Blog Archives
Surprise! A new look.
Posted by doggonedmysteries
I thought it was time for a change. I hope you like it. One thing I noticed was the print is larger, which I like. However, it is lighter, which I don’t like.
I may have to play a little.
The Blogrolls are now on the bottom of the page along with everything else that isn’t a post. Not sure if I like that, but we’ll see.
This is going to take some getting used to. I hope you all like the changes. If not, let me know. I do want your opinions.
Posted in Misc, My blog, Writer, Writing
Tags: Author, Beads, Bones, books, Books on writing, Bull Terriers, Care giving, Caregiver, Coffee, comedy, Craft of writing, Crafts, Dead, Disability, Dog humor, Doggoned, Dogs, Family, Fiction, Fish, Food, Gardening, Gardens, Home, Humor, Koi, Life, Love, MS, Multiple Sclerosis, Murder, Mysteries, Mystery, Novel writing, Pennwriters, Pets, Pond, Ponds, Rescue Dogs, Writer, Writing
Are we sanitizing ourselves into oblivion?
Posted by doggonedmysteries
When we were kids, we used to go outside and play…in the dirt. We’d come home so filthy you couldn’t tell us from the neighborhood boys, or the boy cousins, if we were visiting our grandfather’s farm.
Mom was lucky if we really washed our hands before dinner. We went swimming in lakes and stagnant ponds and went wading in drainage ditches and creeks.
There was no such thing as sanitizing wipes or antibacterial soaps. Do you remember the two-second rule for dropped food? Don’t forget to blow on it too.
We rolled in the grass, rode our bikes all day, played in the rain, and we seldom caught colds. Allergies? The closest I came to one as a child was a reaction to eating way too much fresh pineapple—I got a rash that went away the next day.
I have a novel idea…for the entire summer put away the kids’ computers, game boys, WIIs, X-boxes, cell phones, and other paraphernalia and take them outside to play. I mean really play and get filthy. They might get healthier.
In fact, moving around and doing something outside would do adults a lot of good too.
Posted in Misc, My blog, Writer, Writing
Tags: Author, Beads, Bones, books, Books on writing, Bull Terriers, Care giving, Caregiver, comedy, Craft of writing, Dead, Disability, Doggoned, Family, Fiction, Home, Humor, Life, Love, MS, Multiple Sclerosis, Murder, Mysteries, Mystery, Novel writing, Pond, Ponds, Writer, Writing
Another day closer
Posted by doggonedmysteries
It’s three days to the conference and two days until I leave for Lancaster. I daren’t bring one thing downstairs until Thursday morning. If I do, Gavin will know for sure that Mom is going away for a few days. He already senses something is up and is a bit more clingy than usual.
Thursday morning before I leave, I’ll backwash the pond filters and make sure everything is running smoothly. That only leaves one thing for DH to do there and that’s toss in some Koi food once a day. Even if he forgets to do that, the fish will be fine since there’s plenty of natural food.
I showed G where the watering can is and she has the keys to the yard gate and house. B has my car keys so he can work on the fuse problem.
All I have to do is close my suitcase, grab the bag of hanging stuff, bring them downstairs, and load the car when my conference roommate gets here.
After that, all I need to do is have a good time and learn more about this crazy business of writing.
Posted in 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, Pennwriters, Pennwriters conference, Pond, Ponds, Writer, Writing
We don’t need rain right now…
Posted by doggonedmysteries
We sure did get a load of rain the night before last. From what I heard, it totaled over 3 inches worth. I’m glad I thought to tie up some of my plants that would’ve flattened under a heavy downpour. I didn’t tie up the crane’s bill and it was pretty well flattened by the time the sun came out today. It’s a good thing that once it dries out it tends to rise again.
I have some candleholders that stick in the ground. I hadn’t put any candles in the cups and they were full of water when I went outside today. The ground in the back garden was downright saturated by the runoff we get from the apartment building behind us.
When I came down in the morning, the sky still threatened more rain. However, some time around four the sun came out and drove the clouds away.
Unfortunately, with all that heavy rain Goliath and two other frogs went walkabout and none of them have returned. We are now down to one bullfrog. Maybe that’s a good thing since those bullfrogs were starting go for any bird that happened to land close to them.
Posted in Misc, My blog, my garden, Weather related, Writer, Writing
Tags: Author, Bones, books, Books on writing, Care giving, Caregiver, Craft of writing, Dead, Disability, Doggoned, Family, Fiction, Gardening, Gardens, Home, Life, Love, MS, Multiple Sclerosis, Murder, Mysteries, Mystery, Novel writing, Pond, Ponds, Writer, Writing
The frogs let me down
Posted by doggonedmysteries
We had a lovely day here yesterday. We hit a new high temperature record for the date. DH didn’t do so well by afternoon when it hit 87 degrees, but we expect it to be so, and make adjustments. He dresses cooler, tries not to over do it, and stays inside where, with a brick home, it’s cooler until late at night.
DH takes a daily afternoon nap. It helps him function better. This unfortunately is where he was when I was outside and almost fell off my chair with excitement. I watched a great blue heron fly over, and although glad that he didn’t stop by for a snack of Koi, I was bursting at having no one around to share my exhilaration. Even G was away and she would’ve been as thrilled as I was.
Around 7 p.m., it had cooled down to a nice 76 and DH came outside to sit by the pond for a little while. We watched robins bathe in the waterfall, goldfinches serenaded us, and a gentle breeze kept us comfortable.
However, the frogs let me down. They made a liar out of me. No one sang.
Posted in Misc, My blog, my garden, Writer, Writing
Tags: Author, Beads, Bones, books, Books on writing, Bull Terriers, Care giving, Caregiver, Coffee, Craft of writing, Dead, Disability, Doggoned, Family, Fiction, Gardening, Gardens, Home, Life, Love, MS, Multiple Sclerosis, Murder, Mysteries, Mystery, Novel writing, Pond, Ponds, Writer, Writing
A message from beyond?
Posted by doggonedmysteries
Once when my sister visited me she brought some Texas bluebonnet seeds. We planted them near the pond, our favorite place to sit and shoot the breeze, when she was here. The seeds didn’t grow and I forgot about them.
A few weeks after she died, I noticed a familiar plant growing. There, where we’d planted the seeds a few years before was a Texas bluebonnet. I watched it grow and when it bloomed, I smiled remembering a time that we’d played in a field of them. We acted like children and for a little while delayed our trip to the hospital in Ft. Sam.
Every year since then one has grown in the same spot. I’ve planted seeds from it in other places but they don’t come up. The only one that grows is where we planted the seeds together. I think of it as her way of letting me know she’s around.
Today the first sprout broke ground. I smiled.
Posted in In memory of..., My blog, my garden, Writer, Writing
Tags: Author, 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, Pond, Ponds, Writer, Writing
Short work on the pond
Posted by doggonedmysteries
I went to backwash the pond filter today. I turned it off, set the filter to backwash, turned it on and nothing happened. I mean nothing, zilch, zip, nada. Crap. I fiddled with the plug, turned the switch off and on, still nothing. Double crap.
I went inside to the basement and checked the circuit breakers. They were fine. Triple crap. Now, I had to drag DH outside. He’d just gone up for a nap. DH wasn’t happy. He fiddled with the plug, had me turn the switch on and off, and then was going to send me to check the breakers. I told him I’d done that already.
He knows electrical work but for him to do it, it isn’t easy. He checked the wire going to the plug and found a short he fixed that. However, we had to run an extension cord because there is also a short between the outlet by the waterfall and the switch on the side of the shed.
I love our pond but I have a feeling that if anything happens to the Koi again we will fill it in and turn it into garden.
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, Disability, Doggoned, Family, Fiction, Fish, Gardening, Gardens, Home, Koi, Life, Love, MS, Multiple Sclerosis, Murder, Mysteries, Mystery, Novel writing, Pond, Ponds, Writer, Writing
Bullfrog flattened!
Posted by doggonedmysteries
No, it wasn’t Goliath. No, it wasn’t Bad Froggy either. It was one of the other three. How do I know? Goliath sat on the bench rock begging for worms after I found the dead frog in the alley. Bad Froggy is our only singer and I heard him later too.
The hadn’t-as-yet-been-named bullfrog was probably heading to the cemetery to hunt. After all, it was raining and the nightcrawlers were plentiful. I’d gone out there to pick up a few to feed the fish and Goliath.
I found his almost Goliath sized body in the alley near the cemetery fence. It was frogicide. It wasn’t an accidental killing. From the position of the body, you could tell that the only way someone would’ve hit him was if they’d aimed their car for it. A hit and run driver took him out. The poor frog never did anyone any harm. All he wanted was to fill his belly with worms on a rainy night.
Posted in 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, Gardening, Gardens, Home, Life, Love, MS, Multiple Sclerosis, Murder, Mysteries, Mystery, Novel writing, Pond, Ponds, Writer, Writing
Bullfrogs can draw blood.
Posted by doggonedmysteries
Yes, I do think that most of the people around here are convinced I’m crazy. You should have seen the looks I got from a few cars that passed me tonight when I was picking up night crawlers in the alley. Hey, I’m a gardener. I also have fish and bullfrogs that love worms. Who am I to pass by the hordes of huge night crawlers that were wandering out onto the street because we had rain?
One person understood. A woman about my age pulled her car up even with me and rolled down her window. “For your gardens right?”
“Well, yes. And for the frogs and fish—free food you know. Commercial Koi food costs plenty.”
She pointed back down the street from the direction she’d come. “I saw a bunch of huge ones back there.”
“Thanks.”
She waved and headed on her way. I went looking for more night crawlers.
Goliath the bullfrog was pleased with my midnight snack offerings. Although, at one point, he thought my index finger was more food. Ouch! I actually bled. Ungrateful sod.
The Koi were happy too. I only gave them a few worms and then the rest went into the garden.
Posted in hobbies, Misc, my garden, Writer, Writing
Tags: Author, Beads, Bones, books, Books on writing, Bull Terriers, bullfrogs, Care giving, Caregiver, Craft of writing, Dead, Disability, Doggoned, Family, Fiction, Fish, frogs, Gardening, Gardens, Home, Life, Love, MS, Multiple Sclerosis, Murder, Mysteries, Mystery, Novel writing, Pond, Ponds, Writer, Writing
Not duck as in dodge. I said Ducks.
Posted by doggonedmysteries
One must seek refuge in simple pleasures when the insanity gets too much. I did that today. I needed a stress reliever. Those who know me know I went out into the gardens and worked. There’s something soothing about digging in the soil and planting things.
I spent several hours weeding and planting. I took a break to feed the dogs and cook dinner for DH and me. Then I went back outside.
Speedy, one of our Koi had made a few spectacular jumps today celebrating the warmth. Therefore, at first, I didn’t think much when I heard a loud splash behind me. I turned to see if she’d jump again. It wasn’t Speedy this time.
My pair of mallards had returned. The female set right to the business of munching algae. The male played look out for her. I went inside to tell DH and grab a slice of bread for them. They looked lovely swimming around in the pond seizing pieces of bread that the Koi didn’t beat them to as it hit the water.
They stayed two hours. Then with a slight flapping of wings, they took off over the fence and were soon out of sight. I hope they come back tomorrow.
Posted in 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, Koi, Life, Love, MS, Multiple Sclerosis, Murder, Mysteries, Mystery, Novel writing, Pond, Ponds, Writer, Writing
Ark too Brutus?
Posted by doggonedmysteries
Gavin and Patty requested the use of a raft to go out today. It might have worked except they have no thumbs and can’t hold paddles. We’ve had so much rain that I heard the stock prices on gopher wood jumped through the roof. I’ve seen pairs of animals strolling past all day. Ba dum dum.
The neighbor’s bulldogs Diamond and Brutus ordered snorkel gear although Brutus really wanted a boat. Cleo, the standard poodle across the street, rented herself out as a squirrel canoe. The two toy dogs next door stepped off their porch and almost drowned so Gavin lent them the raft.
The Koi are touring the neighborhood and the bullfrogs are using in the magnolia tree as a diving board. The daffodils want water wings. Did I mention that we’ve had a lot of rain?
Posted in Dog related, Misc, my garden, Weather related, Writer, Writing
Tags: Author, Beads, Bones, books, Books on writing, Bull Terriers, Care giving, Caregiver, Coffee, comedy, Craft of writing, Dead, Disability, Dog humor, Doggoned, Family, Fiction, Fish, Gardening, Gardens, Home, Humor, Koi, Life, Love, MS, Multiple Sclerosis, Murder, Mysteries, Mystery, Novel writing, Pet humor, Pond, Ponds, Writer, Writing
Two weeks in the garden
Posted by doggonedmysteries
Yeah, it was worth the wait…
Posted in my garden
Tags: Author, Beads, Bones, books, Books on writing, Bull Terriers, Care giving, Caregiver, Coffee, Craft of writing, Crafts, Dead, Disability, Doggoned, Family, Fiction, Gardening, Gardens, Home, Life, Love, MS, Multiple Sclerosis, Murder, Mysteries, Mystery, Novel writing, Pond, Ponds, Writer, Writing
Doggonedmysteries 