Eastern sky, doctors, Begonias

We were just hangin' out on the porch yesterday when I thought to bring the camera out to possibly get another hummingbird photo. However, I looked up at the eastern sky and saw this setting, so I took a picture of it. Was a little surprised that it turned out so well because the camera batteries are really low, but it did. YAY!
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Was at the doctor yesterday to have another spot near my other ear looked at. She thought it was probably the beginning of a skin-cancer spot like I had on the other side, and that her husband has gotten on each side. Since it wasn't bothering me she froze it and said it would fall off in a few days. No biggie.
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As you know I suffer much unpleasantness in the summer due to the heat and our crappy window ac barely keeps the house below 85-80 degrees Fahrenheit. So thinking that we definitely been a higher BTU conditioner that we can't afford, I contacted the MSSociety, the Missouri Division. They sent me a financial aid application for the money to get a good air conditioner. It's all filled out waiting to be sent, but we're waiting for a doctor's note saying I have been diagnosed with MS, before they'll even consider helping. Called the doctor/neurologist this afternoon and asked his nurse to ask him to send me one. Pretty sure he will, so now we just wait. Wish us luck!
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Rain got a few tomato plants planted, a pepper plant planted, and her Begonia plant in the planter hung out on the porch to show-off it yellow beauty. Which segues into my saying that I put up six more hooks installed around the porch for more beautiful plants that she decides to put out.
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[UPDATE] Pool and stuff

After this dried (next day) I went out, turned the pump on, and was disappointed to find out that one of the pin-hole spots *still* sprayed a tiny stream of water out. Plus there was another area close to the top of the tank, at the base of the filter-type control (rinse/filter/off/waste/etc) unit that had water running out as well. *sigh* Fast forward to yesterday... I was in the shed just looking around because I was bored and spotted a tube of roof-tar which I had used mistakenly in the bathroom window last winter (and boy did it stink until it dried). Anyway, once it did dry it became very hard. It occurred to me that maybe, just maybe it would also work to seal the leaks on the tank. So I took it outside and applied some to said tank and let it dry overnight. Today it is really hard, so I'm thinking the answer is, "Yes, it will work". Since it's been raining off and on since late last evening and the threat continues today, I haven't turned the pump on to test it. While part of me thinks it has worked, another part is leery because of my previous attempts and failures to fix it so I'm procrastinating. Plus we won't have the cleaning supplies for the pool until next week anyway, so filtering the water would be senseless right now. (5-27-09)

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(5-22) I applied some fiberglass to the side of the pool's sand filter yesterday in order to *really* fix the leak I tried to fix last week (maybe earlier this week, not sure). Previous attempt was with some stuff gotten from the store called "PermaPoxy". It's like clay that you mold over the leak area and then let it dry for a while, they say 5 minutes. I did it wrong though in that I tried applying it to the tank that was a little wet. I didn't think would a problem because the stuff allegedly worked under water, but it didn't. So yesterday I got out my can of fiberglass resin, hardener additive in a tube, a couple pieces of fiberglass, and put them on the tank. I checked it today and it's *probably* dry, but since I don't have enough vinegar and bleach to really clean the pool until payday after next week, there's no hurry. If that doesn't work, and I believe it will, I'll have to try again since we can't afford over 300 dollars for a new tank. Although I have thought about asking for one on Freecycle, but haven't.
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Other than that, we've just been playing "Fit" and "Sports" on the Wii. Plus the usual tv and errands back and forth the Buffalo and Lebanon.
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I somehow managed to get an infection from the use of a catheter twice a day for the last few weeks, so I haven't been feeling great the last few days. In fact I've had a headache off and on for 2-3 days now. Also had some back pain (kidneys?) and bladder pain (caused by a bad reaction to Detrol LA, which I stopped taking since Sunday night) to go with the headache. The headache might also be being caused a little by caffeine withdrawal because I decided not to drink coffee the last two mornings. I was thinking that my bladder could use the break, but now that I've got some antibiotics, and am off the Detrol, I am considering making it for tomorrow morning at least.
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I put these ant traps above the hummingbird feeder a couple of days ago to hopefully stop the carpenter ants from eating the soon to be pool room again. Jury is still out.
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Next project: Install window air conditioners.

Pool and stuff

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I applied some fiberglass to the side of the pool's sand filter yesterday in order to *really* fix the leak I tried to fix last week (maybe earlier this week, not sure). Previous attempt was with some stuff gotten from the store called "PermaPoxy". It's like clay that you mold over the leak area and then let it dry for a while, they say 5 minutes. I did it wrong though in that I tried applying it to the tank that was a little wet. I didn't think would a problem because the stuff allegedly worked under water, but it didn't. So yesterday I got out my can of fiberglass resin, hardener additive in a tube, a couple pieces of fiberglass, and put them on the tank. I checked it today and it's *probably* dry, but since I don't have enough vinegar and bleach to really clean the pool until payday after next week, there's no hurry. If that doesn't work, and I believe it will, I'll have to try again since we can't afford over 300 dollars for a new tank. Although I have thought about asking for one on Freecycle, but haven't.
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Other than that, we've just been playing "Fit" and "Sports" on the Wii. Plus the usual tv and errands back and forth the Buffalo and Lebanon.
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I somehow managed to get an infection from the use of a catheter twice a day for the last few weeks, so I haven't been feeling great the last few days. In fact I've had a headache off and on for 2-3 days now. Also had some back pain (kidneys?) and bladder pain (caused by a bad reaction to Detrol LA, which I stopped taking since Sunday night) to go with the headache. The headache might also be being caused a little by caffeine withdrawal because I decided not to drink coffee the last two mornings. I was thinking that my bladder could use the break, but now that I've got some antibiotics, and am off the Detrol, I am considering making it for tomorrow morning at least.
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I put these ant traps above the hummingbird feeder a couple of days ago to hopefully stop the carpenter ants from eating the soon to be pool room again. Jury is still out.
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Next project: Install window air conditioners.

Watching hummers again

Was sitting outside and decided to see if I could get a decent video of 'the hummingbird wars'.

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Still watching the hummers

Another attempt to get a good video of hummingbirds

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SW MO severe storm results

As some of you may know already, a pretty intense storm went through Dallas and Laclede counties this morning with *heavy* rain and *strong* wind, which knocked over many, many trees in our area of Dallas county anyway. We drove into Buffalo because we had been without power since around 8:30 this morning, so we thought we'd just go to McDonald's for supper. Unfortunately, Buffalo, which is 14 miles from us was out of power as well. Except for the Woods grocery store which apparently had a backup generator or some other energy source, so we stopped there and got some chips, m&m's, and sodas. We figured those would tide us over until supper time if the power didn't come on till then, and we could just use the propane camping stove. Fortunately, the power did come on around 5 p.m, so we can cook an actual meal. Anyway, there was also a lot of flooding, but we didn't get any damage from that, but the wind did some damage to a couple of Poplar trees and the Weeping Willow got blown over.
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(Clicking will enlarge any of the pics to 640X480)
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This is what it looked like last year

This is after this morning's storm..
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And these are the tops of the Poplar trees that got blown off.

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Latte on the can

This is our cat Latte flipping and flopping around on top of the upside down can, and making noise with the rocks.

Yard work and video game system

Have gotten most of the yard mowed. Did a lot of it yesterday even though the grass was wet from rain from Monday. Don't know if it was because the grass was so tall and wet or because the mower blades need sharpened, but I had to mow just about every area twice just to make them look relatively even. I told myself last year that it, the grass, didn't have to be perfect so I could therefore mow faster. But there is that part of me that just likes things to look good, rather than as if they were done half-assed. You know, just like the saying says, "If you're going to do something, you should do it the best that you can." I personally think that's a good way to do things, like you take some pride in what you do.
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The Wii game system that the kids saved money for months to buy, came today via a Fed-Ex delivery truck. We went into Buffalo and got a few male-female 3-plug adapters to hook up both the Wii and the Digital Converter box to the same television so that you can have either on, without having to disconnect one and plug in the other. We got back around 4:30-5 p.m, hooked it up, and we've been taking turns ever since (now it's 7:22 pm). All the sports game are fun, although I have personally only played tennis. The kids have each played each several times. It came with baseball, tennis, bowling, and golf. When they (Rain and teen girl) ordered on-line, they ordered an extra game, which didn't come today. Probably within the next few days if not tomorrow. Bottom line: It's a great investment as it gets the kids doing something besides just sitting in front of a TV or computer using their fingers. Hopefully they will eventually get into better shape, as Rain and I hope to do as well. Although today was originally a non-computer/video game day, we're giving ourselves a pass because of the long wait on the new system. Next Wednesday though we'll not have video games or computers on all day.
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We did plan some work today though. Added water to the pool, and Rain & I skimmed some of the green goo off the top of the water. I cut the lower branches off of a Poplar tree in the front yard and we had the kids drag the branches (6 or 7) to the brush pile. Rain cut some of the Wisteria on the fence a little ways from the pool where the Bamboo plant is, so that it (Wisteria) didn't over crowd the bamboo. Had the kids haul all of the whacked-off Wisteria to the burn barrel, and I burned it with the trash I took out later. Wisteria, if you just throw it in a pile will re-root from the cuttings and continue to sprawl quickly from there. Hence why we put the cutting in the burn barrel.
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And that's been our day thus far.
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What to write and things we've done

Was just thinking back to when I actually tried to post to my blog several times a week. Actually, there was a time several years ago when I posted every day. A few months ago I decided that I wouldn't post anything that could even remotely be construed as whining. I used to write about my 'issues', which were usually caused by depression/depressive thoughts. Still have them, just don't talk about them publicly anymore. Had decided that nobody wants to read about depressive/negative things all the time. Anyway, what I was thinking about today was that since that decision, I don't have much to write about if it's not "bad news". Guess that's why the news in newspapers, television, radio, and wherever seem to always be talking about the negative stuff. It appears that I'm no different.
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That being said, I do have a slightly happy/amusing thing to say.Yesterday we got a free farm magazine that was addressed to "FringeFolkFarm". So it's official, I think, that we're a farm, even though we have no farm animals. Nor do we have a garden. Just because of the name of our business "they" are assuming we're a "farm". That means, to me anyway, that it's appropriate for my Gather-name to be FringeFolk(UN)farm. LOL.
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Today I spent a few hours mowing, using the riding mower of course. Sprayed some weed killing stuff on the garden spot's weeds, around the pool. The teens moved the rocks they put in the wagon yesterday that were around the outside of the garden fence, into the overhang next to the house today. Rain pulled a few weeds so that she can eventually start a garden.
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Now we need to get the plugs and stuff put in their spots on the pool's water pump so that the pool water can be moved and filtered again. So by the time the weather is warm enough and has warmed the pool water up enough, we can go swimming again. Ah, the work seems to never end. That's okay though, keeps us from getting TOO bored. Actually, we're *rarely* bored because of so much that can be done on any given day. *smile* Rock on everyone!
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