TODAY WAS...

ARM AND SUNNY

I felt tired so I stayed home but  didn't rest did all sorts of chores...Clipped Flossie, worse job yet on that,,,poor Floss.  But its not like she is going to a pageant, In a couple weeks it will look great BUT I didn't get her bathed, my back was screaming after the clipping.  Then I cleaned out the fireplace for the year it's done,  I  want to put some cedar boughs and pine cones in it to make it smell a little better...I keep it covered but in humid weather it can get strong.

So I've throw open the windows and opened up the door that goes to the screen porch it's nice to feel the warmth and see the sun and feel the fresh air coming in.  I hope we have a long spring.  The peach tree is in bloom, and the daffodils are opening up the little tee a tee are the first to open.  I like the way they bunch.  

I spread the last of the ashes on the yard its a really good additive to the soil.  I went thru my wood scrap pile and I have a few pieces that I think will make a cage, I need to use it because the squirrels are chewing it up...

Then I vacuumed the whole house...it was necessary.  Now Im ready to rest.  I put a Frankenstein movie on, it's a little bit different than the traditional ones...the Monster just took off with the favorite child so now he has gone and done it....the "duke"  found the boy but he is dead.  Oh my. It just ended and it is "to be continued"  Hope right now otherwise, will never know what happened.

I think I will make a "Moroccan" Gyro.  I have some nice Greek flat bread, and I will season with Paprika, Cumin, and Turmeric, Garlic, Onion.  I have some whole corn kernels, and some Orange sweet pepper, mushroom, and white Kidney Beans so it should make a good gyro.  I will make a good sauce with an avocado and a little mayo with some lime juice should be really good and I will season that with dill. 

OK Part II just started so Im off to eat and then watch this.  Filmed in Germany, Interesting. 
The servant girl confessed to the killing of the boy...oh my. She is in the dungeon now. 

Nothing changes n nothing stays the same.

IND and ~Wind~ spelled the same eh?

Here is a tip for you don't hold a plastic can cover in your hand then cut it with a razor knife...no don't do that ok?  And it's one of my typing fingers...See when I broke both my wrists at the same time...I relearned how to type...I developed my own technique, and it stuck with me, I never regained full motion in my left wrist so it's had to adapt.  So mostly on my left hand I use only 2 fingers for typing and the right hand resumed normal behavior.  

So bloody finger be damned.  I had a great 2 days away with a camping night tossed in to save gas, and to invigorate my brain.  It's so good to get back to basics...basics, being food, water, shelter.  I always enjoy seeing how other like minded people solve the same problems of providing that when left to their skill set and their bank account.  

So I befriended a younger than me man who was in spot 5 I was in spot 4 these are BIG spots, that could easily hold 2 or 3 rigs, or just single rigs as we had.  There is only like 10 spots and there was 3 of us there...so the guy in 5.  I didn't get his name or his politics, but I got some super snuggles from.......HIS DOG. such a cute little fellow.  He wanted to run over to my campsite and say hello...but the man was being a good neighbor and prevented that.  He built a huge campfire that night I got the benefit of the smoke, he forgot to be a good neighbor there...But the breeze shifted and soon it was going the other way.  I closed up all my windows I don't normally do the campfire thing because I don't want the inside of my van to smell like an old camp fire for days afterwards.  

Anyways it was kinda funny in the morning when the man went off into the woods next morning to do what men do in the woods in the morning, and dog tied up in camp barked out his location the entire time he was out doing his constitutional...lol 

So it was that I spent my night lying in the dark with my picture window blind open laying on my back staring up at the night sky trying to figure out the constellations.  Not only did I not pack any book to read, or any of my toiletries, or my small DVD player...or even to download a Youtube to watch later.  I forgot to pack my toothbrush.  My mind was so busy getting things ready I forgot a lot of stuff.   My cell phone is useless with only one bar of service it managed to send me insane invites to silly games, but refused to show me the  you tube I wanted to see...let me say the aging brain is not on the ball. 

So I walked my feet OFF I have got to invest in some good walking shoes or else.  I must of walked 10 miles in 2 days noting for a long distance hiker or walker but for me, a lot.   So I was checking out some Darn Tough socks, think I will spring for a couple pair...and some quality shoes...well I don't know.  There is one outfitters store not far from me, I have to try those in person.  I watch a you tuber who is a backpacker Homemade Wanderlust she is from Alabama and she reviewed some shoes I need to go back and see  what brand...she has wide toe area just like I do.  

So I am back and the rain has returned already and its cold again...yesterday it was 75 today it's 45...my face got sunburned.   It was good...I put up this little tent to hold my spot when I drive the van to trail heads and such...works out great.  My headlights went off again...and I ordered a switch to hopefully fix that problem..so I won't have to rush home like Cinderella. 

FRIDAY AGAIN!

Day Planner

HERE WILL I SLEEP TOMORROW? 

I decided I would go to the coast area and do some birding and hopefully some camping, but that part may be in a Walmart parking lot! We shall see, with all our parks on Reservation system anymore it's impossible to get a site....and they want $50 So there is a place where it's FCFS but will there be any available spots? I figure I can try...

But mostly I just want to go down and enjoy some leisurely birding, my son is gonna feed the dogs so I don't have to haul them down with me, GOOD because it's going to be 75 tomorrow.

IF I go to the FCFS place first I can bird then stay there overnight and then head north to the next stop on Thursday after I eat breakfast...and then head back home for Thursday night...so I think that will be my plan...AND If I don't get a spot there is a Walmart Superstore in Georgetown, Home Depot, Crackle Barrell, some Lowes, Camping World, all allow over night parking in their lots, I've used Walmart many times in the past on my cross country trips...I generally go to a day use area park, make my food stay till closing time and head out after dark, park and go to sleep.  

It doesn't bother me to not know where I will sleep tomorrow, because I know I will sleep and be safe in my van. 

If I get a spot...I will walk up to the birding areas it's not far in Santee Coastal Reserve, or I have a small tent I could pitch to save my spot IF I get a spot...so we'll see first I gotta get UP and drive 126 miles. So I've already packed the van gassed it up and all I have to do is toss in my overnight bag in the morning and turn the key! OH and I gotta eat breakfast.

I don't think it's gonna be too cold but I have my sleeping bag and a quilt...Maybe I will toss in a  My WOOL blanket JIC. 

So Im excited, this is my first overnight trip in such a long time...I really want to get back into camping BUT since the world went crazy everyone is camping; people who have never camped in their life are now camping and buying big rigs,..it's kinda insane.   I just don't agree with "bringing everything including the kitchen sink." and call that camping.  Its not.  What they have done is pushed the true "camper" out into the woods literally.  Public Lands are not very prevalent here in SC.  We depend on Parks, and Recreation Areas for camping, not it's all big rig friendly and the prices is outrageous. 

I won't rant about that anyways today was nice, I did some early birding, then I came home and made another one of the cages Im building to protect my fruit trees from the deer.  So Now I've got 2 finished,  but I need more of those free pallets to continue...4 pallets made 2 cages, almost I had to add some wood I had in my "stack" ...Next week maybe. 

So you probably won't get a post from me the next couple days...I will catch up when Im back home. 

TTFN. 

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐A solid NINE.

Plan B, C, And D...

HEN YOU MAKE A LONG TERM PLAN,,,

Have you ever had a goal that was not like you could just work on it a couple months and it's all done...but like a really long term goal?  I have a few times.  Those are the times that try your soul for sure and it shows what kind of stuff  you're made of.  

When I decided to close my business and move to NYC it took me 7 months to do it,,

But when I decided to quit my EMS Job in NYC and move back it took me 10  months to do it.  I was literally marking the days off the calendar.  Before I could start marking tho I had a plan and it took me a while to figure out that plan.   I had struggled the entire time I lived in NYC financially.  I did not get the job I wanted to get when I first moved up so I went through my savings pretty fast.  I was only able to liquidate some of my assets but some were jointly owned and I couldn't sell everything...and honestly I had not intended to do that.  

But I still had a large debt to pay off and I worked very hard to do that...I took extra shifts, I worked every single holiday, I cut my budget to the bone, no eating out, no movies, no buying ANYHING.  I did without and saved every penny and put what I didnt need for food and rent to paying off that debt and saving money so I would not have to immediately go to work when the move was made.   See my mom was counting on me to help her make her dream come true also...

She had been battling an illness and had to move up to where my sister was living.  Unfortunately she was very unhappy with that situation, and she ended up getting sicker and she ended up in the hospital with pneumonia, and other problems.  So when she was released from the hospital in the end of 2005, I took some vacation days off and rode the bus down to SC to stay with her otherwise she was gonna have to go into a nursing rehab.  With my regular 4 days off per week I inserted 3 vacation days in between and  I had 11 days off...during that time she and I planned that I would quit my job there and move back to live with her so she could move back into her home...but I could not do it over night because I had 2 things I had to do first.  I had a debt to pay off, and I wanted to save enough money to buy out  my husbands share of our home, get my house back.  He was semi retired by then. 

I had heard he wanted to move into an apartment in town because he was not able to keep our house up...so the plan would take one yr to make it happen...So all of 2006 I worked my ass off, and I marked those days off the calendar.  I wrote to my X and he never answered but he called me and said he was open to me buying him out.  So meanwhile, I was trying to put away 2/3 of my income.  I was paying down the debt, and putting money in savings.   I had several credit cards to pay off and there was a lot of those 0% offers out there so I took out as many as I could and I kept strict records of when those special deals would expire so I would pay one off, and add that amount to the next one in line, and before you know it the debt was paid and then I could concentrate on the savings...

My mom was so excited and finally I gave my 2 weeks notice in mid September of 2006.  As it worked out my last work day was on my birthday...what a great gift.  So I had already given my 30 days notice on my apartment Lease, and I began to give away my furniture and things I would not be taking.  I had a small car so my sister had offered me to use her larger SUV to move my belongings down to SC..I would be moving into Mom's house with her until I was able to buy my house back and move into it, our homes are located next to each other....and she had only one bedroom...so I had to get rid of most everything, except my clothes and a few other items.   

On the big day I drove my little car down with half my things to my sisters house...and left it parked there....and Mom came with me to help me pack up and move but first we went on a New England road trip.   We did Niagara Falls, Vermont, MA, Maine, and New Hampshire, fall trip.  It was fabulous!!

Then we got back to my apartment, began the packing and on Oct 6th we drove out of NY for the last time.  I was so happy to be done with that phase of my life...and Mom was happy to be moving back home.  She could still do some driving so we stopped at my sisters house for a few days packed up Mom's things and we both moved back home.  What a home coming it was.   It took days to get everything unpacked and then my sis and her husband drove down the next weekend and picked up her car. 

In the end my husband backed out of the deal we made....I was very upset, because my plan had been to stay with mom till she was settled and then move into my house Right next door! So I could help her and also get my home back...if you recall Mom had only one bedroom....So In the end I had to add a bedroom for myself...and I spent $15,000 in cash to pay for it...

Seven years later.....

My husband demanded I buy him out and he filed for divorce...OUCH...I had spent most all the money I had saved to buy him out back in 2006.  So by this time Mom was not doing all too good and I really couldnt leave her completely alone, but I did finally get the funds to buy him out and it took me another 3 yrs to get my house in condition to move into...and 2 yrs later he passed away....And by then my sister had retired from her job and was able to come help with mom....

It took many years to get myself into the life I have now...I no longer have my husband, my mom, my sisters moved away and all that planning to be here close to my family ended up being a plan to be alone.  

Things don't always go as  you had hoped....but don't give up as my sister once told me, "it may not be clear right now why you are doing this but one day it will be." 

7/10

ATCHING SOME SCI-FI

Im done for the day.,

Second day in a row I went out birding and hiking and to heck with the stuff I should be doing.  That stuff can wait...while the sun is out I want to enjoy it.  We had 11 inches of rain since Jan 1 of this year.  That's not counting all the rain we had last fall and in December.  I tried to find that data and never could get a simple answer or find it..

I took off early to Sandhills, well after the frost was off my windshield...reminds me on Saturday when I went to Bear Island, I had to scrape ice off my windshield...well I tried, my scraper is useless...so I must get a new one.  This is the same one I used in NYC so it's old...heck Ive been back 14 years nearly.  

Anyways it was a chilly day I had intended to go to a different place but the wind and the cold changed my mind.  That place you park you car and hit the trails, and I know I was going to need to rewarm often so I changed to Sandhills so I could drive to various areas and get out and walk around till I got cold then warm up and move to another spot..

I mainly stayed in one area, and birded all sides of it...so I did a fair amount of walking.  Had another owl today! At the photo blind, there is a wood duck box and I heard a little coo- sound come out and at first I wasn't sure but my photos showed me a little Screech Owl, the red morph, in there...some vegetation obscured a good look but it def was  in the box with his face sticking right up out the hole.  OWL power, lets see...it's the symbol of Death,,,Great!! Damn. There's 19 species of OWL in North America so some people shoot for the 19 patch. I have seen only six.  I had tried to see the Snowy Owl on a few occasions and dipped each time.  I did not see the Saw Whet or the Spotted when I went to the PNW, that was disappointing.  Because who knows if I will ever be there again...heck Im running out of time.  

It was a fun day I had 33 species of bird.  I jumped from 70 to 94 species so far this year.  Actually above my number by this time last year.  My birding took a hit with Mom's passing and early Spring of last year I found myself suddenly alone with no family and I went thru some very hard times, crying for hours and just not doing well, depressed and grief stricken. 

Even tho I still cry every day it's not all day now it maybe for 10 minutes, or 1/2 hour but Im handling it better now almost 15 months later.  I spend most of my time alone.  My son has not spoken to me in a week...Im taking a break from  his drama but will contact him tomorrow.  He told me, "my issues are not your fault or your problem to fix, so I need you to stop." So in other words he is DNR.  

Today I went into a Dollar General on my way home and EMS was there getting ready to transport a woman who had a seizure in the store.  I can't tell you how many seizure calls I did where the person suddenly seized while in line in a store or while shopping in a store.  I think the stress of shopping brings it on...and the protocols in NYC is you must be transported, many did not like that. I understand if they have the history of seizure disorder...but maybe they need new meds or a different dosage, in time it does become ineffective. Dilantin was the one we saw on most people's med list.  Watching that call brought back lots of memories to me...mostly bad ones.  PTSD is something I still suffer from.  It goes with the job. 

I pushed this birder named Jason Ward. I was impressed with him...and he had a Youtube channel I watched... I was glad when I found him because he is Black.  There is not many black birders out there.  He was leading the way to a whole new experience for many people especially in urban areas where its hard to connect with nature.  THEN I found out today he has been accused of rape. DAMN....that is not good.  Innocent until proven guilty...but he has already been fired from his ABA position.  Im not sure she filed any charges so we will see.  

I will call the deer Tulip, the one who is in my yard almost everyday she has a bad deformity or damage that healed up weird a broken back ankle, and she now walks on her tip toe on that back leg.  I wanted to give her a name and stop calling her the "deformed deer" she is so much more than her deformity...as we all are. 

So today I came down off my high of yesterday from Ten to a solid Seven. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

A 10...

ENT FOR A DRIVE...

down to the Low Country which is the region that comes before the coastal region.  One of my favorite spots to bird just reopened for the season, they close in winter to give waterfowl the chance to feed and get prepared for migration.  

Today I FINALLY got the Barn Owl.   It had been reported and the guy did note the exact box the owl is preparing to nest in.  Its right by the road too...I don't think I took a photo of the exact look of the box its a prefab nest box they put out for Wood Duck or anything that wants to get in there...So when it was time to pull over and have my lunch I decided to do a 45 minute stake out in front of the box and it paid off...

Not a good shot but hey you can see its a Barn Owl...

There was 65 Tundra Swan, and a ton of shorebirds wayyyy far out that even with a scope there was no ID'ing all of them.  There was a mirage of heat rising up due to the sun finally being out and it made getting a clear look impossible.  So I did a lot of walking since they had most of the roads gated due to the mud,,,,so it was park on the main wildlife drive then walk to the ponds...or viewing areas, so I really had a nice day finally a 

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Swengoolie is another no go...Return of the Invisible Man...not my cuppa.  

No biggie, Im so sleepy anyway since I got up at 6 am, and drove all day...

To bed early tonight. Here is my fuzzy shot of the owl peeking out of the hole...

                                                             

                                                             this is the box

                                                         and the owl's face !!

Pretty dang cool!

It's the...

EEKEND,

Maybe some sun will shine???
I can only hope.   I tried again to boot my old PC and it did eventually boot, I was in a fever trying to get all my old photos out of it, at least I saw some of what was in there and got 3 folders downloaded, well one only half of it made it...I got frustrated so I will try again...At least I know the HD can be accessed.

So Im up to 2010 so got 2008, & 9  in pretty good shape, speaking of my Nature and Travel blog, My Art, Life, and Journey. 

Its sooo much work and now I do regret cancelling my old Flickr account. BUT if they had not done what they did, I had a PAYING ACCOUNT, they sold us out to Smug Mug, and they doubled PLUS $10 our fee...and at first they gave us old timers a discount,,,but this renew period they were not giving me a discount and not only that I could not UNDO the Auto Pay.  They hide all that info from you.  So I just got angry and deleted it without finishing up my downloads which was a huge undertaking of it's own.  Sooo such it is, I contacted them and asked could I get it back they said there is no record of your old account...ok well I only had it for like 10 yrs so no problem..OMG

I really do not like TECH companies, they always sell you out...I've never had ONE that didn't.  Just about the time you really start to depend on them they sell out and things change.  

I filled up the bird feeders again the birds have been having such a hard time during this cold rain.  They are frazzled in each others space fighting, and I wish I had more feeders, but normally this is fine.  I did hang an extra thistle sock for the Goldfinch.  

I want a platform feeder but Squirrels will not allow that. I have 6 feeding stations. 

I've started listening to this channel called Explore With US, they lay out the details of missing people, and sometimes, the case is solved.  Yesterday I listened to one about a hiker who  was found dead in his tent on the Florida Natl, Scenic Trail.  He was on his way to Key West.  BUT no one knew who he was.  People had been bumping into him as he had hiked the Appalachian Trail to it's end in Georgia, then I think he picked up the Pinhoti Trail which goes from GA to Alabama, and at some point he picked up the FLNS Trail, and he was found at a camp site only 9 miles after he had spent time speaking to a Trail Angle, who took  his photo.  

So it took a couple years to find out who he really was and he had began his hike quite mysteriously.   He was living in Brooklyn...so this interested me, he got on the Trail at Harriman SP...which I immediately realized he must be from NYC because I had always planned to catch the bus up there and spend a weekend,,,when I lived in NYC, but I never did do it.  Many people from the city go up to get a nature fix.  So for some reason after the breakup of his relationship with a girl friend he simply abandoned this apartment and his  belongings.  

He didn't take his wallet, no credit cards, no phone...He simply walked away.  
And he hiked thousands of miles, he seemed to have no real answer to the question of "what is your story?"  He went by the trail name of "mostly harmless." 

So Facebook groups and pages were made to share info and to spread his photos and finally a guy who had shared an apartment with him recognized him and his identity was finally known.  They don't know WHY he died tho.  The autopsy was inconclusive. He did have family but they seemed uninterested in getting any details.  Kinda left me feeling sad. 

Many people walk through life with no one who cares if they are alive or dead...and that is sad.  His real name was Vance Rodriguez and he was 42 yrs old, and originally from Baton Rouge, LA.  There is a Wikipedia page about him. 

I know some hikers who are currently on the Florida Trail and one about to embark, I mean I don't know them personally but I watch their You Tubes, JAN is prime time to be on that trail it's been a very wet winter so knee high water on the trial is not uncommon.  

WHY we vote for the good guy...

HOA,,,Nellie

I really had to laugh Texas is in horrible shape, that's not why Im laughing.  People have died....sadly.

They had snow and very low tempts, they do NOT normally have this type weather, hello Climate Change.  I feel for them, I've been in a similar situation myself, but the funny part is the Jackass Ted Cruz, a Trump crony, a NATIONALISTS, who made a speech telling his constituents that they had a big storm problem coming, they should stay off the roads and stay home, Millions are without power they have no heat no water, they are camped out in their homes, some dying of carbon monoxide poisoning as they try to stay warm in their cars..

So what does Cruz do?  Their Federal Senator??  He gets his family and flies to Cancun Mexico.  Leaving Beto O'Rouke the man who LOST the run for that Senate Seat to deal with the fall out of the storm; he called seniors to see what they needed, he made wellness checks of 300K people.... and President Biden sent FEMA down there to help them out hoping to get the electric back on...POOR utilities, and grid planning  is at the root of the outages.  

So when photos and stories of Cruz's exit to wait out the mayhem in Cancun got out he was seen flying home the very next day,,,he even asked for a police escort from the airport.  Ok lets get this straight,  HE LIED...,since when do parents let their kids say "Lets fly to Cancun," he is saying his kids wanted to go with friends so his wife and he 'escorted" them to Mexico,,,,BIG fat lie,,,His original ticket was through the weekend...he changed it when he got wind of the trouble brewing for him back home.  Yes the media checked on his story....lol

SO he had no plans to return on Thursday as he ended up doing after people started saying "he should resign." NOT to mention he flew to Mexico during a pandemic when people are being asked NOT to fly unless it's completely necessary.  

Then he said, "Im going home to continue working on getting the power back on." REALLY???   He did NOTHING but leave. 

LIAR omg...what  a huge one.  I hope Texans see now that a Socialist Leaning Leader is what we need to have our backs not an all in it for themselves leader like Trillion Dollar Debt Trump, and Cancun Cruz and so many in between them.  If your voting on BS ideology you will be stuck in a snow storm to die.  THEY hate gays, unwed mothers, immigrants, minorities, handouts, and federal aide.  OK, who is gonna take care of you when the shit hits the fan?? Your hate won't put hot water in the pipes. A handout WILL. 

See a President who is doing the job to help the PEOPLE will send generators, will send tankers full of Gas, will send FEMA to help...will get the vaccine doses sitting in dead coolers flown to safety.....this is what a leader does, not CRUZ, He never asked for help to be sent...he bought tickets to Mexico.  He was too busy drinking rum punch and playing spoiled little rich man. 

Yes people it matters, when you put your life on the line you better be hoping you have voted  for someone who would toss you a life line, not toss you under the bus, and someone who has your back and your best interests at heart, not someone who will stab you in the back and pretend you don't exist...who doesn't even consider you, and who flies off to a sunny vacation while you freeze to death in your home.  

YOUR VOTE could save you life, so consider that next time you go to the polls. 

Friday Again. 

WHO likes it...

HEN GOVT OVERSTEPS?...

This state where I live is so conservative, it makes me cringe.  Today once again they passed an abortion bill.  They are SO bent on trying to control a woman's right of choice.  I just heard one of our Democratic lawmakers, say, "Im for life, I'm also for mind your own damn business." I agree.  This has to be up to the woman carrying that fetus. I say fetus because it is not a human at that point.  SO they call it the fetal heartbeat bill.  So a woman has 6 weeks, but lets say she got pregnant right at the end of her menstrual cycle.  That means she many not even know she is pregnant until that 6 weeks has passed.  So they will simply go to another state...this means the State will lose money, but I don't care about that.  I care about a govt, telling women they  don't have the right to make their  own choice.  OH but if  it's rape or incest, ohhh no that baby is DIRTY and can be aborted...HUH??? How is that in line with pro life??  

One of the Republican lawmakers, said, "a baby should not pay for a mother's one night bad decision." OKAY I take offence to that statement, IF the male involved had taken responsibility no one would be having that conversation.  Not only do they blame women, they punish them. Last time I checked it takes two to make a baby.  SO like I said before, when the language of that bill states, the "woman shall give birth and immediately hand the child over to the man who impregnated her. to love and to raise" then we will talk about fairness, and right and wrong. 

The mask wearing they smirk at that...and that is only temporary and not for life, yet they don't see this bill as an intrusion into the personal rights of a person.  I really WISH I could move out of this state.  It will end up in the Supreme Court.  

When will the Right just STOP being asses? They tried to force their damn choice of President onto us, and they just keep pushing their agenda where it don't belong.  
And the hateful mouth piece of the GOP Rush Limbaugh has died...Most of the people I know are glad and to be honest I think the world is a better place now.  Someone said on Facebook, "I'm pretty sure he is resting in hell now."  

Ok enough of that. 

Today I saw a field with 4 deer and 7 turkey sharing the field together and it made me smile.  I got out today the weather man was wrong...we did not get 4 days of sun, we got 1 and 1/2 days of sun, then the clouds rushed in and now we will have 2 1/2 more days of bitter cold rain on the way. 

BA HUMBUG! 
Had my FOY Lesser Scaup today so that was a good find...I'm at 70 species for the year so that's right in step, last yr this day I was at 69.  

No son last night and I don't think tonight either...

Okay not my choice...

Best Friends,

ILL ALWAYS be in my heart. 

So I took off to check one of my favorite lakes for ducks, found some too, and that was good.  It was cold tho, so I was in and out of the van warming up.  I am always in a place of peace when Im birding.  I can be exactly in the now.  The best place to be present for.   

Also I saw a river otter in the lake...didn't get a photo of it, because I was just pulling in and parking the van.  That was a pleasant surprise. 

My sis has this dog her name is Patches and she was a stray living in the town and my sis was able to get her into her yard, and now she lives there.  But there is one problem, she won't come into the house, and actually there's two problems, she wont go on a leash.  She is afraid of being contained.   My sis has made a wonderful nest for Patches in her shed she has  heater, a bed and a dog house  in the shed to snuggle in,,,, so she is warm...but still it's fretful worrying that she is ok.  So now sis is hinting that "when I come see her" I have to bring Patches home with me.  Hmmm I would love that BUT

I have 2 dogs , they are sisters,  quickly approaching senior years, they will soon require medical help and physical help...I will have to and need to devote all my attention and funds to helping them and that is the only fair thing.  I've had them since they were 4 months old....Plus my sisters dog Jim is the same age as my girls and he is diabetic so I think she should keep Patches and try to make a stronger bond with her.  

I have been swearing, NO more dogs, it's difficult to travel  with dogs, ON cold freezing mornings I have to get up out of my warm sleeping bag and walk the dogs, and in Summer when it's HOT and  I am in Rocky Mountain NP, where dogs can't hike the trails of any NP, they cant stay in a hot car so that means I don't get to hike.  I have traveled and camped with all three of my dogs, I'm including Casey who passed in April he was a super sweet heart and I miss him so much. HE went on so many trips with me, long trips of like 8,000 miles and not just once twice but MANY times.  

So the longest stretch I was traveling with all 3 at one time was 22 days...camping and driving all over the country.  The dogs love to travel...I love to travel also so we have made it work, but Im getting older and it's getting harder to do...Floss cant jump in or out of the van, I built a ramp for them...I can not pick her up any more she is 55 lbs...and Annie is 50 lbs...and they are 13 yrs old. Both of them are lame, have arthritic joints and cant go on hikes even in good weather or where they are allowed...so it's just a huge challenge. 

                               The girls and I enjoying  a mountain hike ...Happy Faces

                                 and Casey and I  exploring a Lave Tube in California

                                                                                

  
I love dogs...

The blast of

INTER GRIP

continues.  Not as bitter as the past two days but still unpleasant.  I have been submitting my birds to the Backyard Bird-athon that is this weekend.  I had the rare Purple Finch and Pine Siskin yet again, not rare in my yard.  But soon I suppose once this front passes they will head north.  

I had to go in for dog food kibble, so I stopped at Bramblewood, there was a lot of Canada Geese there today and 2 species of Gull and lots of Goldfinch on the dangling seed balls of the Sycamore and Sweet Gum trees.  

I have some pasta made for dinner, seasoned it with turmeric.  It's very tasty and I will be happy it's all done when I get hungry.  I like it when Im organized and think ahead.  I chopped onion, yellow pepper, pickled jalapeno, garlic, and mixed  up a mayo and mustard dressing to go on it.  It will be a one bowl dish.  

I have not seen any news as of yet today Im staying clear as I don't want to hear anymore about that JACKASS--- Donald Trump...he needs to disappear into the wallpaper.  I just want US to get some form of Justice, if we don't then what message are we getting?  Forty Four rotten to the core Senators standing between US and the Justice we deserved??? That to me is outrageous. They are def on my Dark List and I really hope NONE of them get re upped...I really can't believe that Lindsey Graham took this state again, I would like to see the SC Justice Dept look into that because I know for a fact he was announced the winner while votes were still coming in and being counted as far as a week later?  They were saying on the news, the votes continue to come in from mail in ballots and troops overseas  yet they announced him the winner the night of the election?... Jamie had huge support state wide. 

There is a wave of blacks  moving back to the South.  This is a form of reverse migration.  Gerrymandering redrew the lines, so lets encourage more blacks to move into white  neighborhoods.  I agree completely the best way to change the color of the water is add more dye.  Isabel Wilkerson  has written a book on the subject The Warmth of Other Suns (2010) , and here is an article showing some statistics on the matter.  I for one welcome this.  Since February is Black History month I want to shine the light on moments of Black History....and the way I'm educating myself as to how important the African American is to the ecology, economy, and political realm of our Nation.  This is actually how the South could rise again to become a wonderful stronghold of Democratic voters. 

The best way to do away with White Supremacy is to beat them at their own game...IOWA move over, you won't be spared, Rush Limbaugh will have some competition on the airwaves, we can only hope.  If the Right, which is so far off base it's leaning, comes back toward center, it could throw the left farther left.  My son seems to think anywhere but the middle is a waste of time.  I would like to be able to sit down and make a list of "Topics" where I could find any common ground with the Right.  I know I can do it...but it won't be exactly the way they want it or I want it, but maybe if we get close then that will work?

Presidents day and I had hoped to celebrate with an Impeachment Cocktail...looks like Im only going to get more sour grapes 
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

I find I am...

ISHING FOR SUMMER.

Thought I'd never say that but this cold rainy weather is worse than humidity by far.  I can get out and work like a mule in Summer,  but this ice cold rain? My hands and feet are numb inside with the heat on.  I've felt so sorry for the birds again today...I can't go out in it for more than a few minutes.

Well son texted me today he wants to "come see a movie" guess he realizes there is something worth continuing.  I am trying to come to the terms that he may never be who he was  3 year ago, is anyone?  Some of us are Better, some of us are worse and some of us never learn or change.  

I was reading about how the Southern Indian tribes used to keep African Slaves.  They had slaves with them when they made the march to Oklahoma the trail of tears.  This explains why so many of the Southern tribes have some African physical features...I often wondered about that.  No sharp features but more rounded faces, chins, cheek bones, noses.  These tribes were the Choctaw, the Cherokee, the Creek, the Chickasaw, the Seminoles, and probably others.  HOW did that piece of history escape US?   Pretty interesting stuff.  People are always trying to connect themselves with Native heritage, especially southern Whites, it would probably not sit too well to learn that one of those native ancestors could have been African.  

My sis had her DNA chart done, we are 97% European with 3% accounted for, like Middle Eastern or East African...so who knows...I would have liked more Mediterranean in me to have better hair and skin for sure!  My best friend on my last job was AA and she had the most beautiful skin ever.  

Soon we will all be turning pale as the weather here is creating another bitter cold place in winter and rain rain rain all summer.  I know there is some things we can do to help reverse this problem....I see so much trash on the ground it upsets me, it's Quadrupled what it was a couple years ago,.. I was imaging the other day if we had a device to make all trash resist gravity...and it floated up about face height where we humans had to walk with it in our faces, would that help?? 

It's disgusting....and I for one want manufactures to STOP making it! So back to the save and reuse of glass bottles...that worked. 

My hands are so cold I can barely type so I will close the gloom that was our day is turning from grey to black.  
I was married this day Feb 14th, back in 1974.  It was a rainy night then too.  We had a small simple  ceremony with only my family and a few friends.  Then we went to a Golf Club where we had catered a steak dinner for all of our wedding goers.   It was simple and all enjoyed it.  

My sister was my Maid of Honor and John's best friend Nick was his Best Man...

A minister we knew performed the ceremony...and we said simple vows that he had us repeat back to him and we exchanged rings. 

I was very happy that day.  

Regrets come...

HEN TIME PASSES

I may forget what the Senate did today but don't bet on it,,,,NO more to say about the lack of Justice.  McConnell said there is other avenues of Justice to get Trump for any laws he broke...so we'll see what they do in the future. 

Today the coldest most horrid rain day ever...never got above 42F/10C 

I felt so sorry for the birds, there was a crowd at the feeders trying to find food...and now they are wet and the night is getting even colder. 

I spent the day on my laptop working thru the photos I've been able to rescue from 2009...Trying to get them back into my blogs that are missing the photos thanks to the Greedy people of Yahoo who sold us out. 

Its mind boggling trying to recall these events that is why I made my Original blog to keep memories...but Google only allows us 15G of storage and that includes our email...so Im now using some Flickr's I made under various emails I have just for that purpose I can put 1,000 photos up free.  I'm also using Facebook, it's good so far...it's the only kind of Past we can go back and repair. 

My son is angry at me we had a disagreement the day before his birthday so he is not movie-ing with me , oh well its tough being the parent of a grown up...for the record I am NOT trying to control him. Anyway it simply means my evenings are lonely again and I guess it's just me  tonight.  Svengoolie has the Invisible Man, Im not a fan of that one, so I will watch one on our Tubi line up. 

I miss him.  It is the only thing we really enjoy doing together.  I hope he will get over it I already told him I was out of line with some of the things I said, I apologized which is all one can do.  My son is very difficult to deal with.  It was a disagreement on the fact he is not keeping the yard and maintenance of Mom's house as we discussed.   AND other personal things I tried to discuss with him.  

I really hoped he would be married by now and another female can try to finish the job I started...lol

Happy Saturday Night.  

COLD

HO READS THIS?

Bots I think, the exact same number of views each day...this blog is not really audience driven, it started out as a way for me to explore thoughts that I have and wanted to write down because I wanted to learn.  Ask and answer my own questions in a way...

But life punched me pretty hard the last couple years, and I  needed to be able to keep a daily life post.  What's in the news, in my life, on my mind.  I want to be open (to a degree) and try to work through some feelings. 

I want to add a 10 scale.  This will be HOW I am doing emotionally.  So lets say I had some bad family drama, and it upset me, then I would give that day a 3, if I had a complete melt down that would be a 1 if I had a blissfully wonderful day full of peaceful moments or won the lottery, it would be a 10.  

Well it's all over the place to be honest.  Today a cold rain kept me inside, I did go out and fill my bird feeders as so many showed up for an easy meal in this miserable weather.  Lots of Goldfinch and Pine Siskin.  I didn't realize they along with the Purple Finch that have been here for weeks now are late leaving and now considered rare in my yard.  This is something I don't like about ebird.  They seem  to lead the data to a conclusion. 

Last year at this same time I put down my Purple Finch and a reviewer wrote to me and said it was Rare what evidence did I have...HUH...I got angry cause the bird had been here for days I had not reported it because it was so common.  And I had taken no photo....so today same thing but this time I TOOK photos..so TAKE THAT EBIRD...

And a Red headed Woodpecker was marked RARE,,,again I had a photo.  

Later in the day I did edit a DIY video for my youtube channel...which has grown but still has less than 100 subscribers...lol so I will never make a dime on it. Not that it was intended to be that, it was just a place to store some videos, and then it became a creative outlet for me. somewhere along the line and then people began to subscribe to it, so I just kept it up.  

WHY didn't the Democrats call any live witnesses??? I wanted to see that goon in the buffalo head dress tell the Senate, Trump sent him to the Capitol.  We will not get justice like we don't get ANYTHING from this impotent Senate we have.  So tired of that.  Why don't  1/2 of them just stay home and NOT vote so the vote can be YEA, that way Trump can't pass judgement on them...if that is their fear he won't make pet names for them and put them down in public or call their wives and threaten them, I don't know what ever it is he does to put this fear in them.  THEY are, I have to use common language and say, Chicken Shit...sorry but I just don't have any sophisticated words to use. 

Trump had a meeting with more of the hard core neo cons of the GOP party namely Lindsey Graham, if only voodoo dolls were real. 

Friday AGAIN, are you keeping up with just how many Fridays are whizzing by?

EMO SCALE, 

Friday  ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Thursday ⭐⭐

Wednesday ⭐

I keep asking myself...

HY ARE REPUBLICANS SO IGNORANT?  

SO many lies and untruths come out of their mouth...Josh Hawley says that the democrats are doing an unconstitutional act by trying Trump for insurrection.  OK then...the Constitution is the PAPER that made this entire trail Possible so how does he connect those dots?

That guy is a real ignorant person.  I hope his career is short lived.  Trump probably won't be found guilt because there are not enough honest Republicans to do the job....amazing right? 

And then today he had the nerve to tweet, "Biden is giving our money to foreign nations to fund Abortions"

So I looked it up

here is what I found...

from AP news:

President Joe Biden on Thursday rescinded a regulation that barred U.S. foreign aid from being used to perform or promote abortions. His decision, while expected, was cheered by abortion-choice advocates and some humanitarian groups and denounced by anti-abortion groups.

This was first enacted by Ronald Regan in 1985...

If you give health aide to other nations, I feel they should know how to best use those funds. MY point is Hawley would not sign a stimulus bill to help Americans so how can he shout about someone who is NOT doing the right thing?  He worries about an unwed mother in Mexico who may benefit from not allowing a Zygote to grow and yet he denies Millions of American's money to help put food on the table while they are out of work due to Covid. If he cares so much for Mexican children why did he support Trumps cage 'em up policy???

Trump CHOSE to have that Rally, A woman CHOSES to have an abortion...how is one choice NOT responsible for the outcome and one is?  The answer is YOU make the choice YOU live with and are responsible for the outcome NOT some senator in Missouri??  ie: Trump innocent of causing death of Officer in Capitol riot , Mexican girl guilty of murder?? Both made a choice....both choices had an outcome. SAME outcome, each is accountable, with one exception Abortion is legal, inciting a riot is not. AH-HA. 

Im in favor of Planned Parenthood, Biden put the funding back in place for that...so Millions of women will not be placed in the position to have to make that choice...so Hawley when you're the one carrying that zygote, then I will listen to you grumble about that.  Until then FO. 

I will only rant about the Republican Senate so I will stop here...on that. 

My husband and I planned our son 41 and 1/2 yrs ago, and 
Today is my son's 40th birthday...I had 24 hrs of hard labor to bring him into the world and tonight he spent only one hour with me....we had pizza made a veggie one for me got Mexican one for him and a Reeses birthday cake...pretty good.  He went home early tho didn't want to see a movie I think he wanted to fiddle with his prezzies. 

I worked on my fruit tree fence and got one done and another one is in the works...AND MY Peach tree is about to pop open.  Wow...Maybe one day it will make a peach.   I live about 12 miles from one of the State's Largest Peach Orchard.  Hope I can get some photos of the trees in Bloom, if mine is about to open they probably are also.

I planted a tub of Lettuce and Swiss Chard...so hope to see that make and a second broccoli plant is making a floret so hope the weather remains cool long enough for it to form. 

Its currently raining outside and the next few days look like wet ones...so don't know when I will get back on the building project. 

Today was not a good day for me in spite of this being a special day...my son is not in a good place right now mentally I worry so much about him...they never stop being your kid. 

4 Pm

ATCHING THE TRAIL 

On TV,,,,
That Bastard Trump 

IF what his lawyers say is true that his intention was not to have them attack the capitol then why didn't he go with them down to the Capitol as he said he WAS...And why didnt' he come out to stop them,,,He was watching it on TV. so he was well aware of what was going on,,.he did NOT speak out to stop them.

We can tell from his own words, that his intention was clear, he said "we have to stop them"...   we=him and them, we is an inclusive word....  the crowd, and HIM.  

They came in chanting "hang Mike Pence" even days before Trump said "Pence is not with us," they later chanted "Bring out Pence." that  day  Trump said to them... that Pence could stop the electoral vote, and that is why they were after Pence, Trump had said "All Pence has to do is send the votes back let the states revote...now lets walk down Pennsylvania Ave and take back our country." 

OK...I don't need to hear anymore to get the message,,, he called the votes won by Biden, "Bull shit".  If you want to watch his hateful speech...here it is

https://youtu.be/aD2UmS4i69Q

He came out 5 hrs later and said we love you, please go home.  

And you know these Senators that will not convict him they are not voting on OUR  behalf, we sent them to DC to represent US, they are not doing that they are representing their own political agenda.  They are supposed to represent the best interest of the MAJORITY,,,,the Democratic US, the voters...the 81.2 million of us who cast our vote,,,

I called my two senators, Graham and Scott both republicans and both total puppets who do NOT represent this state or the people of it.  One was answered by an aid, the other a recording, I told them "VOTE yes for impeachment, because Trump did this to try and steal our Nation.  His wish was NOT ours and its your job to speak for US, the majority who voted for Biden."

Today started out good but ended rather poorly for me...and seeing this trail makes me feel sick inside.  We have so far to go.  Seeing the people these Senators are trying to keep under their spell is sickening, the people are sickening...the whole thing was sickening. 

Trump's lie is still out there he has not admitted it most of the republicans have not admitted it, Im really tired of being lied to.  

Today my son is 40. 

Could be more work.,

HEN ITS FREE...

Sign says "free wood and pallets" at a place where they make pallets,  

Never look a gift horse in the mouth....so I took 4 home with me. 

HEAVY these are not those little light weight things they are made of hard oak.  

So I  wrangled them home and in my work area...and started to take them apart, it took me an hour to take one apart,  Man.  So I plan to build some 3 or 4 ft square fences to go around my fruit trees to keep the deer off them  Hopefully they will keep them at bay a little bit better.  BUT it's not going to be easy...I will need several more pallets but first I will build one to see how it goes.  I can put wire on the top to make it higher so they can't reach the tips of the branches,  If I don't do something they will destroy the trees, I have to protect them till they get big enough that the deer are not interested. 

My back is aching a little for my trouble,..it was a nice day to do physical work, it was warm and the sun came out in the afternoon.  Also finished running the mower over the yard to vacuum up the remainder of the winter leaves.  The daffodils are  up about 3 inches out of the ground, I hope to get some bloom. 

The little deer with the deformed foot is in the yard almost every night and sometimes in the morning too. I feel so bad for her but she manages very well I saw her jump the fence when Annie barked at her and she did it easily.  Im sure she went through agony for a while tho.  She is small and she is well nourished but when she  comes into estrous and if she gets pregnant it will harder on her to carry that extra weight. 

I was watching a you tube it's so funny cause I thought this dude was a cool guy he is a friend of another youtuber I watch so eventually this friend started his own channel.  So I subscribed, and then I found out he is into hunting.  So his story is he used to be a vegan, due to the horrid industry of animal farming....and that's exactly why Im vegan. It's about ethics.  But then a Doctor told him he needed to eat Protein, so he decided if he hunts his own meat it will be ok....Im sorry but I just can't give one dime of my Youtube views to a hunter...and the animal will still be dead, their spirit taken away. no matter if you're in it for a trophy or for the meat.   
Its not up to US, deer are not humans, our laws, our way of life does not apply to them. 

So I unsubscribed.  and won't watch; it will not stop his channel from growing, but I won't be putting my money where my mouth is not. 

Better Late than Never?

ENT ON HIATUS

Last couple of days, the weather was good after the rain so I been out exploring and strolling in my yard a little so was too tired to try and type up a blog.  It's pretty  n sunny but cool out today. I went early to check a corn field where Sandhill Cranes were reported...I checked it Saturday and today didn't see them.  Oh well, would have been a state tic for me, but not a big deal. 

More and more swamps are appearing, that is going to mean mosquitoes, and lots of them this spring and summer, I see standing water all over the place.  Good for Swallows and Blue birds, and Martins, not so good for the seed eaters.  Warblers seemed to do ok last year, so I'm hopeful again. 

Saturday night we watched Svengoolie.  It was the Black Scorpion.  Pretty entertaining, stop animation monsters, way better than CGA.  We both enjoyed it.   After two recent movies that left us both in the twilight zone..one called the Howl, the other was called Surveillance.  Howl was not bad we hid our faces a couple times but the other one I don't even know why we didn't turn it off but we thought surely in the end these two HORRIBLE killers would get what was coming to them...they DID NOT...ugh.

A very good drama we watched was called GOLD, check it out sometimes. 

 I'm cooking a pot of pinto beans this afternoon, always tasty and a pretty cheap meal...I will put a little baking soda in to help neutralize the gas!  I love Mexican recipes and add a little salsa to my plate with Pinto Beans and a flour tortilla if I don't have cornbread...it's very tasty that way.  I know some people mix black with pinto but I have only one big pot, the other one is TOO big it's for canning...as I scaled down the amount of cookware I keep since mostly I cook for one,  I could have put half and half, the cooking time is about the same but I think they taste better when blended just before serving not cooked together. 

I would like to find a decent priced cast iron enamel dutch oven...but other that Im pretty set.  I have 3 cast iron skillets one cast iron flat griddle,  1, 2, and 4 qt pots....I used to have lots more but in a fever of minimalism I donated several pieces.  

Do you ever watch the Walking Dead?  I used to watch every episode, then when Mom and I did away with cable, it was not such a big deal anymore.  I feel like the world is infected with zombies.  I go down a quiet farm road to look for birds in fields, and on fence lines...I cruz by every so slowly keeping my eye on my rearview constantly...and just like a Zombie, suddenly creeping right up behind me, there they are right up my ass....the soccer mom's in the speedy SUV.  They must get to Walmart, or the Grocery store, they have no time for anyone to be Different...I want to be Daryl with his crossbow just for that second, I will aim for the tires.  SO in my mind I've taken to calling them zombies, and I see them thru the crosshairs...NOW they will have to call AAA.  Day spoiled...Oh so sad.

LOL yes I know but ,how fecking annoying is it to be run  over on a country road when you have another agenda?  I pull over if there is room, and if not I speed up and find a spot to pull in and let the Zombie get on her way sometimes it's male but normally they just pass and get on with their own life and allow me to get on with mine...NOT the soccer mom zombies, see Im on "their" road, so I must give way...to Karen.  

...and every now and then you get the horn, the finger, the dirty look, if only I had the crossbow...aim low a PUFF of stagnant air whooshes out and they are immobolized and I can creep right on by and check those fence lines for the perched Loggerheaded Shrike, or the Singing Meadowlark, or the Flock of Blackbird picking thru the cow pies....oh the stuff dreams are made of.  I would love to do a 15 minute film on this very subject.  I would call it "Karen Sidelined".  

I thought it was a holiday today but I looked at the Calendar wrong It's next week...Im not with the program see...Not much else on my agenda, going for propane fill later son is supposed to ride with me, so we'll see if that happens, 

TTFN. 

he called it...

HISKY DADDY

My son had a Youtube channel he called it Whisky Daddy,   he would review various whiskies.  Not exactly what I wanted him to be an expert at...he used to work in Beverage sales and marketing,  He worked for Budweiser, then an Independent seller, then  Republic  National Distributing.  So he knows a lot about spirits.  He actually kinda wanted to open his own bar, his x girlfriend was a Bartender and she knew how to mix any drink and they spoke of opening up a place....but that never happened. 

I think his channel would have done well but he screwed up lost that job with RND and then lost his girlfriend who was his camera person and editor and cheerleader.  So the channel is still up but he hasn't put any new content up in a long time.  Whiskey is not cheap so when he worked at RND he got a discount and bought damaged bottles at reduced prices to review...sometimes he would bid online for aged stuff, I know very little about spirits.  I know  it can destroy your life, if you abuse it, so when he waltzed in here today with a big bottle of Bourbon, I was not too happy,,.he made an Old Fashioned and then  took one shot later,

My father died at age 53, chronic alcoholism.  I loved him but I barely knew him and then he passed when I was 11.  His life stolen, so the very name of my son's channel was like a thorn to me, Whisky Daddy...and then he admitted to me that he named it for his grand dad, my dad, my dead dad, he said it was a tribute.   I can't ever forgive what my dad put my family through,  He was never abusive to any of us or my mom, he would just disappear for sometimes weeks...and so we were abandoned by him on and off.  He tried and quit for a while but in the end the Whiskey won.  

When he got ready to leave tonight he left the bottle, I put the bottle in my bar.   My favorite spirit is Tequila or Gin.  So it's safe with me, cause I don't trust him with it, he suffers from depression and has not been going to therapy lately, I told me we had a curse on us, I don't think he believed me,  he doesn't drink now he can't afford to, that's why I was surprised when he came in with that bottle.  Then I remembered he will be 40 this coming week.  He said  he was celebrating.  

It's hard to tell a 40 yr old what to do.   And he reminds me that just because my dad was an alcoholic doesn't mean he is or will be.  But I will sleep better knowing the bottle is with me.  I know you're asking why do I have a bar set up in my house? Well when I was redoing this house, my son and his girl friend  planned to marry and were going to live here, and he wanted a bar to store his collection of glasses, and his various bottles of spirits...so that is why I have the bar, he stocked it for me once but when all that was gone it was only the glasses sitting there.  

So they broke up didn't get married, didn't move here, and his job in the spirit industry is long ago history.  But I have a BAR!! 

OH did you miss it was Friday again...

Friday again and a few

EIRD THINGS 
In our town there is an older man who sits by the road at a busy intersection he pushes an old shopping cart and he has American flags all over it, and I think he is a Trump guy althou I have never seen a Trump flag on his cart...but he sometimes has a dog with him...the poor old dog can barely walk.  He has a home he is not homeless but he spends his day acting as if he is.  If you pass his home he has banners on the fence that say things like "stop paying taxes".  WE All wish we could eh?

He writes in these spiral notebooks everything that people say to him.  So if you go up to speak to him he will begin to interview you, who are you, where are you from , where do you live, who is your daddy,,,you will learn nothing about him.  He writes it all down in a "beautiful mind" fashion in his notebook and he has been doing this for years...HE used to drive.  He had an old station wagon and it was entirely full of junk, there was only one spot clear for him to sit in the seat, and the dashboard was so filled he could barely see out...gotta wonder why cops didn't stop that?  But now he walks so I guess they did.

Is his life better out doing what he does or should he be in a nursing home?  I think he is better off out doing what he is doing.  People die in nursing homes and hospitals, people die on the street, what's the difference?  I have no clue how old he is maybe in his late 70's mid 80's? I closed my shop in town in 2001 and I knew him then when he drove his car, so he has been living this weird lifestyle for at least 20  yrs that I am aware of so actually longer Im sure it took a long time to completely fill that station wagon with junque.  

There's others, eccentric weird people in town...ones you get to know of just from seeing them.  I realized Google Maps is following me all over the damn place, today they sent me a January wrap up showing me where I have been every single day last month.  OMG see the problem is I want ebird to follow when Im birding, but not Google,  And here I thought I was invisible.  So if you have a phone in your pocket Google is watching every move you make. SO seems to me the Feds should have no trouble finding the rioters from the Capitol., just ask Google to find the tracks that led there that day and backtrack...seems I mostly make loops.  EVEN when Im out of the phone's service area they still are able to track me!! 

So I have to figure out how to undo that. Rain day so Im home all day today.  Did some birding yesterday at a place where a lot of bank fishing happens, TRASHY horrible, I spend more time picking up discarded fishing line than I do birding...I hate that about me, cleaning up behind assholes!!

                                                       FISHING NET AND LINE

Time well spent?

EDNESDAY already, 

I told my son just the other day, "I wish I could convey to you just how short our life time is."

There is no way to tell someone that they have to be able to compare it,,,but when I told him  his father was 2 yrs younger than he is when we met,,,His eyes opened up pretty dang wide. 

His father  has been  gone 28 months already.  Time just is not on our side, yet we spend so much of it doing what?  Living in fear, being in a bad relationship, addicted, lonely, poor, wearing an ego, with a fake personality, in the wrong job, the wrong town, the wrong time zone.  Some  in the wrong body, with the wrong sex with the wrong sex partner.  

Makes one wonder...by the time we discover who and what we are it's too damn late.  I guess it's that learning process that is our life.  Just when we get it all figured, have that one or two light bulb moments and then out out swift candle. 

Anyways, what would I have been?  I can't say to be honest.  I did find something that I was very good at and made a decent living doing it for nearly 30 yrs so there is that.  Somethings   I'd rather have spent more years being single on the front end of my life.  By the time I realized marriage was so confining I was committed.  

So today I went birding early it's cold so I bundled up almost like the kid in A Christmas Story.  Thank goodness I didn't fall down probably couldnt have gotten up...lol. 

Im home now but it's cold in here.  Ive gotten lazy and have not cut any wood for a while, so I pay by having cold feet.   

Lots of sparrow at the place where I went today, its a Wildlife Management Area, mostly kept  for hunters I think Im the only one who birds there...It's close by but it's hard getting around in there cause they plow the darn paths which means very uneven ground..so I was pretty worn out after 2 hrs of that.  

America's playing on the cd player.  So funny they all met and formed a band while in England with their American Army families. So that's why they called themselves America.  I loved them from day one. I did see them on stage, In 2000, I saw other big ticket bands, like the Eagles, John Denver, Tom Jones, Lynyrd Skynyrd, and a few more. 

Here's a photo of me meeting John Denver backstage in Lincoln Neb, in 1982. I can't recall what I was asking him. I think I would have enjoyed being a groupie running around in a VW van with flowers in my hair,   

Also met him backstage in Philadelphia in 1990's and mom was with me so she met him also we didn't get any photos of that one.  I met him about 5 times in all,  My sister worked at his Windstar foundation as a cook for 2 yrs...

Ground hog saw his shadow....

ISE MEN SAY FOOLS,,,

Believe the weather man. That was me today I saw the clearing happening, so I took off about 11 it was supposed to be clear by 2 pm...so I took it to be the honest truth.   BUT the wind blew the rain  sideways, the windchill was pretty darn keen.  I tried to scope out the grounds of the sod farm looking for shorebirds that are attracted to this type environment.  I saw Killdeer and some smaller peeps but too far out even for the scope to show me what they were.  My hands froze.

I thought of going up to the main office and ask to drive the roads but I could tell it was very muddy from the past 2 days of rain...so I didn't want to get stuck...I had some shopping to get done so did that also....and now Im back home just read a favorite blog I enjoy, the girls ate first now I have rice boiling Im making Fajitas,  had 2 big green peppers so that is going to be good seasoned with ground cummin.  I have some salsa to toss in there also...

Im back to vegan from vegetarian for a couple years, and I'm happy about it.  I was eating cheese and free range eggs but it made me feel like a complete hypocrite...I got some veggie cheese but it's horrible..no taste...the texture is right but the taste is Zero.  I enjoy veggie sausage, and veggie burgers, and use the veggie crumbles for tacos but the cheese has never been tasty...so I guess I will just let that notion go altogether.  Wondering what I could season this cheese with to make more tasty?  The shredded veggie Mozzarella  is pretty good..,but the cheddar slices suck 

I got the girls some sardines...YUK they loved it I hated it...totally smelled like something dead because it is.  I'd love to put them on a veggie diet but I don't know if that is a good idea or not.  There is a veggie dog food company its so very expensive, no way my budget can make that happen, they love peas and carrots, and sweet potato and pnuts, 

Anyway nothing heavy on the docket today for me, it did finally stop blowing rain when I got home but it's still as cold as can be.. tonight 27 F that -5C. 

So  six more weeks of Winter.

Covid cases are dropping but deaths are still happening, from the ones in the hospital...and the mutants of the virus are on the rise. Do the neocons' care? NO they still don't want to wear a mask, they want to rub their germs all over you if they can BUT those same Jerks in 

Our State are once again trying to stop Abortion as being legal.  I think this is a waste of time and money as this should be a choice of anyone faced with that decision.  That's like me deciding if someone should have a bad kidney removed,  its   not UP TO ME, a Human Life will vanish if that bad kidney is not removed but thats not up to me. 

The Conservative hypocrites who won't wear a mask, and want to carry a gun to shoot anyone down, want to tell you that a fertilized egg is  a HUMAN, that they cherish?  It is not, its all about them controlling women.   When they make the same law to prevent men from walking out on those unwanted children then we may have a chat but really???
They want the right to own murder weapons, but they don't want others to have that right? 

Self protection could be explained as "not wishing to go thru the pain and possible death sentence that could come with child birth." 

Do you know how many neocon rednecks are dead beat dads?  And when men are forced to take that child at BIRTH and raise it to adulthood, then we can chat about it...but no nothing like that is being put in the law.  There is no balance in that.   NOT everyone is a religious fanatic and that is the root of this, or so they say.  I bet I could quote the bible quicker than most of those in our State congress who are making these insane laws...that have nothing to do with them.  

Jesus did not express any special concern for unborn children during the anticipated end times: "Woe to pregnant women and those who are nursing" (Matthew 24:19).  Seems if the embryo is what neocons say it is would'nt it come with more protections according to God? 
So that's my argument on that front.  

At least the day after pill is still legal as far as I know.  They want to dictate to people how to live their personal life, and they want to force their politics down our throats and up our vaginas.   As I have said before how does IT affect them?  They will still go to "heaven" omg. OH but if it's rape or incest that's not a decent fertilized egg its "fowl" so those ones can be scrapped out. OMG like I said its all about control of Women not about an invitro being.  

CHOICE,