Something new in the trap

Our repertoire is expanding. Heard the trap door drop last night and looked out. Not a raccoon – an opossum! Got Bill up and we let him go. Hope he stays away ‘cause we haven’t had any problems with opossums before. And this morning the cage was empty. If it stays empty tonight we’ll seal up the screen area with Plexiglas and put the cage on the porch for a couple of nights. If nothing shows up that will be the end of it hopefully. Then we’ll replace the eight feet of carpet in the porch and chalk it up to country living experience. Could have done without that kind of experience.

Continue working on the afghan. It is five rows of five squares. I have all the rows put together and now I’m cleaning up the loose ends of yarn then I’ll put the rows together. Going to have to do something around the outside edges to give it some shape but don’t know what.

Boy has the weather ever cooled down. Only going to be in the 70s for four or five days then into the mid 80s. I LOVE this kind of weather. And now that Bill doesn’t have to take the blood thinner any more the cold doesn’t bother him as much either. Along with the cool weather we are also getting a lot of rain. A big storm hit here about five in the evening. Started with a BANG literally. A clap of thunder so loud it shook the house. Scared the livin’ begosh out of us. Then the rain – lots of rain. The pool is so full I’m afraid the fish are going to be washed right out and down the hill. Everything is really green here though. Was listening to the news about California, Nevada and Arizona  – now that is HOT.

We put whatever we’d taken into the Alfa away and are taking it back to the RV doc – tomorrow if it isn’t pouring. Bill is really pissed about the things they worked on not working right. We’ve used this place for years and they’ve always done exceptional work. Hate the drive over there. Down through these hills around the curves on a 1 and ½ lane road. Trees dragging on the roof. Especially a trip that should not be necessary!

Not going any where today – all the tourists are out and about visiting all the artists studios here in the county. Hope the rain holds off for them. We are – well I am going to watch the postponed race at noon. Bill will be watching a soccer game at noon and we’ll watch another game at six. Some of the best teams in the world playing. 

Barn Quilt up.

Another exciting day in Brown County. Yesterday Bill and our friend Tom put up the second Barn Quilt. Looks good.

And Bill got the graphics put on his new little pickup. It’s different. No more to do with it – I think – I hope.

I finally finished painting the walls in the upstairs bathroom – will wait a week or so then do the trim. Want to wait until the wall paint is really dry. And today Bill put up all the accessories. Towel racks etc.

After I finished painting I even vacuumed up some of the remainder of the winter bugs dead under all the furniture in the living room etc. Feel better now – things are getting clean! And then I baked an apple pie. Yum! Smells so good when baking.

And after that? Well I pigged out on NASCAR most of the rest of the day. Lots of practice, qualifying and the Nationwide race last night. Race had to be stopped because of rain. And today again it is raining in Kentucky. So  tonight's race will be delayed or run real late. 

Had another raccoon in the trap this morning - I hope it was a different one and not one who has found his way back. Doesn't look  happy does he? So we took him for a long ride to his new home. 

I still think we need to spray paint their tail so we know if they come back or not. 

Coming home from town after breakfast I was playing with my camera again. A storm was moving in. And when it hit the thunder shook the house - have never heard it that loud. Poured buckets for a while, got real windy and cold out and then moved on. But think we'll get more before the night is over. 

As for the playing with the camera - discovered black and white and took a couple of shots of clouds and shadows. 

Any one want to buy a big house in the woods?

Well I don’t know who’s winning – us or the raccoons. Caught another one and released him into the woods far far away but he really made a mess while in the cage. He managed to tip it over onto the rug during the night and tore a big hole in the carpet. So now not only do we have to replace the torn screen we have to replace half the carpet out on the porch. So far we’ve caught and relocated three raccoons, caught and released one dog, had two escapes and one who tripped the door on the trap while he was outside it reaching though the cage to get at the food. They aren’t stupid.  Last night someone ate the food but didn't trip the door - Bill said the trip plate had wads of carpet under it and that kept it from working. Maybe we should just let them have the back porch for themselves. We're going to replace the lower screens with Plexiglas when this is all over. 

The worst of this so far was yesterday. Well it had been coming for a few days. Every time we went out front we’d get a whiff of something really nasty. With the heat it got worse and worse. Something was under the front porch and it was no longer alive. CRAP Finally found a company in the phone book who would come out and crawl under there and remove it. ICK. Turns out – drum roll – it was a big raccoon. Maybe the one that managed to escape the cage twice. Cause he crawled under there and paid us back to the tune of $125! The guy that got it out said it was one of the biggest raccoons he’d seen. So now we’re waiting for all the stink to go away. He sprayed deodorizer all over the place to help some. So much fun living in the woods.

And another thing. Had a huge storm the other day. Lots of lightening, thunder, wind and rain. A big tree came down in the street just past our driveway and in the neighbors yard. We just had leaves and limbs all over but one of the bigger limbs blew into the bedroom window and managed to break it. Luckily it is double pane and only the outside pane broke. One more thing to fix. A one bedroom apartment with a plastic flower is starting to sound better and better to both of us.  Or maybe moving into the Alfa full time and keep on the move. Speaking of the Alfa – The refrigerator still isn’t working (while at the RV doc they fixed??? a recall issue) and the batteries that the RV doc just replaced are not charging. So we’re putting everything back in it and cleaning it up ready to travel then we’re making a list of what has to be fixed and taking it back to the RV doc. Then when we get it back we hope to go somewhere for a few days.

I finally just today finished painting the bathroom upstairs – well the walls. Still have to do the trim but will wait until the walls are really dry. Which may take months it been so humid here. 

Saw this guy out front going in and out of the birdhouse. Pretty.

Been working on my afghan have several of the squares sewn together then discovered I need to make one more square. Will do that today while watching race qualifying. 

We trapped at WHAT?

Tuesday afternoon and we are wondering if we’ll get rain or not. Lots of it and wind scattered around the state. And very warm 90+ and humid. The corn and beans sure look a lot happier this year than last year. Growing like crazy. The farmers need a good year.

And I’m sure glad we don’t have to depend on trapping wild animals for a living or eating. Although we are getting better. As I said Sunday morning we took “Rocky” for a ride into the forest. So we were pretty proud of ourselves. But were pretty sure we’d seen more than one raccoon around here so we set the live trap up again Sunday night. Sure enough about 10:30 I heard noises out on the porch. And there was a raccoon. BUT he/she/it had managed to spring the trap door while still outside the trap. And was now reaching through the wires trying to pull the food out so he could eat it. I opened the door and yelled at him and he took off back through the tear in the screen. I reset the trap door and replaced some food.

Monday morning Bill got up before me and went to check the trap. I heard loud barking coming from the back. What the heck? Do raccoons bark? Bill came back into the bedroom and I asked him what was going on. Well seems like we caught a dog! Yep a black and tan dog was inside the trap well and good caught. And he was not a happy camper. Had never seen him before – and hope never to see him again. Bill opened the trap door and he flew out and through the tear in the screen making it bigger. Good riddance. So last night set the trap again. Didn’t hear anything before I went to bed but sometime during the night a smaller raccoon snuck in and got trapped. He managed to turn the trap over and had a lot of time to dig up the carpet. Nice hole in it now. That’s some of the carpet in the cage with him.

Another early morning ride. Letting him go into the woods.

Oh nuts – our regular pest control man is here now and he is telling us that raccoons can find their way back from five miles away. I knew we should have spray painted their tails so we could tell if they came back or not. Any way the trap will be set again tonight as he says there can be several members in a raccoon family. Just what we wanted to hear.

But we have nice wild life too. This deer loves tortillas.

Can’t eat them fast enough.

One thing after another – the pest control man just let us know there is a leak under the bathroom sink in the basement. GRRRRR…..Any one want to buy a house? A big house with new bathrooms and with lots of wild life? Also found a dead bird in a glue trap in the living room. How did it get inside? And when?

I did manage to get something productive done though. Made a necklace using one of the tiny wood faces we brought home with us. Picture doesn’t do it justice.

Little by little we are getting stuff out of the garage and cleaning it and washing it and polishing it and figuring out where the heck it goes in the Alfa.

Too hot to do much more today.  

Plan C is a winner

A nice warm muggy day here after lots – almost 3 inches – of rain yesterday and maybe more today. We’ve been up since early taking care of Plan C. But I’m getting ahead of myself.

Plan B – after the raccoon escaped from the trap and truck was:

1. reset cage on porch. 

2. secure back side of cage so raccoon could not escape that way. 

3. wait up until we heard trap door shut. 

4. go out pick up cage with raccoon and take to garage and secure trap door side of cage. 

5. leave in garage until morning then take to forest to let go.

Well all went well until step 4. Then it all went to crap! Picture this. We are sitting quietly in den watching TV when we hear the trap door go snap. We cheer – raccoon is in cage. We turn on lights on porch and Bill goes out to pick up cage. So far so good. OH NO! When he picked up the cage the rotten raccoon jumps out the trap door side of the cage and lands right on Bill’s slippered feet. SH!T – Raccoon is running around porch with Bill in hot pursuit. “Get me something to hit him with.” So I look around and find a broom. With a plastic handle. Lots of good that will do. Bill bats at the raccoon who is now climbing the railing and the top part of the screen. Crap he’s going to tear that screen too. We’re both yelling at each other and the raccoon that now is panicked and running in circles and climbing the walls. Bill bats with the broom stick at him a couple more times and finally the raccoon finds his hole in the screen and he is gone. (Why didn’t I buy a nice broom with a sturdy wooden handle when we were at the broom makers?)We are standing there with the empty cage and a broom handle. Thank goodness he didn’t charge either one of us.

So much for Plan B. On to Plan C – which started with going into town to Rural King (a farmers supply store) and buying a bigger much stronger cage. The only problem with that was we were in the convertible and there isn’t much room in it. So we had to put the top down and put the cage in the back seat which stopped us from going grocery or anything else shopping. So on home we went. Set the cage on the screen porch with yummies inside it and waited. Hooray – this morning the raccoon was trapped in the cage. He couldn’t get out. 

But…of course…we didn’t think about him being very unhappy trapped. So unhappy that he pooped which went right through the wire cage. He also started to tear up the carpet under the cage. Bill went out and picked up the cage and not so sweet raccoon and carried him out to the truck. 

We got dressed and headed up the road into the state forest and let him loose. 

Good riddance. 

BUT we are putting the cage back on the porch tonight cause we think he has a family. With Plan C we’ve got it figured out. And tonight we will put a board under the cage too.

On the way to the forest this morning we saw bunnies, turkeys and deer as the sun was rising through the trees.

And miracle of miracle the upstairs bathroom is completely done – well almost. I still have to do some sanding and finish the painting of the walls and trim. Just waiting for a cooler day to do that. And I also found a little of the hall paint so I think I can just patch and repaint the hole not the whole wall. I hope.

And we got the driveway where it was sliding down the hill reinforced, cemented and filled with rocks. Really moving along here.

Today it is supposed to be in the mid 90s so I’m looking forward to watching the race from California and being even more lazy. I did get the second coat of polyurethane on both sides of the second barn quilt. 

Should be ready to put up in a couple of days.

On to Plan C

Just a quick update will explain more tomorrow as it is already late evening here. Been a little under the weather the last few days...
Guess who is home though...Alfy.

BUT he has a problem with his refrigerator - after getting a pre pick up check at the RV doc. Guess they just missed the fact that the refrigerator won't come on. Hum....More about that later too.
Hopefully by tomorrow I'll be able to report that Plan C worked with the raccoon. It has been a comedy of errors around here with him.

Are we smarter than a raccoon? I guess not.

Well I can quit worrying about the rooster – he is outside right now in full voice. 

Got the first Barn Quilt done and up.  Putting it up. I couldn’t watch – a ladder on gravel and way above their heads.

How it looks up. View from almost the street.

Still working on the other one it will go on the other side of the building.

While I was working on it Bill and our friend Tom were building birdhouses as most of ours got trashed last winter. Bill is building them and Tom is painting them. Good team work.

The new contractors got so much done the other night. The shower is completely in with plumbing even and one of the vanities is even completely installed. They are supposed to come back this evening and hopefully finish up. Then I’ll just have to do the painting in there – again. (And still have to finish the bridge.)

And will also have to paint the hallway where a hammer from the bathroom came through. Sure hope we can match the paint close enough so I just have to do the one wall and not the whole hall.

Glory Be – tomorrow we are actually going to pick up the Alfa. Then we have all the stuff that has been sitting in the garage to put back in it. I know everything will have to be cleaned/washed before putting it back. Oh well more to keep us busy.

And about the raccoon. He has become a real pest – tearing up the screen and coming into the back porch. So we bought a live trap and finally figured out how to set it up and put it right by the torn screen with bananas inside it. I was sitting in the den watching TV about 11:00 last night when I heard SNAP – the trap closing. Sure enough there was the raccoon inside. Now what to do with him?  Bill had wired the back of the trap so the animal couldn’t get out that way. So anyway he took him, trap and all out and put it in the bed of the pickup thinking we’d take him out to the woods way far away this morning. HA – this morning the trap sat empty in the truck. He figured out how to get out past the trap door – AND THEN had the gall to come back up on the porch and make another mess!!! So on to plan B.

Simple things.

Oh boy oh boy oh boy – the new contractor is here and is tearing out all the shower and toilet. All new will be put in. Lovely. But at least it is getting done. It is 7:30 in the evening now. He started work about an hour ago and figures it will take him just a couple more evenings. And he is going to finish absolutely everything in that bathroom, except the painting which I’ll have to do all over again.

Have not heard the neighbor’s rooster since yesterday morning when he was over here picking up corn kernels around our trees. He’s a pretty thing. Hope he is okay. We have coyotes, foxes and big wild cats in the woods.

Simple things amuse simple minds. Bill and I love to sit out front and watch the squirrels with the corn ferris wheels. They sure can contort.

holding corn in his "hands"

Got the front side of one of my barn quilts polyurethaned today. Will do the back side tomorrow morning and can maybe get it hung tomorrow afternoon. So excited. Starting on the second on – it’s going to be red, white and blue so had to go to town to get some really red paint. Think it will look good. 

There are orange day lilies in bloom all over – they grow wild in the woods. They are so pretty.

A cold front is supposed to be moving through this evening but think the rain will be south of us. Can already feel the cooler air. So tomorrow morning bright and early I should go out and finish painting the bridge. Ugh. 

Heard on the news that the area where we store the Alfa was getting winds and one inch hail. Hope it’s okay. Maybe we should call tomorrow – or go pick it up this week!!!

Happy Father's Day

Happy Father's Day to all fathers out there.
We have had a good day. Out to breakfast and Wal*Mart for groceries this morning. Then home in the rain. It has turned out to be a kind of warm (for me anyway) and humid day with heavy rain  off and on. Glad I got more of the bridge painted yesterday. And managed to get a sun burn on my face.
Fixing a roast and potatoes and carrots for dinner tonight - one of Bill's favorite dinners.
I watched the NASCAR race this afternoon while he read/snoozed and now he is watching soccer. Sporty day for us.
Tomorrow someone is supposed to come and check out what needs to be done in the upstairs bathroom to fix it. Bill is supposed to take the little pickup to the body shop to get a spot of rust taken care of. I'll finish putting out bedroom  and bathroom back together - and getting rid of the winters dust etc. Exciting life.
Last night we heard noises out side, Bill got up to look but didn't see anything to get concerned about. But turns out he looked out the wrong windows. The "sweet" raccoon tore a hole in the screen around the back porch and came in and made a MESS. Ate a couple packages of suet, got in the bucket of bird seed and tore up an artificial plant out there. He better not show his face around here for a few days.

Have you seen a brown cat?

Nice summer weather here at least for a while.

I was reading a book the other day and it mentioned a character picking up her “dark brown cat.” It was named Coffee because of its color. Got me to thinking. I don’t ever remember seeing a brown cat. I’ve seen white, gray, black, tan, calico, tiger striped, and orange striped – but never a dark brown cat.

Also found out that one of our sons is now engaged. She is a wonderful woman and he is a lucky man. No wedding date yet.

I’ve been real busy with the Barn Quilts. 

It just needs second coat of all colors and then to be polyurethaned and hung. Don’t know how we’ll get it up on the car port but I’m sure Bill will think of something. I’ve also decided the colors for the second one. They are fun to do….where can we hang more?

Monday a couple people are supposed to come and check out the upstairs bathroom and see if it can be fixed without too much problem. Big problem or not it has to be fixed – can’t use the shower the way it is. Maybe next time I won’t be too cheap to use Angie’s List.

Found a new blog. It is a couple who are from California and they are FLYING Route 66. How much fun that would be. Check it out – it’s now on my list of blogs to follow. 

Cool and windy day - love it!

The really bad weather missed us last night – was far north of us. We just got a little rain and today we are nice and cool with a pretty good wind – not dangerous but keeping the wind chimes busy.

Boy these animals are eating us out of house and home. Pretty soon we’re going to have to make signs and stand on the corner downtown “Need money to feed the animals.” Wonder if it would work? This morning for the first time I saw the doe with one blind eye. She has been coming here for three or four years so I was worried about her.

This week our little town is pretty busy. The Bill Monroe Bluegrass Festival is here for the whole week. One of the longest running bluegrass events in the country. Bill Monroe used to own the land where it is held in the little town of Bean Blossom – just a couple of miles to the east of us. Yep that is really its name - Bean Blossom. Maybe because of all the soy bean fields around it. That’s where the covered bridge is and a small grocery store that has been in business since they delivered household items using a wagon. Also according to legend Dillinger used to come there to visit a “house of ill repute” and when he came to town the sheriff hid in a culvert to keep from getting killed.  During the winter when the trees have lost their leaves we can see the “house” from our back deck.

Worked on the barn quilt again this morning. Have learned a few things in case I want to make more. Do NOT use particle board for them. The surface isn’t smooth enough. I know - I should have known that but didn’t think about it. Also Frog Tape doesn’t work on particle board. The paint runs down in the little crevices and makes a mess. So now I’m doing it free hand which is amazing considering how much my hands shake. But this morning I was pretty steady and managed to stay within the lines.

Bill is in the kitchen cooking up a storm. Making lots of breaded chicken filets. Then he fries them in canola oil. When done he’ll freeze them. So good for a sandwich or when I don’t feel like fixing a dinner. Just thaw them and heat them. He told me I’d better not take a picture of him or he would start a blog and put lots of pictures of me in it. I don’t think so – hate my picture taken. 

Been doing some cleaning and sorting through paper back books. We have so many we need to get rid of. No more places to put them. 

Working on Barn Quilts

Sunrise this morning – Bill took the picture I was still snoozing. Looking north across the valley. 

Wish the day was going to be as nice as the picture. Today will be our first day this summer over 90…and it will be well over 90 – about 100 with the Heat Index! And tonight sever storms. But on the bright side tomorrow isn’t supposed to be in the high 70s or low 80s. Welcome to Indiana. And yesterday was a perfect day. Low humidity and in the mid-80s. Beautiful day. Even took the convertible with the top down into town for errands and lunch.

I’m beginning to think Bill is taking this living in the country thing to heart. Has his farmer image going on here. Loading corn on to the ferris wheel. Maybe I should get him a straw hat for Father’s Day.

And mean while out back…One deer is busy pigging out while another is trying to get closer to the food.

Should I just walk right up there?

Don’t you even think about it!

She waited until the first one left then had the corn to herself – well if you don’t include the birds, chipmunks and squirrels.

Worked on my Barn Quilts yesterday. First I had to scan and enlarge the patterns so I could follow them. Then had to draw them on the pieces of wood. A nine square star pattern.

The second pattern wasn’t as easy to transfer. Had to think about it for a while. And Bill snuck in with the camera!

Working on the second pattern

And of course had to put some paint on it right away. The green is that Frog Tape. Sure hope it works like they say it does or I’m going to have a lot of cleaning up to do.

So that is my agenda for today – more painting on the squares – and maybe the bridge if Bill hasn’t done it yet. 

More life in Brown County fun

Got my wood squares for my barn quilts all primed and ready to be painted. Have spent most of yesterday and this morning pouring over quilt square patterns. Hard to make up my mind. I want it colorful but not too busy. And easy to lay out on the 3 x 3 piece of wood. Have narrowed it down to five different patterns. Now to choose and to block it out for painting.
Weather today is weird. Muggy but not too hot. One minute it is bright blue sky and lots of sun then we can hear the rain coming through the trees and then a big black cloud will appear over head and drop a few splatters of rain. Then we can hear the rain  in the trees out back as the sun comes out in front again. Had lots of rain last night so the bridge is too wet again to paint. Oh dear!
Also discovered the shower walls were put in wrong in the upstairs bathroom - of course it the walls surrounding them I just finished painting. It will all have to ripped out and be redone. Just hope we can still use them. The mess never ends. Waiting for a new contractor to come by and tell us for sure what needs to be done - redone! So only two rooms remain all messed up instead of the whole house.
Bill's pickup is in getting the bumpers and bottom part of the sides painted with thick black bumpy paint. Protects it from scratches and loose gravel. Also getting running boards put on it. Make it easier to get in and out of.

 

Working hard.

Bill is off again with his truck. Getting an alarm and remote start installed on it. He asked if I wanted to go with him. NO. Not interested in sitting around a shop all day. Yesterday I’m sure glad I didn’t go with him. He was supposed to get a new oil gage installed. A 45 minute job. Spent all day at the mechanics! Comedy of errors with the part. So I worked around here. Did too much – old bones aren’t happy with me today.

I got most of the primer on my barn quilt pieces. Painted more on the bridge - one whole side has first coat on it. It’s going to take at least three coats! Why did I say I’d do it???

Got the bathroom downstairs all cleaned up and all the pictures and knick knacks put back in it. Hasn’t been this clean top to bottom in years. 

Sure looks pretty though.

Also did some work in the upstairs bathroom – painting and cleaning.

I used to really enjoy painting. But not so much any more. 

Now I find out it probably was all done in vain as the shower walls were put in wrong and probably have to be ripped out so that the shower doors will fit right. AARRGG! More mess – and that will be a big mess I bet. So I’m not even going to go in there until it is all done over again. And yesterday I vacuumed the hall AND the stairs!

All NASCAR practice and qualifying was rained out yesterday so had to make do with the truck race last night. Just not the same when Kyle isn’t racing. Two of his company trucks wrecked and the only one left came in 6th which isn't too bad. Expensive night for his company. Today hopefully there will be some Cup car practice to watch. Maybe I’ll start putting my afghan together while watching. The great grand baby is due sometime this month so I’d better get at it. And maybe learn to do the rib stitch with some left over yarn.

Was watching the animals out back for a while yesterday. Aren’t they cute? Haven't seen the rabbit again though. 

Supposed to be nice weather around here for a couple of days. Dry and not too hot. Enjoying it while I can. By middle of next week it should hit 90. By this time last year it had been 90 or over for several days. 

Got lots of painting done yesterday

Rainy, cloudy, foggy and cool this morning. And we had to go into town. Now thought it is clearing up and the sun is coming out but it will be HUMID for sure.

Yesterday was busy. I got the entire first coat done in the upstairs bathroom AND the first coat on the front side of one side of the bridge. Too bad it rained this morning – can’t work out there today cause everything is too wet. (And it should rain for the next couple of days – boo hoo.)

Mentioned we went into town yesterday and of course we had to stop for breakfast. Then to home improvement store. While at there I reached into my purse for the telephone and it wasn’t there – neither was my camera! OMG! Where could they be? We’d only been for breakfast and into Menards. And no one was even close to me any where. So decided I must have picked them up at home then set them back down on the counter instead of in my purse. Whew – relax.  Oh NO – got home and they weren’t any where to be found. Searched the whole house. So I called the restaurant and the manager answered. He had both of them and they were in his officer. While there I’d taken them out of the purse pocket they were in to see something and when I put them back I missed the pocket and dropped them on the seat. Holey Moley scarey. Will be lots more careful in the future. When we went into the restaurant this morning I got quite a bit of teasing about leaving them.

The ceiling in the downstairs bathroom will be done by today – I think. Then I just have to put everything back in there. Have to clean it all up first though.

I got the first coat of primer on one of my Barn Quilt squares. Do want to get the primer on both them today – I can do that in the garage. Then I have to decide on the quilt patterns I’ll paint on them. Here’s some info on Barn Quilts if you have no idea what I’m talking about.  http://www.barnquiltinfo.com/  Ours are only going to be three feet square as that’s all the room we have. 

ICK TICK

Kept really busy yesterday and am paying for it today. Places I forgot I had ache.

Lots of work got done in the upstairs bathroom, almost ready to finish the painting. And some of the ceiling tiles went up in the downstairs bathroom. So now all the stuff from in there is scattered all over our bedroom. Can hardly move down there. And how dirty everything was/is – embarrassing! But it just sat collected dirt all winter.

I worked on a little mosaic table I’d made a few years ago. All the top varnish was flaking off so I took the wire brushes to it and got it really cleaned up and ready to be varnished again. The bridge is still too damp to work on – though hopefully today if my old bones start working again I’ll go out there and start preparing it for paint.

After the contractor left we went into town – to eat lunch of course and to the home improvement store where I had a creepy crawly experience. We were out in the plant section just walking around and I felt something drop on my neck and then  start crawling down my back!!!!! Stuck my arm down my shirt and caught it. IT WAS A TICK!!!! I freaked out. And I was still imagining things crawling on me last night. ICK! Double ICK!

Boy the Indiana Pacers got trounced last night. Too bad. We were watching a TV show Sunday night and saw The Texas Tenors for the first time. Three guys with beautiful voices. If you get a chance to see then do it. Hopefully this fall we’ll go to Branson on our way west and see their show. 

Quiet Day - Well except for gunshots in woods

Quiet day today. Went into town early this a.m. for breakfast and to go to home improvement store and WalMart. Got some things needed to finish bathroom and other odds and ends.
Then home to watch NASCAR race which took up most of rest of day. Kyle should have won but again took four tires instead of two with only a few laps left to go. Got a respectable 4th place though. 
We were going to stop in Nashville on the way home and check out a couple of new businesses - a Tea Shop and a new art gallery -  but forgot and bought stuff that had to be refrigerated. So on home.
Nice day mostly sunny with a few big black clouds that didn't dump on us. 
Got a couple wire brushes so tomorrow morning I can start scraping the bridge - well that's what I say today we'll see. Supposed to be dry and in high 70s for next few days. A good time to do it.
About the gun shots. Someone around us is out in the woods practicing with their guns. I know our neighbor down in the holler said he was going to teach his young daughter to shoot. Maybe it was him. It's just something we have got used to living here. It was two years ago today that Bill had his open heart surgery. Thank goodness for such a thing. 

Living in a Wildlife Refuge

After a dark and stormy night and rain most of the day the sun finally came out for a little while. And it was like we were living in a zoo. Out front we had the squirrels on the ferris wheels and the neighbors rooster – mouthing off and strutting all over. And for the first time this year a big wild tom turkey.

Out back we had this lovely doe.

An assortment of squirrels and chipmunks. Along with, of course, the raccoon and a rabbit. First rabbit I’ve seen out back. And the birds….all kinds of birds at the feeders. One really mean dove who keeps chasing everyone else away. A couple hummingbirds, a cardinal pair, blue jays, blackbirds and crows and the small red-headed woodpecker. Don’t mind him being here as long as he eats seed and not our house. Also small black birds with russet colored heads – several of them. And all the time the frogs were croaking from the pond. Sound like big ones now not the little ones we had a couple of weeks ago.

Times like this I forget the aggravations of living in the county and just enjoy the scenery.

After one more storm tonight we are supposed to have four – FOUR – days with no rain. Miracle.

I did a little more painting in the bathroom but still have to wait on the contractor to finish repairing the walls. And now we have to wait for a plumber cause the fixtures Bill picked out our contractor(?) doesn’t know how to install them. I said we lived in the country.

Bill continues to play with his pickup. Everyday something else is delivered to put in or on it.

June already. How did that happen so quick? Watched the truck race yesterday and Kyle won. The Nationwide race today he should have won. Had the fastest car by far but took four tires when every one else took two and there weren’t enough laps left in the race for him to get back up front. Hope he learned his lesson for tomorrow. Also watched the last two La Liga (Spanish soccer) games of the season. That is Bill watched them and I watched them during the commercials of the NASCAR commentary.

Hummm… sounds like Bill is playing musical cars. Now the Jeep and my car are in the garage and the new pickup is under the carport.