Timing is Everything

And mine is running a tad behind schedule,

so there will be no new pictures of peonies this year.

You'll just have to manage with these instead.

 See, aren't the peonies looking pitiful,

but the semi-invasive purple bell flowers are picking up some slack.

Have some daises.

How about some wild snapdragons.

 Roses are nice too.

 I'd like to make some tea with these Chinese chrysanthemums,

but they are way to close to the sidewalk where passing dogs leave pee-mail messages.  That's just where they re-seeded themselves.

 And now for the pansies that didn't fit in the hanging basket for mom's place.

 The tiger lilies are running amok as usual.

The currants are almost ready.

The service berries have come and gone.

I did manage to pick some before the birds ate them all.

Some cedar waxwings came for breakfast, lunch, and supper,

but I couldn't get a picture.  They would sit boldly in the bush when I was picking, but as soon as the camera came out they were gone.

The robins were getting unusually aggressive and acting more like other bird species.  The crowd of birds reminded me of newscasts covering black Friday sales at Walmart.

There were a few berries on the bushes yesterday evening.

By the time I went out this afternoon, the bushes were picked clean.

Now there is purple bird poop all over the neighborhood.

Like I said, timing is everything.

Another One for the List of Shame

You can add the Veterans Assistance Foundation to the list of shame.  They conned $125 out of stepfather; he was gullible enough to give them his credit card number.  They weren't content to send a pledge form through the mail, because they probably knew it would be returned canceled.  That's just dirty pool.  The note on the phone warning stepfather not to give anyone his credit card information isn't working anymore.  So guess what we did today.  We called the phone company.  Getting an unlisted number is no guarantee of blocking telemarketers that rob-dial.   So we found something better; as of Saturday, mom and stepfather will have the handy-dandy AT&T-Uverse TV and phone package.  This means we can pre-program a maximum of twenty numbers that will be allowed to call them.  All other numbers will be blocked!  No more robo-calls - Yeah!  I'm not sure what they will do with the TV channels, and I doubt that stepfather will even attempt to use the "free DVR".  It doesn't really matter, because the goal of keeping the sheister charities and political groups from calling them and trying to con them out of all their money will be achieved.

The second thing we did was cancel his credit card, just in case that charity decides to double dip at a later date.

Got to go.  I have relatives to call to find out from which phone number they might call mom & stepfather, and to give them the new number.  It is probably no better time than the present to break the news to stepfather's sons.  As far as I know, they are still unaware of his diagnosis.  Please pray that they don't freak out.

Chicken Dog

So, today is really humid.  Hubby walks across the room, and his shoes squeak.  Then Chloe comes running to me with the look of "Mommy protect me from that horrible noise.  Daddy has turned into a noisy monster that hurts my ears."  She does the same thing when the smoke detector gives a low battery chirp.  She decided to hide under the computer table, not much leg room anymore.  Hubby switched back to his slippers and just offered her a peace offering of a rawhide.  Rather than take it to her favorite rug, she ran back under - you guessed it - the computer table, silly chicken dog.

Rainy Day and Pests

Well it's pouring today.

I guess it is good that mom's west garden finally was tilled yesterday and her tomatoes, some pole beans, and cucumbers were planted.

I always wonder if it is even worth the bother since the neighbor dropped a tree on the north garden's fence.  Hubby helped me finally dismantle the shattered remains of the fence posts and roll up the 6' tall chicken wire.   Rebuilding the north garden fence is on the round-tuit list.  But I still wonder if it is worth it, because these pests can jump a 12' fence easily.

There is a swampy spot just down the block from mom's place.  It and all the neighbors' landscaping support a small herd of these eating machines.

Finishing Touches

So the circuit was repaired, up and running, but we were waiting for a new fixture for the dining room ceiling because this one just didn't really seem to suite the location.  It was a bit small, and the temporary paper plate medallion didn't really add any class.

It is now in the spares collection and might end up in the downstairs hallway from the bedroom to the bathroom, or it might be kept as a spare, (just in case one of the other two installed in the hallways upstairs meets with an accident when moving things about.  Of course that never happens in your house because you are naturally graceful and careful 100% of the time - right?)

 The new fixture is a tad bigger, holds two 40W lumen equivalent LED bulbs, and looks like it belongs there.  The shade is off white, even a bit yellow, but gives a warm glow to the room.  The medallion is too white, but we haven't decided if we should paint it or just learn to live with it.  I found the fixture at a local lighting store.  It is made by Feiss.  The number of semi-flushmount (the fixture doesn't trap as much heat against the ceiling and in the junction box above the light) low profile light fixtures (<10" tall), that are appropriate for installation in houses with older wiring and low ceilings are pretty limited, believe me I looked through the inventory at Home Depot's website, and Lowe's, and Menards, and was not impressed.  

 This one is an old shade married to a new electrical fixture, due to the little warning on the LED lightbulb package that states "not for use in totally enclosed fixture", the bubble globe that came with the new fixture was not an option.

And yes, it is being suspended using fishing weights and stainless steel safety wire.

 From a distance, the guts of the fixture are visible, but oh well.

We will see how it holds up.

 And last but not least, the new pull chain fixture and the old globe attached using extra long screws.  It is so dorky; it's cute.