Becky "Attacked" by a Pitt Bull!

Today we took two of our dogs to Four Season’s Vet’s office to make sure we would have no more “surprise” litters of cute little puppies. Ten, yes I said 10, dogs are enough! We dropped Misty and Teddi off at about 9 A.M. It was their first ride in a car and their first time inside a building, other than our barn. It went smoother than I thought, except when they saw the cat under our car at the vet’s. 

We arrived to take them home at about 5:30 and the office was busy. One of the resident pooches was stretched out on a bench sleeping and Becky decided to sit next to her. After a few minutes the pooch squirmed around and nuzzled under Becky’s arm, placing her head on Becky’s lap. She obviously was ready for petting.

I said, “You know that’s a Pitt Bull, don’t you?”

“You’re kidding,” she replied. “She’s so sweet!”

When Angie came past she confirmed the dog’s breed and told how she had become one of the family. The only “attacking” that dog was going to do was to beg for some attention and love. That being said, I don’t think I’d even pretend to hit Angie or one of her kids with any of her dogs watching.

Storm Damage, Rio Grande, June 29, 2012

Last night, Friday, June 29, 2012 a dandy storm passed through the area. I was in Circleville and saw it coming. I stopped at Kroger for gas and was in line behind a motorcycle. The power went out while the biker was pumping gas. He waited a few minutes and then saddled up and took off, riding in wind I wasn’t too comfortable driving in.

I thought I’d move on to Chillicothe to get a few things from their Kroger. On Bridge Street the traffic lights were out and stores closed. The storm had beat me. The same with Jackson. With the traffic lights out, it took a long time to get through town. On Route 35 several trees along the road were down. The patrol were parked with flashing lights warning motorists of the hazard.

The worst of the storm I saw was in Rio Grande. At home we lost the top of one tree and that was it. I was out early today to get a few photos of the damage. Our power was out, but was restored at about 4:30 A.M.. Thank you Buckeye Rural!

This row of trees was planted April 16, 1879 by George W. Eagle, Trustee and Treasurer of Rio Grande College on the Campus of the University of Rio Grande. As you can see, several of them are down.

The baseball field at Rio sustained damage as well. I’m glad I wasn’t in this “Johnny” when the storm hit.

Several trees were damaged at Valley View Apartments in Rio Grande.

This house, close to Lynne Center had roof damage.

Just to be neighborly, I stopped by the Amish bakery to make sure everything was OK. Everything was good!

We’re supposed to have another storm tonight, so I’d better cut this off and get it posted. Stay safe and I’ll see you soon.

I Hate Snakes!

I hate snakes! I understand they keep the rodent population down, so I don’t bother them if they are in our barn. But, too close to the house or attacking the song birds nesting in our trees and they are history!

Monday I was working on the fence around our garden and heard several birds making excited sounds. There was a snake about 5 feet long headed for the tree. I went to the house, to get my rifle and when I returned, the snake was gone.

I found him on a branch about 8 feet up. A few seconds later he was dangling from the branch, hanging down about 4 feet, blowing in the wind. I thought it would be fun when Becky comes to the garden to find him, and I’M not about to pull it down. Just before she arrived, the snake fell to the ground.

I was back to work on the fence when Becky got there and she was duly impressed with the pile of snake under the tree. I was telling her that often snakes travel in pairs and she said, “I guess that’s true because there is a big one coming out of the creek heading straight for you!”

I still had my rifle close, so he changed his mind quickly. This was a big one, about three inches in diameter and between 5 and 6 feet long. I felt like I had done my part, so I let them lay where they fell, hoping something would carry them off in the night.

Well, it’s 2 days later and there they are. Becky was suggesting that I get rid of them. Did I mention that I hate snakes? I had been as close as I intended to be to those rascals. Before long I was heading to the garden with a shovel. Did I give them a decent burial? Are you kidding? I scooped them up and flung them into the woods. Maybe a 'possum or other wild critter will smell them in a couple of days and carry them off. If not, they are where I don’t have to look at them.

Some of you are sure to be curious as to what kind of snakes they were. They are now GOOD snakes. One of my favorite saying about snakes is, “The only good snake is a dead snake.”

Fun, Fear, and Fortune Cookies

If you search for the definition of “Fortune” you will find a variety of answers. One is: “chance or luck as an external, arbitrary force affecting human affairs.” Another: “position in life as determined by wealth.”

OK, so what’s the deal with the fortune cookies we get after our meal at the local Chinese restaurant? Are they supposed to tell our future? I love Chinese food and visit my favorite establishment weekly, sometimes more often. But, I don’t remember ever getting a “fortune” in my cookie that said I would have a rotten day. Will I always have a good day, as long as I eat Chinese?

I know lots of people who would never read a horoscope or consult someone who says they can tell your future by looking at your hand, etc. I understand that, but I’ve never seen anyone pass on opening his fortune cookie to gain access to the day’s words of wisdom.

Looking up the history of fortune cookies brings another surprise. Fortune cookies are not found in China. In fact, Chinese call them American Fortune Cookies. Brooklyn, Los Angeles, Seattle, Minneapolis, and Philadelphia are the major manufacturing locations of the 3 billion fortune cookies produced annually. Of course, there are opposing views, suggesting that fortune cookies were introduced to America by the Japanese.

All of this brings us to the day that I was in the Chinese restaurant enjoying my favorite foods. I always save room for my fortune cookie. I think it’s fun to read the slogans which are usually very generic. This day was like no other. I opened my fortune and it was blank. I turned it over and the other side was blank. OK, I understand manufacturing and how things like this can happen, but could it be that I have no fortune because I have no future? Could I gather the courage to walk out of the restaurant? Certainly, don’t be foolish. But, I was very careful walking across the parking lot!

Street Artists - Key West

On my travels, I enjoy watching and visiting with street artists. They all are unique, having such a diverse set of skills, personalities, and interesting stories of the past. I try to purchase at least one piece of art when I travel to my favorite locations.

Our recent trip to Key West allowed several opportunities to get to know a couple of artists who market their creations to visitors of the island town. On our walk to breakfast, we passed Bob Surrett who had his artwork set up on the sidewalk along South Street within a block of the popular destination known as “The Southernmost Point.”

He told me that he’d heard of Gallipolis and I thought he was blowing smoke until he mentioned that Gallipolis had been settled by a group of people from France. He told me he had a special technique using a custom made paint pallet knife. I looked closely as he painted and asked, “Isn’t that a piece of cardboard?” With a wink and a grin he said, “Yes, it is, but I tore it to a custom size.”

I couldn’t resist purchasing a small painting he’d made of the moon rising from behind the Key West Lighthouse. He had framed it with small pieces of wood. It is quite a unique piece of art.

One morning as we were having our breakfast, I spotted an artist set up on the pier painting a likeness of “The Southernmost House.” When we finished eating we walked out the pier to examine his work. William C. Sasser introduced himself and welcomed us to watch as he worked. He had several pieces of art on display for sale. William had a degree in art and was very precise with his brushstrokes. 

I chose the painting above because of the sign hanging on the palm tree. Go right and you get to Key West; go left and you return to reality. Very appropriate for my personal attitude. Like Jimmy Buffett says, “The lower the latitude, the better the attitude.” 

Friday the 13th - the Day My (electronic) Brain Died

I know I can be old fashioned (unwilling to change) so I do some things the same as I have for years. I use a Palm Z-22 every day! Friday the 13th it died. Black screen, no response.

I spent the better part of three days attempting recovery by following every silly suggestion on the Internet. Hold the "up" button while pressing the "reset" button, while standing in an inch of fresh-mowed grass. Take off the screen protector and run a business card around the perimeter of the screen while chanting "Apple will never make it" (even though they have more cash on hand than the U.S. Gov't).

No big deal, I backed-up the info...eighteen months ago (I may be late for class). Let’s see…everything I have scheduled for the next year, address and phone number of every person I know, and most important is every password of every website I use. (Don’t fuss at me, they are all in code – a hacker would never guess that my name backwards would be my password for EVERY site).

Well, today I was inspired to try plugging the charger into a different outlet. It's now working fine! Ok, the next half-day was spent backing-up my info on all my computers.

My friends suggest repeatedly that I need an i-pod, i-pad, i-phone, i-tunes, and more. i think i need to get on e-Bay and find a couple more Z-22’s in case this one dies for-real.

Sunset Celebration – Key West

A must-see for Key West visitors is the nightly Sunset Celebration held at Mallory Square. The Square is the docking area for visiting cruise ships. Daily the ships stop and drop off their passengers for a day of fun in Key West. There is one important rule for the huge ships:  they must be gone before sunset so the sunset view is not blocked. I read somewhere that there is a fine that cruise captains must pay if they’re not gone before the nightly festivities begin.

Every evening performers and artists come early to secure their space on the Square. There is no charge, but limited space has made the city hold a daily “lottery” to see which performers and artists can set up for the evening.

I’ve witnessed some spectacular performers, and also some that, shall we say, could use more practice? During my visits, there have been gymnasts, bagpipe players, tightrope-walking dogs, cats jumping through flaming hoops, escape artists, singers, and even a one-man band.

Do they do this just for fun, or to give you something to do in the evening? Nah! You don’t have to look too closely to see the strategically placed tip buckets. That’s OK with me; I don’t mind leaving a couple of bucks for those who offer entertainment for the evening.

Artists usually set up around the perimeter of the Square to sell their work. Jewelry, seashells, photographs, paintings, and sometimes CDs and books seem to be the regular items for sale.

People gather, it seems by the hundreds, but the main attraction is the sun lowering itself slowly into the gulf. Many discuss, but few have seen the spectacular “Green Flash” as the last edge of the sun disappears from sight. The atmospheric conditions must be just right for this elusive occurrence.

When you visit Key West, be sure to put the Sunset Celebration on your to-do list. Just be sure to bring several “ones” with you.