Category Archives: My blog
At war with tree rats
Posted by doggonedmysteries
Yesterday, my day began as all my days do with coffee, lots of coffee. My third cup I took outside to enjoy the cooler weather we’re having. That’s when I spotted one of my almost ripe Big Boy tomatoes on the ground. Someone had nibbled a good quarter of it and left it there for me to find. I was not happy. The tomato went into the compost bin.
There was no sign of the culprit who had raided my garden. However, I swear I heard giggling coming from the trees. Later, I went out to feed the fish and as I walked under the magnolia tree, a large, mostly green tomato almost beaned me in the head. It too had been nibbled. I looked up to see a squirrel sitting on an upper branch. His face covered with tomato juice from MY TOMATO.
Thus, the war with the tree rats has begun. I took the tomato from the compost bin and the one that had nearly whapped me in the head and baited a Have-a-Hart trap. All tree rats who enter the trap will find themselves relocated to the other side of town. My mother in law doesn’t have a garden.
Posted in Misc, My blog, Writer, Writing
Tags: Author, Bones, books, Books on writing, Bull Terriers, Care giving, Caregiver, Craft of writing, Dead, Doggoned, Family, Fiction, Gardening, Gardens, Home, Humor, Life, Love, MS, Multiple Sclerosis, Murder, Mysteries, Mystery, Novel writing, Writer, Writing
Friday Photos
Posted by doggonedmysteries
Posted in hobbies, My blog, my garden, Writer, Writing
Tags: Author, Bones, books, Books on writing, Bull Terriers, Care giving, Caregiver, Craft of writing, Dead, digital photography, digital photos, Disability, Doggoned, Family, Fiction, Gardening, Gardens, Home, Life, Love, MS, Multiple Sclerosis, Murder, Mysteries, Mystery, Novel writing, photo, photograhy, Writer, Writing
Blind as a bat or forget the scratch coat please
Posted by doggonedmysteries
Since the first heat wave hit us this year, I’ve had trouble seeing. Sounds weird doesn’t it? There’s an easy explanation. When I bought my glasses, I had them put the scratch coat on them. Everyone knows how easy it is to scratch your glasses. Right? It was a big mistake. I’d rather have scratches.
You see I take after my father. I sweat. I sweat profusely. When I sweat, my glasses steam up. It seems that when they did that at least once the scratch coat warped and loosened. Then sweat got under it and left a line of discoloration right across the bifocal lens and up the inside quarter of the entire lens. It wasn’t a thin line either and got worse as time went on. I switched to my other pair of glasses.
We had another heat wave. Those glasses also had the scratch coating on them. The results were the same but not as bad as the other pair. However, it is bad enough that I have to struggle to read. EEKS! I love to read. I have to read to write. I’m going crazy with not being able to read.
My eye appointment is Saturday.
Posted in Misc, My blog, Writer, Writing
Tags: Author, Bones, books, Books on writing, Bull Terriers, Care giving, Caregiver, Craft of writing, Dead, Disability, Doggoned, Family, Fiction, Home, Humor, Life, Love, MS, Multiple Sclerosis, Murder, Mysteries, Mystery, Novel writing, Writer, Writing
Maybe one of these nights I’ll get some non-stop writing in
Posted by doggonedmysteries
Finding a quiet time to write isn’t easy around here. If I sit down to write when DH is taking his afternoon nap invariably both dogs decide it’s time to go out. It’d be nice if I could open the door and let them go out on their own but around here, it isn’t a wise thing to do.
Then there are phone calls and people dropping by. Therefore, I write late at night when the phone is quiet, no one drops by, and the dogs and DH are sound asleep…well, most of time they are. For quite a while, DH was having trouble sleeping and would wander down about an hour after I’d get started on whatever writing I planned to do. There’s no writing when DH wants to talk. It looks as though a new mattress has that problem solved for now.
However, Gavin has decided that he needs an extra out in the wee hours of the morning. Patty, hearing that he has gone out, wants a turn too. Out I schlep with the dogs.
Posted in Dog related, My blog, My books, Writer, Writing
Tags: Author, Bones, books, Books on writing, Bull Terriers, Care giving, Caregiver, Craft of writing, Dead, Disability, Doggoned, Dogs, Family, Fiction, Home, Life, Love, MS, Multiple Sclerosis, Murder, Mysteries, Mystery, Novel writing, Writer, Writing
Some days other things take priority over writing
Posted by doggonedmysteries
I try to write every day. Some days I do more writing than other days. Today was one of those other days. The garden was screaming for a weeding and the weather was cool enough to do it comfortably. I couldn’t wait another day because we are expecting more humid and hot weather tomorrow that will last another week.
Then G came over and we roasted the Ancho and poblano peppers on the grill. We popped them into a plastic bag for fifteen minutes and all but two peeled easily. G went home with half the peppers for her freezer.
Yesterday, I picked two of the heirloom tomatoes and decided to make BLTs for dinner again. I’m so glad I did. Those tomatoes may be ugly looking but the flavor is marvelous. It was so good that as soon as I finished my dinner I ran the second tomato over to G. She had to taste it.
I got there in time for her to serve it with their dinner. Later she phoned to rave about it. I will plant them again next year. There are quite a few on the plant but they aren’t ripe yet. The Big Boy and Beefsteak tomatoes are also beginning to come in I picked two today. DH asked me if there were any plum tomatoes, he could take over to his mother. I brought in a whole basket full for him to choose from and took the rest to G.
Posted in My blog, My books, my garden, Weather related, Writer, Writing
Tags: Author, Bones, books, Books on writing, Bull Terriers, Care giving, Caregiver, Craft of writing, Dead, Disability, Family, Fiction, Food, Gardening, Gardens, Home, Life, Love, MS, Multiple Sclerosis, Murder, Mysteries, Mystery, Novel writing, Writer, Writing
Enjoying the fruits of my labor
Posted by doggonedmysteries
Today G and I will roast Poblano peppers on the grill. Then after we peel them, we’ll bag them for our freezers. I have a large basket full of them all from the one plant in a pot with two other types of peppers.
The cucumber vine expired yesterday. A darned shame, I’ll certainly miss the fresh cucumbers. I did have quite a few and gave away many. They made the best cucumber salad. I tried two recipes for the creamy cucumber salad I remembered from my childhood visits to the family farms. I was searching for one similar to one my Aunt B served. I loved that salad. Both recipes I tried were wonderful but the second one was very true to my memory. I’ll plant cucumbers again next year.
I now have five cantaloupes growing. One is huge and makes the ones I saw in the supermarket look like minis. I drool over it every day. I am dying for it to ripen. There’s one watermelon on the vines. I picked the other one too soon so I intend to ignore this one for a while.
The Big Boy and heirloom tomatoes are beginning to ripen. We had wonderful BLTs for dinner the other night using a Big Boy tomato that was the first to ripen. I picked two huge heirloom tomatoes yesterday.
Posted in My blog
Tags: Author, Bones, books, Books on writing, Bull Terriers, Care giving, Caregiver, Craft of writing, Dead, Disability, Doggoned, Family, Fiction, Food, Gardening, Gardens, Home, Life, Love, MS, Multiple Sclerosis, Murder, Mysteries, Mystery, Novel writing, Writer, Writing
Ampyra the first week
Posted by doggonedmysteries
After two days, DH said he had a side effect, his nose was itchy. He said if that was all he got he could live with it. By day three, he seemed to walk more than he has of late. He’s spent more time outside with the dogs too. This is encouraging.
I just hope he doesn’t push himself too hard before he used to moving about more. We had a new futon mattress arrive this morning and he managed to get it upstairs and get the old one down before I woke. I’m not certain if it had anything to do with the Ampyra or merely his stubbornness in not asking for help.
Watching him walk around I see that he seems a bit steadier on his feet and doesn’t toddle about as slow as before. Again, I’m not certain if it’s the drug helping or not. I’ll withhold my judgment for a while.
Posted in MS related, My blog, Writer, Writing
Tags: Ampyra, Ampyra approved, Author, Bones, books, Books on writing, Bull Terriers, Care giving, Caregiver, Craft of writing, Dead, Disability, Doggoned, Family, Fiction, Home, Life, Love, MS, Multiple Sclerosis, Murder, Mysteries, Mystery, New MS drug Ampyra, Novel writing, Writer, Writing
Gavin and the dreaded E-collar
Posted by doggonedmysteries
You try sleeping in this thing!
I am listening to a dog whining and shaking an E-collar against the sides of his crate as I sit here writing. Yep, Gavin’s ear started to act up again. He’s not happy with me right now. I’m not happy with his ear. I thought we’d finally beaten it. We were in the process of weaning him off his prednisone. Guess we won’t do that right away.
At last, he has settled down to sleep. I hope he sleeps through the night. Tomorrow I’ll make another appointment with the vet and once again, he won’t get his shots because his ear is causing problems that will require more antibiotics. Sigh. I swear he knows when we’re going to take him for shots and he starts digging his ears so he won’t get them. He hates going to the vet. He’s the first dog we ever had that hated going there.
We did have a cat who hated it. My old Siamese played Jekyll and Hyde. She was the sweetest cat in the world until she was on that exam table. You’d swear the devil had taken possession of her as soon as the vet walked into the room.
Posted in Dog related, My blog, Writer, Writing
Tags: Author, Bones, books, Books on writing, Bull Terriers, Care giving, Caregiver, Craft of writing, Dead, Disability, Doggoned, Dogs, Family, Fiction, Home, Life, Love, MS, Multiple Sclerosis, Murder, Mysteries, Mystery, Novel writing, Pets, Writer, Writing
Relocating a snake, a color changing Koi, and a toad hideout
Posted by doggonedmysteries
Last night I removed a rather large garter snake from my garden and relocated him to a distant area of the cemetery. The snake might have been large enough to make a meal of my littlest Koi and I wasn’t taking any chances. The little Koi is growing rapidly and turning into quite a character. He (We’ll use he here because at this age who knows.) never misses a meal.
When I first got him he was tiny compared our other Koi. Since then his size has quadrupled. He’s not afraid of the much bigger Koi either. He’ll swim right over their heads to seize a prime piece of food. When I brought him home he was black and yellow and, much to my disappointment, he’s become more black and orange than yellow. However, his personality makes up for his change of color. He is a brazen little devil.
We hadn’t seen our toad since the night my neighbor’s son gave him to us and we set him free in the garden. Last night I found him quite by accident. I picked up the green recycling can to put it out and there he was not happy that I discovered his hiding place. I inverted a clay pot over him and propped one end up with a small clay saucer so he could get out if he wanted. DH said he was gone when he put the can back in the morning.
Posted in My blog, my garden, Writer, Writing
Tags: Author, books, Books on writing, Bull Terriers, Care giving, Caregiver, Craft of writing, Dead, Disability, Doggoned, Family, Fiction, Fish, Gardening, Gardens, Home, Life, Love, MS, Multiple Sclerosis, Murder, Mysteries, Mystery, Novel writing, Pond, Ponds, Writer, Writing
The answers are in the wind
Posted by doggonedmysteries
It was on the tip of my tongue and then whoosh it was gone. It happens to me all the time. It’s not age related because I’ve always been that way. Sometimes it names—well, most of the time it is, other times it is movie titles, book titles, authors, song titles, you name it and I’ve probably stumbled over it.
Get me in a game of Trivia and I will lose. I know the answers but my brain seizes up and misplaces them. I sit there dumb as a post.
DH sometimes will ask me who movie stars are in a movie we’re watching and even though I know their names for the life of me, I can’t tell him. That is until hours later when the names flash into my brain. Of course, he’s probably in bed by then and the answer is useless.
I’ve been told it’s because my brain is so busy with other things that trivia tends to waft off to the ether. I like that explanation it’s much better than thinking my brainpan is fried.
Posted in Misc, My blog, Writer, Writing
Tags: Author, Bones, books, Books on writing, Bull Terriers, Care giving, Caregiver, Craft of writing, Dead, Disability, Doggoned, Family, Fiction, Home, Humor, Life, Love, MS, Multiple Sclerosis, Murder, Mysteries, Mystery, Novel writing, Writer, Writing
Summer is dashing by
Posted by doggonedmysteries
It’s August already. I’m wondering where the time went. Winters seem to drag but spring and summer dash past. I look at the calendar and realize that I haven’t accomplished half of what I wanted to by this time.
I didn’t paint the kitchen. I didn’t buy the shelves for the back porch and put them up. The pups still need vet appointments and shots—note to self: must do that this week. I didn’t put in the patio I so desperately wanted to do. G and I didn’t get much walking in either. I’ve missed too many critiquing sessions due to things on my end or the other people’s.
However, it is worth it to put some things on the back burner and do other stuff that brings a smile. I’ve played in the dirt and watched things grow. I had the shed painted. I’ve spent time with DH and that’s a precious commodity. I’ve played with the dogs—another joy for me. I’ve taken my dear friend G to lunch and she’s taken me. Which means it’s my turn to take her out again.
I’ve made new friends. I enjoyed another writers’ conference. DH and I have celebrated another anniversary. Yep, it’s worth it.
Posted in Misc, My blog, Writer, Writing
Tags: Author, Bones, books, Books on writing, Bull Terriers, Care giving, Caregiver, Craft of writing, Dead, Disability, Doggoned, Family, Fiction, Home, Life, Love, MS, Multiple Sclerosis, Murder, Mysteries, Mystery, Novel writing, Writer, Writing
Thank you Mom
Posted by doggonedmysteries
Yesterday would’ve been my mother’s 95th birthday if she were still with us. G, DH, and I had some cake in her honor. G and her husband always helped us celebrate Mom’s birthday when she visited in the summer. A few times, we got Mom with a surprise birthday cake either here or at my Aunt’s home. Other times we took her out to dinner for her birthday and yes, even then she got cake. Mom loved birthday cakes.
Mom also loved hummingbirds and always had feeders out for them. They would flock to her feeders. G made her a stained glass hummingbird one year. Mom treasured it.
Now as for me, I never can seem to get hummingbirds to come to my garden. As soon as I’d see one I’d put up a feeder and then they never came back. I gave up a few years ago and gave away my feeders. The other day when I brought home yet another hummingbird feeder DH asked me, why had I bought a hummingbird chaser? Yeah, he’s a real funny guy.
Yesterday Mom sent me a sign that she is watching over us. I sat outside and watched a female ruby throated hummingbird go from flower to flower in my garden. I whispered a quick thank you to my Mom
Posted in In memory of..., My blog, my garden, Writer, Writing
Tags: Author, Beads, Bones, books, Books on writing, Bull Terriers, Care giving, Caregiver, Craft of writing, Dead, Disability, Doggoned, Family, Fiction, Gardening, Gardens, Home, Life, Love, MS, Multiple Sclerosis, Murder, Mysteries, Mystery, Novel writing, Writer, Writing
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