I was close to overload this morning: between fixing breakfast, gathering up boxes for a yard sale at the in-laws’, and getting ready to button up the chicken houses for the new batch (coming tomorrow), I was amazed I kept it all straight.
One of the yard sale items was a commercial-grade VCR. Mrs. Fetched has nearly a half-dozen of them, leftovers from her analog video editing days. “See if you can find the remotes for the rest,” she said, waving the one remote she was able to locate (when your remote has a jog/shuttle wheel, you’re uptown!). Naturally, I didn’t find the remotes, but I did find: the voltmeter (in the coffee table drawer), Mrs. Fetched’s English Allen wrenches (on The Boy’s dresser), and my trouble light (buried under a bunch of stuff in a box in the garage). I vaguely remember carrying the Allen wrenches up to his room to dismantle a bed frame, but thought I’d put them back. The trouble light was about where I thought it should have been, but buried deeper than I’d expected. I have no clue why the voltmeter was in the coffee table.
After the chicken houses, I was sweaty and dirty: in other words, in perfect form to go pick blackberries. I cut the top off a milk jug I’d rinsed out for the purpose, sprayed myself down with bug bomb, and marched out to hunt and gather. There were a few nice big ones by Crissy the Shriekbox’s pen; I endured the barking and grabbed those, then hiked through the woods behind the manor to the pasture. There are a couple of really good stands of blackberries around some brush piles, and they did not disappoint. I also found where the Japanese Beetles have been hanging out; shaking the vines elicited a noise like a squadron of Zeros taking off. While they had sucked some of the berries dry, many others were intact and as big as a fingertip (all the way to the first knuckle). I don’t know how the berries managed to get so big what with the lack of rain through most of June, but I filled my jug and headed back as more rain threatened. I got three or four drops is all; most of the rain went about a half mile south. I’m looking forward to stashing some jelly for the winter.
Saturday, June 30, 2007
11 comments:
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I don't see where you get the energy from FAR. I was worn out from watching my b-i-l putting new blades on my lawnmower. It appears my only mechanical talent is handing tools. :)
ReplyDeleteAs far as jellies or jams, I think the last greatest I had were the ones my Grandmother used to make. Any others I've tasted since, just don't taste as good.
Hey FM… walking around and picking berries isn't too strenuous; besides, I’ll count it as some of the exercise I’m supposed to be getting!
ReplyDeleteI'm thinking about a motorcycle ride tomorrow, but with a 40% chance of rain I might just nap instead.
Now of course you know there are two type of naps. There's spontaneous napping, which I think you might do tomorrow, and there's strategic napping. I would think finding a nap when you're supposed to be at the chicken houses might fall in that category. :)
ReplyDeleteLooks like we got all your rain. I went to Augusta today to buy the suit. While I was there, I went to the big Wal-Mart in Evans to get some groceries (big mistake - it was packed - and they were out of just about everything, so I was dodging shelf-stockers).
ReplyDeleteI made it home before the storm broke, but it was still after the thunder started, so the Murphs was already climbing the walls. I changed clothes quickly and ran out to treat the yard with flea granules. Unfortunately, I think the rain was too hard, and may have washed the granules away.
It has stormed most of the evening, and it's still lightening and rumbling a bit.
Hi Guys! I'm back and it's good to read your post (FARfetched) and the great comments (FamilyMan and jewahe)
ReplyDeleteI think it's going to be a nap all day for me tomorrow. But it's Mister's birthday, so it's up to him....
-katiebird
Hey KB.
ReplyDeleteI've been trying to get over to your blog, but it just won't load up for some reason.
Have you been having problems with it?
FM, I got the nap in. Only an hour, but better than nothing (had to pick up The Boy from his session). I thought I was going to pick up his girlfriend too — in fact, I was going to get her on the way & surprise the heck out of him — but she was elsewhere. I like that idea of the "strategic nap" but fear that it would cause great amounts of friction around the manor.
ReplyDeleteJeff, the storms finally get past here just now. It’s rained here & there all afternoon, but the heaviest was just now. For some reason, I thought the Murphster was getting better about storms… and I can't remember if he gets sedatives? Doggie Scotch maybe?
Welcome back, KB! I hope everything went as well as could be expected under the circumstances. I just tried accessing E4T and it's not loading here either. Might want to give the server a good swift kick.
I don't know what's going on at Eat4Today. I've sent a message to my blog-host, but he doesn't know either.
ReplyDeleteAt first he said it was a denial of service attack that was resolved. But, I'm still down.
I hope it's fixed soon.
The kids just left after a relaxing birthday celebration for mister.
-katiebird (who is REALLY ready to retire. Why do I have to go back to work tomorrow?)
Wow, quite the party here at FAR Manor tonight and it's making me envious with all this talk of rain. Our last big boomer was over a week ago and those couple inches seem to have just disappeared out in the garden, where I'm going to have to start watering again. Interesting "stuff" you were searching for FAR ... that voltmeter in the coffee table gave me quite a chuckle.
ReplyDeleteBig howdies to FM and KB! Glad to know you're home safely from your trip KB, I know it must have been a stressful one. Just take it as easy as you can for a day or so... I'd do those "strategic naps" FM was promoting... hehe.
I thought he was, too. But lately, we're right back where we were. He's now started scratching at the back door, to the point that he's put big gouges in the door and bloodied his paws.
ReplyDeleteHe gets diazepam - a form of valium.
More storms today, apparantly. According to Mom, Alabama is experience drought 4 conditions - supposedly the worst drought ever experienced by any state in the US ever.
KB, looks like E4T is working again. I figure you knew that already, but just in case…
ReplyDeleteIVG, this last week has brought more rain than the entire previous month. That’s not saying much; we hardly got any rain at all in that time — needless to say, it's quite welcome even if I have to get the weed-eater out.
Jeff, I sure hope Alabama gets some rain and soon. Looks like some popcorn storms are flapping around on the radar… some people will get some relief today, anyway.