Days of Yesteryear

This has been a tiring week. Came down with pneumonia so my time has been spent doing a LOT of laying around. I'll worry about the financial consequences of missing so much work later. Rest is really the only way to get over it. That and a nice homemade chicken soup simmering with overdose amounts of garlic and every vegetable imaginable. And I even bought orange juice. (Not for the soup)

Certainly not crazy about the doctors' lecture about not smoking but am putting out a good effort on my part about that since I know how right he is. Blah..blah..blah..is about the most I remember of the conversation, though :)~

Enough about me.. this picture was brought to mind after laying around, watching old tv shows forgotten about but the episodes are so familiar! Wondering if the last time I saw them was from one of the many days staying home from school from being sick. Quite the dejevu moment here and there!

Anyway...it brought to mind a memory of a little old lady I used to clean house for. She was quite the character and lived alone. I cleaned house for her and she never minded a bit when one of the kids had to come with me (usually from staying home from school sick). She really enjoyed the company and eventually she opened up story after story of her past that one would never know by looking at her.

She had been engaged to a leader of a band, this being the "big band era," and the nightclub he played at was a very popular club in San Francisco that many stars from Hollywood would escape to on the weekends. She was quite the "hottie" back then and by her pictures fit in very well on the scene. While her fiance played, she would dine in the kitchen with Jimmy Durante, Phyllis Diller, and regularly hung out with Lucille Ball and Dezi Arnaz. She rattled off so many names that sounded familiar, though I can't remember the rest, it was a hot spot to be during the height of that era. Her eyes would light up as she talked about that time in her life, but still in a nonchallant kind of way like it was nothing at the time.

The band leader later became abusive. One night he came after her drunk and escaping up a flight of stairs she fought him off with the only weapon she had, her high heel shoe! Now heels in those days were pretty wicked and she used her good sense to resort to the only thing she had on hand. Very quick and smart thinking on her part! But that was only a small part in her stories, they weren't all bad and most were looked back in fondness.

She was a wonderful little lady and I always wondered what happened to her. So many like her out there ready to tell a story..if only someone would ask. Black and white photos are so fascinating to me, people...places..whatever. It's up to the viewer to fill in the color with their own imaginations, versions of interpretation, whether colored by an interpretor or your own imaginations.

Well, that's my thoughts for the day. I have some old Alfred Hitchcock movies and Twilight Zone episodes I haven't seen in a while. First...finish up that soup..then back on the couch.

Have a great day!
Sandy

Being a Tough Girl

Well this weekend was absolutely wonderful!

My one weekend a month started out getting a pay raise that I wasn't expecting. Woo Hoo! But the list in my head of things to do didn't completely get accomplished but good things were completed none the less.

Cassie's best friend, Heather, whom she met in boot camp and went on to join her in Florida for schooling, was stationed in Oklahoma City at Tinker AFB. She turned down a chance at being stationed in Hawaii to be near Cassie. So the least I could do was go pick her up and show her a better side of Oklahoma before she wondered "What was I thinking?"

She's a sweet girl, we had lunch, went shopping, then off to my house to meet Bambi and go walk in the woods. She seemed to really like it and LOVED Bambi (how could she not?) then Amber and Camaron came later to pick her up and take her to his house to hang out and enjoy the hot tub, etc...

They'll be taking her back this evening on their way back to his job and place nearby for the next workweek.

Meanwhile....back at the ranch... :)~

Back to my original subject.. being a tough girl. I'm always bragging about my kids...ALL of them... I wish I would have done HALF the things my kids have done but, no, I've opted to stand back and be the supportive one.

It was a big wake up call when my son went off to the Army. I was not going to have a "man around the house" anymore. Okay, fine...the shock and realization that I was really on my own really hit home then. That was dealt with and going to see him with the girls on that fantastic road trip was like a revelation that, "Oh yeah, us girls will do just fine!"

"Chicks Rule!" is what the little magnet on the refrigerator says..

Amber has already proven herself, going off to a university and earning her degree in business. Her carrying Randy and me through the hard time years of divorce was something I will never forget. I'm so glad she's back at home, being the strong one like she's been since she showed signs of being the "other mother" as a toddler.

Seeing how strong my kids can be... and so proud of the fact that I had a hand in them turning out so well...

I wonder, sometimes... how the hell I came to be such a not so tough girl?

The things they've done, the amazingly strong people they've come across and learned from... (and at times, the people they've learned NOT to attach themselves to.) Then, in their strength, learned to grow from that experience...

My kids, all three of them, have turned out to be the most respected and admired individuals in my lifetime that I can possibly revere. I cannot possibly attain the accomplishments my kids have achieved.

I might try to portray a "tough girl" image at times, but in my heart I know I'm no where near being what my kids have become. That's really good enough for me though.

But sometimes... I don't feel like such a tough girl...

A nice hug from Bambi sure makes me feel good though....

And knowing the kids are all set in the place they need to be at the moment is a good feeling..

Sandy

Glorious Sunshine!

The last couple of days have been nice enough after work to get out and actually enjoy the weather. Darla and Bambi were excited to get out walking again too. Darla still thinks of herself as the mom that needs to groom Bambi, or she was giving her a big kiss, I'm not sure which.

Work has been too hectic and busy lately so after getting home I grabbed a fishing pole and headed for one of the ponds, immediately followed by a prancing and bucking cow, Darla and a herd of puppies bravely trying to tag along. Most of the puppies retreated before getting that far though.

Bambi was playfully tossing her head, running around me like a little puppy then lovingly leaned against me for a good scratching and hugs. I love having such a tame cow! As we walk she'll nudge me from behind trying to hurry me up. She wouldn't leave the fishing chair alone and after knocking it over several times scratching her head on it, I gave up trying to keep my beer in the cup holder.

She followed me all along the banks as cast after cast only came up with moss on the lure. The water was completely still except for my half attempts at fishing so this just wasn't a day they were biting. I was just content enjoying a sunny, almost warm winter day for a change. And the company of course. The hawks that have been hanging out were keeping their distance. Cardinals are getting thicker as spring approaches though they haven't found the new bird feeder. Though it seems to be Sharon's favorite place to sit.

Wild onions are coming up all around and the grass is trying to in between snowstorms. Hopefully spring will be here soon. The drawback is that is the busiest time at work but that's okay. Makes the days go by faster. Speaking of work, time to get to it again. Amber just got here and will spend the week with me. It will be nice. Randall is back to trying to get divorce proceedings going with his wife. He's finally figuring out she likes the freedom to play around and having someone to take care of her at the same time. Cassie has been quiet since she's started classes in Florida but she'll be home soon. By then the boys next door will be out and hopefully Amber, Camaron can share the place with Cassie. It will be good to have the kids close again. It's been awfully quiet here lately.

Well, hope everyone has a good day!

Puppies big and small

There's never too many shots of Bambi, of course. And being that she thinks she's a puppy still, well, it was only fitting that she not be left out.

Amber and I went walking the other day and she was so excited following us, bucked and tossed her head, ran in between us, getting ahead, then falling back, being playful the whole time. I could tell she made Amber nervous, acting like she could throw us out of her way if she had a mind to, but instinctively being gentle at the last minute. A little scolding now and then settled her down. She just thinks she's a big ol' puppy but I can't help thinking she looks like that big old killer whale that turned on its' trainer in Orlando. Respect is deserving of an animal that large that doesn't know its own strength or its size, or intentions.

Then there's Darla's puppies. Cute as can be and one has already found a home. Amber and Camaron have also decided to keep Petey, the beige one. The hawks that have been hanging around lately seem to be scoping out their favorites as well, though they've kept their distance. (Maybe they're looking at the chicken coop.)

The fluffy one with his tongue hanging out has been visiting inside lately. He's been nice company for me and I named him "Bear." He's been nice to visit with after work when all's quiet after coming home. It's been a long week so I'll indulge myself until they all find homes.

Tomorrow I'm off and another snow storm is rolling in (oh joy) but Amber will be coming over and we'll get some business taken care of. She'll finally get a phone and we'll get Cassie her own phone too. Amber's getting excited about growing a garden this year. I think it will be a good one. Maybe it will take this time with a little help and someone to to give me some incentive.

Well, eating some dinner, watch some olympics then off to bed. Hope you all have a good night!

Sandy

Natural Selection

This weekend was nice to have off and though Sunday was a snowy, cold day, Saturday turned out to be a good day to get out.

Amber and Camaron were here most of the weekend and they were looking forward to fishing and a nice barbeque grill dinner. They each caught a bass, Ambers was 2 1/2 lbs, Camarons was 2 lbs, and added to the future fish fry when more are caught.

But while they were fishing I went walking. It was so nice to get out again in the sunshine after so many cold and snowy days this winter. It was almost springlike. Darla went everywhere with me. Bambi was busy trying to chew on fishing tackle, fishing poles...I even caught her with a beer and cold cup completely in her mouth! She almost got away with it if Camaron hadn't stopped her! Silly cow...

Going walking with Darla we set off in the woods near the pond. Bambi came running through the brush catching up to us after Amber chased her away from the fishing tackle again. So off we went, like in days past, the dog and the cow fighting over who leads the way.

I'm always on the hunt for feathers but that day I came across an odd sight. An old tree was just covered in scattered feathers, large ones. Bambi went right to it standing in the middle, sniffing..nuzzling the ground and the odd smell of the scene.

Something had killed a red tail hawk, a large full grown one and picked it clean leaving the carcass of bones still in the tree. I thought at first maybe someone had shot it the way the feathers looked like leftovers from a scattering explosion. But it was too clean for that. What was left behind was cleanly and meticulously picked over. A large cat would've been messier.

No, this was done by another predatory bird, one bigger and stronger than the victim of circumstance I had found. There was that sighting of an eagle weeks ago... Or maybe an owl, which is bigger than a red tail hawk.. Or maybe it was another male, fighting over territory, and one lost. There have been quite a few hawks around and even a younger one. Maybe the nesting family had some neighborly disputes... It's prime territory after all, a chicken coop nearby, puppies that look absolutely delicious to a hawk, and of course, a friendly cow.

Whatever happened, it was natural selection as nature should be. I collected feathers and the claws are left intact so maybe when those dry out I can make a necklace or something out of them. Discreetly of course, it's a protected bird no matter that it died naturally.

There's nothing wrong in how it died even though the trauma of the fight that ensued was quite evident. It was out of the ordinary but not at all unnatural. It's the natural order of things that the strong survive, the weaker lose so nature can keep the breeding pool that's left to incorporate the best qualities for future generations survival. In other words...shit happens.

In contrast to all of this, the next day I watched a program on PBS about a wildlife hunting "refuge" (but refuge isn't the word..) . It called itself "Green" in that people were allowed to go and hunt many different animals with either sedating dart guns, or arrows with sedation on the tips. What they "kill" can be posed with, pictures taken with, then doctored back up (hopefully) and set free to be "killed" again! To me that just seems completely wrong! They argued it was like "catch and release" in fishing. Technically, yes... but being set up, over and over to endure that seems like a barbaric form of refining the sport of killing to suit the masses.

Wild game that feeds a family is one thing, but i think that is carrying the sport a bit too far.

I like to think that the hawk that died fought proudly and fiercely (and from the looks of it he did) but at least had the fighting chance.

The Endless Winter

The subject lately always comes back to winter. Yes it is winter but enough already! We've had enough ice and snow out here to let the novelty wear off.

At least this has all melted off by now, thank goodness. The puppies are not pupsicles, the chickens are not frozen roosting in their little wading pool, Bambi has enough hay to last until spring weather starts the new grass growing again... the snow has melted for now.

They're saying this year is the most snowfall EVER for Oklahoma. It's supposed to be thanks to El Nino but why throw blame around? Shit happens and you just get over it. Move on and take some nice pictures of it all.

There was a 7 ft icicle hanging from the roof for days and one late night I came home from work, feeding Darla on the back porch and it suddenly crashed to the ground! I screamed, Darla caught between me and the icicle barked like it was a monster intruder! She was such a good watch dog and earned a nice supper for standing her ground.

I've been surviving. Missed a couple of days work with the last storm not being able to get out of the driveway. The last storm happened on my days off so the timing was perfect. The news said tonight there are still thousands of people out of power from that storm two weeks ago. That means, unless you have a fireplace, woodstove or gas heat, there's no heat. And most rural areas rely on electricity for their well. Can you imagine losing water and heat for 2 weeks straight? Families with children are really catching the brunt of it. But at least it looks like we're coming to the tail end of things.

After work today I filled up the wood box (I have a woodstove and plenty of trees around the property), fed chickens, cow (spoiled thing that she is), dog, puppies, cats..then to relax. There's still containers of water filled in case the power goes out.

But my days off are Saturday and Sunday! In Oklahoma City on Saturday is a Chinese New Year Celebration I'm planning to see! I saw one in San Francisco back in high school that was awesome! It was in Chinatown and they lit a huge rope of firecrackers from a second story building! There was a train of dancers dressed as a dragon, drums, music, it was awesome! The restraunts and shops were amazing! San Francisco is one of the best places to see if you ever get the chance!

Well, now there's some nice things to look forward too. I'm sure when the heat of summer comes we'll be whining then too! Have a great day!

Sandy

Moonbow Tonight

Tonights moonbow forecasts a storm brewing on the horizon.

I worked until after 10 tonight getting ready for corporate hot shots to come. Then tomorrow I will be back at work at 6:15 am. When they come you'd think god is coming to visit so everything has to be perfect. But right now the customers are more like preparing for the second biggest storm of the winter.

Generators sold out tonight and by tomorrow ice melt, salt and sand will go next.

I'm prepared though. Got a good load of firewood to heat the place, plenty of food, gassed up the car, a fancy new lantern/flashlight and batteries in case the power goes out, I'm all set. I'll be off just before the storm hits Thursday afternoon then off Friday to sit it out. I have a good book, taxes to do if I'm that ambitious, and plenty of animals to take care of to occupy the time. The puppies have their eyes open now and Darla's wanting to spend more time with me rather than the puppies. Hopefully Amber and Cameron will be safe and secure before the storm sets in.

Heading off to bed soon, sleep just doesn't come as willingly as it used to.

But there's always Friday..

Have a great day!

Sandy