Yard

Here's the very last pic composition left to show from when the construction was underway out my window. These are my fav toys, out on the deck after getting a majorly needed cleaning. Wish I had more time to spend with them. Repeditive motion from work this week is numbing out my hands. Hopefully I'll find some "can play' time before the week-end's over. I'll have to get some greener shotz for ya soon.
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We had beautiful, sunny Saturday here on the Upper Cape, a bit on the chilly n windy side of nice. It's the first non-rainy, over 45 degrees (Farenhiet) week-end day to be had here in over a month! All the great weather days have been work-days so far...
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I had a good, long, just putter-about day. Lotsa stuff was checked-off the 2-do list. Got out to recycling, n spent most of my daylight workin on the yard.
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There was enough dead wood out there to build a raft, almost... I picked-up rubbish all over the place. After hand-mowing the patchy grass, BBM n Baby-J stopped by from their walk to play awhile. We had fun plucking dandelions n finding other flowers.
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A couple of red Tulips are up several weeks early under the Ash tree and there's at least 4 more buds, up from the usual 3 blooms around Mother's day. The nieghbor's son, Alan, once picked them to give to his Mom n got in trouble. That's how I always remember when they bloom.
The blue Periwinkles on the R's side are beginning to open up also. They're one of my favs. Got some up on the deck in a container not ready to bloom yet there. Buds are coming up on the Lillies of the Valley, n Tiger Lillies are sprouting their green shoots.
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Tree pollen season is just beginning, mostly Maple. The trees're all beginning to show leaf-buds finally. This week the bright yellow Forsynthias have been predominant on 2-work drives. I've been taking 24-hour allergy pills to help me deal with symptoms. My eyes still get very itchy, n I get head-aches. Can't wait until the whole trees-coming-out thing is over.
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I love the yard this time of year, before the people downstairs come in for the summer n take it over. I hate it when they weed-whack all my favs here into oblivion, (Periwinkles in the lawn) as the man has a crash-n-burn (killing) gardening talent. It never occurs to him to move plants to more appropriate locations. He just kills them, until nothing is left. Ya may remember I mentioned last year I finally walked him throught the yard, pointing out where not to weed-whack, n saved some of the perrenials, like the bramble-roses that weren't being allowed to mature enough to blossom.
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This time of year I spend awhile moving the spreader-species about to different areas, to fill bare spaces. That's how I ended up with alot of deck-container baby fir trees (from out of the lawn). Now I pick off the cones before they drop off the tree. In the house the cones open to drop seeds I can plant in other places. I also put some in the downstairs gardens.
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I've got tons of seeds from last years annuals to plant this year. It's not safe to plant outside until the end of May here, usually. I try to do some early indoors, but don't have alot of space, then they tend to get knocked over by my kitties a bit, too.
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I've definately got a green enough thumb to be a farmer, if I only had a farm... Ah, someday! I always wanted a greenhouse too. For now, I'll have to make do with getting banished upstairs all summer, with my containers on the deck. The deck is actually the best (n largest) room of my apartment!
But until Memorial Day, the yard is mine!

Yolk

I'd like to publicly thank the Easter Bunny (n his decendents) for leaving me many sugar confections to egg me onward this week.
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Did I leave you wondering... Where have I been? Sorry to keep y'all waiting. Been off-line almost all week, n burning myself out at work as usual. I tried to warn y'all posting would be light... I'm actually not recovered from last week yet-
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I'm so relieved there's no more tax instructions to read this week-end! Phew! I thought that would never end...
We're still well under the regular rainfall amounts here, but the plants have finally begun to sprout up with the little water we've gotten. More rain is forecast for Sun - Mon this week-end. That should help with the tree-pollen allergies which are knockin me for a loop n sapping away all my energy.
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Got about a million household chores waiting for spring-cleaning too. Today I already tackled a mile-high pile of accumulated junk-mail, just making sure something important wasn't in there. Last year, one of my bank accounts changed it's statement format to an envelope size resembling a type of ad I get often, n didn't find it til weeks later, when I couldn't balance the account without it. Luckily it wasn't tossed yet, so now I always double-check. Been tossing into the pile awhile... Oh well, missed another Publisher's Clearing House contest deadline last week-end! I could use a big jackpot soon! (sigh)... Also, I found some good coupons, like 4 bux off for the oil change I need on the truck, so it wasn't a total waste of time.
If I could just clear off the rest of the paper piles now, time for more plastic file-containers again. That's the thing about writing n research. Lots of materials to go through , n many different project piles going at once. If you put the pile away so it's inaccessable, chances are slimmer you'll find time to dig it back out to work on easily. Too much playing catch-up for me lately, n tons on the back-burner of my life. I wrote a tune about that once...
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I'd like to spend more quality time outdoors this season.
I thought I'd get to un-covering the downstairs garden-beds this week-end, but it's overcast and went down to the 30's early am, so still a danger of killing off the plants. None of my deck perenials are showing life yet, except for ferns, n the many baby evergreen trees.
The Christmas Cactus in the back room is still blooming away in gorgeous hot-pink though! (I think it's a little season-confused...) At places along the roadside today I finally saw some daffodils up, and the past week I've been hearing "Peeper" frogs while going by the bogs n marshlands on the way home. Spring is here somewhere, but avoiding me this week-end...
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Oh well, I really need some rest anyhow. Getting pretty sore at work lately, it gets to the hands n eyes. The motions are repeditive n high energy, so now I wanna do just the opposite! I'm still lookin for something better, n closer to home. The pickins are still low-paid n slim around here, though service work will be pickin up with the tourist season, there's a tone of caution that this may be a slower year by area employers.
Fuel prices are back up n I'm losin too much to the almighty pump outa my pay. It'll affect travel frequency to the Cape for people too.
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I've noticed in my free time I'm avoiding driving anywhere that's not absolutely necessary, myself.
Now, back to avoiding more chores until it's warm enough to make it worth-while... !

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NOTE:
I'd like to thank all you bloggers who added my family/friend member, ("A.T.") who's in a battle for her life, to your prayers. Your Heaven-sent wishes are powerful. The improvised prayer-chain seems to be working, according to her OLJ writings. Her initial liver tests this week came back better than expected, (clear), and she's hoping her upcoming surgical tests push her status back to to stage III. Any way you look at it she's got a tough road to travel. Everyone who's ever known her is praying she'll get to pull through this.
http://www.caringbridge.com/

Eggs

Happy Hip-Hop Day!



May you find all the good eggs...

(I found lots here in blogland)



or:
Have a Grand Easter Holiday!
or:

Perhaps you've enjoyed a wonderful Seder Evening this past week.

Whatever you celebrate today,
... the point of it all is Hope!


Happy Egg Hunting...

Tax-Time

While I've been pecking away a few hours at a time every other day or so to read n fill-in all the forms due to get back a couple bux (of the interest-free loan I gave the IRS in 2005) I can't believe I'm still not done! I'd better finish-up this week-end.

So this week's posting will be light...

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Working late-nights is beginning to take it's toll. I've also been putting in over-time (until 3 am) the past couple of weeks. I haven't visited with any one since MB's visit, n I'm way too busy playing catch-up with everything to even consider it yet.

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Construction out the kitchen window finally stopped, just to begin at the other end of my little street. (More Drainage at the water's edge) What is sleep? I find even if I go back to sleep for just five minutes, I'll have a mini-dream! Of course, REM isin't supposed to do that, but I'm a bit sleep-deprived lately, n I swear it happens to me, whether or not science claims it can... (I always dream in color, too). I haven't had any relaxing rest in many weeks!

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My mood's been a bit down, with all the problems taxing my soul as what I can do about it doesn't seem sufficient to find a way beyond the troubles. I need more time to write, to read, to paint, n to play music. These things shouldn't always be on the end of my long list like they've been lately. They are likely what will pull me back out of the bill-pit, if I can ever find the time n energy again. All these things that make me my unique self keeps me infused with the will to rise above the obstacles and continue to try to succeed with sufficient income from it. My taxed n tired state has added to the melancholy of my current moodiness.
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I recently again acknowledged the anniversaries of my Dad's death n birthday the past two months. Though it's been 15 years since The Big "C" took him off-world, the pain of missing him stays the same. I like n do so many things just because he used to. I'll wear un-matched clothes or plaid shirts, watch certain movies n shows (like Star-Trek n sports) say stupid joke remarks, putter, talk to myself, n make small-talk with strangers all for that reason. There's just no replacement for folkz sometimes though...
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On that same death anniversary, a Bar-n-Grille place where I'd met a loved friend who passed away 23 years ago, burnt to a cinder. Another important memory left to fried brain-cells with nothing concrete to comfort my loneliness. Now I can't drive by without tearing up as I see the charred remains. I'm not doing well at holding myself together in this exhausted state lately...

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Note: I always try to avoid using the word (Can---) because I believe that words have power, n think it's bad projection of negativity. How strange others think I am with this, I know...

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I've got a long list of folkz I pray for, n for the most part, it works like magic. Since January I've added in two extended inlaw-clan members I've known since childhood, who are dealing with health issues. Just last night I learned one of them, who's been fighting with the Big Breast "C" diagnosed very recently, just got dealt a glancing-blow card Thursday. Test results this week revealed she's already in stage-4, not a good place to be.

She's gone from the positive mind-set of beating it to hoping to just contain it a bit longer with more slice n dice. They're saying it's spread already. I'm praying the docs are wrong. Further biopsies on internal organs are to follow in a few weeks.

This girl truelly deserves a fighting chance!

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This really hits way down, old-home for me. She's a wonderful woman with a young n beautiful daughter. She's 1 year younger than me. We used to walk home from school together at times- No matter all the baloney we put up with in the "Nun School," she always cheered me up n had a good attitude.

Then her big sis married my big Bro.

Her name is the same as her mom's, n very similar to my sis's name, n many a time at large family gatherings we all got confused over who was being hailed. Now it looks as though many more Hail Mary's are in order...
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So forgive my melancholy state, I usually stay way more positive on posts. I'm having trouble staying positive on this one. It's tough to even think tax-forms at all! But I know I must. After Monday night work, I have to get up early am (when I usually sleep) for jury duty in another town Tuesday. Don't wanna know how tired I'll feel next week! So in case I don't blog-read n comment til next week-end, ya know why...

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One good thing is that it's finally raining n pouring here today, n we really needed the rain so the plants will spring forth with green (n pollen). I just wish it wasn't also reflective of my involuntary mood.

Remember the power of words...

PSM-Ani

Consider this post a public service message...
aimed at animal owners.
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Another trip toting a cat out to Doctor Harry's for the rabies shot to benefit "A Helping Paw" Org. It's a state law in MA each cat and dog must have their rabies shot each year to be legal. There's inexpensive clinics held each spring. If you wait past April you pretty much missed all the clinics and would have to pay for an office visit.
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I once gave a beautiful kitten to a nice family I knew. I lectured them on what the kit needed, and told them to make certain the kitten had a rabies and distemper shot before being let outdoors. They loved the kitten, and raved about her each time I ran into them around town.
Then about two months later I got a sniffling phone call describing a horror story of what happened to the poor kitty. It was outside, (unsupervised) and had not gotten the shots needed yet. The kitten went into the road, and was hit by a pick-up truck. It was injured, still alive laying in the road. A good Samaritan picked up the kitten and brought it to the vet's. But the kitten was in pain, and bit the Samaritan, drawing blood in the process. The kitten, who could've survived the hit, had to be put down because it hadn't had the rabies shot.
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Not to get the shot is risking losing your pet if they claw or bite anyone and need to be tested, which is only done by testing brain tissue (the animal's head must be cut off to test).
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I looked up tons of info on rabies one year at a friend's request after their shot-expired dog came in contact with a racoon which had been dragging it's hind-legs. That could be a partial paralysis associated with a rabies progression symptom, as there are two types of presentation (symtoms, how you would tell). One is the viscious behavior and salivation, the other the progressive paralysis.
The racoon had run-off and could not be tested. Gladly it was deemed after a long, lonely, indoor quaranteen that Elmo, the doggie, was alright after all. Those folks will never miss the shot-time again!
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Rabies has been going through the wildlife population here for the second year. The local vets put together baits containing vaccines and toss them along wooded areas to hopefully protect some of the racoons, fishers, skunks, oppossums and other critters.
For the longest time they didn't think it would cross the canal, but either they swam or stowed away aboard trucks or boats and spread all through the Cape anyways.
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It's possible for a cat to catch an infected, disease carrying mouse, or for a rabid and demented animal to uncharacteristically attack a pet they'd normally run from. We also have some deer and coyotes randomly roaming about.
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What scares me is if the cat catches a bird these days, we 'll have to worry about the "Bird Flu" spreading to them. There's no pet vacine for that illness yet. And People could possibly get a new strain of it from their pets.
So for the most part, my kitties have to stay in, unless I'm out in the yard with them on a day off. Getting them to go in when I need to go somewhere is quite a challenge, too. It can take hours to get them in.
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They do make effective in-home bug detectors. Found a wasp crawling in the kitchen for me this week. They like eating beetles. You can always tell when their eyes are attentively fixed on a wall or the ceiling where the insect is. They've also rid the house of many mice- Good job! They definately earn their keep, and I need the company...
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Today's pic is of Turtle, the tortoise-shell colored cat (today's needle victim). She hates the vets. When she was an itty-bitty kitty, she got ill and had to go in for a few days of kitty IV and drugs, which cost a pretty penny. She was spayed at about six months of age. Then she got an abcess from fighting with sis' Mischief, and needed to go back again the following year.
Of course, Turtle didn't know today was just for a quicky shot.
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First I had to brush her, then pick her up and quickly go shove her into the already open carrier, hidden in the bathroom. If She'd seen it first, there'd be no catching her at all....
Everytime I put her in the kitty-carrier she flips out in a tizzy fit, as though she can break out of there! It takes her awhile to calm down. She meows very loudly the whole way. That's kitty-speak for "Stop this confinement, Now!" As previously stated, I'm so glad my truck has a truck-bed cap, so the noise is muffled to low volume.
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At the Doc's she turned into "Ferocious-Kitty" open mouth Hissing, glazed eyes and looking like she's ready to take off your arm! She suddenly cannot be separated from that same carrier she was so desparate to escape earlier! So We had to take the carrier apart! She clung to her same spot, petrified, and sat still for the shot, finally all done. We put the top back on the carrier, screwed it back together as she sat there wondering what just happened.
We drove back home and what do you know? What a sweet, friendly kitty walked back out of the carry-case!
I guess she felt pretty relieved it was over. I hope she forgets again until next spring, at least! She's all purrs n rubs again, happy there was no stay-over for her this time.
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So now if she has a run-in with a brave squirrel out on the deck, I won't be worried. She's into the birds, though, n if she catches another one of those...
I hope there's not another trip to the vets!
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SO Get 'em those rabies shots. It's important!