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Disaster averted!

noreply@blogger.com (Dave) — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 09:28:00 +0000

Howdy,

I was working online when my wife Janice let out a loud scream. It was the type of scream that "I'm scared and WTF!!!" I was upstairs in the computer room and she was downstairs. I immediately did what any husband would do, I yelled downstairs, "Are you alright?" No immediate answer. I ran downstairs...

Bubba was staring intently at the door while my wife said haltingly, "There's a skunk in the basement!" I replied like any good husband would, testing her to see if she was fooling, "Yeah, right". I turned to walk away and Bubba was still at the door and the two bengal cats we have were now joining him.

"What if there IS a skunk" I thought to myself.

Well, if there is, then it's not going to like Bubba and two cats fishing around under the door. I cleared the area.

My wife got on the phone with a friend, the conversation went something like this: "Hi, do you have a trap for a skunk? Uh-huh, a skunk in our basement, I just opened the door and there it was!"

Now, I'm no expert, but you only get one chance of getting it right, and if you don't then you're not going to be in the house for a month. She said to her friend, "Great, can you bring it right over? We'll put some tuna in it, and when we trap it, we'll just take it out of the basement."

Now, I'm thinking it's going to be like carrying a bomb, one wrong move and POW...you're out of the house for a month. I said something like this to her, "What are you CRAZY? What if the thing goes off and sprays me and the house?"

I ran back upstairs and did the only thing any sane man would do, I called an expert, Dave Sparks. You see, Dave understands skunks. He's taken over 100 of them out of houses and he's only been sprayed 7 times. That's a pretty good average when playing with Mother Nature's C-4.

He came right over and pulled into the driveway. I was never so happy to see someone:

Dave got out of the truck and explained what he was going to do. "I'll go down into the cellar, find the skunk and sedate him." WHAT?! How?!

He went into the cellar and I followed his light as it faded into the darkness. Nothing...but I was waiting for him to mutter "Sh*t"....out of the house for 30 days. But that didn't happen.

Dave came up and asked for a trash barrel so the skunk would have a place to run and hide and THEN he could administer the anesthesia. Back down he went. I could see the flashlight fade into the darkness again, but this time, he laid it down. WTF? No noise, no falling objects, no man running toward the door. Only eerie silence. Then the light was picked up and started coming towards me....RUN....no wait.

Dave climbed out of the cellar and in his hand was this:

Thank you DAVE!!!

The cold got to Dave

noreply@blogger.com (Dave) — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 10:19:00 +0000

Finally....it's cold enough in our studio for Dave to wear a hoodie. Just took this picture this morning......

The latest invention

noreply@blogger.com (Dave) — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 10:35:00 +0000

Here it is! What is it?

We talked about it this morning.

Dave

ps. It's the new FAN from Dyson. The same people who brought us the vacuum that rolls around on a ball. Pretty cool, huh?

This has gone too far!

noreply@blogger.com (Dave) — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 13:08:00 +0000

It is cute however.

This whole Shania Twain video is weird!

noreply@blogger.com (Dave) — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 14:03:00 +0000

You know that Shania and her husband Mutt divorced because Mutt was involved with the maid. Now Shania is leaning on the maid's former husband for support. THAT is too close for comfort for me. She's also posted a video of her life and what she's been doing lately....all filmed by the maid's former husband. They seem to really hit it off.

Go here for the video...

http://www.shaniatwain.com/

Scroll down to the bottom of the page.

Dave

Being a farmer isn't easy...

noreply@blogger.com (Dave) — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 14:18:00 +0000

Here's the hay elevator. Who knew such a thing existed?!

when you have to feed animals hay all year round. Now some of you "REAL" farmers will snicker at this, but it's hard work! If you're not a farmer, you'll never know the beauty of throwing 300 "idiot bricks" around. Here's a photo of the trailer loaded with idiot bricks!

It's SO COLD in our studio this morning

noreply@blogger.com (Dave) — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 10:35:00 +0000

...that Michelle is wearing TWO sweatshirts, and both are not on top.

Skirting Table with Fleece on it.

noreply@blogger.com (Dave) — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 10:37:00 +0000

The table is 4' X 8' and is collapsible. It opens up and sets upon two sets of saw horses.

By the way, that is ONE fleece on that table. My wife is cleaning up the fleece and it will be sent to be processed into roving.

Back from Vacation!

noreply@blogger.com (Dave) — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 13:50:00 +0000

Wow. I need to be back at the station to avoid doing more hard labor. Don't get me wrong, we work here, but not with shovels and hammers. It was hot and humid. I built a "skirting table" for my wife. I'll take some pictures. OH, almost forgot, I saw this too:

Blue Sky! Amazing. Then, in a instant it was gone.

Dave

One year later...

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle) — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 14:27:00 +0000

Sunday, July 12th, 2009 marked one year of marriage to my husband, Dana. Time flies when you're having fun!! It wasn't necessarily the most romantic of days for us. We have been expecting company from Texas and had a major project of remodeling our master bedroom, and the deadline in getting ourselves out of the guest bedroom and finishing our room in time for guests and new bedroom furniture was quickly approaching. Our anniversary saw us wearing old t-shirts and raggedy shorts while we finished sanding and painting our room. But, we did it together and actually had some fun working on a project by ourselves and playing while we did it.

We also managed to take a break at the end of the day to pull our wedding cake out of the fridge to share a traditional moment of eating a piece of your wedding cake on the one year anniversary of your wedding. My girlfriend had packed it up quite nicely last year, and my sister had it stored in her freezer all this time. We let it thaw in our fridge over the weekend, and carefully unpacked it to see what we would be encountering. It certainly didn't have the beautiful look it had on my wedding day, and despite looking a little messy, it smelled good. We cut into it, and it didn't look bad at all. We sliced a couple of pieces and placed them onto a couple of plates, stuck our forks into our pieces and fed them to each other...Phew! Besides being slightly dry, the cake tasted fine...Yay! Success!

One year down...life to go...and looking forward to every minute of it!!

I wish I could sleep like this!

noreply@blogger.com (Dave) — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 13:22:00 +0000

This is Mowgli, one of our cats. That is my recliner. He seems to like sleeping in it. I do too, but I don't look as comfortable as he does.

5 things to get you uncluttered!

noreply@blogger.com (Dave) — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 14:15:00 +0000

1. Define your vision

In her new book When Organizing Isn't Enough, SHED your Stuff, Change Your Life, Morgenstern advises people looking to declutter to come up with a theme. "No one lets go without reaching for something else," she says. "You need to come up with a theme for the next phase of your life. Giving a name to what you want to do or feel or express will help dislodge you from your current state of stagnancy." Some common themes are creating a nurturing home, striving for career excellence, and focusing on self-expression and enrichment. Walsh agrees. "If you focus on the stuff, you will never ever get organized," says Walsh, author of the bestselling It's All Too Much: An Easy Plan for Living a Richer Life with Less Stuff. "The starting point has to be, 'What is the vision you have for the life you want?,'" he says. "Then you're in a position to ask, 'What do I need for this space?"

2. Define the clutter

Once you have your vision or theme, separating the treasures from trash should be a little easier. Ask yourself: does this item help me get there? What doesn't fit gets purged. Morgenstern emphasizes that clutter doesn't have to be messy. "A perfectly organized closet or drawer is clutter if it is filled with clothes that you haven't worn for years," she says. And clutter doesn't have to be made of stuff. "It can be any obsolete object, space, commitment or behavior that weighs you down or distracts you or saps your energy," she says. "It can be bad habits that take up too much time."

3. Start small

Purging can be very emotional. "It's a big mistake to dismiss clutter as junk," says Morgenstern. "These piles are things that were once important to you, to who you once were or who you wanted to be." To help ease you into the process, she suggests starting in the room you are least attached to. If books are your great love—and clutter weakness—don't start your purging project by the bookcases. Move to a less emotional area, like the kitchen or hall closet. Once you are successful in those parts of the house, it may be easier to tackle the rest. "And be ready for the panic," she warns. Every once in a while you will be overcome with thoughts of "what if I really need that later?" If that happens, just take a deep breath, remember your goal and keep going. "Keep in mind that if you aren't careful, what you own will end up owning you," says Walsh.

4. Let your good riddance help others

It might not be as difficult to say goodbye to your belongings if you're giving them to organizations that can really use them. For instance, those books that are gathering dust in your home could be page-turners at a library, school or senior-citizen center. And those skinny clothes that you'll probably never fit into again could be doing a whole lot more than making you feel bad; take them to a charity shop or shelter.

5. Examine all aspects of your life for clutter

Morgenstern points out that poor uses of time, outdated commitments and bad habits can all be defined as clutter and are worthy of purging. Walsh makes the case for a strong mind-home-body connection in his latest bestseller, Does This Clutter Make My Butt Look Fat? "If you think about it, the reasons why a lot of people buy stuff are exactly the same reasons why a lot of people run out and eat inappropriate food—to make themselves feel better," he says. "The parallels are amazing. Our homes, heads and hips are connected." At the end of the day, experts agree that there are many different types of clutter, and they all rob us of peace and harmony. So look at the vision that you have for your life and then ask does keeping this item — whether it be a chair, vase or eclair — help me get there.

I feel like I shouldn't be surprised, but yet, I am still shocked...

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle) — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 14:00:00 +0000

Regardless, of what many people may think of Michael Jackson and the strange, eccentric life he lead that was definitely filled with much controversy and scandal, I can't deny that he was a huge part of my childhood who influenced my taste in music as I was growing up in the 80's. I remember fondly, how I asked my parents for the "Thriller" album for my 11th birthday in February of 1983. My sister and I used to listen to it religiously on our turntable stereo in the living room and sing and dance to all of the songs...We had them all memorized!! The first full-size poster I ever had was of Michael wearing white pants, a white shirt and a light yellow vest, and he had his hands in his pockets. My sister and I shared a room, and the poster was hung on the wall between our 2 dressers and right over our TV. We even wore one white glove to school occasionally with whatever outfit we were wearing that day. Our dad was a police officer, and he had given us each of pair of white gloves that he would use to direct traffic. I even had the Michael Jackson doll...the one in which he is wearing the "Beat It" outfit. I am a product of the MTV generation and used to love watching his videos...in fact, it was an event, when the "Thriller" video made its premiere. A whole group of us gathered at a friend's house to watch it for the first time...I thought it was scary. And, I also will never forget when we had our 6th grade dance, and one of the highlights of that evening was when we had the moonwalking contest...I did not win, by the way.

It did seem that as his look and lifestyle changed in the post "Thriller" days, he seemed to lead a sad and troubled life, and no doubt, had an incredibly dysfunctional childhood, but I will always remember him for what he was to me in my growing years...which was the King of Pop. I now understand what it was like for my parents when it was announced that Elvis Presley died. I do feel strangely sad today, and I think I will go dust off my "Thriller" album now and give her a spin.

RIP, Michael Jackson.

I had no idea!

noreply@blogger.com (Dave) — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 12:01:00 +0000

I didn't even know this business existed, until I drove to Boothbay Harbor yesterday. When did I open this?

Recipe for Viagra

noreply@blogger.com (Dave) — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 09:52:00 +0000

Howdy,

Found this on the internet. Must be true, right?

3% Vitamin E
2% Aspirin
2% Ibuprofen
1% Vitamin C
5% Spray Starch
87% Fix-A-Flat

See, you can make it too!

Groundhogs and turtles and robins...Oh My!

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle) — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 21:18:00 +0000

So my backyard is quickly becoming Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom before my very eyes. Let me start by saying that I have no pets and never had a pet growing up either. When my husband and I first moved into our house, I was very excited about the concept of living in a somewhat wooded and private area, but yet, not too far from neighbors and civilization in general...I am not a boonies kind of gal. The thought of seeing the occasional deer or two grazing in my backyard, got me really jazzed. So, here we are almost 2 years later, and I have yet to see the deer. That does not mean we haven't had wildlife...just not exactly what I expected or even signed on for. The red-breasted robin comes to mind, for instance. A robin sounds harmless enough, until you are sitting in your living room one afternoon and you hear a non-stop tapping at your back French door. When you go to check it out, you see a crazed robin spastically attacking the door with its beak. It comes back daily for over a week, continually attacking the door, and all the while leaving its beak saliva marks on the door and its robin droppings on my porch and steps. A real live Alfred Hitchcock movie is unfolding before my eyes! Apparently, the male robin is marking its territory and seeing a reflection of itself in my door and sees competition for him with the ladies. I hope the robin has found a mate and moved on already...It really is a creepy thing to see.

Speaking of creepy, 2 weeks ago I was backing into my driveway one Saturday afternoon and noticed my husband sitting on our deck outside the kitchen watching back the car up. I got out of the car, and he asked, "Did you see it?" I didn't know what he was talking about. He asked me to follow him to the end of the driveway so he could show me the turtle that was burrowing a hole in the ground. We had to get a picture. Neither one of us wanted to pick it up, but we were concerned that a car would come flying down our street and run it over. We did not want to witness the murder, so we took a couple of pictures, and I gave it a little nudge with my foot toward our little gully and that was the last we saw of the turtle. Check out the picture...they are so prehistoric-looking! I am baffled that something like that can live here in the warm, tropical state of Maine. It must have taken a wrong turn somewhere.

The latest development takes the cake for me. Since we have lived here, we have noticed a groundhog who comes out and walks around our backyard daily. We have found 3 holes out along the edge of our yard where it meets the woods. These holes are where the groundhog heads for a quick escape whenever we step outside or we pull into the driveway. No doubt, it has made a cozy home for itself somewhere underground in those holes. This past April, I noticed the groundhog for the first time since it has come out of hibernation this season...looking a little thinner and obviously hungry. It has been no big deal for me to just be used to our little backyard "pet." Yesterday, I was absolutely floored, however. I discovered that the groundhog is a woman!! That discovery came when I was at my kitchen window rinsing something in the sink and saw the groundhog sitting on our stone wall in the yard, and there was a small group of "mini-me" fur ball groundhogs hanging around their mama and walking around my yard! Oh, there's 1...wait, 2...and 3-4-5. I can't believe...Oh, no...there is a 6th one! Holy infestation!! I have to admit that I have been mesmerized. They are just as adorable as can be. I have been sneaking photos when I can. But, now what do I do?! So far, no harm has been done, but how long can that go on. I cannot shoot or take a shovel to them...I can't even "whack a mole" at the carnival!! A "Have a Heart" trap is a possibility, but that could take a long time.

I guess I will just have to let nature run its course and embrace the wildlife around me. I'll forget about the vegetable garden this year, I guess. I have to go now...It's time to go try and spot a deer!

A different kind of swing

noreply@blogger.com (Dave) — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 10:09:00 +0000

How about this for ingenuity? Did I speel that right??

Sheep Shearing....

noreply@blogger.com (Dave) — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 09:13:00 +0000

It's always fun to spend the morning with Roger Link Sr and Roger Jr when they come to the farm to shear the sheep. The really weird thing about it, is that sheep don't recognize each other after they have the wool removed. Really! They all start to butt heads and establish a pecking order.
Imagine if we did the same thing each time we got a haircut! That would be wild.

Dave

How to be "Happy" in no time...

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle) — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 13:32:00 +0000

We all deserve to be happy, and it certainly has been difficult to remember that...especially this past year, while the economy has been doing a number on us. If you forgot how to be happy, then here are 9 ways to "get happy" in just 30 minutes time. I love how simple and quick these ideas really are...and I have tried almost all of them, and they work. Thanks to Real Simple magazine for the list!

1. Raise your activity level to pump up your energy. If you're on the phone, stand up and pace. Walk to a coworker's office instead of sending an e-mail. Put more energy into your voice. Take a brisk 10-minute walk. Even better...

2. Take a walk outside. Research suggests that light stimulates brain chemicals that improve mood. For an extra boost, get your sunlight first thing in the morning. Find the best walking workout for your exercise style.

3. Reach out. Send an e-mail to a friend you haven't seen in a while, or reach out to someone new. Having close bonds with other people is one of the most important keys to happiness. When you act in a friendly way, not only will others feel more friendly toward you, but you'll also strengthen your feelings of friendliness for other people.

4. Rid yourself of a nagging task. Deal with that insurance problem, purchase something you need, or make that long-postponed appointment with the dentist. Crossing an irksome chore off your to-do list will give you a rush of elation.

5. Create a more serene environment. Outer order contributes to inner peace, so spend some time organizing bills and tackling the piles in the kitchen. A large stack of little tasks can feel overwhelming, but often just a few minutes of work can make a sizable dent. Set the timer for 10 minutes and see what you can do. In that time, take a quick look around the house and see how to get organized using everyday items.

6. Do a good deed. Introduce two people by e-mail, take a minute to pass along useful information, or deliver some gratifying praise. In fact, you can also...

7. Save someone's life. Sign up to be an organ donor, and remember to tell your family about your decision. Do good, feel good―it really works!

8. Act happy. Fake it 'til you feel it. Research shows that even an artificially induced smile boosts your mood. And if you're smiling, other people will perceive you as being friendlier and more approachable. There's no need to walk around in a constant state of worry. After all, what's the worst that can happen if you bounce a check or leave wet clothes in the dryer?

9. Learn something new. Think of a subject that you wish you knew more about and spend 15 minutes on the Internet reading about it, or go to a bookstore and buy a book about it. But be honest! Pick a topic that really interests you, not something you think you "should" or "need to" learn about.

Buy me some peanuts and Cracker Jack...

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle) — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 14:20:00 +0000

The boys of summer are back!! Baseball's opening day is always the sure cure for my seasonal winter depression!! I am a Red Sox girl at heart, and I have a weakness for Josh Beckett and his pitching, and I'm psyched that he is the ace for Game 1 as they face the Tampa Bay Rays. So, I am off to the grocery store to buy the supplies! Peanuts in the shell will be on the menu today, and I will be grilling up some sausage, peppers and onions and a cold beverage of some type to wash it all down. Play ball!!

Alright, so the grilled sausage will have to wait because as I write this, word just came in that the home opener will be postponed until tomorrow afternoon at 4:05pm with Josh still on the mound. Darn that Mother Nature and her buckets of rain. Alrighty, then...one more day of seasonal winter depression for me and then...PLAY BALL...tomorrow

NOT my kind of petting zoo!

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle) — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 13:30:00 +0000

When I was a child, we would occasionally visit a zoo during a summer vacation. I remember how zoo visitors could walk into the "petting zoo" part of the zoo where there might be some goats or sheep milling about for you to feed. You could put a quarter in one of those old gumball-type of machines and get a handful of pellets to feed the farm animals. As soon as the goats heard the sound of the food machine cranking when you turned the crank, they all came running over to you. They would surround you and get their mouths up near your hands to try and get the food first. This would freak me out. It scared the poop out of me, and I would always get scared and teary-eyed. I bolted for the nearest exit, and that would be that.So, if goats freak me out, how about The Lujan Zoo in Buenos Aires, Argentina? Here, they let you touch, feed and even ride some of the most dangerous animals in the world. And it only costs $7 to risk your life!Are you kidding me with this? I just don't know if I could build up the courage to get THAT close to a lion, tiger or cheetah...and I don't care if they are chained to something. I know one thing, if some people do feel that they want to take that chance, that is one thing, but have the sense to NOT put your child in harm's way! Who would possibly allow their child to hold a piece of food and handfeed a grizzly bear?! Some may think I'm a wimp! I've seen too many clips of Roy Horn after his tiger attack, and even this past week's "Amazing Race" episode kind of freaked me out a bit. In the episode, each of the contestants had to pose with a tiger as part of their challenge. The tiger handler had ONE ARM!! Need I say more?!

Suddenly those goats don't sound so scary afterall...

Massive freakin' burger

noreply@blogger.com (Dave) — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 09:53:00 +0000

Would you eat this?

The least they could do is offer Tums, etc.

Kellie Pickler is changing her look.

noreply@blogger.com (Dave) — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 14:43:00 +0000

And I don't think it's for the better. Here is her latest photo:

Dang. She looked so fresh and radiant in the picture from '07. Now, her eyes look all weird.

Too bad.

What do you think?

Dave

Here it is....

noreply@blogger.com (Dave) — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 12:40:00 +0000

The Couch Dress.....

Sex Change Cat

noreply@blogger.com (Dave) — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 16:28:00 +0000

There comes a time in a pet's life that a drastic action has to be taken. In order for Meeko (boy) to remain alive he had an operation that, in effect made his a girl cat (well, not quite) but he lost some plumbing.

He seems, sorry, she seems.....that doesn't sound right either. Meeko seems to be doing better. He is my daughter's first pet and she really is taking good care of him...erm...it.

Dave