my leg rub. One more bite of food and he was popping wheelies to have his head rubbed! It was almost like a miracle how we had come in one day. From a bare, brief touch accepted by him to "Okay, Pawpaw. You are my person now."

     I've heard Siamese are more doglike in behavior than other cat breeds and the one Siamese mix  had before, Mischa held true to that theory. The other day I caught a mouse in a snap trap and I figured, "Why waste a perfectly good mouse? Biscuit would love it." So I took the mouse and trap out as I was going to my car to head out for work, dropped the rodent where Biscuit saw it and went to fetch his dinner. I turned and there he was as usual at my feet, mouse in mouth ready to lead me to his feed bowl.  I think he's gonna turn out to be a pretty damn good cat!

     I was telling Crazy Mike at work about how quickly Biscuit decided that he wanted me to be his Pawpaw and CM suggested he may have been abused to make him so untrusting at first. After mulling over the idea I have come to a very possible scenario. Biscuit is a very handsome young fella. I'm thinking quite likely someone brought him home (maybe even paid a dollar or few for him). Then as his hormones came into fruition he began spraying. He likely got his ass whupped a time or few for this before his previous people kicked him to the curb. I know, it sounds horrible but it happens all too often. Anyway, I was looking for an older kitten or young cat, Siamese or Siamese mix for months. I had wanted a female as my Mischa was a 101% "Daddy's little girl". To make a short story long, God decided Biscuit needed someone to love him and I didn't need a kitten factory. The good Lord hooked Biscuit and me up and the rest as they say is history.

Pussycats Part 2

     Well, I haven't seen Dumpling, the little kitten for some time now. It is my fear that one of the local dogs got her, probably The Little Red Bastard as he's the most notorious ass hole running the roads in my neighborhood. Not yet a known cat killer but still a garbage getter intoer and just an all around nuisance.

     Meanwhile, Cornbread, the wild looking cat came to visit this morning as she does every month or so and let me pet her as is her norm.

     The main news is Biscuit, the lilac point Siamese looking young adult showed me a couple weeks ago that HE is not a "Pretty girl" as I'd been calling him. He's a fully intact Tomboy cat. I'm guessing that's why it has taken so long for him to succumb to my "undeniable kavorka" or animal magnetism.
Since Winter is upon us here (more or less) I've put a blanket out on the front porch for him and today fetched home some big sheets of cardboard that I'll cut to fit his little sleeping nook for extra insulation against sleeping on the cold cement. 
     He knows Pawpaw's car and is lucky that it has the back up camera. Every morning when we see each other, he stretches then comes to "guide" me as I back into the driveway.  Were it not for the camera, I'd have runned him over by now! He's still unsure but it's easy to tell that he wants to let me pet him. He's gotten to sniffing my fingers and letting me touch him whilst he eats (only a little touch, mind you). Once I get out of the car, he comes and "guides" me to his feed bowl, only a half step in front of me. I'll usually sit with him for a few minutes if it isn't ass biting cold and he'll turn on his "happy motor" for a few "pr, pr"s... not a full happy "Purr". We're still a work in progress but sooner or later, Biscuit will land in Pawpaw's lap.

     Come to think of it, all my boys are quite the young gentlemen. Vlad always lets Bella out to do their thing in the back yard and back in first. He always allows her first face full at the feed bowls. Whenever Cornbread shows up, Biscuit always backs off and lets her eat her fill. Seems Pawpaw is doing a grand job raising some fine young Southern gentlemen even if they ain't human children.

Pawpaw's Pussycats

       Well, I've gad a bit of a rodent problem around mi casa. Bella, my dachshund & Vlad, my Jack Russell terrier are doing their best to kill the vermin inside but I needed help around the perimeter.
      I went online and posted want ads in all the local pet sites asking for a Siamese or Siam mix young cat or older kitten. After at least 3 months with no replies, God answered my request.

     First, a young lilac point Siamese or mix showed up at my doorstep looking for vittles which I promptly provided. Soon thereafter a young lady of about the same age showed up who looks like no  other cat I've ever seen. She has the face of an Egyptian Mao cat, a ringed tail, spots on her sides and almond shaped markings on her legs. She is the friendliest of the lot but least often seen.  Anyway, the lilac seems to be of breeding age as what appears to be her identical daughter has arrived, some 8 weeks old, I'd reckon.

     I'm calling the older lilac "Biscuit" and her wee one "Dumplin". The wild ass looking cat is "Cornbread".

     Cornbread is the only one who will let me pick up or even touch so far but with my natural animal magnetism it won't be long before the other girls are in my lap!

New Eyes And Teeth

     Okay, I think I told y'all about my cataract surgery on both eyes. After insurance picked up their part I paid some $2,000 out of my pocket.
     Back around my birthday, September 10, I noticed one of my lower incisors (front teeth) was getting wobbly. My dentist said the problem wasn't my teeth but bone loss in my mandible (lower jaw bone). So, One loose tooth led to removal and replacement of 4 and crowning of 2 (1 on either side to hold the new 4 in place). She sold me a temporary set for $300.00 and I'll go in November 6 to get my permanent choppers glued in.
     SO this year I've spent $2000 to be able to see and before the year is out I'll spend another $4000 to be able to eat like I should.
     It ain't easy getting old and it DAMN sure ain't cheap!

I am back

     I have literally been through a sh*t storm since my last post but I am NOT complaining. Things could have easily been worse. It's just been at times I didn't have time to blog and when I did have time, I didn't feel like it.
     I have had a few very good things happen and some not quite so fantastic. Mostly, the good have been simple things that most would not be excited about and the not so good have been unforeseen expenses.
     It's all good though.  through trial and many errors I figured out how to send pictures from my cell phone vie text message so perhaps my next tech breakthrough will be posting them here.

     One hint about my lack of posting here.... You have heard "it ain't easy getting old?" Well, let me tell you what... it ain't cheap either.

     But, I am back. Not @ 100% or even in the high 90 percentile range but I am back ready to kick some butt and get back to blogging!

Keeping On Gardening

     Well, I'm keeping on gardening here. I brought in a handful (about a pint or so) of blueberries last week. My root crops are coming up , all except my 'sang. My maters are putting out some small fruits and peppers are still in flower.

     Once again I seem to have waited too long to purchase some supplies as potting soil, garden soil, compost & manure and peat moss have all but been removed from the corral @ Wally World. I'm depending on grass clippings and such to make my 16 cubic yards of brown dirt better for gardening.
     I'll be getting my 6' x 6' of okra started soon as well as what I'm calling "my salsa garden". It'll be leftover tomato seeds, tomatillo and peppers (mild bells to habaneros).  Among my roots I have some green onions and garlic to add to my salsa.
     The herb garden is going swimmingly. I'm keeping an eye on the herb plants for sale @ work waiting for them to go on clearance sale so  I can fetch up a few more plants.

     On a different note, I fired up Black Beauty, my smoker the other day for some hog ribs. The license plate I used to patch the hole in her back worked just fine!

     I'll be back at work tonight to fetch home a few more filters full of coffee grounds to mix in with my dirt and keep adding to my raised bad gardens. Hey! I grabbed a few watermelon seeds from the produce prep area a few weeks ago, where they slice and chunk for pre-cut melons and such. I've now got a half dozen or of watermelon sprouts.

Gardens Updates

     Well, I got my 16 cubic yards of "brown dirt" delivered and I've been moving it from one great heap to the places needed most. One shovelful, one wheelbarrow full at a time.
     My ginseng patch is complete, just awaiting for green to appear there.  My salsify (oyster plant), beet, radish and carrot patch is complete and I'm seeing some sprouts breaching the surface there.  Watermelon plants are sprouting from free seeds I fetched out of the refuse bin in the produce department from their sliced and chunked melons. You know me, I love free seeds and such as that!
     The store had a load of succulent plants in pots that I saw as pricey but I did fetch home a few bits that had gotten broken off and stuck them into troughs of dirt. They'll either become free plants or free compost.
     I'll still need a few bags of compost/manure or at least better grade soil to mix in with my "brown dirt" to fill in my remaining raised bed gardens. As always, I mix in lawn trimmings and kitchen refuse in a tub to work into my beds.

     My domesticated grape vines budded and flowered amazingly well but seem to be promising little to no fruit. Oh, well. There's next year. My muscadine (wild grapes) are showing some promise, though. As for my apple trees, I have some ping pong to golf ball sized fruits on the trees. Two of the Anna variety and 4 of the Granny Smith which is our favorite.
      I brought in a handful of blueberries which were quite tasty, being all the better as I grew them myself.
     My maters and peppers in the container gardens are doing quite well and rain withstanding I hope to get my okra, greens and salsa patches finished directly.

     The catalpa worms on my trees are growing visibly daily. I really need to find a way to harvest and preserve the critters for feeding to my lizards if I don't get to go fishing with them.

     One last note. Bella, my killer dachshund, slew a field mouse adult somewhere in the house last night. That, I was happy about. However, her leaving the carcass on the sofa wasn't a thrilling discovery!

Y'all Miss Me?

       I admit it's been a while since I last sat down and blogged. My bad or just a lot has been going on that I figured nobody would give a damn about. Anyway. here's what's happened in no particular order other than that in which I remember it.....

     I got 16 cubic yards of "brown dirt" delivered the other day, $175.00 = $12.25 tax for a grand total of $187.25. I'm putting it where it needs to be one shovel full, one wheel barrow full at a time. God was with me on the delivery as He always is. The day after I got the dirt we had a rather ferocious rainstorm. Had I not gotten the dirt when I did, I am quite sure delivery would have been postponed for quite some time.

     I got my ginseng patch planted. It will be a few years (at least 3 - 5) before I can harvest a root if anything grows and it won't be the high dollar stuff you see on TV where folks are shooting each other over the stuff. This is merely farm raised American 'sang for my own use.

     Also I got my first root garden in the dirt. I'm trying to figure out the old school "planting by the signs" thing. All I can recall hearing is plant root crops in the waning and low moon. Plant above ground crops in the waxing or high moon.

     June 4 was my Dad's birthday. He would have turned 80 years of age.

     My smoker, "Black Beauty" has had a few overly active fires in her. A few weeks ago, I noticed she had a hole in her back side. Being the creative redneck that I am, I went to my shed. Now BB has a new patch on her back side. Should she ever come up missing all I need  do is call the Mississippi Department of Transportation. Her patch is my old license plate!

     God bless and I'll see y'all later.

   

   

I'm Baaaack!

     It has been a while since I posted but I am back, kids! So much good, bad and indifferent has happened.
     I'll start with the best: my cataract surgery on my left eye went even better than that on my right. No need to relieve pressure i.e. no taking a needle into my eyeball.

     Regarding my gardens, things are looking quite well. I may get a half dozen or so apples of the Anna variety and my grape vines are loaded with tiny wanna be grapes.

     I ordered a truck load of "brown dirt" today to add depth to my raised bed gardens, fill holes and such. I am really looking forward to getting my fingers and toes in the dirt again!

     Tuesday I have my last follow up check for my cataract surgery and I think all will be well.  My surgeon says there is another laser surgery they can do in chair, out patient to polish up the previous ops to make my vision even better.

     Sorry this seems rather rushed but I do have much to do, not only today but in the upcoming days and weeks. I'll try to keep you posted better.

Love always, Merlin

Post Left Eye Cataract Surgery

     Well, I had my left cataract removed and my brand spanking new plastic lens inserted Monday and lemme tell ya... it is amazing! I had my right lens replaced last month and everything went even better for the second eye, praise God!
     One of the guys at work said that even if I saw better I didn't look any better. All I could tell him was "It didn't do a damn thing for your looks, either!"

     I'm now needing sometimes a cheap pair of reading glasses and any time I go out on a sunny day, sunglasses but I am happy, happy, happy with how I can now see. It's better than when I was a mere 16 years of age and got my first pair of eyeglasses, 42 years ago! I still have to be careful bending over and have weight limitations picking stuff up so as not to put pressure on my eyeball for a few more days. I saw Shelley, my next door neighbor playing in her flower beds yesterday and went to chat. I told her about what I can & can't do. She said if she saw a sand truck at my house before this coming Tuesday she was gonna come kick my butt!

     I have the 10 pound weight limit until Monday although me being stiff necked (as the Bible calls the children of Israel) and just hard headed I have picked up several things over that. However I will wait until at least Tuesday before I start buying any bags of soil to add to my gardens. By the way, my herb garden is already going like crazy so I'm happy about that.

     My apple trees and grape vines are looking (so far) that I may actually get a few fruits this year. The pear trees are leafy but showing little sign of a harvest. I think my Meyer lemon and possibly my olive tree are not coming back from the harsh Winter. If I see replacements at a good price I'll plant them right next to the originals.
     I've sowed much of my crimson clover seed in the back yard along with a bit of the white. I took some scrap lumber and laid it out in the form of a cross about 16' from tip to tip and 3' wide on each arm. We had a gully washer that moved a good amount of the seed and I had to sow again but it's looking hopeful that my crimson clover patch will look somewhat like I want.

     On a totally different note, some people suddenly think I am some sort of authority or scholar on the Bible. I've been reading "The Good Book" for close to a year now, read the whole thing one time. I do have more than one version which I absolutely love reading a verse reading it again in the various versions to help myself understand what is being said. But where I work we have an actual preacher but I  have had people come to me to explain to them. My best friend can call me anytime, anywhere and our conversation will always somehow get to the Bible. Only thing I can figure is this...
Perhaps they don't feel comfortable asking their preacher for fear of being judged. So they turn to me knowing that I have more than my share of sin (hopefully behind me) knowing I'll only be thinking "Hell, I done worse than that". Maybe it's when they bring up a question I cannot answer I'll give an honest "I don't know but the Bible says don't let what you can't understand keep you from what you can".

Praying For My Friend

     Needless to say, the older we get the more health issues we and our friends have. I'll be going Monday to have the cataract in my left eye removed but that's nothing compared to the news I just got about a dear friend of mine.
     She's same age as I, 58 years but 5 days older. A few days ago she was feeling worse than crap and finally went to the Doctor. Yesterday they figured out she'd had a stroke. I don't yet know how severe it was but no stroke is a good stroke, right?

     I am as always trying to keep my hands and mind occupied with my gardens and such. It's a good therapy for me, keeping myself rooted to the Earth as it were. And whilst digging around I can always have a chat with God.
     While some good things have been happening in the gardens I'm really not up to sitting and posting about all that right now. I do hope you understand and pray if you got 'em! Not so much for me as  God has been so much better to me than I could ever deserve... I am the poster child for "undeserved loving grace"!

     Just pray if you will for my friend. I thank you and love you... always will, no matter what.

Blessed Easter To All

     'Tis Easter Sunday and a more beautiful day it could not be here. Most folks get all gussied up (that's dressed up for those who don't speak redneck). I'm going to Mom's for a big  Easter feed.  My big dressing up is I went to that big store everybody in the South shops at but claim to hate. You know the one. Anyway, my sneakers have been looking quite ratty as of late... too ratty to wear on Easter Sunday. So I stopped by this morning and purchased 2 pair of new sneakers. One set was $9.98 and the other was an even $10.00. I plan to wear a different set every week to work and see just how long these suckers last.

     I'll be heading to Mom's as I mentioned. She's cooking up all sorts of vittles including sweet taters which she and I pronounce as one word "sweetaters". She also came up with what could become a new family tradition... cooking a ham (bone in) in the slow cooker until it's tender and fall off the bone! I was working the rice section at the store last night and got a "Jones" for some fried rice so I'm gonna fry up some ground beast and mix in a box of the fried rice mix we all know as "the San Francisco treat".  I was a bit off put when going to get another 5 pound tube of ground beast. It was a mere $6.99 yesterday but 13.99 today. Has I known the sale was ending I'd have gotten enough to make a whole new cow yesterday.

     I pulled a few weeds today an actually have been doing so for the past few days. There are few I actually call "weeds" but rather "unwanted flora". Mom and I have agreed the difference between a weed and a wildflower is do yo like it or not? If you don't, it's a weed. If you do, it's a wildflower.
As you may or may not recall, I'd ordered 5 pounds of white and 2 of crimson clover seed to seed my yard hoping to replace the grass and "weeds" with something my toes love. Once again God steps in and asks, "What did you say wanted, My son?" Suddenly I see I've got a couple or 3 decent sized patches of white clover coming up in the back yard and a couple smaller ones up front... right where I planned to sow my seed! I have some tarp spread across where I plan to seed to kill the stuff I don't want. The stuff I pull up, if I don't get the roots I throw on the ground. If I do get the roots I toss them root end in into my fire pit to kill off the roots before mulching the plants.

     It seems I got side tracked talking about new shoes, pulling weeds, etc...

     Leave us not forget that Easter isn't about some rabbit laying eggs. It's not about eating until we're about ready to puke. It is about Yeshua (Jesus) being raised from the dead to show us the way to heaven. Remember He said "I am the way and no one goes to the Father except through Me". Father God loves us enough He sent His only son to take away our sins and die for us on the cross. In the garden of Jesus prayed, "If this cup can be taken from Me.... but Thy will, not my will be done."

No greater love has the world known.

God Loves Me!

     Sunday night at work I checked the schedule to see what nights I would be off this week.. Sometimes I have Monday & Tuesday, others I have Tuesday & Wednesday. It seems that I looked at last week's instead of this week's so Monday night I went in, worked about an hour and heard my supervisor saying how happy he was that I was at work. Now, he dont give kudos often at all so I went and checked the schedule. When I saw I was supposed to be off I went and told him I can stay or go, no difference to me. Long story short, he wanted me to stay so I did.

     Tonight, Wednesday night when I actually was scheduled to work we had some rough weather. I woke to the sound of a weather alert on my cell phone, a tornado warning headed my way. When I let the kids out to pee and poop I heard the sirens so I tuned into the weather on TV. Things were looking bleak what with thunder storms, possible flash flooding, hail and tornadoes. I gathered my flashlights and such and got ready to ride out the storm. It did rain as my Dad used to say "like a cow pissing on a flat rock" but that was all we got here.

     So how does God love me? He let me read the wrong schedule so I went to work Monday instead of Wednesday night. Monday night was clear as a bell, Wednesday was raining like Hell! We had a tornado warning (not a mere watch) practically in my back yard and the wind didn't even blow the blossoms off my apple and pear trees. By the way, the fruit trees are looking beautiful for the most part. The olive and Meyer lemon I still have concerns about.  Hail? Not at my house! I did move my car closer to the house as I don't have any covered parking as of yet.Some wind and rain is good for this old boy as it knocks down the pollen catkins from the trees making me happy, Happy, HAPPY!

Vape

     Well kids, I been smoking for over 40 years now and it hasn't killed me yet. Perhaps the alcohol in my beer that keeps my lungs preserved. Anyway, I decided to try a vape. A friend of mine vapes and hasn't had a cigarette in over 5 years.
     Anyway I went to the local vape store and got me a machine a bottle of juice for right at $75.00.
According to what  I hear the 6 mg/ml is close to an ultra light cigarette as far as nicotine goes. It is also next to lowest (just above 3) one can vape and still get any nicotine.
     Hey, I see (and hear) people sucking on these things, sounding like Darth Vader and blowing billows of steam like the Chattanooga Choo- Choo.   I can't take it like that! I'm sucking on mine like a little girl... baby puffs!I do believe the next bottle of juice I purchase will be the mere 3 mg/ml strength and if I keep sucking this thing instead of cigarettes I may be able to kick nicotine altogether.

     My only concern is they make the juice in all kinds of flavors. If they make bacon flavor, the only time I'll take my vape out of my grocery hole will  be to actually eat bacon!

New car Battery

     Today was interesting to say the very least. It began as any other day but soon took several turns, none of which turned actually bad... just interesting. 

     The first turn was my car. I hopped in ready to go run some errands but, Lo and behold the battery was dead. No problem, I thought. I fetched up my charger and cord then began searching the vehicle for the hood unlatch knob. Mind you, I have only looked in the engine compartment once and that was at the dealer. There I saw a sideways mounted engine and said to myself, "I ain't gonna be messing around with this thing!"  It took me near a half hour to find the latch but I finally did. After about 15 minutes on the charger I was on my way to the dealer's repair shop. Another half hour or so later and $141.19 out of pocket I was back on the road. Somehow I was able not to get my blood pressure up over the dead batter nor time taken looking for the latch. I used my waiting time well by reading my Bible figuring God had helped me not get pissed off.

     The head of the sales department pulled up a Carfax report on my car whilst I was there when he saw it was just over 4 years old and just over 17,000 miles. He SO wanted to put me into a 2017 model with 5,000 miles for only a bit over $200 a month. I politely let him give his sales pitch, saying the trade in value of my car would plummet after it reached 5 years of age. but I thought and still think this way... My driving a mere average of 4250 miles annually will take me over 23.5 years to reach 100,000 miles which is nothing for a Honda car. In 23.5 years will be slightly past 82 years of age. If I need another vehicle at age 82 in 23.5 years I don't see a 2017 over a 2014 model or 12,000 miles making a difference worth $200 a month for 3 years for a total of over $7200. 

     I could go into all kinds or "reasons" old boy gave me that I should "upgrade" but the crux of the biscuit is he know he can sell my car at  a mighty profit (for himself) and make an extra $7200 off me should I trade in. I told him I'd take his (B.S.) propaganda sheet and think about it. I did but I won't. Hey. seeing as how I figure he'll make enough off my car to make a profit I'll make him a counter off offer should he call me. If he gives me $141.19 for the new battery, I'll trade him even for the 2017 model and even let him keep the camo seat covers and floor mats!

Spring Has Sprung

     Yesterday was the first day of Spring. A bit cooler than normal for these parts but a lovely day altogether. I'll be starting seed trays soon and looking forward to home grown tomatoes and possibly putting up some salsa.

     I went to follow up visit to the Vision Correction Center. Got there on time (8:30 AM) and had to sit on my butt until a little after 9 to get checked out. Other than the wait, all went swimmingly. The eyesight in my right eye is stronger than it has been in over 40 years and all is healing according to plan. The best part was I didn't need any more pressure relieved off my eye so, not another lancet into my orb. I'd already passed the test of taking one so I was fully prepared albeit not welcoming another.
Anyway, I got my appointment for left eye surgery set up for Monday, April 23 @ 1 PM and one day later follow up for Tuesday, the 24th @ 8:30 AM.

     When I paid $929.80 out of pocket for the right eye, I rather expected the same fee for my left. God gave me a break there and it'll only be $789.80. I haven't studied the separate invoices but I'm guessing perhaps I've passed my deductible for my insurance. All told it'll be about $1700 and the best $1700 I've spent in quite some time.

     When I got in the car to return home the radio was playing one of those songs that makes you think "It is just for me"...  Mandisa was singing "Unfinished". I'm no singer by any means but as soon as I got over my laughing fit I was singing (out of tune as Hell) right along with her. It was a cloudy day so the drops to dilate my left eye didn't have me all squinty. Some may have wanted a blue bird Sun shiny day bot God had His hand on my shoulder once again!

     My back yard has become a slough with all the rain so far this year so as soon as things dry out some I'll be ordering a truck load of dirt to fill in the holes, front and back. I've seen where the water flows like a river through the back yard. I'm  thinking of attempting to dig a trough to divert the flow somewhat. It is an ongoing fight against the water so I'll just keep trying different things until I hit the right solution or combination of solutions.

$942 Man

     I was talking to my friend, Gail the other day and she made a joke about me having a bionic eye like the $6 Million Man. I know a lot of you aren't old enough to remember that old show on TV . It was about a test pilot who crashed and was rebuilt with an  artificial leg, arm and eye so he had superhuman powers.
     Anyway, she was making a joke about my new, plastic eyeball lens. It is almost like having super vision after seeing the world as I have.

     Getting my right eye fixed cost me out of pocket $942 and change so I told her after second repair I'll be the the $1884 Man.

     I had no fear going in or surgery on my worst cataract. I had no fear when the Doctor jabbed the lancet into my eye to relieve pressure. Do I have any worries going into surgery for my other eye? Hell no!

     Crazy Mike at work tells me his daughter, Emily just has bad eyes and may need Lasik or other to fix her eyes. I tell y'all what. If she has any fears or such about eye surgery, I'll step up and promise her and Crazy Mike that I'll be there for them. I'll hold her hand as long as they let me before she goes in and I'll be holding her hand when she wakes up.

Seeds, Bushes & Trees

     I've recently received a couple of shipments of seeds, bushes and trees to hopefully improve my edible landscaping.
     My front yard is some grass with a lot of wild onions. As far as I know, wild onions are not edible, they just smell like onions when mowed down, hence their name.
     My back yard is almost no grass but an assortment of what I call for lack of a better name, weeds. I'll be mowing then shaving them both with my mower set to the lowest setting then seeding with clover. I've 5 pounds of white and 2 of crimson seed. I've seen a few honey bees already this year collecting pollen and nectar from dandelion and such. The clover hopefully will make my yard easier to mow (as well as needing less often) and attract honey bees to my yard. Perhaps in the future I can set up a hive and grow my own honey. I don't use much processed sugar in my cooking or anything for that matter as I much prefer honey. If I can grow my own, that would be too sweet... No pun intended!

     Anyway, I red that to raise blueberries and pawpaws, I need at least 2 different varieties for successful pollination. I've no idea why but I went with what I read. Yesterday I received 3 blueberry bushes: Austin, Brightwell & Climax. Two pawpaws: Collins Select & Eastern Seedling. One Reliable mayhaw and one American persimmon.

     I'm still being a bit dainty on myself so I don't blow out my right eyeball after cataract surgery so rather than plant them into the dirt, I merely put them all n pots for the time being. I reckon by the time they are ready to be put in their permanent places I should be ready to dig some holes for them.

     The one plant that I ordered that didn't arrive yet is a palm tree. It is also the only one that I wanted just for decoration. My across the street neighbor, Miss Virginia has the most beautiful palms in her yard Whenever she gets hers trimmed by her landscape guys  always go gather the seed pods, fronds, cuttings, roots, etc... anything I can find to try to start some of my own. So far I've had a 100% failure rate but I'll keep trying until I finally have a palm tree or two or three in my yard.

Cataract Surgery Update (Not For The Squeamish)

     Monday, March 12 I had my right cataract encrusted lens removed and replaced with a brand spanking new plastic lens in my eyeball. The 10 to 15 minute procedure actually took about 2 hours from check in to check out but I must say I feel it was time well spent. The cloudiness and glare in my right eye are completely gone and my vision is so much better. Anyone contemplating the procedure I must suggest, "Do it!"

     Tuesday, Mom took me back for my follow up exam. I did much better on the visual acuity exam than before. The nurse told me that I was still dilated from the pre-op drops so my vision should only get better in the days to come. Then they gave me more drops to dilate my eye even more to get a good gander at the innards. Between doses of the drops I was looking at a wall poster about cataract surgery. The 2nd time she came back I said "I just wanted to see what the Hell y'all did to me yesterday".
     It seems the replacement has little things like arms or tentacles that open up after the replacement lens unfolds. They latch onto the the fluid sacs in front of and behind the lens to hold it in place. I couldn't see the posters well enough to study them so I had no idea about that.
     The Doctor did some chicken foot voodoo measurements and deemed I had some pressure build up that needed to be relieved.  Anyone who knows anything about me knows I have beyond a phobia of needles. Well, the good Doctor opened up a little packet and there was a wee item there. It was just a little handle to be held between the thumb and forefinger... with an about 1" needle on the end. I think the proper name for the device is a "lancet".  I stared directly into the light as told, said to myself the Bible verse "I am the LORD who heals you" and quite calmly (for me) let him insert the needle into my eyeball. I didn't even have any problems wiping the eyeball fluid off of my cheek,  but it was only a couple or three drops.

     I go back for another "how's it healing?" check Tuesday, the 20th and get set an appointment for left eye surgery. They did the eye I wanted first so it was right and the other one is left? I know, bad joke... right, left?

     Anyway, I hope I didn't give anyone second thoughts about cataract or any surgery. If I can sit still and take a lancet that I can see coming into my eyeball, I can take anything. And so can you! Put yourself in His hands. There's a Christian singer who has a song called "Fear Is A Liar". And old U.S. president F.D.R. said, "We have nothing to fear but fear itself". So man up, boys and woman up, girls. Be fearless and kick ass!

     Last note: When the anesthesia guy said, "I'm gonna give you something to relax you", I started saying to myself Psalm 23. I remember, "The Lord is my shepherd. I shall not want. He maketh me lay down...." That was as far as I got.

     May God give you His peace.

Vacation Week Begins

     As of 6:30 this morning, I am on vacation! It'll actually be more of a "staycation" as I have no travel plans beyond the Mississippi Vision Correction Center... Monday at 1 PM I go in for cataract surgery on my right eye and back again at 9 AM Tuesday for my follow up check and hopefully get a quick return appointment for my other (left) eye surgery. Young Jacob at work is still saying I have more balls than he does for getting this procedure done. I told him last night it takes more balls for me to drive with cataracts than getting them fixed.
      I have my DVR set to record a couple of preachers on TV. One is a Messianic rabbi and when I sat down to watch his show the other day he was talking about the Covenant Names of God. This particular message was  "I Am The LORD, Your Healer". Do I worry about anything involving this operation? Hell no! How can I?
     The pre op instructions say after 6 AM I can have clear liquids and dry toast. I'll pass on dry toast, thank you very much! Does beer count as a clear liquid?

     Anyway, as I've said my Mom will drive me to and from the eyeball fix it place. I'll be taking my Bible with me. The first face I want to see is Mom's and after hugging her the next thing I want in my hands is the Good Book. She'll also be holding the cross I usually wear around my neck when I go in for the slicing and dicing. As if anybody would really want to steal a $25.00 cross from around my neck, but the pre-op instructions state "No jewelry".   Hey, with my beard, the cross is seldom seen anyway. Perhaps if they don't ask, I won't tell!

     The weather here (and all across America & possibly the world) is always an issue I track. As of now we're having plenty of rain. Last night my friend would have said "Biblical proportions". Now the predictions are for Sunshine to return but also cold, perhaps even a night of freezing cold.
     I fetched home some more cardboard from work to lay on my raised bed gardens to mulch down and weaken if not kill off the weeds. If not today, at least in the coming few days I can lay that out
with one good eye. One good is better than I have now!

     I'm still sorting through my veggie seeds and laying out where I want what... And planning for a full fledged garden in the future, at least where I had the ducks & geese before the po-po made me get rid of them. I'm talking about a North to South strip some 15' x 50 and an East-West of approximate same dimensions. And I am also still thinking about raising quail. They're small (relatively) quiet birdsso perhaps I can sneak a few breeding pairs into one of my out buildings Rabbits are always also an option for home grown meat. I'm just getting a bit leery about store bought meat. You know, growth hormones and all that other crap the mass producers feed them.

     I've a few more ideas still in the germination phase right now. I'm just hoping the Good Lord will prod me in the right direction & tell me if I should or should not.

Getting Ready For Eye Surgery & Etc

     Today is March 9 so I am only a few days away from cataract surgery on my right eye. I am so looking forward to getting this done and getting an appointment for my left eye. I start a week of "vacation" time Sunday. Hopefully after my surgery on Monday and follow up visit on Tuesday I can get a quick return visit for getting the other eyeball fixed.

     As those of you who have visited my blog as of late know, I have become a huge fan of reading the Bible. I look forward to my time reading the "Good Book" before work and on my lunch break as much as I do quitting time. Due to my bad eyesight (soon to be corrected) I ordered online and recently received yet another Bible... It is a King James Version Giant Print Reference Bible. It has all kinds of cool stuff to make studying the Bible easier for dummies like myself. There are end of verse references wherein at the end of a verse, it tells other verses  that refer to that verse. Each book has a little bit about the book, including what's included there as well as the name in Hebrew and Greek...
just all kinds of cool stuff.
     I must say, if you have never read the Bible, I highly suggest you do so. It has everything one could ask for in a book; murder, sex, spies & intrigue, betrayal, above all it has HOPE and the one thing it has none of is fiction.

     Meanwhile, I am trying to get my garden beds and my seeds prepped for planting. We've had some cold and wet as of late. We're still in a chilly spell but having Sunshine to at least dry things out a bit. I'm hoping to get some seed started in cups  I have to be careful lifting heavy stuff so I don't blow the innards out of my eyeball and have to be careful not to get any crud in there but I think this is gonna be a good year gardening wise.
     I'm gonna concentrate mainly on good old redneck staples like okra, maters and peppers, the latter pair for salsa. As previously mentioned, I'll try to start a ginseng patch but that will take a few years to produce evn a wee root worth harvesting.
     I'm seeing some potato greens in one of my compost bins. I reckon I'll let them do their thing and see if I get any spuds out of them.

Planting a garden is believing in tomorrow!

March Madness

     Where to begin?  Perhaps I'll start where I intended to start :The countdown on my eye surgery. Today is the 1st of March and I'll be getting my surgery on the right eye on the 12th of this month.  So many of the guys I work with are seemingly more afraid of the procedure than I am. Jacob was telling Robert that I am his (Robert's) best friend. Robert said, "Hell no! Anybody whop is told we're gonna slice your eyeball open and suck out the shit. And you say 'that sounds like a good idea' is no friend of mine!"  Young Jacob keeps telling me I have more balls than he does as he wouldn't get it done unless he was blind. All I can tell his is "Son, I damn near am!"

     We're expected to be mostly cloudy today with off & on rain. Well, the dogs and I were just out back and in just a matter of moments were caught in a torrential downpour. It has stopped for the moment but we're ready for more with no notice.

     Upon returning inside I came into my office to write this post. Lo and behold there is a larger than golf ball size hole in the wall where a cable TV cable was run through gnawed out by them damned detestable field mice. I'll dump the other half box of moth balls down the hole and place a variety of catching and/or killing solutions around the area. One way and/or another, I'll rid my household of them sons of bitches. So they have changed their tactics? It is up to me to Adapt, Attack Seek, Search and Destroy! I'll promise any and all, I shall leave no rodent unkilled in this house! Back in the day, there was a professional wrestler by the name of Skandar Akbar whose nickname was "The Tenacious One".Well, I'm gonna add a new level to his tenacity! The war is on and there can be only one victor.... ME!

Not Feeling 100% As Of Late

     It's less than 2 weeks from cataract surgery on my right eye and I'm feeling a bit under the weather. Supposedly the flu season is winding down and no, I didn't get the shot. I'd heard it was only around 30 % effective so I figured, "Why bother?"

     Anyway I'm feeling a bit weakened and only today must have blown out of my nose or hacked up a gallon of snot and show no signs of running out of the stuff.
     It has been raining so much lately that I have mushrooms, mold and mildew growing in my compost buckets & bins. Therefore, I am hopeful that I'm simply having seasonal allergy symptoms because of all the spores. At any rate, I'll not allow my not being in tip top shape interfere with getting my eyes fixed. That is something that I can't wait much longer for... Not the procedure but the results!

     I've had to lay some planks across the paths I most often walk in my back yard doe to all the rain having soaked the ground to keep from sinking in up to my ankles. But nothing is going to stop this redneck from enjoying any bit of Sunshine I can get,

     There are so many things I need to do, want to do but "flying solo" makes difficult. Working full time, night shift puts me at a disadvantage but I'll find a way to make it an advantage.

What In The Wide, Wide World Of Weather Is Going On Here?

     I'm sorry I have nothing better to discuss than the weather but what is going on here? This time about a month ago we were having record setting low temps, ice and snow  Nowadays, we're having rain and clouds, no real Sunshine predicted for the next week (and have had none to speak of for the past week). That said, we've had 3 or 4 or 5 days of record setting high temps and are expected to have another few days of the same. Cloudy but record setting warm weather. I'm not at all complaining. After a month of running my heater 24/7 I'll more than gladly take a few days of having the doors open and letting in some near or above 80 degree free air in the house and let some of the staleness out.

     Meanwhile, I just ordered a few pounds of clover seed to replant my yard. I'll mow the front and back (more like shave it) to give the clover a chance to take root. Anyway, I got 2 pounds of crimson and 5 of white. There are a couple reasons I would prefer a clover lawn over grass.
     A#1 Clover doesn't grow as tall and "weedy looking" as grass so I may be able to let it go longer w/o mowing.
     B#2 Clover makes flowers and bees love to make honey from clover. Honeybees are in trouble nowadays from what I gather and they are important pollinators for most if not all our food crops. So helping the honeybees benefits us all, right?

     Last year I had a mass of butterflies in my herb garden. Indeed, I have never seen so many of the critters in one place before. When  semi harvested my herb seeds, I tossed most into the garden where they grew and scattered the rest about the back yard to grow freely where they wished.

     Who knows? Perhaps with the herbs and clover I may in time become a beekeeper and harvest some home grown honey.

More Craziness In My Little World

     Well, well.... It seems there is never an end to the craziness in my little world.  But I would have it no other way, I reckon. I had some technical difficulties with my internet service provider but got them straightened out with (fairly) minimal irritation.

     We're looking at the 8 day forecast and seeing just a few brief moments of Sunshine. I'll take the moist, warm & clouds over Sunny and freezing any day.  At least when the ground is a bit soggy I have easy weed pulling. I fetched home a few large cardboard boxes to lay over some of my raised beds to mulch them for a while and stunt if not kill weeds. I'll need a few more to top the remaining beds but I can get plenty tonight at work.

     I did find a "dig hole" by the edge of the foundation of my home that I believe the field mice have been using as an entry point. I'll get some mothballs tomorrow, dump about half a box in and fill it with dirt.

     Meanwhile, I've received the seed company's latest catalog and I am browsing through looking at all the varieties of veggies. Mainly I am looking to avoid whenever possible, hybrids. I believe the great famine of Revelation is gonna come when all the man made hybrids and GMO crops (man trying to play God) fail .Heirloom varieties and native foods are gonna be all that's left for us to eat.

     Squirrel, it's the new red meat, Alligator is the new white meat, at least in these parts. I've eaten squirrels, cotton tail and swamp jack or marsh rabbits, raccoon, possum, turtle. Never yet ate a gator nor a snake but have no qualms whatsoever about doing so. Armadillos (or possum on the half shell)  have been said to carry leprosy so I'll keep them as a last resort as far as meat goes. I've never eaten a rat (although we do sometimes call squirrels "bushy tailed tree rats). And I've never eaten anything we here in America commonly refer to as "pets".

     The Weather Channel was saying we may be in for Winter Storm beginning with "O"...That's 15 named Winter storms this year (or season) already. Grab a few buckets and plant a container garden, kids. It doesn't require a prophet the status of Samuel to see the prices of everything is gonna be higher this year then the same time last year.

God bless you and us all. I love you.

Valentine's Day 2018

     Today is Saint Valentine's Day and I do not have a valentine. Not complaining, just stating the facts. Let's face it. With a foot plus long gray beard there are probably a dozen women in America, most of them in jail who would look at me and say, "Yeah, I'll take a chance on that". But I'm happy enough living without a significant other.
     The main thing February 14 means to me is the day I bought "Sexy Red" , my 2014 Honda CR-V.  In the 4 years I've had her, I've put a mere 16,000 miles plus a few on her. Seems I really don't go much of anywhere except to work and back. At the rate I'm going it'll take another 21 years for me to reach 100,000 miles!

     Meanwhile, we're on a high swing in the local temperature even though we're getting very little Sunshine. and can expect little for at least the next week. For the time being I'll take warm & cloudy over ass biting cold and Sunny.

     I've been digging through my seed stash to see what all I want to plant come Spring. I'll for sure have plenty of okra. I'd love to put up a few jars of home made salsa so I'll need peppers and tomatoes. My mater crops have thus far been "hit or miss" growing from seeds and seedlings so I may actually buy some larger plants along with starting seeds earlier in the year this time around.
     My greens growing efforts thus far would discourage a lesser redneck but I'll keep trying a wee adjustment yearly until I hit the magic combination. I'll still have to buy my ham hocks but someday I'll grow my own collard greens!

     I'm looking for grand results from my cataract surgery so I may get in a bit of squirrel hunting when they're back in season. With God's blessings, I may even visit a local lake or 2 for a bit of frogging.

     There are just so many "if" factors at present. I'll just keep my faith in God and trust in Him. Keep me in your prayers if you have them and I'll do the same for you.

SO Ready To Garden

     Kids, I am so ready to get my fingers and toes in the dirt, I am almost rabid! I was talking to one of my buddies at work, Joel about getting our gardens started  He and I are pretty much both wanting to grow the redneck staples: maters, peppers and okra
.     I told him out of last year's okra crop (I only could find late in the season one packet of seed) so I let 100% of the crop go to seed. I'll give him enough okra seed to plant more than he wants and let him know anybody close to him are welcome to a share as well.
     The main difference between our gardening wants is he thought about planting corn which I just don't have space for and he wants purple hull peas. He said he didn't know where to find seed and was astounded when I suggested the local co-op!

     We joked about when times get hard, those with seeds will be rich men. Hey! When okra seeds become currency, I'll be a very wealthy man, indeed!
     I'm not asking or expecting anything whatsoever in return for my okra seeds but should any who get some of them offer anything in return.... if and only IF I can use it, I'll accept with all gratitude.

     Before I had to get rid of my ducks and geese, I gave away the eggs  couldn't use. Anything I have an excess of I share. That's the way God planned it. That's the way God said it should be.

     Even if you live in a tiny apartment, you have room for a bucket garden or two to have a tomato plant or such. Feel the earth in your hands. It is alive... God is alive!
   

Helping Spread The Good Word

     Well, it came time to renew my automobile insurance once again. New, I knew I'd signed up for automatic renewal but wasn't quite so sure about automatic payment. To be on the safe side I called my insurance company and I was signed up for automatic payments.
     The young (sounding) lady I chatted with and I had a grand time actually. When she told me to go ahead and put my new insurance cards in my car I told her I keep mine not in my glove box nor console but in my Bible which I keep in the car. Automobile insurance inside more important insurance as it were.
     Well, she thought that was a grand idea. (She said she has 2 kids and her glove box & console are always full of their crap). Then she said she has a Bible in top of her fridge that she's gonna put in her car to keep her auto insurance papers in to use as I do as a book marker.

     I also told her if she ever goes through a check point for licence, registration & insurance, it may just help a little when "Officer Friendly" sees you keep all your stuff in the Good Book!

     I told y'all before, I was given a King James as I was about to leave the tool store parking lot. A month or so later I began reading Psalms then went :back to the start... Genesis. Twenty or so minutes a day and I went from Genesis 1:1  to Revelation 22:21 in about 8 or 9 months, my best guess. I read Revelation again and am now back in Exodus, seeing and understanding things I missed previously.

     I'm having a grand time studying this time through as having read through once before, I am picking up on all kinds of things I missed the first time.
     In closing this post, all I can say is if you have a Bible, don't let it just sit and collect dust If you don't have one, buy one. It'll be the best investment you ever made.

 B.I.B.L.E.
Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth

Got My Eyeballs Measured & Such

     Ii is now yesterday morning I went and got my eyeballs measured for future cataract surgery. I'll be going in March 12 to have my right eye done first as it is by far the worse of the pair.
     My regular eye doctor gave me impression that the two operations would be just a couple of days apart but they'll actually be about a week apart. Anyway, I go in March 12 for the first cutting, sucking and replacing. Then back the next morning for a follow up check. Then they'll set up a time for lens replacement #2.

     Meanwhile, my brother's dementia continues to worsen. I told Mom that once I get my eyesight back to an acceptable level I could have Kenny stay with me at least on my nights off, to take some pressure off of her. Having him here 2 nights a week certainly be better for her, perhaps for him but not whatsoever for me. I have always been a bit of a loner,. It would be Hell sharing my home with anyone, much less one with dementia but he is after all, my brother. The Bible says, "No greater love has a man than he who gives his life for his brother" or close to that. If I have to give up some of my freedom to keep my brother out of an "assisted living center" then that's what I'll do.
     Nowadays, it seems Kenny's greatest love is his (dare I say, ugly) Boston Terrier, Fancy who lives with our step mom. I call her "Flat Nose" ... the dog, not our step Mom! But anyway, any time I sit on the sofa, lay on the bed or go out in the yard, my kids are with me. Sometimes to the point I need time away from them!
     Perhaps with another lap to lay upon they'll not my under my feet all the time, brother can have someone to be with and not brood on being away from his dog. Everybody is happy, happy, happy!
     At least happy enough!
   

Spring?

     I keep a close eye on the weather reports, more than anything else in the news as it effects me more than anything else in the news. Almost of my driving is at night or early morning, this time of year before the Sun comes up. So I want to know if there is gonna be fog, rain, ice or anything else to make my daily commute to and from work more difficult.
     I didn't give a damn about the World Series, I don't have any money on the Super Bowl (although I hope and believe the Patriots will take it). I only turn on the TV while prepping and dressing for work to see what the weather is gonna be on my way there and back home.

     According to the latest, I couldn't be happier than a hog in a trough full of slop! A full 7 day forecast with nary a night's low below freezing! We may get some rain and wind but no "frost on the punkin" makes me a happy redneck. Both my gas and electric bills came in the mail the other day and I am afraid to open either of them. With a breeze blowing I can easily stand above 80 in the Summer but my old, narrow white butt can't take below 72 in the Winter unless I'm outside and then not for long. That's why people moved into caves and then built houses,right? To stay warm in the Winter.

     When I lived in Colorado, in my 20's I could take the cold and snow up to my butt. Now I'm 58 years of age and I can still take the heat but not the cold.

     Looking out the back window the sky is white with overcast and cloud so I reckon I'll have to fetch my laundry inside to dry it. The Sun was out when I hung the clothes on the line but we're supposed to have rain (weather gal said late afternoon and nighttime but she may have missed by a few hours). I'll hand my stuff on the heater vents so they'll dry and be nice and toasty when I get ready to put em on. And the hot air blowing on my wet clothes will put a little humidity back in the air in the house. Killing two birds with one rock, eh?

Time To Replace Some Stuff... Again

     One of the joys of life (I say that with all intended sarcasm) is having things wear out and need replacing.
     Any of you who have read some of my later posts here know I'll be getting the natural lenses in my eyeballs replaced soon due to cataracts with bright, new, shiny plastic ones. A procedure I do not look forward to but am expecting grand results.

     Meanwhile, stuff around the homestead wears out and needs replacing as well. On one of my days off last week, I put something in my microwave oven, mashed the button and saw an unexpected light show. Arcs and sparks all in that rascal! I wiped her clean and tried again with same results so off to the curb with the old.
     Thursday night at work I kept looking at my wristwatch, waiting for lunchtime and thinking time  was dragging. Finally I pulled out my cell phone and checked the time. and saw that my wristwatch had stopped. Hey, I needed to go get a new microwave oven anyway so may as well get a new watch at the same time. Real men don't shop. We go into a store, make our purchase and get out!
     My black britches for work were wearing thin. One pair was still in decent shape but the other was getting a hole in the nee. So, one microwave oven, one wristwatch and a pair of britches and I was back on the road.

     I saw my friend who works there and she told me I should have gotten me some new work shoes as well as mine are admittedly looking rather worn. I agreed saying that I noticed that and meant to get some new soon (if not today). The main thing is I needed 4 thing and got 3. The old song says 2 out of 3 ain't bad. For me, 4 out of 4 is outstanding!

Eyeball Update

     Okay, I had an appointment for January 22 to get my eyeballs measured for future cataract surgery and I had a brain fart. Somehow I convinced myself that the 22nd  was on a Tuesday instead of Monday. To make a long ordeal into a short tale, I finally contacted the Vision Correction Center and got a new appointment scheduled.
   
     I'm to be there at 9:15 this coming Wednesday to get my eyeballs measured Then they'll do their calculations (I don't know, maybe wave dead chicken feet and some voodoo spells) and figure out what new prescription lenses they want to implant into my eyeballs.
     I must admit after Dr. Taylor saying they'll cut open my eyeballs "stick like a little vacuum cleaner in and suck out (my) lenses, then slide in new ones" I am in NO way looking forward to the procedure but am excited about the possible results.

     I thought I had normal vision until I went to get my driver's license learner's permit  at age 16. The lady at the DMV told me to look into a machine and read the numbers. Hell, I didn't see any numbers whatsoever.  When I got my first pair of eyeglasses I stepped out and told my brother, "Wow! Look! There are leaves on the trees!"  He was like "Yeah". I had never seen leaves at a distance and trees were just big brown things with bigger green thing on top. Now I'm being told I can possibly drive without needing eyeglasses or contact lenses? Better vision at age 58 than I had at age 17 or younger?

Who couldn't be exited about that?I know any surgical procedure has some risk involved. But the Holy Spirit is within me and Jesus has me by the hand, Father God will be watching over me. So look out, world! Here I come and I can see you now!

Ground Hog Day

     Well, today is February 2, 2018... Ground Hog Day and it seems old Phil saw his shadow so supposedly we'll have another 6 weeks of Winter.I must admit I've already had about enough of the cold weather. Do I put any stock on some large rodent seeing his shadow or not being a reliable weather forecast?  Nope.The weather this year so far has been so extreme (world wide) I can't put any faith in any forecasts. It's gonna do what it's gonna do.

     Years ago when I lived in Louisiana, on Ground Hog Day, one of the local radio stations was having a contest and the grand prize was 50 pounds of ground hog meat. Before anybody freaks out, I figured out what they meant rather quickly. It was pork sausage... Get it? Ground hog!

     Anyway, I'm looking forward to a week of no nightly lows below freezing again so I can get back to digging in the dirt. A while back I purchased some ginseng seeds. Since I've added the portable carports to my back yard, one of my raised beds gets not a lot of sunshine and since I've heard  "'sang" as the old timers call it likes shade I think I'll try making that one my ginseng patch. It won't command high dollar like wild grown root but I'm not trying to grow it for sale but rather for my own use. It is supposed to be good for all kinds of ailments and Lord knows the older I get the more ailments I have!
     I've a few buckets of compost ready to dump in along with some dead potted plants and the soil thereof. I've seen a few bags of leaves on the curb in front of houses that have oak trees so I'll fetch them up to fill the bed to a depth of about 12" and on an average week I bring home about 10 pots worth of coffee grounds to mix in.

    All in all, I think we're gonna have a good year in the gardens. I also bought a butt load of salsify, or oyster root seeds which I'll dedicate a full 6' x 6' garden to and packed in about a quart and a half of okra seeds from last year's harvest. The okra seeds sold out early in the stores last year and I was lucky to find the last packet, tucked behind some other crap. I possibly could make a dollar or two selling mine but I think I'll just tell my friends that I have plenty and give the seeds to my friends, perhaps along with the hint that should they have any excess produce to keep me in mind. That's the way I feel family, friends and neighbors should be, Share and share alike, right? Love thy neighbor.
 
     Looking forward to a grand Spring, mild Summer and bountiful harvest.  But as Jesus himself said, "Father, not my will but thy will be done".

Reading The Book of Revelation

     I'm still reading my Bible and have recently reached the Book of Revelation. I always thought reading the Bible from Genesis to Revelation would take like 20 years.I actually started my reading sometime last Spring and with just 20 or so minutes per day am almost finished with my first reading
     There are many things in the Old Testament that refer to Jesus that I'd never realized and I look forward to my second reading after going over some things that I really want to go over once again  just to clarify a few things.

     Hopefully I'll get my cataract surgery soon and with my "new eyes" I'll be able to see better and read more easily.

This Is A Drought?

     According to the weather reports, this part of Mississippi is still in a "mild drought". Okay, I live on the side of a hill. The Southern half of Tina Lane is relatively flat and the Northern half (where my house is) is on the side of the hill.Walking across my back yard is like walking on a muddy sponge. So it looks like this Spring I'll be ordering at least one truck load of "brown dirt". That's what the folks at the dirt for sale folks call it.

     Anyway, I'll mix enough with compost from my bins to top off my raised bed gardens and use the rest to at least fill in all the holes and make pathways across and through the back yard. My neighbors have told me that most of my property was once filled with pine trees. Had the pines still remained I never would have bought the place after the ordeal of pine needles at my previous residence.

     Well, that's all the news here from Soggy Bottom U.S.A. other than we are expected to get a couple more light freezes over the next week.  Needless to say, I am more than ready for some deep Sunshine and warm weather so I can get my fingers (and toes) back in the dirt.

Smokin'

     All right, kids! This morning coming home from work it was warmer than the warmest part of the day for a while. Today should top out at about 70 degrees. I could not help myself when I heard that forecast so day before yesterday I started marinating a pre-sliced pork loin
     After my morning routine of giving thanks, letting the kids out to pee pee & boom boom, I fired up Black Beauty, my smoker. The grocery where I work has hot Italian sausage and several other varieties in sale for 4 days, I think ending today. Anyway, I got 5 pounds total, 3 of the hot and 2 sweet. The hot is of the link variety and the sweet is patty.
The loin and a pound are in Black Beauty right now making glorious smelling smoked pork aromas. Soon I'll be shoving some porky goodness into my grocery hole. And plenty left over for smoked pork sammiches and sausage po-boys!

     And best of all, it is warm enough and the Sun is shining so I can get outside and recharge my batteries and burn off some of the mildew that I've grown during the freeze!

     One last note. At last count the City of Jackson was well over 200 water main breaks due to the unusual cold here and more are expected as the lines and surrounding ground thaw. One way or another, Jackson will get new water lines to replace the crumbling 100 + year old lines.

Rest Well, P.K.

     Last night as I was prepping for work I turned on the news for the weather report & forecast as I usually do. The breaking news was a double homicide in Jackson, Mississippi. I had one shoe on and the other in my hand when the reported said on of the victims was Percy King, age 57. My first thought was that it could not be my old friend, P.K....
Then his picture came on screen and I froze up. Percy King who I always called "P.K." shot dead along with another younger fella.

     P.K. was known all across central Mississippi as "The Snake Man" who went to any charitable function, did birthday parties, etc. along with his traveling menagerie. I met him before he bought his first snake, was with him when he did (and I believe he bought a caiman as well). A more gentle soul I have never met. Always smiling even when, in his own words "was having a bad hair life".

     I cannot say "P.K. was..." or that I loved him. He still is and always will be as long as us who met him remember him. I will always love him as the beautiful and beloved child of God that he is.

     I can forgive those who did me wrong. But the rat bastard who took P.K.'s life did far, far more. Percy was a shining light in and for the city of Jackson where there are too few shining lights. He brought happiness, love and joy wherever he went. I'll have to pray extra hard for God to let me forgive P.K.'s killer.

     In my 58 years on this Earth, I have lost many family and friends through various causes. This is the first time I have lost anyone to murder. The whole idea of murder is just so alien to me. I know many times I've said I wanted to kill someone  but that was just gassing off at the mouth. Especially someone as loving and lovable as P.K. who I can't even imagine having one enemy in the world.

     Sorry if I'm starting to ramble but I'm trying to come to grips with this thing.Last night I don't think there was 10 minutes he wasn't on my mind in one way or another.

     I guess in closing I'll just say this...

Rest well, P.K.
I love you like a brother from a different mother. I'll see you again when my time comes.

The Epistles & My Tribulation

     I'm still reading my Bible during my breaks from work and am now reading the Epistles of Paul to Timothy.I have noticed that the Apostle, Paul mentions in all so far, his hardships he faces in prison and such.
     When I read my Bible, I prefer to sit alone in my car with no distractions of any kind. The longest time I have is only about 20 minute, not really time enough for the interior of the car to get warm  So my own personal tribulation is "how much do I want to spend time alone with God?"

     Enough to sit alone in my car, reading the word of God when the temperature is in the teens. My next book in The Good Good Book is Philemon. It won't be long until I'll be reading Revelation. 
     You know, it never cease to amaze me how many Bible scholars call it "Revelations" with an s. I'm just a redneck who at age 57 felt the call to read the Bible for the first time and am learning so much.  At age 58 I am almost done with my first reading. God willing, it won't be my last.
   
     Since staring my readings, I have become calmer, more at peace with myself, others and most importantly, with God.

     Try it, you might just like it!

Jowl Bacon & Weather Again

     The other morning as I was walking past one of the meat toughs at work I saw a sale tag "99 cents per pound" . Needless to say, I had to check it out. There was ham and jowl bacon both for that price.  I grabbed about 3 pounds of ham and all of the jowl bacon, about 10 pounds of it.
     Some of you may ask, "What is jowl bacon?"
     It is the fatty meat from the jaws or jowls of a hog, treated just as pork belly for regular bacon. The jowls are somehow fattier than the belly but I like to render the jowls for the fat then eat the crispy slabs left over. A slice of lean ham + some crispy fat on a biscuit is like Hog Heaven. Then
I have all the porky goodness of the rendered fat to cook other stuff with. It for sure isn't vegan nor kosher but damn it is good!
          My grand mothers, especially on my Dad's side cooked a lot with lard, which is basically hog fat. It may not be healthy but it sure is happy!

     The weather is crazy! We got some snow again today, about an inch. Enough to make Mississippi drivers be 101% stupid. Luckily, I didn't have to work tonight so I stayed at home.
     This is the first time that I can aver recall having 3 winter storms is a row quickly enough I can remember their names; Grayson, Hunter & Inga .We'll have highs this week from 31 to 67 and lows from 16 to 54. A guy I knew years ago in California said the 4 Seasons there were: mud, flood, earthquake and drought. Seems this year he was especially right. And I thought Mississippi weather was insane!

This Winter

     This Winter weather has been absolutely insane! We've had record cold, record days in a row cold and now we're having almost balmy temperatures. The only thing we need is Sunshine to make perfect outside activities weather. I haven't seen the Sun for a while, had rain like could drown frogs. The weather report calls for us to get Sunshine soon but also back into the freezing temps again.
     This week we had had lows higher than last week's highs and it's said we'll flip back to highs lower than this week's lows.

     Meanwhile, I'm still working my compost bins and beds to fortify my gardens. I haven't gotten as many bags of leaves from my neighborhood as in previous years but am getting plenty from my own year and closer by neighbors. Coffee grounds from work are filling up my bins rapidly and other assorted good things are gonna make, I believe, some good compost for the gardens.

     I've mentioned before that I believe that prices for fuel, food and everything are gonna be higher this year than last. So I highly suggest we all get a bucket or 2 if dirt and try to grow at least a little bit of our own food. It may not make a difference in our bills, but it is so much fun getting my hands in the dirt!

Doctor, My Eyes

     Some of you may remember the Jackson Browne song, "Doctor, My Eyes". We,, this post is about my eyes. I've really been having eye problems as of late, especially getting any focus in my right eye. So I made an appointment a month before my yearly check to have Doctor Taylor check my peepers. At last visit she said I had the beginnings of cataracts, especially in  Well, the cataracts are rapidly getting worse, again especially in my right.
    I always thought a cataract was like some scale buildup on the lens that could (or had to be) scraped off but it's actually the lens going to Hell in  a hand basket and getting foggy. I was hoping to get my lenses scraped clean and put back in but, oh no! The actual procedure is this.... I go in to the eyeball surgery place and get my eyeballs measured first. Then they set up an appointment for one eye and then the other a few days later. During the actual surgeries, they cut a slit in the front of my eyeball. Then they take out my old, foggy lens and throw it in the trash. Using the measurements they took, they replace the old lens with a new plastic one which should restore my vision to close to, if not 20/20. I never knew!

     It is just one more example of God giving more than we ask of Him. I was praying for my vision to be restored back to where I just needed a stronger prescription but He's gonna give me possibly perfect eyesight again. Something I can't remember ever having. I thought I could see normally until I had to get an eye check for my diver's license when I was 16 years of age. Then I found I needed eyeglasses. I was so amazed to see leaves on trees instead of a big green blob. My brother who took me to the driver's license office and eye Doctor's thought I was crazy (or worse) when I got my first eyeglasses. He's a couple years older than I and he'd never had less than 20/20 so he'd always seen what I had not.

     Anyway, I'll be getting my eyeballs measured soon and have appointments for the surgeries not long after, hopefully. I am a bit anxious, I must admit but have no fears. I'll simply tell my boss that I may need a few extra days off in the near future and if he can't schedule me for paid days off, unpaid will be worth getting my vision back to a level  I've never known.

     Mom had cataract surgery a few years back and she said that everything looks brighter. She thought it would wear off after a while but then her Doctor said it's normal for everything to be brighter. It's like after looking through a smoky glass then looking at the world without.

     I do not like the idea of going under anesthesia whatsoever but I'll be taking my Bible with me and right before I go under I'll put everything in God's hands.
     I'll come out rested and soon looking at the world with new eyes!

World Wide Extreme Weather

     I came home from work this morning and as usual after letting the kids out to pee pee and boom boom, turned on the TV to check the weather report.
     Here in the USA we're having some of the coldest in recorded history, in temperature, length of the extreme cold or both. Actually, here in Mississippi we are still in a drought. We did have a good soaking rain last night and this morning but are still way below normal rainfall for this time of year.
   
     What really caught my attention was a weather report from Australia where they are experiencing record highs for their Summer time on that end of the world "down under".
     The North American continent is having record lows while the other side and end of the Earth is having record highs? It doesn't make any sense unless one reads the Bible

     Meanwhile, after all the fires in California they are supposed to get some rain. Even before the folks on TV were talking about it I was saying all that scorched earth is gonna be prime makings for mudslides. It gonna be one Hell of a mess out there. And I've been telling anyone who will listen that food prices this year are gonna be significantly higher than last year.  I'm stocking up whenever I see vittles on sale and suggest you do so too.

Water Woes

     Last post I said at latest I'd heard, the city of Jackson, Mississippi had either 37 or 39 water main breaks. Now the latest count is 97!
     Well, yesterday at about noon I went to refill the dogs' water bowl and had no water pressure. I called the water department and old gal told me there was an outage. It was all I could do not to say "No shit? That's why I'm calling!" Anyway, I asked when I could expect restoration of service and she said there was no estimate yet. After I awoke at 8:80 PM to let the kids out to pee pee & boom boom, I heard a knock at the door. IT was Goober from the water department asking if I had water to which I as politely as possible replied that I did not. Then Goober said that he hadn't gotten any call before 4:30 PM. Now that I've had time to chew on this I think it's my civic duty to call the water department and/or the mayor's office and chew on some buttocks regarding this matter.
A#1 I called at noon and was told that the city knew about the outage already.
B#2 Goober said he got a call at 4:30 PM, so why in the Hell did it take him and his crew another 4 hours and 15 minutes to get there?
     Now I realize than Tina Lane isn't a major thoroughfare but still, I pay my water bill and my taxes in a timely manner and I expect my utilities to be repaired likewise.

     This may be too much information but here it is. As I had no water, not even bottles I had to work with what I did have on hand. I had the choice of brushing my teeth with either lemon lime soda or beer. I opted for the soda and actually, it wasn't bad although I did foam up like a rabid dog. Now the rude part... A few times last night at work I hunkered down where I got a whiff of my unwashed self. All I could think was, "You reek fella!" After not washing myself I must say that I stank I can spend days out in the woods and be comfortable if not oblivious to my own B.O. Hey! Out in the woods, hunting and/or fishing  men are supposed to smell a bit gamey. But in town, around women folks I don;t think we should smell  gamey,  especially to the point that we offend ourselves.
     So after letting Vlad & Bella out to pee pee and boom boom  I crunk the water in the shower up to "Boil" and had a happy, happy shower!

It Feels Wonderful!

     The temp now is a balmy 35 and we are expected to get into the high 40's today.  Still expected to drop below freezing for the next couple of nights but the hard freeze warning should pass by noon today. I mentioned in previous posts that I have a portable garage in the back yard. Well, Obviously I didn't cinch the bottom clamps down tight enough and the rain we had became big chunks of ice in where the material was sagging. I've been spending as much time as I can until my hands get too cold trying to beat the chunks into smaller pieces and chucking them into the yard, just to get them off the fabric. I finally finished that project this morning.

     On a side note, I think I've mentioned that I do have an unpleasant little condition known as Reynaud's. Everybody's extremities get cold in cold weather but with Reynaud's it is extreme. Those of us with it take very little cold before out finger and toes turn white from lack of blood. Well, I've been digging in ice water, flinging chunks of ice and lo, and behold! Instead of turning deathly white, my hands have only gotten beet red! I have no idea what this means regarding my circulation condition but I'm happy to see red instead of white fingers after digging in ice water.

     Meanwhile, I am praying hard for the folks in the New England area of the USA. I watch the weather closely on the Weather Channel and local news as well. I have seen some hard freakish weather reports coming from that part of the country.

     I haven't heard any reports on the fires out in California this past week so I don't know the status there. Are they all put put or is Winter Storm Grayson taking all the news and weather time?

     Two things I am sure of...
1    The weather is changing. Maybe not global warming but at least in the USA the weather is getting more extreme
2     Due to #1, grocery prices and most likely, all prices are going to be higher this year than last year.California had a record fire Just the other day I saw that Juneau, Alaska was warmer than Jacksonville, Florida. Meat animals need grass and grain which will be in short supply due to the weather. Fruits and veggies will be in short supply again, due to the weather.

     Even if you live in an apartment, if you have a balcony, it would behoove you to fill a couple of buckets with dirt and grow some container veggies like maters. Even if a bucket garden of maters doesn't help your budget, it will help your state of mind. There is nothing that makes me happier than taking off my shoes and socks and getting out in my gardens.

     Love & peace... Stay warm! I love you all, Merlin
   

New Year's Day 20118

     Today is New Year's Day, 2018 and it is bitter cold out The predicted high for today is only 30 or 32 depending on which source I quote. It was 17 when I was driving home this morning and tomorrow is supposed top be even a couple of degrees lower than that. We are in a deep freeze here in Mississippi, one most natives are not accustomed to. We'll have deep, hard freezing nights petty much all of this week
     Now for the good news... The rain stopped early yesterday so the roads were and are still dry And the glorious news is the Sun has finally come out a bit today. I haven't seen it for 2 days.

     I'm the kind of redneck who can take the heat well into the 90's and even into the triple digits as long as I have 3 things... shade, a fan and some ice cold beer. It has been some 2 decades since I even wanted to venture out when it is cold. What we're having now is what I call ABC, or "Ass Biting Cold".

     At any rate, I am blessed that the roads aren't icy, that I have a cozy home to come to, plenty of fresh, frozen or canned vittles and fresh water. Things I (we?) so often take for granted. I'm gonna make a twist in the traditional New Year's meal of ham hocks, black eyed peas, sliced carrots and some sort of greens. The greens can be (I am told) anything from cabbage to good old Southern collard greens. As much as I like fried cabbage (in bacon grease) I am a collard green eating fool! Anyway, I am rather burned out on ham after Christmas ham eating for the past week and this time of year hocks (which normally can't be given away at the grocery store) are stupid expensive.
     I'm just gonna open a can of black eyed peas, one of sliced carrots to have a bite of each (or two or three) then dump the rest into my soup makings freezer bag. What I'm really feeling the want for is tomato soup and a pimped out grilled cheese sandwich. My pimped soup & sammich recipes follow:

SOUP:
1 family sized can of tomato soup
1 can diced tomatoes and chili peppers
1 soup can milk

SAMMICH:
wheat bread
your favorite sliced cheese
deli sliced ham
bacon (about 90% fried out, not quite crispy but not greasy)
sliced tomato (salted and peppered)
collard greens
just a dab of mayo & mustard