Louisiana Town

OBSERVATIONS...

noreply@blogger.com (Mary Nell) — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 15:22:00 +0000

Heidy-Ho, Blogging Pals! Hope your New Year is going well so far!

So... the local newpaper sent out notices a while back indicating they would no longer be publishing five days a week (T/W/H/F/Su). They would be publishing three days each week (W/F/Su). I was aware of this due to the fact I maintain my aunt's mail and it was her subscription referenced. I do not subscribe. While it is likely true there really wasn't enough newsworthy material to justify five days, I was at least able to justify the newspaper's name... Beauregard Daily News. After the notice arrived, my mind wandered one day questioning whether two things would change; the subscription cost and/or the name. I knew the answer without actually posing the question... but I gave things time to happen anyway.

I will tell you now that the subscription cost did NOT change so what used to pay for 260 newspapers now pays only for 156 newspapers. If you do the reverse math, that is a substantial increase... seems that I would now be paying 67% more on a per paper basis. WOW! Imagine if everything increased 67%!! Your $600/month rent would now take $1,002 out of your pocket. That $30,000 vehicle... well, it's going to take $50,100 from your checkbook. I guess since it's not a huge amount, folks don't really think about it much. I do.

Well, Mary Nell, you ask... has the size of and information provided in the new 3-day-a-week paper increased? That, of course, should justify at least SOME of the 67% increase, right? Uh... No. The paper received on any given day is essentially the same as the paper received on any given day when it was offered five days a week. I'm not getting any "increase" for the increased cost. I gave it time and checked it out.

Okay. The subscription cost is a lost cause. What about that name? That has not changed either. (Are you surprised?) This led me to that analytical/research moment desiring to find whether a 3-day-a-week newspaper could/should be called "Daily." Missouri statutes seem to require 5 days with some exception to 4 days when there is a holiday involved. Idaho seems to agree with Missouri. My breakdown of terms, checked on Merriam-Webster Online, provides a very succinct definition of "daily", even using "daily newspaper" as an example!!

Now... in all fairness, I did find a few studies (not government statutes, mind you... just studies) where "daily newspaper" was expanded to include as few as 2-day-a-week newspapers. I'm guessing they just wanted to increase their study size and that was one way to easily do it.

That's it on the newspaper. The reason I thought of it was a front-page story (with photo!) I saw at my aunt's the other day. Reading the story just brought me to rolling laughter and the question, "How on Earth could that happen?"

There is a State Highway here that is two-lane, full-shoulder, with a 55 mph speed limit. There is a railroad track crossing that highway. The track is not heavily used as it is a spur leading to the paper mill here so the odds of encountering a train on the track are very, very low. While the crossing does not have the crossing bars typically found, it does have elevated, large print with flashing lights, signage stretching across the highway clearly indicating the very few times there is actually a train using those tracks. If you are driving on the highway, which is nothing but pure FLAT for 25 miles in either direction, you cannot miss the huge flashing red lights far ahead on the road. This begs the question of how the 18-wheeler driver could have been crossing the tracks when the train was there? An even larger question would be whether or not the driver saw the train? The biggest question of all (and really my favorite) is how the driver managed to get the cab of his truck across the tracks but wasn't able to get the trailer across before being backed into by the train's caboose?!?!?!?!? Are you kidding me?!?!?!?!? Yep. The photo showed the trailer, rather substantially dented and shoved aside, along with the caboose, now derailed and requiring some substantial assistance to be placed back on the tracks. The story relayed the extended period of time during which the highway had to be closed in order to get equipment in from far, far away to accomplish that very thing. But my favorite tidbit in the story was that the conductor of the train estimated the train to have been moving at 8 miles per hour at impact. I wish I had been the customer service representative taking that claim report for the 18-wheeler's insurance company. Clearly no one was hurt or I would not treat this so lightly. I am glad about that.

Just felt the need to share this with you, my blogging pals. These are my observations.

Until next post...

A NEW YEAR? ALREADY?

noreply@blogger.com (Mary Nell) — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 17:52:00 +0000

Heidy-Ho, Blogger Pals. I see I have been remiss in posting but hope you will forgive that since we have all been embroiled in the holidays.

It appears we are at the beginning of a new year. And it's a Presidential Election Year. Sigh. I prepare for the (already) continuous onslaught of campaign drivel and suggest that you do the same. It's going to be a bumpy ride.

So... while I have been derelict in posting, I have continued my morning walks and my appreciation of nature. A couple of lovely things to share:

A Bradford Pear Greets the Fall

The Turning of Leaves on a Foggy Fall Morning

There was not a lot of activity here during the month of December. That is not necessarily a bad thing! Odd that it seemed so busy with nothing to really show for it.

I caution you all about your driving and watching out for other drivers. I passed a newly-generated impromptu memorial on the street alongside the city park Friday morning. With all of the orange paint on the ground, I knew it wasn't good. Later that morning, I read in the paper about the 27-year old who was traveling on his motorcycle at a high rate of speed (the speed limit at that point is 25 mph), lost control, and lost his life. That same day, less than 2 hours later, I passed a minor rear-end collision being handled by the local law enforcement. Fortunately, no apparent injuries but some folks are not going to have a fun New Year. About 3 hours later, I passed yet a second minor collision being handled. Within 15 minutes of passing that (and only about 3 blocks away), I pulled up behind a pickup stopped at a stop sign. I watched in horror as it began making a left turn... while its right front corner hit the elderly gentleman on the bicycle that the pickup driver obviously did not see. I slammed my vehicle into "Park", hit the flasher button, grabbed my phone, and began bailing from my vehicle to see if medical assistance was going to be needed. Quite honestly, I could not imagine that it wouldn't! The pickup driver bailed even faster than I did, obviously quite shaken, and raced to the right front of his vehicle. I was surprised to see the elderly gentleman stand up, gather up the basket from his bicycle which had been torn from the bike, and walk it toward me on the street where I had stopped. I asked him if he wanted my name but he refused. He said he was alright. I somehow feel like he is going to have a very sore day and hope that is all. The driver of the pickup did speak with him and apparently tried to provide him with information but the elderly gentleman refused. So... I noted vehicle, license plate, party descriptions, date, time, etc., and went on with my business. The point here? WATCH WHAT YOU AND THE OTHER PARTY ARE DOING!!!! It is so easy, especially at a holiday season, to be distracted by the desire to be somewhere else. It's bad enough we have folks texting while driving (if I see you, I am going to BLARE my horn at you so be ready!). Remember that nothing is worth being hurt or hurting someone else, especially a call or text. Just be safe, please? I have a limited readership and I can't afford to lose you!!!

With all that said, I hope you all have a safe, healthy, and prosperous New Year. I look forward to seeing you or hearing from you during 2012.

Until next post...

EDJEWMACASHUN AND A WIRELESS UPDATE...

noreply@blogger.com (Mary Nell) — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 16:38:00 +0000

Heidy-Ho, Blogging Pals!! Hope all is well with you, your Thanksgiving was terrific, and you are on the fast track to complete whatever Holiday Shopping you feel compelled to do.

So... let's just imagine that somehow my name became involved in judging a literary competition... but only to the point of providing feedback on posters generated by high school students. The posters had a short list of criteria to follow. The competition was not so much the artistic portion but the overall success of said poster to spark interest in the book the generator had read. A little marketing competition, really.

So... let's just say there is NO likelihood I will ever be invited back to the school to do anything at all. I probably knew I should hold my tongue... but you all know how unlikely that is when I find something which I passionately believe should be pointed out. I let it rip. How is it that students arrive in a high school environment without the ability to read, follow instructions, spell (although I understand some have issue with doing so, HAVE SOMEONE CHECK YOUR WORK!), punctuate, or use some vague semblance of proper grammar? Oh... and when you misspell the author's name or the title of the book... there is no hope.

It's alright. I really don't think I could allow my blood pressure to reach that level again without risking a serious stroke.

A little update for those who have been following the fun and frivolity of the Smarter-Than-Me-Phone that has refused to function properly since October 22nd. After the day-before-Thanksgiving call when the young'un on the other end of the line ASSURED me the phone would function properly after his "fixes", I began to have hope. The Saturday follow-up call revealed the phone to be continuing to operate as promised. Could it be?!?!?!?

Nah. You all know better than that. *chuckle* I found myself on the phone again with the Warranty Department Monday afternoon, the 5th. Apparently my current Warranty Service Representative actually paid attention to the previous comments on the account. After only two very slight questions about the issue, the young lady stated she would be placing an order to replace the offending unit. Really?!?!? Finally?!?!? Hot-diggity-dog!!! You guys finally figured it out. I am right. It is the PHONE!!!

The less-than-stellar news here... they are sending me a "reconditioned" unit which I was assured would not have a single mark on it. Great. I'm getting someone else's problem that you guys believe you have "fixed." Terrific. Looking forward to that. Oh... and I was instructed to keep the back of my current phone along with the SIM card and the battery. Uh-Huh. So you are just sending the the "electronics" portion of the phone, right? Right. Fabulous. So... I paid $80 more than what this stupid thing runs today for an upgrade, it worked exactly one month and has been giving me grief for over six weeks, and you are going to send me a used, "reconditioned", may-have-even-had-the-same-problems-my-phone-is-having replacement? Oh... what a warm fuzzy feeling I am getting about this.

I will keep you all posted on how things work out with the replacement phone. I will not keep you posted on how the students do after leaving high school. You will know as you begin to encounter them in their places of employment where you have the misfortune of needing to deal with them. I wish you all the very best of luck and suggest you carry pencil and paper with you so you can draw what you need. Lord help us all.

Until next post...

CUSTOMER SERVICE - AN OXYMORON

noreply@blogger.com (Mary Nell) — Sun, 27 Nov 2011 15:02:00 +0000

Heidy-Ho, Blogging Buddies.

Well, it has been a bit since you heard from me. That might have been pleasant! But I have returned and am preparing a semi-rant for you to read. If you have ever had a problem with a cellular phone, you should be able to relate to this one.

So... on October 22nd, about 5-6 weeks after getting that new phone, I notice that when a friend sent me a photo via text, I was not able to receive it. Hmmmmm. Perhaps there is a simple setting on the Smarter-Than-Me-Phone that will fix that. The epic adventure with my wireless provider was about to begin. (Swelling music here.)

Customer Service Rep (all to be referred to as CSR from this point forward): Hmmm. Well, let's check a few settings. Oh yes, since you are not in your "home" area, you need to check that box. Let me send you a test photo. Get that? Great! Thank you for calling and drive through, please.

Things rocked along for a few days without issue... but then, no one tried to send me a photo. Until later.

CSR: Gosh, I'm sure sorry you're having issues. Let's check a few settings. (Did it again although I knew nothing had changed.) Well, those seem to be fine. Let's try a few more steps. (Tried them.) Hmmm. Let me connect you with Technical Support. (Hold music.)

TSR (Technical Support Rep if you haven't been paying attention): Gee, sure sorry about the issues. Let's try a few things. (We did... including some I had already tried.) Let me send you a test photo. Get that? Great! Thank you for calling and drive through, please.

Things were fine... for not long. The issue had now expanded itself to an inability to retrieve voicemails. That, in itself, would not have sent me through the roof... but the fact that my phone would not RING before sending the caller to my voicemail to leave me information that I could not get was just a little over-the-top.

CSR: Golly-Gee, I'm sure sorry you're having these issues. Let's check a few settings. (Let's not... I've already done that about 3 times now.) My goodness, I see that you have called in a few times about this. (Really? Are you actually reading the notes on the account? Good for YOU!) I don't seem to be able to resolve this. I am going to connect you with Technical Support. (When the hold music started, I was tempted to pour a refreshing adult beverage.)

TSR: Aw, gosh darn it! I'm just really sorry you're having these issues. Let's check a few settings and try a few things. (Do you think TSR #2 could hear my silent scream?) Hmmmm. Well, I'm beginning to think it's not a system issue (Ya' THINK?!?) so I'm going to connect you to our Warranty Department. (Is that the cavalry I hear? Nope. Just more hold music.)

WSR (Warranty Service Rep if you don't get trends): Oh my! I'm so sorry you're having issues. Let me read through the notes on the account. (Good for you, pal.) Okay. If you would, pull up these screens as I tell you and let me know how they are set. (Okay... a NEW game to play with Customer Service!) We checked this, checked that, then checked some more. Well, ma'am, I'm afraid we are going to have to do a Restore to Factory Default Settings on the phone. (Huh? Won't I lose all the crap I have spent hours figuring out how to do... not to mention my contacts?) Here is how you can save all of that to your Memory Card. Done? Alright, let's Restore to Factory Default Settings. (I really needed a refreshing adult beverage here but couldn't stop long enough to procure one.) Alright, turn the phone off then back on and I will send you some test messages and call the phone to leave you a voicemail. (Time passes.) Great!! I'm so glad to hear that everything is working. Thank you for calling and drive through, please. (It was later that I discovered the pictures I had taken for you all to view of the Fly-In/Drive-In at the airport had been lost forever.)

The next morning: The phone does not ring. I have voicemail messages I cannot retrieve. I am completely over this situation and am done talking to Service Reps of any and all configuration. I dial what will be my final call to Customer Service. It is November 23rd, fully one month since my issues began and fully one month that they have not been resolved.

CSR: Oh darn it! You mean the issues have not been resolved? (No... they have... I'm just calling because I LIKE to spend hours of my time stuck on the phone with you guys!) Let's check a few... (Nope. You need to escalate me to either a supervisor or the warranty department. Don't care which.) Let me get a supervisor on the line. (Hold music.)

CSS: (C'mon... you know that is Customer Service Supervisor!) I understand you are having issues with your phone? (This child is so fortunate that I cannot reach through the phone lines... I'm calling on the landline... and strangle his silly a$$!) Well, I do have to go through some steps with you before I can transfer you to Technical Support (and I have only a few steps to go through to change providers... do you still want to go through the same steps I have repeated about 10 times now?). Oh. Alright. I will transfer you to Technical Support. And I am going to issue a $20 credit to the account for the trouble you've been having. (I did continue the conversation long enough with the little fella' to make him aware that his $20 credit did not mean a thing to me... but having a working phone would likely matter. Hold music.)

TSR: Wow! It sure seems like you have a phone issue (Ya' THINK?!?!?). I'm going to just go ahead and transfer you to the Warranty Department. (Finally, someone who reads and comprehends. Hold music.)

WSR: I am sorry to see you have been having issues with the phone. (I am SO over being apologized to... just help me!) Let's check for updates on the phone. There was one that was sent out to the system in early September that might not have made it to your phone. (I have checked for updates in the past and thought I was up-to-date?) No, your phone does not show to have this one. Let's download it now. (Sure... that will only take HOURS on the "Edge" system which is primarily what we have here.) Alright. Now I am going to send some additional updates to your phone. Just follow the instructions and install them as they arrive. (Fine.) Alright. You need to allow 24-48 hours for everything to update but you should not have further problems after that. (Pardon me, Habib. I appreciate your confidence but I do not have any of that remaining for you guys. If these measures do NOT resolve all issues, are you guys going to replace this phone?) I assure you this will resolve the issues. Just keep checking the phone and trying tests. I will schedule a follow-up commitment for you to receive a call on Saturday at 1:00 p.m. Eastern time. (Doesn't sound like you are very confident, Habib. I'm guessing you know I will still have problems but you want to get me off of your phone.) Thank you for calling and drive through, please.

Thursday. Phone appears to be functioning properly.
Friday. Phone appears to be functioning properly.
Saturday. Phone appears to be functioning properly. I explain this to "Veronica" who had the bad fortune of drawing my call-back commitment. She was very kind and very understanding. She even politely listened to my feedback about my concern regarding the training these folks are all getting and why I had to continually call multiple times, spending multiple hours, before the last guy apparently tried something that appeared to have resolved the problems? (I did mention to her that I was holding out on calling it "fixed" until further time had passed. She kindly texted me the direct line to Warranty so I could avoid standard Customer Service if anything else happened which I sincerely hope I will not have to use.) Thank you for calling and drive through, please.

It's Sunday morning. Things continue to appear to be working properly. If any of you enjoy a good gamble, I will take bets on when something may go wrong again. :)

Until next post...

NOT A GOOD WEEK.

noreply@blogger.com (Mary Nell) — Sat, 12 Nov 2011 19:56:00 +0000

Hello again, Blogging Pals. I am the bearer of bad news and, if you are feeling fragile right now, you might want to skip this post.

I told you about the crazy kitty, Demon, who got himself into trouble eating non-edible items. When I reported to you, he was improving and the prognosis was good.

Demon took a turn for the worse on Sunday afternoon, 11/06. He returned to the vet on Monday and it appeared he had developed a blood infection and/or liver infection as a secondary complication of the emergency surgery. He came home Monday night but went back to the vet on Tuesday for additional treatment. He came home Tuesday night and remained with me during the day Wednesday. Unfortunately, Wednesday night about 10:00 p.m. it became clear it was time to let him go. We piled into the vehicle, picked up my friend, Susan S., who had kindly agreed to ride with us down to Lake Charles (there is no emergency vet clinic in this town) to release Demon from his distress.

So... it has been done and he has likely tracked down his buddy, Dude, who left us in July of last year and is once again torturing him by forcing him to play!!

Louisiana has not been good for my kitties. I have made the decision that Demon was the last pet. I have had critters for most of my adult life and I have thoroughly enjoyed each of them. I think it's time to take a break and not have anything I have to take care of or think about before I make plans.

A fond farewell to Demon who will be missed. Thank you all for the kind comments and concern about him after the last post.

Until next post...

YOU ATE WHAT?!?!?!?!?!?

noreply@blogger.com (Mary Nell) — Sun, 06 Nov 2011 15:44:00 +0000

Heidy-Ho, Blogging Buddies!

Well... you just never know exactly what will be coming your way any day you get out of bed, do you?

So... perhaps some of you remember Demon, the tuxedo kitty that is very appropriately named.

Older and Lazy!!!

In his prime... After that swinging mouse!

Buddying up to the frog

He has done pretty well since the loss of his pal, Dude, in August of 2010. He seems to have adapted nicely to being the only kitty in the house and has become a bit more "lap-loving" than he was when he had a pal with which to play.

Apparently, he has NOT figured out that dining should be done only from his bowl. Sigh. I caught him once with a HUGE amount of ribbon in his belly. There was a piece still sticking out so I gently removed it by pulling. That was when we realized we would have to make certain there was nothing left he could reach that might tempt him!

He began seeming very lethargic last week. The other thing about an inside-only cat is the ability to monitor the litter box. When I reached the morning of the third day without solid production, I called the vet. While there was a suggestion of a Fleet's to see if that would help, I assure you I was not about to kitty-wrangle a cranky, fully-clawed, well-toothed cat to provide such an assist!!! I have already had experience with making the kitty unhappy... and can show you the scars! So... I loaded him into the carrier and took him to the vet's office.

About an hour later, I have a call from the vet advising the little fella's X-ray shows a "marble-looking" object firmly lodged in his large intestine and he will need emergency surgery in order to get that out of there and save the cat. Sigh. Knowing full well this is going to cut into the Christmas funds, the go-ahead is given and I am assured I will receive a call when he is in recovery.

I receive the call that he has come through surgery nicely and they have saved the "whatever it is" that was removed. I ask that they keep it as I want to see it. With all the care taken around here to keep things away that he might be tempted to eat, I really want to know what he found! I am told I can pick him up at 4:00 that afternoon. Fine.

I arrive at the vet's office and am ushered into an exam room where the vet and I both scratch our heads over some gooey, gummy, dark green, felt-looking stuff that the vet had retrieved from the duma$$ cat's large intestine earlier in the day. Neither one of us had a clue as to what it was or where it might have come from. The cat is then brought in, unhappily I might say, and his stitches are displayed for me. *chuckle* I know the cat would never eat another thing outside of his bowl if he had the ability to correlate the hellish day he had just had with doing so.

I am sent home with a VERY groggy kitty, two medications that must be given orally each day, and a receipt that blew Christmas all to hell and back. Sigh. Oh well. That's what it means to be a pet-owner, I reckon.

So... he experienced this all on Friday. He did nibble some food Saturday morning and was eating quite well by Saturday afternoon. He still has trouble jumping up onto the bed but is determined and usually makes it the 2nd or 3rd try. He is still moving a bit slowly but seems to be improving almost hourly. Now all we are waiting on is some "production" from the food he ate Saturday. That is our final milestone to reach in order to not be further concerned.

I won't bore you with the details when we reach the final milestone. You have probably had a little TMI (too much information) already.

Until next post...

MORNING WALKS...

noreply@blogger.com (Mary Nell) — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 19:19:00 +0000

Heidy-Ho, Blogging Pals. Welcome back!

Some of you are aware of my morning walks. I had walked while in Texas with a neighbor who was a friend. Once I relocated here, I found myself less motivated to walk without a friend with whom to chat. That was a mistake. I began my morning walks again near the end of 2010 and have been consistent with them. Good idea.

There are plenty of things to see when walking. I have become more observant as I began walking earlier and earlier during the summer. With the days getting shorter, I am starting a bit later now. However, I wanted to share with you some of the things one sees while walking early in the day.

The early walker sees the moon!! Very pretty.

The sun beginning to reach the edge of the horizon makes for lovely clouds.

Some mornings show no sun... but even the fog can be pretty!

AHA!!! One of the many "golf eggs" one finds at random places along the golf course! These are very sneaky and difficult to wrangle... but with stealth, one can capture them for use as targets at the range!

GOT IT!!! Clearly a Halloween "golf egg."

Spotted this growing from a neighbor's tree. Thought it was interesting.

Another view.

Hope you can make out the rainbow which was the object of my camera. Lovely to see. Hard to capture.

So... if you have been considering walking as a way to reach (or maintain) a fitness level, I encourage you to consider a walk through your neighborhood. Pay attention and see what you can find!!

Some things coming up that will likely be blog-worthy! Stay tuned! And thank you for sticking with me.

Until next post...

BPF PART III - DATE NIGHT!!

noreply@blogger.com (Mary Nell) — Sat, 15 Oct 2011 19:55:00 +0000

Heidy-Ho, Blogging Pals.

Well, it's the last post about the Beauregard Parish Fair. I will have to find something else to regale you with before I post again. The "Fly-In/Drive-In" is the first weekend in November so perhaps I will have some interesting airplane and automobile photos for you!!

At any rate... I asked the spousal-unit if he would take me on a "date" to the fair. He actually said he would so we put on our comfy walking shoes the 5th of October and headed to the fairgrounds. Our first stop was a run through the livestock area. You have already seen some of the critters that were housed there. We also wandered through the Petting Zoo with a gazillion little munchkins who were running from cage-to-cage, squealing as the critters "lipped" the feed from their hands. We didn't spend a lot of time there.

At this point, the spousal-unit had a craving for a Frito pie at one of the locally run food booths. We went to the Lions Club booth as that is the one my dad used to work at (and I spent a couple of fairs behind there serving burgers and fries with him!) so we figured it was the one at which we should spend our money. Well... you can't really mess with Fritos but the canned burger chili and the lack of any cheese at all (the signage indicated Fritos, chili, and CHEESE!) were less-than-stellar. He consumed about 1/3 of it and we headed off to the midway for games and rides!

As we wandered, we ran across a gal hawking the old "pop-the-balloon" game. She had a big ol' smile and was fun to talk to, so we spent some dollars there playing. Wandered away with the cutest little stuffed pig wearing a black "leather" jacket and a "pirate" doo-rag. Needless to say, he's a little HOG (as in Harley Owners Group). I wasn't going to let him go!! We wandered a little further and ended up playing another balloon-popping game with a gal who was GOOD at hawking and double-talking!! When we left, we had a yellow "Angry Bird" stuffed animal and a good laugh... but I think our two little stuffed critters, valued at about $10 total, cost about $40!!! LOL!! That's alright. That's what the fair is for.

So... we purchased "coupons" to ride a ride. I wanted to ride the Merry-Go-Round. The kid running it was very apologetic as he told me the individual who owned it had told him no adults on the horses. WHAT?!?!? Whatever. Thanks anyway. I don't want to just sit on a bench and go round and round! So we wandered on. I was feeling just frisky enough to consider riding something just a little more exciting than the Merry-Go-Round from which I was banned anyway!

While my favorite ride when I was a young'un was the Zipper, I knew enough to realize my back would not likely take a "spin" on that one. However... there were two other rides I enjoyed... the Scrambler and the Tilt-A-Whirl!! There they were. Side-by-side. Yep, the spousal-unit was willing to pile on with me. It was on!!!

At the Scrambler, we were behind a little fella' who was stretching just as hard as he could to be tall enough to ride the thing. There was a gentleman with him who had a cane and was clearly not able to ride it. The ride jockey told the little fella' that he needed an adult to ride. Well heck!! If he's got the nerve to ride it, he can ride on it with us!! We piled him into the car (with the spousal-unit in the "Squish" position, me in the middle, and the little guy in the "free" spot!) and off we went! He was squealing and hootin' and just plain enjoying his spin! The only thing I got out of him when I asked "How are you doin'?" was "This is really fast!" Yep. It was. And it was tons of fun. And he didn't get sick (which I thought about FAR too late in the game to do anything about it if he did!).

We left the Scrambler and walked next door to the Tilt-A-Whirl. After a few minutes of getting my inner ear back into place, we took our place in a hooded car and waited for the ride to begin. I had to laugh at my spousal-unit who was laughing at me!! I was really working that little car, trying to reach the apex at just the right time to make that thing spin like crazy!! We got about two really good multiple spins out of it and had a good ride.

The spousal-unit had worked up an appetite since his Frito pie had been such a bust and he had been working so hard on the midway. We stopped at the American Legion food booth where he ordered a cheeseburger and fries. We should have paid a little more attention to the fact that every person at the booth, and a couple inside the booth, were eating something out of paper bowls. Turns out it was gumbo... chicken and sausage... and was apparently delicious. The burger? Not so much. He consumed about 1/2 of it and we headed toward the exit.

While there is no photographic evidence of our game-playing or riding, I will leave you with a few shots of the midway. We're good until next year's fair.

Not on our list... but it does look like fun!

Which part of "acrophobia" do you not understand?!?

Didn't get the name on this... but didn't matter. Not going!!

Ah! Here's my old favorite. Fun to watch even if I can't go on it these days.

One more view of the Zipper and we're gone.

Until next post... I hope you enjoyed the fair!!!

BPF PART II: THINGS THAT MAKE ME CRY "FOWL!"

noreply@blogger.com (Mary Nell) — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 21:34:00 +0000

Hello again, Blogging Pals!!

Alright. I know you are all astute individuals so you are likely to have figured out that our post today is to provide you with photos of... CHICKENS!! Yep. Those fabulous creatures that provide food and warmth as well as entertainment. You will find a few ducks, as well, but our focus today is the incredibly varied world of chickens found at the Beauregard Parish Fair last week. It is difficult to photograph through cages but I have tried to provide you with the best possible view of these lovely birds.

Without further cockadoodle-do...

When did chickens get fuzzy?!?

Love the blue feathers on this gal!

This one nearly needed a double cage!!

This should be called a "Sesame Street" chicken. You cannot believe the feathers on this bird!!

These two roosters were staring at each other when I walked up... and they were still staring without moving when I left them!!

Now she is a gorgeous chick!!!

Wish you could see all of the lovely colors on this duck.

So... that was my foray into the poultry world at the recent fair. One more segment to come before we put the fair to bed for this year.

Until next post...

BEAUREGARD PARISH FAIR - PART I

noreply@blogger.com (Mary Nell) — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 23:57:00 +0000

Heidy-Ho, Blogging Buddies!! It's FAIR TIME!!

The Beauregard Parish Fair took place last week, complete with exhibits, livestock entries, food booths, and a carnival to boot!

If you have never been to a small-town fair, you should really put one on your "Bucket List." The Beauregard Parish Fair has been an annual event as long as I have been alive... and before that! While I can't provide you with sounds and smells, I hope you can get an idea of the fun available to everyone who attends.

Part One is a look at a few of the Petting Zoo critters as well as some of the 4-H Club members' entries into the livestock competition. Hope you enjoy these!

A lovely llama.

Are these the REAL "Three Little Pigs?"

A dromedary with a zebra next door.

This young lady was having no problem shearing her sheep!

I believe he's done this before.

Billy Goat Gruff and friend?

If these aren't called "Oreo Pigs", they should be!!

Bunny Fest!

Sweet little lop-eared fella (or gal).

This one was curious about me!

Stay tuned for Part Two coming very soon!!

Until next post...

OUTSMARTED BY A SMARTPHONE???

noreply@blogger.com (Mary Nell) — Sat, 24 Sep 2011 14:27:00 +0000

Heidy-Ho, Blogging Buddies!!

The Title clearly lets you know how I am feeling right now.

I have had everything in the world of cellular from my very first "brick" phone, which probably weighed about three pounds, to my latest little pocket-sized guy on which I can not only talk, but communicate in writing via text. Things have come a long way.

The little pocket-sized guy, however, has been dropped, hit by the sprinkler, and suffered a number of injustices over the years with me. It was really time to think about an upgrade.

My friend, Susan S., believes her iPhone is the ultimate in cellular+ service! She was kind enough to sit down with me over a cuppa' Joe to discuss her phone. Hmmmmm. Maybe I should consider one of these new-fangled phones? Looks like it can really do a whole lotta' stuff. Do I really NEED to do that much stuff? Don't know. I'll need to think about it. Oh... and I will need to research the actual units themselves. Gotta' use that Consumer Reports online subscription, after all!!

Have you ever bounced something around for so long that you finally reach the point of not even being interested anymore? Sure you have! That's where I landed after Consumer Reports online along with Googling and reading a TON of consumer reviews on the top three phones. I was pretty much over it and completely believed I could get a few more years out of that last "free" upgrade phone! Sigh. That didn't happen.

So... once I made the decision on WHICH phone, the challenge was to find the best price. Lord help me. That became another mired-down exercise! I actually went to a nearby wireless store to see the proposed unit and check on pricing. I checked online with the same firm. I checked the manufacturer site for more information. Again... I am really losing interest in this whole deal. This is far too time-consuming and I KNOW there is going to be even more time involved as I scale the learning curve. Am I up for that commitment? Really?

The new SmartPhone was retrieved Monday the 19th. If any of you have called me and not received an answer, it's likely because I am still trying to achieve the fine art of answering the darned thing without just simply pushing a button. Nope. That would be FAR too easy!! What have I gotten myself into?!?!? I won't bore you with the number of hours spent just trying to achieve some VERY simple things with the phone. Suffice it to say I rarely spent this amount of time with any device to do something as simple as make a phone call.

I have commited a certain amount of time each day for the next couple of weeks to figure out all of the things this equipment does and how to do it without costing myself any additional money. I realize that the MBA prepared me for running household finances but is insignificant in the quest to use the SmartPhone. Sigh. Will I ever be an accomplished user? Probably not. Will I ever be able to do the basic things I generally need to do with a mobile phone? Sure. Eventually. Maybe before 2012.

I will keep you posted on the progress (or lack thereof!) made with my learning and using. In the meantime, if you call and I don't answer, leave a voicemail. As soon as I figure out how to retrieve it, I promise I will call you back. Really.

Until next post...

09/11/2011 PLEASE RENEW YOUR ACQUAINTANCE WITH SGT. MAJ. LARRY STRICKLAND

noreply@blogger.com (Mary Nell) — Sat, 10 Sep 2011 13:31:00 +0000

Greetings to my Blogging Pals. Those who have been with me a while know about my participation in Project 2996. I began my participation in 2009 and plan to continue this as long as I am able to do so. I ask each of you to take a moment to remember what happened on 9/11/2001. Even if you read my tributes previously, please read them again. It's important that we see this as an individual, personal event... not just something that happened in New York, D.C., and Pennsylvania a decade ago. It affects us all and will continue to do so. I do not see the 10th Anniversary as any different from the 2nd, the 19th, or the 100th. The pain for the families is the same. But this is a tribute to their loved one!! Please read about this wonderful gentleman.

*** This was posted in 2009 as my tribute to Sgt. Maj. Larry Strickland. I repeat it here as I will continue doing so on each anniversary of 9/11 as long as I am able. There are a couple of notes and updates from 2010 in bold/italic.

Please meet Sgt. Maj. Larry Strickland. He was 52 years old, born in Washington State, and had a Bachelor of Science degree. He had served our country in a lot of places including Germany, Washington State, Washington DC, Texas, and Virginia. He had many awards and decorations. Most devastating for me to learn was his plan to retire upon completion of 30 years of service... at the end of September 2001. After all of his service, he was close to spending more time on his hobbies (fishing, hiking, gourmet cooking, and needlepoint) and especially looking forward to spending more time with his family. SGM Strickland left behind a wife, Debra, who was the Garrison Command Sergeant Major of Fort Belvoir, VA. at the time, three adult children, and one grandson who will never know his grandfather as he was only a year old when SGM Strickland was taken. His parents also were left to deal with the untimely loss of their child.

NOTE: I posted a note to the family at Legacy.com and received two emails.

One was from SGM Strickland's son-in-law and read, in part:
"I came across your blog today while searching for SM Larry Strickland. I am lucky enough to be married to his daughter Julia and I just wanted to take a moment to thank you for caring enough to research this remarkable man. Everything you read about him and his character is true. He left behind an amazingly strong wife, a beautiful daughter, his two sons, and his grandson. His grandson was 4, not 1 as many newspaper articles claim, so he does remember his grandfather, and fondly."(I was SO happy to read that his grandson did remember his grandfather and wanted to share that with you all! MNC)

The other email was from SGM Strickland's daughter and read, in part:
"Mary, thank you very much for your kind words. I am Larry's daughter, and it is wonderful to know that though it's been 8 years, remembering him and this tragic event is still as important now as it was the day it happened. He was truly a wonderful man, and the best father anyone could ask for."
SGM Strickland headed out to work that day at the Pentagon as there were some meetings he deemed important enough to attend even though he could have skipped them. He had annual leave built up that needed to be used or lost. He chose to go to work. If you knew nothing more about him than that, you would know the character of the man. It was that character that had him in his office on the second floor when the wing he was in was struck by American Airlines Flight 77.

But this is a tribute to SGM Strickland's life. And I've got to tell you the things said about him and written about him are absolutely glowing!! What a wonderful thing... to have those left behind remember you so well and so lovingly. It's not just family. These were friends, co-workers, people who knew him on a "business" level where, many times, the feelings are not so great. I would suggest you take a few moments today to review three different web sites where there are tributes (and from where I gathered much of the information I am sharing with you). It really won't take that long and, thankfully, most of us did not actually know anyone who was lost that day. Perhaps it would be good to learn about at least one of them. I know it gave me a very new perspective.

Pentagon Memorial Fund - Names of the souls lost at the Pentagon are alphabetical by last name. Scroll down and click on SGM Strickland's name to read about his service career.

Columns - The University of Washington Alumni Magazine- Read a really great article here about SGM Strickland's personal life. Sounds like someone we would all like to have known.

The Washington Post - This project is a database of all of the souls lost that day and has a very nice tribute to SGM Strickland.

Legacy.com - This is where folks can leave notes for the family. Many folks were positively impacted by SGM Strickland. Some commented here about their appreciation of the man. I invite you to take just a moment to leave a note here to let the family know the loss of their loved one is something we all remember.

9-11 Heroes - This is another site where a note can be left. Again... take a moment to leave a note on at least one of the sites. You have no idea how much this can mean to family members.

Thank you, SGM Strickland, for your service, for your honor, and for your character. I'm glad I got to know you.

We should never forget.

09/11/2011 PLEASE RENEW YOUR ACQUAINTANCE WITH MAJ. RONALD D. MILAM

noreply@blogger.com (Mary Nell) — Sat, 10 Sep 2011 13:28:00 +0000

A WARBIRD LEAVES TOWN... SAD, BUT GREAT!!

noreply@blogger.com (Mary Nell) — Sun, 04 Sep 2011 13:30:00 +0000

Heidy-Ho, Blogging Buddies! Welcome!!

Since my post about my flight in one of the beloved Stearman twins, I figure most of you have discovered my love of aircraft... especially older planes that served during World War II. Wikipedia will tell you "the term "warbird" was originally coined to describe piston-driven aircraft from the World War II era [but] has since been expanded by some to include all military aircraft no longer in service." I prefer the original definition but it really doesn't matter to you nor should it. That's not our point of discussion today.

After returning to southwest Louisiana, I have been to the local (regional) airport many times. There have been a couple of fly-ins (2009 and 2010) I have posted about, not news to those who have been reading for a while. The spousal-unit has a private pilot's license and worked on jet aircraft while in the Air Force. He loves flying almost as much as I do... I think.

At any rate... he has managed to score a "job" (unpaid but without strings!) working with a gentleman at the airport on a locally-owned airplane that needed work done. While there, he found that some folks from California were coming in to work on a plane that has been in the hangar since we have been here. Being the social butterfly he is (wink, wink), he went down and chatted them up a bit. Turns out they were planning to get it airworthy and return it to California. More on that later.

So... I popped by the airport to check things out after the spousal-unit made sure it would be alright for me to post about them and their work. I didn't want to interrupt their work but I was really interested in where she (the plane) was going and what she would be doing.

I met Carl Scholl, owner/partner of Aero Trader where Warbird maintenance and restoration takes place. Check out the web site!! Very nice man who explained how his military C-45 (configured as an AT-11 trainer) ended up in our lovely burg. Long story short... Carl and the guy in the pilot seat at the time (Dennis Sanders) lost an engine while flying from Lakeland, Florida, to Chino, California. I believe he mentioned they threw a rod. (Hope I have that right, Carl!) This was right after Hurricane Rita pounded southwest Louisiana and southeast Texas, less than one month after Hurricane Katrina. That was late 2005 for those of you who don't keep track of hurricanes. Why land here? It was the closest airport. Yep. Just a stroke of luck (bad for Carl but good for us) landed this lovely plane here. Carl did get an engine for the plane a couple of years after the original unplanned landing... but timing just didn't allow for the completion of all necessary repairs and the continuation of the original flight to California. So... she sat in the hangar corner, rubber going flat and looking a bit forlorn, for over five years! Folks around here kind of got used to having her around.

But she was not forgotten!! As Carl said, she finally made it up on the priority list and her turn to receive attention was here. Carl brought Jeff and Matt out with him to get the work done then have them fly her back to California. They are both big fans of the B-25 warbird which is Carl's company's main interest to restore. Matt told me he owns four of those lovely girls! I think that's just GREAT!!

I asked Carl whether they would be restoring the AT-11 to her former glory? That's not really the plan for her BUT... the good news is that she will be kept in flying condition. He mentioned she might become the "courier" plane used to retrieve parts from a location about 140 miles away from his company's hangars. A short flight sure beats a 3-hour drive, right? I'm sure she will love doing work for her owner.

I'm going to leave you with some pictures taken on my initial visit (August 29th) and at her departure (August 31st). Goodbye, lovely girl. We'll miss you here in southwest Louisiana!!

Mr. Carl... the "Top Dog" of this operation!!

Matt (at left below the right engine)... Jeff (at right kneeling near the left engine prop)... Carl (far back in white T-shirt!)

From the front sitting at the hangar door

My intrepid California Fly-Boys... (L-R) Jeff, Carl, and Matt

August 29th - Test Flight Landing - Picture perfect (photo by spousal-unit)

GREAT JOB!!! Ready to tweak and take her home (photo by spousal-unit)

August 31st - Matt (pilot seat) and Jeff (co-pilot seat) get ready to go home! (Photo by spousal-unit)

We'll miss this beautiful girl (photo by spousal-unit)

After a perfect take-off, Matt & Jeff did a high-speed pass for us just barely above the runway. Very exciting to hear her go by. (Check out the shadow of the plane on the runway... I don't know how the spousal-unit got this shot!! BEAUTIFUL!!)

A final goodbye (photo by spousal-unit)

Until next post...

HEALTH INSURANCE... THE MUSICAL

noreply@blogger.com (Mary Nell) — Sun, 14 Aug 2011 15:24:00 +0000

Heidy-Ho, Blogging Pals!! Welcome back!

Alright. The title isn't really accurate. It isn't really a musical. But it is another prime example of the insanity that takes up so much of our time, not allowing us to enjoy the little time we actually have!!

So... the adventure begins. (Can you hear the overture swelling?)

In May of 2010, it was necessary to obtain personal health insurance. This news came quickly so there was not a lot of time available to research coverage and premiums. The cheapest route available was a hospitalization only policy... not covering any office visits, tests (outside of the hospital), or anything that we might actually need. Oh... and the company issuing the policy actually EXCLUDED coverage for hospitalization for the spousal-unit due to a motorcycle accident. HUH?!?!? Yes, he does have a motorcycle endorsement on his drivers license. Yes, he does have a motorcycle. Hmmmm. Since we are both in relatively good health (thank you, Lord!), that is one of the only concerns that might cause a hospitalization event. But the company won't pay if that happens. Alrighty then!! Might as well not spend that $298.88 each month for coverage that isn't really going to help!!

Well now... as the renewal period loomed near, we received a letter from said insurance company advising a couple of things. I share the following as the most ludicrous: Seems as though since there are changes to requirements health insurance providers will be needing to meet (thanks to Obamacare), our premium will be increasing from $298.88/month to $368.04. That's just a 23% increase. Yeah. No problem. The fun part of the letter is that the "adjustment" to the premium was NOT based on our individual claim costs... which was -0- since we have a $5,000 deductible and were not hospitalized during the year... but rather was based on the "combined costs of all company policyholders who have your same plan." Really?!? I mean, REALLY?!?!? This news, of course, led me to create the time to do some additional research.

So... fast-forward to my sitting at the laptop researching. I found a policy that was nearly identical (!)... really... for a quoted premium of $165.41/month. WOW!!! Less than HALF of what we were now going to be paying... and $100 less than what we HAD been paying. I'll take it.

Completed the online application, fired all off, and waited.

Long story short. Received an email indicating the application was accepted. There was nothing said about premium or exclusions... or anything for that matter.

Fast-forward again. Policy contract arrives. Notice a couple of things:
1) We are both "serving (a) pre-existing condition exclusion period", and
2) I cannot log onto the company web site as I do not have a PIN.

Customer Care (CC) Call #1: Send copy of Certificate of Coverage from previous company showing Beginning/Ending dates of coverage and the exclusion period will be waived. Oh... and do we have any prescription drug benefit at all? Yes. Discounted meds just by showing the ID card. PIN will be along shortly. Thank you. Drive through, please.

CC Call #2: It's been 2 weeks since I faxed the Certificate of Coverage. Status? Also, why is premium $188.28 instead of $165.41 but no one mentioned that? (They just drafted it from the account!) Oh... and I'm still looking for that PIN for online access. (Very curt response from rep follows.) The contract has been "updated" with the previous coverage information. The premium is higher as the policy has been rated but I don't know why... underwriting does that. The PIN will be to you within 30 days of the effective date. Anything else? (WOW! Pretty short.) I ask how I can find out why the policy was "rated." She refers me to the "Medical Director" and, after I have to ask for it, provides a PO Box number and address. I also tackily mention I find it really amazing that I won't receive anything in writing confirming that a written exclusion on the contract has been amended. "Toni" wasn't interested in my opinion. When I stated "Well, thank you for a very futile call.", she perked up, demanding "What kind of call?!?!?" to which I replied, "Futile. It's in the dictionary." (Probably didn't make a fan there.)

Sent letter to Medical Director inquiring about "rated" premium. Took the opportunity to provide my opinion on not receiving a written amendment while I was at it. :)

Received a letter from the company stating: "Thank you for contacting us. The correct amount is $188.28. You may file an appeal." WOW!! Hope that didn't take anyone too much time!!

CC Call #3: You know I'm not going to accept that stupid letter, right? Got a REALLY excellent rep who spent a great amount of time listening to me and working toward resolution. She eventually conferenced in an underwriting person. You are going to love what I was eventually told. *chuckle* (There was a delay as the underwriter person had to call me back since she did not have everything in front of her at the time.) (CALLBACK RECEIVED.) Seriously. I actually started laughing out loud on the phone as this conversation continued. This gal tells me the policy was NOT rated. Okay. Then why is the premium higher? Well, they applied a "rate-up." HUH?!?!?!? (This is a new thing that makes me go "Huh?") Excuse me... isn't that being "rated?" Well, no. Not really. Could you explain that to me, please? Sure. There is a "Preferred" rate which is the rate quoted to everyone initially. There are seven (count them... SEVEN!) levels of "Standard" rates, each of which is higher than the first. The policy was actually issued at the "Standard 1" rate rather than the quoted "Preferred" rate. HUH?!? So... the policy was "rated." Nope. It was just a "rate-up." Okay... so now I am actually laughing out loud in this lady's ear (it would have been in her face had I been facing her!). Alright. Explain to me the difference between "rated" and a "rate-up", please? Really. I'm listening. She finally had to confess that they were effectively the same thing as far as my premium was concerned. Yeah. Got that. Thanks.

Finally... while the answer was inane, it was, at least, an answer. I decided to call it a day relative to this ridiculously long process.

Epilogue: The PINs (one for each of us) did arrive in the mail about 28 days from the effective date. Most interesting is the correspondence dated 8/5 but received 8/13 that amended the policy contract IN WRITING removing the pre-existing condition exclusion on each of us. And I thought they didn't send that out. Silly me.

Until next post...

"WARSH" DAY IN TOWN

noreply@blogger.com (Mary Nell) — Wed, 27 Jul 2011 20:37:00 +0000

Heidy-Ho, Blogging Pals! It's been a while since my last post... but it's just been darned hot and crazy humid... and that doesn't lend itself to spending time doing much!

However... there are things that can (and should) be done even in the tough weather. One of those things is to visit the local car wash. Please note that just because it is called a "car" wash does not mean that is the only item that can be washed. Oh no. Not at all!! In fact, far from it!!

So... recognizing I have a really hard-working Murray and that said Murray had been left far too long without a good bath, we decided to load that bad boy on the trailer and take it for a "ride." :) We didn't tell it where we were going as we wanted that to be a surprise.

The Murray was VERY surprised and quite happy to have arrived at the car wash. We could tell by the look on its face.

Closer inspection revealed a bath was far overdue!!

After a LOT of quarters and finding myself about as wet as the Murray, we had a "clean machine" to take back home. You can see the look of pleasure on the Murray's face.

If any of you were thinking there wasn't something to do here, rest assured we can always find something!!

Hope all of you are staying cool and safe. I am looking toward late fall!! :)

Until next post...

A RAVE FOR A CHANGE!! WITH A SMALL RANT THROWN IN...

noreply@blogger.com (Mary Nell) — Mon, 11 Jul 2011 21:31:00 +0000

Heidy-Ho, Blogging Buddies!! Welcome back! So... you have listened to me rant about SOOOO many things. I figure it's time to let you know I DO appreciate GOOD customer service and am willing to share information about that, too! :)

I don't use personal or company names for those about whom/which I rant. Figure if any of you are truly interested, you will contact me. Otherwise, no reason to name names. However... I also figure that any individual or business who/that actually exceeds my expectations should be named. That's why I am going to tell you about my stellar experience with Zappo's. Some of you have probably already experienced their extremely appreciated customer service.

I wanted to purchase a pair of new walking/working out shoes (a story for another time). I was referred to Zappo's by my friend who has had excellent experience with that firm in the past. I wandered onto the web site and began a search for what I sought. There were actually two pair of shoes I wanted. I ordered them, provided my credit card info, then waited for them to arrive. They did so within short order (quick packing & shipping!). I tried on both pair and found I really liked one of them but I just didn't care for the way the other pair fit. Aw gee. Now I'm going to have to fight to get the darned pair returned and wait for it to process and probably call or email about when I should expect my credit... Nope. That is NOT how it went, I am delighted to report. The shipment to me arrived with information and instruction that led me very quickly to the web site to obtain a return shipping label. Oh... did I mention that Zappo's pays for the return shipping?!?!?!? Unheard of! Yep. They do. So, I box the pair back up with all of the stuff then drop it off to the nearest UPS site on a Monday. I figured it would take a while to get the store credit (which I had requested as I had found another pair that cost the same and planned to order them as soon as the store credit was issued). To my surprise (and delight!), my return shipment made it, was processed, and my store credit was online the following Tuesday... and that's because Monday was the Fourth of July!! Hot Diggety Dog!! So, I go to my account online, go to my shopping cart which held the pair of shoes I wanted, processed my way through... and found that Zappo's was going to provide me with FREE OVERNIGHT SHIPPING on this order!! WHAT?!?!?!?!? What on earth has happened here? That can't be right. Yep. It was. My shoes arrived the very next day (and fit beautifully). I cannot say enough good things about this experience. Really. So when you are thinking about new shoes, check out Zappo's first. They have a huge selection and may have exactly what you want. I'm going to bet their price is best, too. Tell 'em I sentcha'! :)

On another note entirely, I have had 2 really weird experiences here in my world of shopping. The first thing was my call to a local eating establishment to place an order to pick up. After a LOT of rings, I got the message that it would be closed the entire week, opening again the following Monday. Hmmmm. I don't remember seeing that information anywhere when I was just there a few days before? I may have missed it. Whatever. Go to Plan B. The second thing was my stop at a local downtown establishment where a friend of mine had indicated I could likely get a product that is not found just anywhere. I pulled up in front of the place, piled myself out of the vehicle, and walked to the door... where I read the sign that said (I'm paraphrasing)... "Flexible Summer Hours. Call me at xxx-xxx-xxxx if you need help." Uh. Okay. I called and caught the individual finishing lunch... at about 1:30ish. I was told the individual was most likely to be there between 10:00 and Noon in the mornings. Okay. I'll try again. (I didn't as I found what I needed 45 miles to the south at a store that apparently has FIXED Summer Hours!) *chuckle* So... I'm wondering if "business hours" has a different meaning here? I really prefer to have hours I can depend on. Call me crazy! Guess I'll just get in the habit of calling ahead before I go anywhere to shop or eat here. Oh... and we did call another eatery here to find out what time they would open the next day as we wanted to pick up lunch for ourselves and the aunt. Good thing we did. That was when we were told they were closing the next day and would be closed for several days. Alrighty then!! Guess we'll have that lunch this week.

Finally, as I ramble on, I want to share a couple of photos sent to me by my friend. Now... I am not going to make any assumptions about exactly what she and her spousal-unit are growing on their property... but if there are any Cheshire cats in this town, I'm guessing they are living (and disappearing) in my friends' back field. I did not see the rabbit or the Queen of Hearts... but I will be cautious in my future visits to their home. You'll see what I mean. If you don't get it... go ask Alice!!

Until next post...

LAGOON MONSTER!!!

noreply@blogger.com (Mary Nell) — Sun, 03 Jul 2011 20:02:00 +0000

Heidy-Ho, Blogging Pals! I so hope you will have a safe and happy Fourth of July. I also hope you will remember why we celebrate that day. It's important.

So... things here in Swampland have been relatively calm. There was an interesting sighting recently, however, in which I think you may have an interest. I ask you to recall that the elevation of the airport here is only 203' above sea level. This is important so you can understand there is a LOT of water here and there are MANY critters slithering and sliding in it. With that in mind, I present you with an apparent "lagoon creature" found in our pool recently. Its origin is unknown. Its purpose in finding its way across land to end up in the pool is unknown. If it continues to appear, I may be forced to contact the LSU (Louisiana State University) swamp specialists for an opinion.

CREATURE SPOTTED!!!

IT HEADS FOR THE DEPTHS!!

IT REMAINS SUBMERGED, AVOIDING SCRUTINY!! SLY!!

I will keep a close watch for this creature. I will notify you if it continues to appear in the pool. I certainly hope it is a friendly creature!!

On another note entirely, I hope we all can be as relaxed as "Demon", the tuxedo kitty that hangs out here (without any contribution to the household such as catching the occasional flying insect that has found its way in or alerting me to the presence of the pool creature!). I don't know if I will ever feel quite as confident and quite as comfortable as he is obviously feeling below.

So enjoy your holiday. Relax and take it like Demon. :)

Until next post...

MORE CUSTOMER SERVICE... NOT!

noreply@blogger.com (Mary Nell) — Sat, 18 Jun 2011 21:04:00 +0000

Heidy-Ho, Blogging Buddies! Welcome to another (hopefully humorous) rant! :)

So... I have a young friend here with a newborn. The baby began running a fever and was taken to the Emergency Room (can you say "nightmare?") Thursday night. The baby was tested and admitted for further observation. She should be going home today (Saturday) if her fever stays "gone" for 24 hours from Friday afternoon about 1:00ish. That's the good news. None of this is relative to my rant except this is WHY I was going where I was going. Got it? I knew you could stay with me. You are an extremely astute group!!

I texted my young friend Friday afternoon and discovered she was in the hospital with her newborn. Her husband had been there during a good portion of the day but was gone for a while, returning later. I know sitting in a hospital room with very few friends available can be extremely frustrating. She and her husband are here as he is stationed at Fort Polk. Family is in faraway places like Maine and some other where up north where the Yankees exist.

Alright. The main point here. I asked my friend what she would like me to bring to her as I was heading her way to visit. She asked for such a little thing... a large coffee, cream, no sugar. How hard could that possibly be?!? You have no idea, my Blogging Pals. You have no idea. Sigh. She specified the location from where I was to retrieve the simple item. It was not a place I frequent... in fact, I believe I have not been there since relocating here in May of 2009. But my friend was in need and I was going to do the best I could to help her out.

I figured the drive-through should be a breeze! I pulled to the ordering point, placed my very simple order, and was advised to continue. Got it.

I rounded the back corner of the building, heading toward the window where the coffee should be waiting for me, and came to a screeching halt when I heard a female voice saying "Hey!!!" Oops. Guess my drive-through experience is limited to the point I didn't KNOW this particular facility had a "first window" where one hands over the cash before proceeding to the "second window" where one retrieves one's order. LOL!! So... I back up, place my vehicle in the appropriate spot to hand over my $1.62, laugh heartily with the young lady at that window, then press forward toward the goal... a large coffee, cream, no sugar.

When I reach the "second window", a very nice young man (approximately Senior-in-high-school age) smiles and tells me they are having to brew the coffee and would I mind parking until it is ready? Alright. I haven't encountered this situation before so I ask, "Where do you want me to park?" thinking there may possibly be a "designated parking" area for those of us who place demanding orders that will require an extra effort. He politely points all around, indicating I can park any darned where I so please. I inquire "Will you be bringing the coffee to me when it is ready?" to which he responds, "Oh, yes!" No problem. I will be right there (in the parking spot I can pull into by making a slight right from the window). Fine.

Having had some less-than-stellar experiences here, I make a mental note of the time on my vehicle's clock. It is 5:59 p.m. Got it. Leaving the vehicle running and the A/C blowing (c'mon, folks... it's 137 degrees out there!), I view the exit door for the facility via my rear view mirror. I expect I will see a properly-uniformed individual racing out with my cuppa' Joe any time now.

It is 6:02 p.m. Assuming "brewing" means an army's worth (it IS a restaurant, after all), I'm going to give them another minute or so for it to finish, my cup to be poured, and my "runner" to arrive.

It is 6:06 p.m. I'm over this. I know I am not in a rocket-science environment here... but I think 7 minutes might be a little over-the-top for a cup of coffee. Is it me? Am I too impatient? Are my expectations too high?

I place my fine, gas-guzzling Suburban into Reverse, back myself (and said Suburban) up the exit driveway, ooch (yes, that's a word... at least here it is) my vehicle over toward the building, and roll back up to the "second window" to check on the status of my clearly impossible-to-fill-easily order. The very nice young man, apparently having seen my maneuver and figured out what was happening, blushingly looked at me and stated "I'm so sorry! They're making it now." Huh? My question: "Are they just now making the coffee?!?" Nope. The coffee was brewed... but no one seemed to manage to actually POUR a cup to get it to me. Sigh. Lord help me.

The young man pushes a bag toward me (still without coffee) and says, "Here. She wants you to have two apple pies." There was no real clarity in my head regarding "she" (who?) or "why" (is this supposed to keep me from losing it?). Immediately following the bag came the prized cup of coffee. Based on my experience thus far, I check the bag for the cream. None there. I ask if there is cream in the coffee already. Yeppir. Turns out there is. My friend had specified the number, which I had specified during my order, and apparently these folks actually put it in the cup with the coffee rather than force me to open itty-bitty plastic containers that typically splatter all over me. Bless their hearts!

So... about 10 minutes after pulling into the parking lot, I am finally exiting with my lone ordered cup of coffee... and a couple of unrequested apple pies. LOL!! Could not really do much but laugh about this one. I mean... the little fella' behind the window was really nice... and he seemed really embarrassed about the situation. I did actually manage to get what I had ordered... and a couple of "freebies" thrown in. No harm, no foul, I guess. Sigh.

Customer Service. An oxymoron in most environments. If apologies were what I was seeking, I would have been extremely pleased. Guess they were better than nothing.

Oh... and if you haven't checked lately, the little eagles are now big birds. They have begun stepping out onto limbs around the nest, testing their wings!! They will be flying soon. Don't miss your chance to see them do so!

Until next post...

BUCKET LIST ITEM... CHECK!!!!

noreply@blogger.com (Mary Nell) — Mon, 06 Jun 2011 23:09:00 +0000

Heidy-Ho, Blogging Pals!! You just won't believe this one!

To try to keep this brief (which you all know is not my typical style!), I had posted about visits to the local airshows in 2009 and 2010. Both times, I noted my very favorite planes were the "Stearman Twins", as I referred to them. I had absolutely NO idea who they belonged to or where they "lived." I told the spousal-unit both times that I would really love to be able to go up in one of those planes. A pipe dream, certainly.

During a conversation with Dr. George (he hates when I call him that... *chuckle*), I mentioned how much I loved seeing the two Stearman planes at the airshows. I probably even said something about how much I would love to go up in one. He told me he might could arrange that. Now, you have to understand that the reason I adore Dr. George is that he and I can absolutely lie to each other with impunity and love it. :) He is a very fabulous guy with a terrifically fun sense of humor. Did I think that would ever be a possibility, much less a reality? Probably not.

Dr. George turns out to be friends with the planes' owner, who keeps them (and a few other planes) at hangars at his residence in the country. Dr. George contacts him and tells him about my desire to fly in a Stearman. Next thing I knew, the spousal-unit and I were going to a catfish fry to meet Mr. Bonnie Lee S., the owner of my beloved "Stearman Twins." Mr. Bonnie Lee knew my family and was a very kind host that day. He indicated we would make arrangements to fly together in the future. I could only hope.

Without further rambling from me, I want to share with you the most wonderful afternoon I have spent in many, many years!! A big ol' THANK YOU to the spousal-unit who came along to take the photos so I can remember this one. Check this one off of the Bucket List!! Oh... and Mr. Bonnie Lee is the most gracious, generous individual I have met in a long time. He probably has a gazillion people wanting to fly with him and I'm sure that can be very tiring. But he made it happen for me and I will be forever grateful to him for his generosity and kindness. Thank you, Mr. Bonnie Lee!!

STRAPPING IN!

MY FABULOUS PILOT!

TAXI BEGINS!!

IT'S A TANDEM TAKE-OFF!!!

WE'RE IN THE SECOND PLANE.

HEAVENLY CLOUDS TO ENJOY!!

WE HAVE LANDED.

THIS WAS MY "WOO-HOOOOOOOO!" MOMENT.

CAN WE GO AGAIN?!? HUH? HUH? PUHLEEZ?!?!?

MY NEW SWEETIE... WHAT A DOLL!

I THINK HE'S CALLING FOR HELP TO GET ME AWAY FROM HIM!

HE'S MR. BONNIE LEE TO ME... "SWAMP" TO OTHERS.

THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH, MR. BONNIE LEE!!

THE END OF A GLORIOUS DAY AND FLIGHT.

Until next post, my blogging buddies...

REDNE... UH... TIRE GARDEN UPDATE!!

noreply@blogger.com (Mary Nell) — Tue, 31 May 2011 17:19:00 +0000

Heidy-Ho, Blogging Buddies! I hope you all had a wonderful, relaxing Memorial Day weekend.

It's time for photos and an update. The tire garden is doing well. Every plant has fruit or veggie in place. I have already enjoyed several of the "Juliet" grape tomatoes and am anxiously awaiting the blush of the Cherokee Purple tomatoes! The "Valencia" bell peppers are looking good with new arrivals showing up. The "Persian Lime" tree has produced and I cannot wait to check out the newest citrus arrival.

I also have two Plumeria plants that traveled from Austin with me to Louisiana. One of them had bloomed lightly (less than 5 blooms) a few years ago but neither had bloomed since. Apparently they like the HOT, HUMID weather here!! :) You'll see what I mean below.

So... enjoy the photos. I hope you all remain well and have a fabulous summer!

First Blush!!

C'mon, Purple!!

You put de lime in de coconut...

Waiting on Orange!!

From odd-looking blooms...

... to beautiful flowers!!

Until next post...

BON VOYAGE, FAUX AUNTIE JO!!

noreply@blogger.com (Mary Nell) — Sun, 15 May 2011 21:35:00 +0000

I sit at my laptop with a heavy heart this afternoon, Blogging Buddies.

Some of you know of Faux Auntie Jo. Some of you do not. I refer you back to a previous post or two where she was mentioned:
August of 2009 - http://louisianatown.blogspot.com/2009/08/pear-pickin-party-partner.html and http://louisianatown.blogspot.com/2009/08/goulash.html.

Faux Auntie Jo and I knew of each other but had not spent any time together. My aunt and I traveled quite a bit beginning in 2002 and Faux Auntie Jo became part of our travels a little later. This was when I discovered what a fabulous, hilarious, gracious individual Faux Auntie Jo was and when she began to join us on future travels. Her attitude was always one of looking ahead to the next great adventure while thoroughly enjoying the present one. She was completely willing to "go with the flow" even when it wasn't necessarily as pleasant as one would wish. Her enthusiasm meant we had to do EVERYthing available for us... even when perhaps a nap would have been a little more welcome!

Faux Auntie Jo got her nickname from me when I got tired of introducing my aunt as my aunt and then having to introduce Jo as "my aunt's and my friend, Jo" or something equally as tongue-tying! Since we had become good pals and she trusted me to schedule, book, and manage her travels along with ours, I simply decided she should be my Faux Auntie Jo. It stuck and remained what I called her from that point forward. She seemed to like that.

As you have likely gathered due to the past tense language, Faux Auntie Jo departed on life's final Great Adventure on Thursday morning, May 12th. I had been monitoring her situation and had visited her the Tuesday prior, holding her hand and laughing about some of our "great adventures" together. She was very gracious, even at this time, and smiled at me as I reminded her of some of the fun we had enjoyed. She had told me she had experienced a wonderful life and was ready to move on. She left peacefully and without pain, for which we are all grateful.

So... even as I grieve about the loss of a fine friend and know I will miss her terribly, I wave a hearty farewell and wish my Faux Auntie Jo a BON VOYAGE!!! I am certain it will be so.

Until next post...

IT'S NOT JUST ME! HOORAY!

noreply@blogger.com (Mary Nell) — Tue, 10 May 2011 23:03:00 +0000

Heidy-Ho, Blogging Pals.

Somehow I didn't think it was just me with bad contractor Karma!! :) I guess "Hooray" might not be really an appropriate sentiment but I really am glad it's not just me. If you have had a crazy contractor experience, please feel free to share it with me. If you don't mind, I will post it to this blog with you as my "guest blogger."

My friend, June B., has had a very interesting and recent HVAC (Heating/Ventilation/Air Conditioning) contractor experience including the involvement of multiple potential "specialists" who have offered varied and interesting possible resolutions! Her story follows:

"I got a big laugh out of your 'Contractor' story. I want to tell you about my problem in the big city. My air conditioning recently started acting as if it had a mind of its own. I called A/C Co. No. 1 who came right out and spent almost 2 hours looking for the problem. He mentioned a new circuit board ($400+) but was not sure. He finally decided I had programmed the thermostat wrong. That visit only cost $60 and didn't fix anything. My next call was to a national A/C Co. No. 2. A technician came out and spent 20 min. assessing the problem. He would also put in a new circuit board, but doing that would necessitate a new fan and while we were there it would be smart to replace the furnace - all of which he could do for a mere $7000. I thanked him and called A/C Co. No. 3. I have now been 3 days without air conditioning in Houston, Tex. This one came with a briefcase and was dressed in a suit. I knew I was in trouble. After his examination, he told me there was nothing wrong with the circuit board, that the coils were leaking freon and the coils would have to be replaced immediately to fix the problem ($2700). By now I am very hot and thoroughly confused, so I called my daughter to see what to do. She called around the neighborhood for a 4th A/C Co. and we found an independent who owned his own company. He came out on day 4 and confirmed that the coils were leaking freon. He also said there was nothing wrong with the circuit board and that the furnace should be good for another 7 years. He filled up the unit with gas and said it should last through the summer, but he would replace the coils for about $900. Total to him $480 so far. Exactly 8 days later, the unit quit completely. The last A/C Co. No. 4 came back out (no charge) and tinkered with it again and it has been running 5 days. I have my fingers crossed. The $64 dollar question is, what should I do? Life is not easy, but I now know a great deal more about how air conditioning works. We're all in this together."

Well... I guess it can always be worse. A lack of air conditioning in April through at least October here in the south (whether Texas, Louisiana, or any other Gulf of Mexico bordering state!) is tantamount to a fish finding itself in the middle of a desert. You know you're going to die... you just wish it would come quickly!!!

So, my Blogging Pals... let me hear from you if you have a nightmare to share. :) While I hope you don't, I feel as though you might.

Until next post...

CONTRACTOR MANIA... AS PROMISED

noreply@blogger.com (Mary Nell) — Mon, 09 May 2011 18:34:00 +0000

Howdy, Blogging Buddies!

You will remember my promise to regale you with the tales of the contractor insanity experienced during the very minor updating of the house here. Well, since it's going to take a while for me to get my laundry done this afternoon, now seems like a good time to do just that.

Let's start with the painter and his helper... both with the same first name so calling out the name resulted in two deer-caught-in-the-headlights faces staring at one with the occasional "Huh?" in two-part harmony. Things started out fairly well here. The painter had been referred to me by a trusted friend. He did return my call and schedule to drop by to take a look at the job. He did arrive at the time scheduled. These were all things working directly in his favor. Things went a bit downhill shortly thereafter.

I try to be a personable kind of gal. I do have a sense of humor and I enjoy working with those who can exhibit the same. But... (isn't there always a "but?")... my expectation from you, as a service provider, is professionalism first... humor down the road. The immediate attitude of "best pals" I got far too soon became a problem. My winning personality does not mean it's okay for you to do things haphazardly. Since you have viewed the job, I expect you to arrive with the tools you need to do the job!! Yep. My contracted personnel had to ask to borrow tools from my spousal-unit who then questioned exactly where I had found these guys! LOL!! Yep. You heard it right. The folks I am paying to do a job need to borrow our equipment to do it. Is there a discount for that?!?!?

I also understand a timeline is based on everything going exactly right and is subject to some change. When "a couple of days" becomes Day Four, I am again wondering if I made a good decision by allowing you into my home. Oh... and when you are done, it would have been nice of you to empty the sheetrock dust from my good vacuum cleaner (another item you borrowed!) into the trash receptacle outside. It was quite a shock to me to pull it out and have a cloud of dust spew out when I tried to use it. Lesson learned here? Never allow a contractor to use anything I own.

Would I use these folks again? Nope. Sorry. While they did an alright job (nothing I would consider stellar), the aggravation factor was far too high.

So... let's move on to the Big Box store, shall we? :) You would think, perhaps, that a national level firm would be pretty sophisticated and wanting to meet its customers' expectations. Perhaps it would have a very stringent list of qualifications and requirements for those local contractors who are engaged on the Big Box's behalf to do the work. Silly me.

When I first spoke with the Big Box employee about what I wanted done, he provided me with a quote. (I was quite surprised to find out, after I had consented to the work, the quote he gave me was only for the product... not the labor. I would have preferred to have that information all at once!) I agreed to the $35 fee, which would be applied to the final bill as a credit if I had the work done, to have the contractor come to my home and measure the distance from the edge of the countertops to the center of the sinks (3 sinks total) as this was "very critical" to have accurately measured. Since I am a mere female, unlikely to understand how a tape measure works, it was required that the contractor show up. (I won't say any more here but pay attention to what follows.) Oh... and the $35 became $51 as there is apparently a $16 additional fee if the house was built before 1970-something and since I could not provide the exact date of the build, the rampant danger to someone taking 3 quick measurements from the possible LEAD PIPES was so great, they apparently had to pay them an extra $16... but that would come off of the final bill should I choose to have the work done (which it didn't although the $35 did).

After the contractor had come and gone, I was advised of the need to drive AGAIN to the north (about 25 miles) to pay for the work... in full... before they would even order my countertops. I thought there were laws about charging someone for work before it was done!!! I know you can't charge my credit card for the online order I placed until you ship it. I understand wanting a deposit (maybe 50%?) for something you can't do anything with if I change my mind or die before you get it in... but to pay you in full, including labor? Wow. Tough crowd. Unfortunately, by this time, I am already embroiled in having the painting done and really just want this all to end... so we drive north, hand over a credit card, and leave with a receipt for work that won't be done for at least two weeks... maybe more. Sigh.

Fast forward about a week. When I got all of my receipts from the Big Box, I didn't really pay too much attention. Something told me to doublecheck everything in the little packet so I pulled it all out and reviewed it. Interesting. The measurements that I, as a mere female unable to comprehend tape measure intricacies, would not have been able to make are written on the paperwork... and they don't look right. I know. What do I know? I know enough to realize that the single sink in one bathroom is a greater distance from the wall than the two sinks in the other bathroom!!! If for no other reason than my measuring for mirrors and light fixtures, I know they are not the same measurements! But there they are... all three measurements from the edge to the "center of the sink" are identical. I rush to my desk in which there is a tape measure with my initials on it (I don't know why I have it with my inability to use it!). I whip it out of the top drawer and head for the sinks. I measure end-to-center in the single sink bathroom. Yep. That measurement is correct. I then measure end-to-center for both sinks in the dual vanity bathroom. Whoa, Nelly!!! The contractor is showing 18.5" when the actual measurement is 12.5" on both!!!

I pick up the phone and make a call to the contractor as well as to the Big Box employee with whom I began this ordeal. It is POURING down rain... big thunderstorm... and I get a call back from the contractor. He begrudgingly is offering to return here (he has that 25 mile drive to get here!) to check his measurements. When I tell him I HAVE the accurate measurements, he hems and haws for a bit before deciding to tell me that he'll just use my measurements. WHAT?!?!?!? Shouldn't I get my $51 fee back? Sigh. I get a call later from Big Box guy advising that the sink shape I had selected (rectangular) was not going to work now that the ACCURATE measurements were in. Oh... and this might push things back a week since they are just now aware of the measurement change. Great. If any of you heard Primal Screaming during this period, I assure you it was me.

I was not here when contractor-man arrived with help to do the countertop swap-outs. He was apparently very nice, according to my spousal-unit, and I guess he didn't ask to borrow any of our tools, so he gets extra points for that. They did a pretty good job of replacing the countertops with very nominal damage to the new paint job even though they had to strip out old caulk and slam the new tops in pretty tightly. All-in-all, the job was quite acceptable and the cost (including labor) was reasonable... even after they gave me the labor figure.

Now... the fun part of this deal was the follow-up! First of all, a card came in the mail prior to the installation of the countertops requesting that "Mr. and Mrs. Condren" submit their "own Testimonial" online. Interestingly enough, only MY name is Condren. My spousal-unit has his very own name... which he has had his entire life. Since he really was not involved in this other than to be here when the contractor showed up to measure and again to install, I'm not sure why he was even involved in the request for feedback. At any rate... it gets better. After the work had been completed, a phone call came in to the house phone. The spousal-unit answered it. The young lady on the other end asked for "Mr. Condren" and I'm not sure exactly what he told her about that. At any rate... she told him she was calling from "Big Box" and wanted him to answer a survey about the windows he had just had installed. ?HUH? He told her he had not had any windows installed. There was a pause... before she asked the most inane question ever asked to date. "Are you sure?" LOL!!! Oh Lord help me!! Do you think one would know if one had windows installed?!?!? It took me nearly five minutes to stop laughing and pick myself up from the floor. Of course, the spousal-unit did not offer up that there HAD been work done. He figures if they don't know what they're doing, he isn't there to help them figure it out. *chuckle*

Would I use the Big Box again? Nope. Not likely. While the work was satisfactory and the product is very nice, I just have trouble going back to anyone who has made a major error on the first job. As to feedback... they will receive it. I will be going online now that I have mellowed and experienced a lovely R&R that will likely allow me to submit my feedback in a civil tone. :)

I have to tell you all that I TRULY miss my most-wonderful contractor person in Austin. He did work on a property I had listed to sell (that sold on Day Two of the listing!), on my own home prior to it going on the market when we were leaving Texas, and on my former neighbor's home (both her "old" one and her "new" one). His work is impeccable. His price is fair. He has pride of workmanship and it shows. I wish he were here. I assure you he would be so busy, he would never have any time off.

That's my Contractor Mania tale, my friends. I hope you have far better experiences in your future contractor endeavors!!!

Until next post...

UPDATE: After 30 minutes of thoughtfully explaining my concerns on the Big Box web site in the feedback section, I received an "error" message which indicates my feedback likely has disappeared into cyberspace and will never be read by anyone. LOL!!! So... I am going to submit another complaint indicating my displeasure at the web site feedback form and telling them to CALL me so I can provide feedback on the "service" they provided to me. I'll let you know how that all works out.

'BURB BIRTHDAY AND TIRE GARDENING UPDATE

noreply@blogger.com (Mary Nell) — Tue, 03 May 2011 14:00:00 +0000

Heidy-Ho, Blogging Buddies!! I see it has been FAR too long since I last posted.

I am relieved that Usama Bin Laden has met his demise as I imagine many of you are, too. However, remember that, while he was the symbol of terror to us due to 9/11, he was only one person. Things will not change dramatically and you will still need to be aware of your surroundings and those around you.

My trusty Suburban turned 10 years old in April. Interestingly enough, it also turned 100,000 miles during that month. We (the 'Burb and I) were on a road trip at the time so I snapped the turned odometer as well as the location which was Onalaska, Texas. Yep. You read it right.

I had a lovely week in April taking advantage of some much-needed R&R. A fabulous B&B, multiple wineries toured, and a few days of no schedule or agenda made for an improved attitude. I highly suggest each of you do the same or something similar in your near future!

The tire garden was planted March 26th. The spousal-unit had brought some "magic dirt" from our place in Segovia, Texas, with which we replaced the dirt in 3 of the 5 tires as well as the 2 containers holding the grape tomatoes. I admit to being somewhat skeptical since the property in Texas is primarily comprised of rock, cactus, and occasionally some grasses and flowers when it rains... which it does rarely. I happily concede his correctness regarding the soil. If you take a peek at the group of tires, the two that are front and right in the photo contain one Cherokee Purple tomato plant and several Jalapeno plants, respectively. Those are the 2 tires that did NOT get "magic dirt" this year. Notice that the two other Cherokee Purple tomato plants are at least TWICE the size of the front one. They have the advantage of the "magic dirt." There has been no difference in fertilization/watering of these plants. The three tomato plants were purchased at the same time and were the same size when they were planted.
My close-up skills are apparently lacking. For some reason, even though I am capturing the item I want close-up in the "crosshairs" of the lens, my camera seems to focus on the ground!! Not surprised. I am NOT a photographer by any stretch of the imagination. Hopefully you will see the items I was focusing on... the Juliet grape tomatoes, the Cherokee Purple tomatoes, and the Persian Limes.

I am looking forward to my harvest! There are also a good number of satsumas on the little trees we have as well as some blueberries on a lone bush that will hopefully mature.

So... while I don't have anything fascinating to impart to you today, I wanted you to know that spring has definitely sprung here in southwest Louisiana and we look toward the summer.

Until next post...