July chitchat

[agate]

Here we are in July, and hot weather can hit at any time. I hope everyone has working air conditioning and/or powerful fans, and a good refrigerator with lots of ice cubes.

For the last 4 days I've been "entertained" by tree removal people right outside my windows, taking down two trees in the back yard that is my view. One of the trees was so big that it took 4 days to get it down. The other was puny by comparison. One was about a foot in diameter, and the other was about 3 feet and very very tall.

Now they seem to be done and I'm glad that the noise is gone. A couple of very large patches of sawdust are all that is left of those trees. They ground up the stumps with a device they drove in. It had teeth on it, and the teeth just chewed up the stumps but it did take most of a day to do the two of them.

When those trees were first marked for removal (with orange bands around them) a couple of years ago, I wasn't happy about it. My shade, my view! But there are other trees, and actually it's really nice to have so much additional light now. It's a much less confined feeling around here.

Other news is that a neighbor just died suddenly the other night. He fell dead in the hall on the 4th floor and was found by another resident. The police were here for hours until arrangements were made. I thought of this guy as one of the friendlier people around here even though he and I weren't on the same page politically. He founded a marching band and was a drummer. I'll miss him, and everyone here will.

He had always seemed to be in good health and had been working long hours at Walmart. He had a heart attack.

I've been rambling on. What is everyone doing? Linda, are you doing the farmer's market(s) now?

Today is jingle's birthday. There is a birthday thread in the BrainTalk Chitchat forum.

[Virginia]

Thanks for getting us started this month Agate. Not much going on around my place. I had hired a guy to power wash my walkway and deck and stain the deck. I got a call Monday from the paint store and gave them my credit card number to charge over $100 of deck paint. The man who is to do the work was there. I have been waiting since then and have not heard from him or seen the paint.

I did finally wise up about one thing. I have a credit card that accumulates points. I kept meaning to contact the credit card company and find out how to use the points. I got the credit card last year, so I knew that I would have some points built up. I had $259.00, so I had it linked in to Amazon. I was going to order a couple of items anyway, so I ordered over $100 worth of things and didn't have to pay anything. That was kind of nice.

I hope everyone has a good month ahead. I dread the heat.

[Virginia]

I have had Suze-Q on my mind. She hasn't posted in quite awhile. I miss seeing her and I sure hope she is alright. I miss hearing about what she is fixing to eat. Hope she is not still having car problems. Suze-Q, hope you will soon be back inspiring me to exercise. I haven't been doing any exercise lately.

[Howie]

Agate, stop watching that poor old man across the way now that those trees are gone. He will get curtains as soon as he can afford it.

I just finished cleaning both litter boxes and adding new litter. I also made new lemonade, or rather grape Kool Aide. I will make a sandwich with the new Hawaiian bread which I've never had. I hope it's good because I bought two loaves.

I'm having my third mug of coffee. Ahhhh...French Vanilla.

So all my work and running around are done. Enjoy your weekend all!

[Virginia]

Howie, I bet that bread is really good. I love their rolls and I have had one other product. I can't remember what you call it but it was a large round of bread. I cut the middle out and put dip in it like it was a bowl. So delicious.

[agate]

I'd never heard of Hawaiian bread and looked it up. I haven't figured out what makes it special unless it's always made with pineapple juice--? Apparently it's a bit sweeter than ordinary white bread?

Howie, I miss having the tree-cutting guys to look at. I had four days of looking at those two dolls. It's not every day such things happen right outside my window.

I have only raccoons in trees to look at as a rule but a bear might come along some day. Not yet though. Things can be tough for bear cubs:

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[Howie]

Agate, you're right, it was sweeter, and had a flavor much different than just plain white bread. I really enjoyed it. I will be getting that from now on. I'll read the ingredients tomorrow and see what gives it it's flavor. And color, it was a real light brown.

Virginia, I'll see what other forms it comes in. I just saw the sliced bread and grabbed the last 2 loaves.

[agate]

Sounds as if Sam isn't going to get any....

[Howie]

No, but she will get plenty of what I put on the Hawaiin bread....turkey and cheese. That girl eats better than most humans!

[agate]

I'm surprised neighborhood cats don't come around there looking for handouts.

I'll never forget visiting my son and his wife years ago at a time when his wife was tossing some food out to the neighborhood cats. This was such a routine that they all appeared out of nowhere, about 15 cats in a semicircle around her, looking expectantly for the tossed food. It was a sight not to be missed, the way they just materialized the instant they knew food was coming their way. I have no idea where they came from. Maybe they were all feral.

[Howie]

That would be my guess, feral cats who all know where to come for a good meal. It's really sad that such a thing as a feral cat exists. Cats are wonderful creatures, and interesting pets to own.

[agate]

It would be nice if every cat had a good home. I do have trouble feeling the same way about raccoons but some people think they're just adorable.

The squirrels outside are acting a bit discombobulated since those two trees came down. It probably upset their applecart quite a bit.

[Virginia]

At one time my Grandmother had about 16 that stayed around her back yard. They were offshoots of a cat my youngest brother, Eric took to her house when he was real little. My Grandmother couldn't bring herself to get rid of any of them. No one but a maid went out there. My Grandmother had a boarding house so there was plenty of food and the maid fed them.

The original cat stayed in most of the time and hung right around my Grandmother. I asked her how she knew it was the original and she just said "Oh I know".

[Howie]

One of my many cats was born from a feral cat on my sister's farm. She knew where the mama cat had her litter, and went out and got one of the kittens. I named her Seven, and she ended up being one of the sweetest, loving cats I've ever owned. So that just goes to show you that being feral doesn't mean the offspring will be too. Being feral is a learned behavior.

[agate]

A few puns in case your weekend is in need of them....