47 thoughts on “Our Daily Thread 2-24-17”

  4. Hey anybody could have had it. 100 was there ripe for the picking since last night. And after I posted this, I loaded the photo, so you had about a 5 minute window to get First! first.

    You snooze, you lose. 🙂

    Liked by 6 people

  5. Re: Yesterday’s comment about sixtieth anniversary and pictures.
    I’m still pondering that. The problem is that I think I should send pictures that tell the story.
    That means they are not always the best pictures.
    See what I mean? Some good pictures I don’t recall the situation.I
    Anyhow, I probably will send Aj one occasionally.
    A couple of you already have one taken on our honeymoon.

    Liked by 3 people

  7. The flowers made me smile. The are a welcome reminder that Spring is just around the corner.
    I don’t know if any of you know this, but I really don’t like cold weather anymore. 😉

    I have another office day today so I may be scarce. We hired a new agent in the commercial department and Guy (who is the broker) went to Utah yesterday to ski for a week, so I guess I have a new agent. We also have a college student coming in today. Rumor has it he will be our intern this Summer. Boy! Do I have some things a really tech savvy college guy could do for me! I am not very talented when it comes to marketing. I have zero creativity in that area. I do have an appointment this morning with the marketing director at the office so she can help me with a few things. Hopefully I can knock out some of this training on things I ought to know while Guy is out of town. He always has something more important for me to do rather than learn, then doesn’t like it when I don’t know how to do what he wants done….but it is what it is and I have come to the conclusion after last year that there is nothing else out there where I can replace the income I have. If I can repeat last year I MAYBE can start saving for retirement again.

    Chas, I think many of us are interested in your 60 year romance and your love and care for Elvera now is a wonderful example of what love looks like and is an inspiration to many. We would love it if you would share.

    Liked by 5 people

  8. Report from Indiana: see above. Also, 70 degrees expected (a record), with will be our seventh day in a row above 60 (also a record–we tied it yesterday) for February. We’ve had about two inches of snow since the beginning of the year, and now we have crocuses in bloom and other bulbs up, leaves on the honeysuckle, and buds on some of the trees. Yesterday I walked around the background with a background of “kill-deer! kill-deer!” and birdsong, and my husband saw a house sparrow with nesting material.

    It was about like this last March, the end of the month, and that was unseasonable–first time I’d seen it in 19 years in the Midwest. I won’t call it “spring” until I see flowers other than crocuses (they’re willing to bloom in snow) and green leaves on some trees, but at the rate we’re going that may still be in February! (This is supposed to be our last warm day for February, though–or maybe it’s supposed to be above 60 the last day of the month–we’re supposed to have 30s and 40s for three days, then back to 60, last I saw.)

    Like

  9. 1. Cold weather isn’t over until the pecan trees leaf out. For those of you who don’t have any pecan trees, I will let you know when winter is over.
    2. Easter will be late this year and while I have worn short and a t-shirt on Easter there is always an “Easter Snap”

    Like

  10. Nice photo of hope.

    Chas, I was interviewed yesterday by a woman who writes family histories–and lives near Raleigh. I told her what I advised someone last week–turn on the recorder feature of your phone and start telling your stories into it.

    If you want, you can pay someone to transcribe, but hearing your voice will be precious for your family years from now when you’re gone. Every time I listen to the brief clip of my father telling a family story to my son 20 years ago (with four words from my mom in the background before the tape cuts off), I miss them and shed a tear,

    But those are good tears.

    Ask us if you can’t figure out how to turn on record, but tell the stories and see if you can get Elvera to tell some, too.

    Three Adorables are coming for the weekend starting soon. We’ll be busy.

    Like

  11. Love the picture. One of the local TV stations had a picture of daffodils blooming here. Like Cheryl, we had a run of a week with temps in the 60s and 70s. Our weather is a day ahead of hers, so she’ll be cooling off tomorrow. We are supposed to get light snow tonight. Winter isn’t over yet.

    And neither is Friday. Enjoy the cartoons!.

    Liked by 2 people

  12. We had spring last week, then several inches of snow followed by not quite dog park cold, and now it has warmed to thirty two and the next week calls for snow every day.

    Liked by 2 people

  13. And speaking of enjoying, how about these typos form last night:

    Kevin B @ 10:19 pm: “Peter, I just realized you said you were alive when Chas was born.”
    Oops! I meant married.

    rkessler65 @ 10:54 pm: “My paternal grandfather was 11 years old in 1900. He loved to be 103.”
    I know she meant lived. But I hope I love being alive if I make it to 103.

    Liked by 3 people

  14. We’re still in the high 50s here with rain coming Sunday, or so we’re told now. That sometimes changes. It may wind up being Saturday or Monday.

    I much prefer the weather to be chilly, the heat saps me. I avoid it whenever I can but this house bakes when we get hit with a heat wave. Which reminds me, time to get another A/C quote probably. One company I called never called back. I’m finding that happens frequently.

    And the last ceiling guy never gave me a bid. It’s been over a week so I think I’ll text him and ask if that’s still coming — and, if not, whether he might know someone else who would be interested and available. I dread getting that job done, though, what a mess. I’m now vacillating between having lots of energy to tear through and do things and no energy at all, just wanting to ignore it.

    Filed my political story yesterday and a waterfront story the day before (both were held for the weekend) and today I need to do the coyote story. Saw a post on Next Door from a neighboring city (where our office is located) from a guy who was riding his bike with his dog running along side him last night and they were followed and circled continually by a coyote, they couldn’t shake the animal — he finally threw rocks at it and it ran off but he said no more doggie bike rides for them, especially at night, for a while now.

    Another local incident in one of our local beach cities reported that a coyote leaped up and snatched a small dog out of its owner’s arms, but dropped it when the little dog shrieked. (Those little dogs can let out the scariest shrieks.)

    Researcher I interviewed yesterday told me that Southern California has had an inordinately high number of coyote-people conflicts in the past few years, more than in any other part of the U.S. from what she can tell. There have been 4 bites on humans so far just this year — on top of two years running in which coyote-on-human bites have been rising in Southern California.

    But of course, “they were here first,” so … we are to learn to live with it.

    Liked by 1 person

  15. We had an interesting event a couple of weeks ago but I don’t know what it was. When Mavis was lambing, we found one of the lambs out in a snowfield, about one hundred fifty feet or so from the lambing shed. Mavis was attending to the second lamb, Tootsie. The first was out screaming in the snow. We looked and saw no evidence of lambing out there and no footprints like the lamb had walked out there in the powder snow. We did see a bald eagle leaving. We hypothesize that the eagle tried to take the lamb but dropped it for whatever reason. No obvious signs of injury on the lamb. Just a lamb out in the middle of the snow with no tracks and its momma in the shelter delivering another. Curious.

    Liked by 7 people

  17. It sure seemed strange at the time. And looking back, it does not look any stranger. One would think, even if the bird dropped it, there would be some talon marks. There may be, I have never touched the lamb.

    Like

  20. Michelle, I have written a short story of my life. What it really is, is an annotated collection of photographs. of my early life, AF career, Carolina, etc. through my move to the DC area. Everyone knows about the rest. It’s in a loose-leaf notebook and can be modified.
    I haven’t made a voice or video recording because I have a recording of my dad talking about early days. And I have a recording of my brother singing “The Wrerck of Ol’ 97” with Hank Snow. Dad also made lots of home movie recordings. Most just junk. He wasted lots of film on clouds and other stuff.
    They are on reel-to-reel tapes. I can’t play them. Mary’s husband is a computer guru. If necessary, he can find a way. For now, they are just things I keep.

    I violate one of my “never do” things this morning and got away with it.
    I have a policy of never driving behind a car with backup lights on. But he w3as just sitting there and I went past.

    The photos I have been talking about are on my computer. I had Sam’s Club transfer 35mm color slides to disk.

    Liked by 3 people

  21. The end of yesterday’s thread and the beginning of today’s reminds me that the last shall be first, and the first, last. 🙂

    Pretty burst of color in the header. It is white outside everywhere I look. The 50- and 60° temperatures we’ve enjoyed for the last week or so are gone now, and the white stuff that started last night is still coming down.

    I remember reel-to-reel tapes from my childhood. I don’t think my parents have them anymore — I’m pretty sure they’ve been converted into other formats.

    Chas, I’d love to see any pictures you can send to AJ.

    Liked by 1 person

  22. “The end of yesterday’s thread and the beginning of today’s reminds me that the last shall be first, and the first, last.” 🙂

    Soooooo…. I get to go twice? 🙂

    Cool. 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

  23. Have I ever told you all that until the last few months, I had never texted, nor had a cell phone? When Chickadee got a new phone, I inherited her old flip phone (which was Nightingale’s before it was Chickadee’s, & was Hubby’s before it was Nightingale’s). It had the old kind of texting where there was no keyboard, just the number keys.

    With that poor old flip phone dying, Hubby brought home a new phone for me Wednesday. It’s not a smart phone, but it is much more updated than the flip phone, & has the slide out keyboard for texting.

    But oh! The technology even of that has me confusled. At least I’ve figured out how to text & call. And answer texts & calls. The online user guide is 140+ pages long! I’m sure much of that is extra-techy stuff I don’t really need to know, but it is still daunting. Good thing I haven’t graduated to a smart phone yet. (Then again, Nightingale said she thinks smart phones are easier to figure out.)

    Liked by 1 person

  24. Well, I am back! Did you miss me? I had to engage the help of nine year old as I dropped the ring that holds the stack on the chimney. It rolled all the way down and off the roof and bounced off the deck and into the cherry trees. She got it and brought it up to me. I had her walk onto the safe side of the roof so if she slid it would be into a wall and she would be secure. I told her to walk carefully. She slid but only a bit. It helped to confirm the roof is a dangerous place for inattentive people (which is why I did not ask fifteen year old or ten year old for help). Now the stove should stop smoking and we will be at less risk of chimney fire. Some of the wood we are burning we got from the guy who had his house burn down from a chimney fire. It is good for starting a fire but not great at getting a hot fire. And the tamarack and red fir are not doing a good job this time around. But, thank You, God, that task is done for a month or two. The roof was nearly clear and snow expected for the coming week or so, so it was a window of opportunity. I am glad I can do it but I don’t particularly enjoy doing it. It is scary.

    Liked by 3 people

  25. Speaking of technology. . .Dvd recorder still not hooked up to cable box. We had successfully connected it to the TV, so we can watch pre-recorded dvds, but can’t record because the cable (TV) is not coming through.

    Nightingale was trying to figure it out, but she couldn’t figure it out either. It looks as if there is no way to connect the cable box to the dvd recorder, but that can’t be true.

    So, Hubby is going to stop at our cable company’s support store, with photos on his phone of how we have things connected so far. We’re hoping it’s only a matter of getting the correct kind of cable/connector.

    Meanwhile, we’ve been watching our shows online. That’s fine, but it means we don’t watch together. We have three shows that are “our shows”, & watching those shows & talking about them, & about whatever matters may then come up in conversation, is the way we spend time together.

    Liked by 1 person

  27. Fortunately, my flip phone is doing just fine. And I don’t know how to hear my voicemails or how to text. Only a select few are allowed to call me on it. And they know my limitations.

    Liked by 1 person

  28. With my old flip phone, the actual phone mechanism wasn’t working anymore, so I could only text. Texting works great for if I have to ask Nightingale a question while she is at work, or if she needs to tell me something. And for other things.

    Speaking of cell phones, Little Guy now has one. I wasn’t thrilled about that, but there is a reason for it – so that Mr X can contact him directly. He’s not supposed to call Nightingale or the house, so this lets him have some contact with his son. Nightingale disabled a bunch of stuff Little Guy doesn’t need, so it’s a very basic cell phone for calls & texts.

    Like

  35. Peter L., He loved being alive until he was 102. Then he decided he had lived long enough. He sat around a whole year waiting to die. Prior to that, he would walk at least 20 blocks every day. He beat an attacking pit bull with his cane when he was 99. The week after he turned 103, he fell and broke his hip. It took him from January till May to starve himself to death. I went every weekend, so my uncle could get out of the house. I treasure that time. I heard so many stories. His mind was sharp till the day he died.

    Liked by 2 people

  37. Kizzie, 4:32, I don’t smoke. 😀

    RKessler, my paternal grandmother lived to the age of 91, and pretty much wore out the last year of her life, too. She’d mostly sit and bemoan how “worthless” she’d become, not doing anything anymore. But her mind, like your grandfather’s, remained sharp to the end. In what was I think her last hospitalization, when someone came in to the room to give her a pill to take, she, in all her characteristic pointed humor, demanded, “What is that, a BIRTH CONTROL pill?” 🙂

    Liked by 4 people

  39. Yes, pretty flowers 🙂

    Texting is a great feature — I’m trying to get Carol to do that more, especially when I’m at work (where I usually don’t answer her calls but will listen to the voicemail later). Today one of her voice mails said something like ‘I was just calling to say there’s nothing new with me here’ … then she said some more things.

    text!

    Kizzie, I was wondering if you’d figured out the cable thing — I love the feature of being able to take ‘phone’ photos into Home Depot or wherever to get technical help. So handy.

    They’re filming something (someone think ncis) on the Iowa today.

    So glad it’s Friday, turned in my coyote story a little while ago. It turned out long, of course. 🙂

    Liked by 3 people

  40. Today we had some lovely spring-like weather. It’s supposed to be back down to 40 on Sunday.

    Although I don’t mind winter weather, I do find the first warmth of spring to be lovely. Unfortunately, spring means summer will be close behind.

    Liked by 3 people

  41. We have cold wind, coming off Nancyjill’s snow. So may tumble weeds blowing.

    My grandfather would lie in bed, with his eyes closed and hands clasped, and tell me he was waiting f or Christ t o take him home. He longed to be reunited with his wife and sons.

    Liked by 1 person

  42. I agree Kizzie, early spring is refreshing, summer becomes just too much, too fast., for too long 🌞 We’re still baking while the rest of the country is enjoying the crisp fall weather

    Like

  43. I loved the extra touch of the bee landing on the crocus while I was out there. I was scared she was going to fly away before I was able to focus in on the flower she chose, but I managed to get two quick shots.

    Today was a record-breaker for our area. They were predicting 70, and I don’t know if we made it, but considering the record high was 70, it’s a safe bet we beat it . . . and we also beat the record (six days in a row) of sixty-degree days in February! Now it’s raining, and it is supposed to dip closer to normal for a few days.

    I went for a walk today at our favorite park–my husband is still sick, so I went by myself–because I’m finally feeling good enough to be out and about, and I didn’t want to waste this beautiful weather before we lost it. The sandhill cranes were about, though I only saw them in flight–some had landed in a field with really tall vegetation, and I could hear them but not see them. I also saw a basking turtle(!), and at least one pileated woodpecker went from tree to tree for a good many minutes, and I saw a second one as well–if it had been my first visit, I would have thought them to be common there, but we only see them about 10% of the time (or less) and that is far and away the most minutes I’ve been able to keep track of one in that park. I even managed to “flush” it when it landed on the ground and minutes later I walked somewhere near where it had landed. Nothing is blooming yet, but the pussy willows are pushing their way out, the red-winged blackbirds are calling everywhere, the chickadees had paired up . . . and I even saw one brand-new, finished nest of some bird (the moss was still bright green). I got out of there just as it started to sprinkle, so my timing was good for a lovely faux spring walk in February.

    Like

  44. Still snowing here….much more so in the Springs….here in the forest the main roads are dry and we have just a few flakes flying about….
    6arrows you must have the same signal problem that we have here…to make a call or text, most of the time I am out in front of the house waving my phone around attempting to find a “bar” on the phone to get the signal….ever see rock concert goers waving a candle back and forth in the air….that’s me….with my phone! 🙂

    Like

  47. Yep, NancyJill, lots of trees around here, and it rarely works to send a text from inside the house. Even stepping onto the front porch isn’t enough, with the roof overhead. Or the back deck — even though that’s not covered, the woods come pretty close to the deck, so I can’t send a text from back there, either. I have to walk out the front door, off the porch, and at least onto the sidewalk, or, more often, onto the driveway or front yard. None of this works very well when it’s raining or snowing. 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

Leave a comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.