Just received this and thought it too good to not pass on.

Sorry, no pictures yet. Should finish my project this week (knock on my wooden head) and then will do some things here that I would like to.

Going to be another warm one today. It is only 8:00 am and I have shut the house up to keep as much cool air in as I can. Got to go and pick up Cheryl and her sister in a little bit and bring them home. All my peace and quiet will be gone, gone, gone.

I have been sitting at the kitchen table watching my little flying friends come and go to the feeder. I don't know why it took me so long in life to realize what a small pleasure it is to watch the small animals and birds. Too busy thinking like a hunter and not realizing what I was destroying. We put a new feeder out by the plum tree and the song birds are just now realizing we have it full of thistle seeds and they are flocking. This morning had the prettiest yellow bird.

I was thinking about some experiences in my life that were interesting, if not amusing. One was a situation with a snake.

I was about 17 at the time and spent my summer logging in Island Park, Idaho. We stayed in a tent for a week at a time and came home, or to see our girl friends, on the weekends. My friend and I were always jangling about this and that, in a good natured way, and our boss had just about had it with us. One thing we always argued about was who got to set by the window in the truck when we went back to camp or wherever.

One day we were walking down the hill to the truck and doing our usual harping when our boss stopped, bent down like he was tying his shoelace and then continued on after us. These were his words. "I am so sick and tired of you two constantly bickering over who sets where. Get in the truck and I don't want to hear another word." Well!! We were surprised by that attitude to say the least.

My friend, Garl, jumped in the middle and I had the door. I had just barely closed the door when our boss jerked open his door, threw a snake in on us and said, "Now let's see how fast you can get out!" That darned Garl had that snake land across both of his forearms and he just kept it moving over to me. My feet hit the dash and I about tore that door off trying to get out of there. I thought our boss was going to die from laughter. I cussed him for over a half an hour and I could cuss real good back then. Poor old snake just slithered out the door and went on about his business.

So that is one of my experiences from my youth. I have a deathly fear of snakes and that did not help me overcome it.

Got to go.

Have a nice day everyone.

Mercy, I don't even have a decent picture to post. I have been so busy with a special project concerning genealogy that every possible minute is spent on the computer typing in names. Right now I am up to 13,200 and still climbing but I think I see a speck of light at the end of the tunnel. I am shooting for the goal of having all these names indexed before I go back to work.

My darned Internet supplier has been screwing with our service and I have not had Internet for about two weeks or better. The original company sold out and the new company has totally gone downhill. I am hooking up to another company this Friday so hopefully things will be better.

I have missed everyone. I see where Foam has been skinny dipping, Pamela described a rain storm so beautifully that I could almost feel it. Dana posted a thing (can't think of what it is called) about a wildlife preserve near her home and the pictures were beautiful. Foam talked about going skinny dipping, oh I mentioned that. hee, hee, hee. My poor brain cannot remember who else is doing what. I know those Australian women are still telling good jokes.

Cheryl has a sister from Florida visiting which is keeping her busy. Right now they are camping and they keep trying to tell me they are having fun in this heat. Right!!! All I know is the house is nice and quiet, the air conditioner is working just right and I am getting lots done on my project.

Our tomatoes are producing like crazy and so is the squash. Cheryl canned some pickled beets from the garden and they are delicious. Of course they always are when they are your own.

Would you believe that I have done so much typing that my fingers are actually sore.

How is everyone doing? Any new trips this summer that were fun? I get an email from Alice in Canada every so often and she is a hoot. Still looking for a man but apparently all the good ones are taken. Oh yeah.

Oh, did I mention that Foam said she is a skinny dipper? Where did I hear that from? Racy German lady anyway. We have a German lady that lives here. I will have to find out where she is from and let you know. She is a character also.

Would you believe that I have not even been fishing this year. When I get this project completed I am taking some time off and enjoying what I want to do without a deadline.

Enough of my sniveling. Hope this finds everyone well and happy. Have a nice day everyone.

Sorry, but no picture today. We just got back from a lovely trip to Yellowstone Park and I have not downloaded the pictures as of yet. We had such a great time. I have never seen the mountains look so beautiful. The wild flowers were in rich abundance and painted the mountainside with blues, yellows, whites and pinks plus throw in some red Indian paintbrush and it was an artists dream. The lakes and rivers and streams were full and clear. We seen bison, elk, deer, bear, moose, in fact the only major animals we did not see were the wolf and bighorn sheep. We even saw a bald eagle and a golden eagle plus several osprey. The eagles were no big deal to us since we have both species around here and it is quite common to see them but it still was neat.

Cheryl and I probably averaged 25 - 30 mph at best even though there were many who insisted on driving much faster and missed so much.

Following Yellowstone we traveled through Grand Teton National Park. It has been called the Matterhorn or America. All I know is this year was especially beautiful. As a kid there was a common saying in the valley where I lived, "If there is snow on the Grand Teton at the beginning of July then it was a good year for water." There is A LOT OF SNOW on the Grand as well as the whole range. Mt. Moran looks like it might start forming another glacier if the winter keep up the good work.

The only down part of the whole trip... too many Utah cars. I was very good and didn't let them get to me.

People do some silly things though. All kinds of warnings about approaching animals but I guess we have a literacy problem here in America. We came across a bear cub, people jumping out of their cars and approaching it very, very closely without giving a single thought that Mama bear might be near by and she would not be happy. Bison have a reputation of suddenly attacking without any warning but that didn't stop people from approaching them. They look so docile. Hmmm.

The bottom line is we had a great time. I wish everyone could visit Yellowstone this year and experience the beauties there.

Have a nice day everyone.

Back in the earlier days of where we lived there was this band of hooligans that roamed the country putting fear in everyone. They were dangerous to say the least. Today they are scattered to the four winds but their shenanigans still live on, except for the parents of course. From left to right, in the back, the names are Katherine, now in Pahrump, Nevada, Michael, now in Albuquerque, New Mexico, the head of the clan, Tim, now in Downey, Idaho, don't you just love the mustache, Kip, now in Bakersfield, California. In the front we have Kimberly, now in Trenton, Utah, the worst of the bunch is Ma, aka as Cheryl, now in Downey, Idaho, and last but not least we have Leslie, now in Provo, Utah. It makes me shudder to think of the crimes this bunch has committed.

We had this picture taken when we visited Virginia City, Montana many years ago. We had a lot of fun on that trip. We also visited the Lewis and Clark caverns which was really neat, although I get a little claustrophobic in closed situations or around a lot of people.

Anyway, I was looking through some of my memory books and came across this and thought I would share it. I was actually looking for my birth certificate which I just knew where it was, but it wasn't. Cheryl had to come along and help me out and of course rub it in a little that I cannot find anything on my own. Harrrumph.

I don't know what the rest of the country is like but it is a tad warm here. Tomatoes are growing like crazy and so are the pickle plants. Normally I have a rough time with pickles but hopefully this year will be a bumper picking. Squash is like a weed. It just spreads all over the place.

We watched the movie, The Notebook, the other night and it reminded us of our life in a way. Cheryl was engaged to another fellow when I came into the picture. Her parents were very much set against me which caused us to elope. I have always regretted that my wife never had a real wedding but she did get a REAL MAN!!! Okay, enough laughing if you please.

Guess I will close for today. Tomorrow we leave for Star Valley, WY to attend the funeral of my brother in law. Kind of gets your attention when someone passes on who is only a few years older.

Have a nice day everyone.

WHEN YOU THOUGHT I WASN'T LOOKING A message every adult should read because children are watching you and doing as you do, not as you say. When you thought I wasn't looking I saw you hang my first painting on the refrigerator, and I immediately wanted to paint another one. When you thought I wasn't looking I saw you feed a stray cat, and I learned that it was good to be kind to animals. When you thought I wasn't looking I saw you make my favorite cake for me, and I learned that the little things can be the special things in life. When you thought I wasn't looking I heard you say a prayer, and I knew that there is a God I could always talk to, and I learned to trust in Him. When you thought I wasn't looking I saw you make a meal and take it to a friend who was sick, and I learned that we all have to help take care of each other. When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw you give of your time and money to help people who had nothing, and I learned that those who have something should give to those who don't. When you thought I wasn't looking I saw you take care of our house and everyone in it, and I learned we have to take care of what we are given. When you thought I wasn't looking I saw how you handled your responsibilities, even when you didn' t feel good, and I learned that I would have to be responsible when I grow up. When you thought I wasn't looking I saw tears come from your eyes, and I learned that sometimes things hurt, but it's all right to cry. When you thought I wasn't looking I saw that you cared, and I wanted to be everything that I could be. When you thought I wasn't looking I learned most of life's lessons that I need to know to be a good and productive person when I grow up. When you thought I wasn't looking I looked at you and wanted to say,'Thanks for all the things I saw when you thought I wasn't looking.'

Just a quick howdy doody to one and all. Hope all of you are well and happy. I am doing nothing but being lazy this summer and I LOVE IT. With gas costing so much we just don't go anywhere since both of us are unemployed until school starts. Unlike some eastern school teachers we don't get a high pay to carry us through the summer. By the way Foam I liked the classical music you had on your blog. Frequently I enjoy listening to that kind of music although I prefer full orchestras.

Have a nice day everyone.

NICKNAMES
If Laura, Kate and Sarah go out for lunch, they will call each other Laura, Kate and Sarah ..
If Mike, Dave and John go out, they will affectionately refer to each other as Fat Boy, Godzilla and Four-eyes.

EATING OUT
When the bill arrives, Mike, Dave and John will each throw in £20, even though it's only for £32.50. None of them will have anything smaller and none will actually admit they want change back.
When the girls get their bill, out come the pocket calculators.

MONEY
A man will pay $2 for a 1 item he needs.
A woman will pay $1 for a 2 item that she doesn't need but it's on sale.

BATHROOMS
A man has six items in his bathroom: toothbrush and toothpaste, shaving cream, razor, a bar of soap, and a towel from M&S.
The average number of items in the typical woman's bathroom is 337.
A man would not be able to identify more than 20 of these items.

ARGUMENTS
A woman has the last word in any argument.
Anything a man says after that is the beginning of a new argument.

CATS
Women love cats.
Men say they love cats, but when women aren't looking, men kick cats.

FUTURE
A woman worries about the future until she gets a husband.
A man never worries about the future until he gets a wife.

SUCCESS
A successful man is one who makes more money than his wife can spend.
A successful woman is one who can find such a man.

MARRIAGE
A woman marries a man expecting he will change, but he doesn't.
A man marries a woman expecting that she won't change, but she does.

DRESSING UP
A woman will dress up to go shopping, water the plants, empty the bins,
answer the phone, read a book, and get the post.
A man will dress up for weddings and funerals.

NATURAL
Men wake up as good-looking as they went to bed.
Women somehow deteriorate during the night.

OFFSPRING
Ah, children. A woman knows all about her children.
She knows about dentist appointments and romances, best friends, favourite foods, secret fears and hopes and dreams.
A man is vaguely aware of some short people living in the house.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
A married man should forget his mistakes.
There's no use in two people remembering the same thing.

OK Pam, can you identify this bird? I called it a spinner.

Here is something for most women to consider. Someday you will be a mother-in-law. Maybe you are a mother-in-law. Perhaps you will or do have sons who have a mother-in-law. Consider the following carefully.

An old woman has three daughters. One day she decided to test her sons-in-law. She was walking alone at a lake shore with the first son-in law. Purposefully, she fell in the lake and started yelling for help. The first son-in-law jumped in the lake and dragged her to shore. The very next day he found a brand new Ford Focus in his driveway with the words "Thank you, your mother-in-law loves you very much."

Another day she was walking along the lake shore with the second son-in-law. Purposefully, she fell down the lake and started yelling for help. The second son-in-law jumped into the water and dragged her to shore. The very next day he found a brand new Pontiac Sunfire in his driveway with the words, "Thank you, your mother-in-law loves you very much."

The third day she was walking with the third son-in-law and repeated the test, but that guy didn't respond to her cries for help and didn't make a single move to save her. The poor old lady who wanted to test her sons-in-law drowned and died. The next day he found a brand new Mercedes convertible in his driveway with the words, "Thank you very much! Your father- in-law."

Have a nice day everyone.

Oh to be young again. I used to hike up mountains just to ski down them.

My wife and I are at it again. I think we need a divorce counselor. She got all upset with me because when she went to use the bathroom I yelled out, "Turn off the light, the gas will ignite and the house will blow up!" Now what is wrong with that?

My wife is mean and cruel. I am a poor, humble, crippled, pleasantly fat person who is regulated in what he should be doing physically. Does that bother her? Oh, no!!! For the past few days, (thank God for Sunday), she has had me shoveling, planting, watering, spraying, and all other manner of thoughtless work items instead of letting me be like Dagwood Bumstead and enjoy resting.

She claims that my garage is a disaster. Now what right does any woman have to claim the one and only space that a poor man has, that he can claim his own, is a disaster? It might be a little junky, maybe a little dirty but it is organized confusion. Maybe if the little woman would take all her stuff out of the garage (the man's domain) he might be able to move about and enjoy it more.

Did I mention we went camping? All the time there it was, "Get out there you lazy lout and catch me some fish." She don't even like fish. I think she was trying to get rid of me. I had to kneel down and beg her to let me stay in the camper and rest.

I had a poem I was going to write but now I can't think of it. It would have been an original and probably a masterpiece. I could tell the story sent to me by Alice P in Canada but the ending was not a pleasant one and I would be afraid someone might get the wrong idea. What she proclaimed doing to a poor little mosquito was just not right.

Have a nice day everyone.

PS Spraying yourself with Listerine does keep the mosquitoes off.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

OPEC sells oil for $136.00 a barrel.
OPEC nations buy U.S. grain at $7.00 a bushel.
Solution: Sell grain for $136.00 a bushel.
Can't buy it? Tough! Eat your oil!
Ought to go well with a nice thick grilled filet of camel ass!!!

Now I am not a drinking man but sometimes this makes sense.

I am in a LOT of pain today so will be very short. Cheryl and I just got back from her heart stress test and we are both worn out. It has been a long day.

Now for anyone who might be a school teacher I was sent the following from one of my nieces. Enjoy!!

'Late again,' the third-grade teacher said to little Sammy.
'It ain't my fault this time, Miss Crabtree. You can blame this'un on my Daddy. The reason I'm three hours late is my Daddy sleeps naked!'
Now Miss Crabtree had taught grammar school for thirty-some-odd years.
Despite her mounting fears, she asked little Sammy what he meant by that.
Full of grins and mischief, and in the flower of his youth, little Sammy and trouble were old friends, but he always told her the truth. 'You see, Miss Crabtree, out at the ranch we got this here low down coyote. The last few nights he done et six hens and killed Ma's best milk goat. Last night, when Daddy heard a noise out in the chicken pen, he grabbed his shot gun and said to Ma 'That coyote's back again, I'm a gonna git him!''
'Stay back,' he whispered to all us kids.
He was naked as a jaybird, no boots, no pants, no shirt! To the hen house he crawled, just like an Injun on the snoop. Then he stuck that double barreled 12-gauge shot gun through the window of the coop. As he stared into the darkness, with coyotes on his mind, our old
hound dog Zeke had done woke up and comes sneakin' up behind Daddy.
Then as we all looked on plumb helpless ; old Zeke stuck his cold nose in Daddy's butt crack!
'Miss Crabtree, we all been cleanin' chickens since three o'clock this mornin'!'

Oh yeah.

Have a nice day everyone.

Cheryl says this picture is her and I. Now I never considered myself to be a moose and I certainly would not call Cheryl one... a bear maybe but not a moose.`

Our trips are over and we are both still recovering. Cheryl's trek was a lot of fun, very wet, a little cool, and provided more than it's share of blistered feet. Instead of the porta-potty she rode in the covered wagon and helped drive the horses. Oh yeah, I can just see her driving a team of very large horses, especially knowing she is afraid of horses a little bit. She did more than her share of walking which upset me greatly, although I didn't say much, because she enjoyed it so. Prior to this trek the doctor had explicitly told her not to be walking due to her heart condition, but like most women she didn't listen.

My trip was quite enjoyable also. I took students from three different high schools to Moscow, ID for an FFA convention. (Pam is that very close to where you live?) It rained all the time we were there and all the way back home. The first day some of the kids went river rafting and the rapids were quite high which brought many a squeal both of delight and fear. We were following in the bus and watching, plus being a little envious that I couldn't be out there with them. The cost was $40.00 per person so not too many could come up with that kind of money. We also visited Dworshak dam which was kind of interesting.

The drive up was very tiring but the drive back was a killer. The advisor's didn't want to stop for hardly anything and it is a solid 11 hour drive with some interesting hills, passes, winding roads and etc. Whine, whine, whine. Needless to say I was VERY tired when I got home that morning.

I just read Pam's blog about childhood memories. Loved it. Tonight we are having a group of people over and that is what we are going to talk about so Pam couldn't have posted a better blog at a better time. Some of my childhood memories are:
1. Fresh bread or rolls
2. Barnyard smells (I don't know if that is a good memory though.:))
3. Water running in a creek bed nice and clear and tasty.
4. The smell of the horse, the creak of the saddle, the freshness of the morning.
5. Music. Playing my trumpet in band, orchestra, pep band, dance band.
6. Shooting my old 22 rifle and becoming a pretty fair shot.
7. Riding or climbing in the mountains to see what I could see.
8. The smell of pine wood burning in a camp fire.
9. Laying out on the lawn at night and watching the stars. Wondering if aliens were coming to get me. (Invaders From Mars scared the by gollys out of me.)
10. Thanksgiving when all the relatives from my father's side would gather for the meal.

OK, OK, enough of this prattle. By the way Foam old bud, are those pictures on your blog self portraits or what? MERCY WOMAN!!! (I liked them)

My driving days are through for a couple of months so maybe I can get some things done that have been neglected. I kept hoping that lazy Cheryl would get out there and do my work but she didn't see it that way. I'm just kidding about her being lazy. We both know who the lazy one is in this household and it isn't her. The cat and dog are both dead so they can't be blamed for anything. That leaves just me. Oh well, guess I'll go eat worms.

Have a nice day everyone.

My goodness how time flies when you are having fun, er, even when you are not having fun. I did not realize how long it has been since I last posted. I have been in a funk lately about blogging or even being on the computer... I think it is called burn out.

We have been busy planting, cleaning, and visiting doctors. Cheryl finally got to see the heart specialist and he is having her do all kinds of tests. I went and had my DOT physical and passed with flying colors. To make sure my blood pressure was down I doubled up on my medicines that morning. I had the best reading I have had since I was born. Of course the after effects of doing such a stunt was not all that pleasant.

Monday I leave for a week long trip with the FFA students. Should be interesting at the very least. Cheryl is going on a trek with a group of youth. They are walking in the back country pulling handcarts and there will be at least one covered wagon. The doctor told her she is not to walk so she gets to drive and pull the porta-potty. PEEEYEWWW.

Visited your blog Foam, old buddy, and viewed the picture of a younger you. I'll bet you were quite the little pistol when you were a teen and early 20's. What am I saying, you probably still are quite the little pistol.:))

I wish I had something wise and wonderful to say but I can't think of anything. Generally I can think of all sorts of humorous things but not today. Good grief I hope I am not changing into a sober faced old man, that will never do.

I have really enjoyed driving this year. Several kids come up and joke around, tell me some of their life doings and want to know if I am going to come and watch them perform. That makes me feel good that they feel that way about me. I received a very nice card from one of the advisor's I took to Boise thanking me for the wonderful trip. All the kids signed the card too. I have kids get on the bus and tell me they are sure glad I am the driver. I asked one boy why and his answer was that I was fun. Hmmmm, I wonder if art teachers get those kind of comments? Yep, I bet they do plus many more.

Pam, I love your pictures. In fact I enjoy your blog period. You have a neat way of writing, so does Foam and you both make me envious.

Oh, I got to see the new Indiana Jones movie. I was surprised at how many did not like the movie 'cause Cheryl and I did. Maybe we don't look for realism, just enjoyment. Speaking of viewing things my NCIS ended in a strange way. They sure have a way of perking your interest so you will watch next fall to see what is going on.

I went to the bookstore the other day and was surprised at how many books there are right now about vampires. What is the interest in vampires? Speaking of which have you read the Twilight series? They are pretty good in a chick flick sort of way. I am currently reading the End of the World series and Chery is reading Indiana Jones adventures.

Got to go.

Have a nice day everyone.

You Belong in Fall

Intelligent, introspective, and quite expressive at times... You appreciate the changes in color, climate, and mood that fall brings Whether you're carving wacky pumpkins or taking long drives, autumn is a favorite time of year for you

What Season Are You?

I just came across this while reading LOWA's blog, Muddled Ponderings of a Canadian Trapped in the States Try it. It costs nothing and you might learn something. Let me know which season you are.

Pamela I just finished reading your blog and was going to comment but with so many comments I just felt this was a better place to do it. If you want to read a humorous blog go to THE DUST WILL WAIT You will be glad you did 'cause Pam is a hoot. She is a "Shorty" "Wayne Newton" type, I think.

I miss my pal, Foam.

Just got back from spending two days at a regional track meet. The first day the wind blew and blew and blew and it was not warm. The second day was calm and very warm. Hard to keep me pleased. The kids did very well and it looks like I will be taking a bus load to Boise, ID for the state meet next week... and then the year ends for me.

Eric, my wife about had a fit when I showed her that rat at McDonald's. Now I find myself looking up above any marquee to see what might be scurrying around. I would take the deer over the rat any day.

Isn't this just like a woman? I have been gone for two days and Cheryl has missed me soooooooo much but what is she doing? She is packing up and leaving to spend some time with our daughters. Who is going to take care of me?

Here is something I picked up while reading a genealogy newsletter. Thought all of you might enjoy it... I sure did.

The Cup of Chocolate

A group of graduates, well established in their careers, were talking at a reunion and decided to go visit their old university professor, now retired. During their visit, the conversation turned to complaints about stress in their work and lives.

Offering his guests hot chocolate, the professor went into the kitchen and returned with a large pot of hot chocolate and an assortment of cups - porcelain, glass, crystal, some plain looking, some expensive, some exquisite - telling them to help themselves to the hot chocolate.

When they all had a cup of hot chocolate in hand, the professor said: 'Notice that all the nice looking, expensive cups were taken, leaving behind the plain and cheap ones. While it is normal for you to want only the best for yourselves, that is the source of your problems and stress.

The cup that you're drinking from adds nothing to the quality of the hot chocolate. In most cases it is just more expensive and in some cases even hides what we drink.

What all of you really wanted was hot chocolate, not the cup; but you consciously went for the best cups... And then you began eyeing each other's cups.

Now consider this: Life is the hot chocolate; your job, money and position in society are the cups. They are just tools to hold and contain life. The cup you have does not define, nor change the quality of life you have.

Sometimes, by concentrating only on the cup, we fail to enjoy the hot chocolate God has provided us. God makes the hot chocolate, man chooses the cups. The happiest people don't have the best of everything. They just make the best of everything that they have.

Live simply. Love generously. Care deeply. Speak kindly. And enjoy your hot chocolate.

Have a nice day everyone.

No picture. I am too lazy. Yesterday I planted (1) tomato plant and guess what? It froze last night. Just my luck. We did manage to get some green onions and radishes though. Today I am going for the carrots and beets. It is probably funny to watch a couple of old duffers out there moaning and groaning with every move.

One cannot help but feel sorry for those folks living in China and Myramarr ( or however it is spelled). All those children buried under the rubble and who knows what shape they are in. At least China is willing to receive help but that other place is run by a bunch of jerks. How can you refuse aid of any kind just because you don't like a country?

Did you read about the young lady who won the state track title for her school... all by herself. What an accomplishment. She must be an awesome athlete.

Not much else to say so goodbye.

Have a nice day everyone.

This is a picture of my friend, Chubby. He lives in our apple tree and we have developed quite a relationship. He still will not eat out of my hand but is coming closer all the time. He, and his friends, provide me with a lot of merriment just watching them carry on. He doesn't have quite as good a relationship with Cheryl and I think it is because she has too many quick movements.

Thank you Pamela for the information on the birds. I looked up Lazuli Buntings and learned a lot about them. It seems they are on a migratory route headed for your neck of the woods and Canada. Two days after taking the picture they all disappeared so I guess they are winging it further north. However, yesterday there appeared a bunch more with a lot more females this time. Maybe they went and got their wives and told them where some good food is. The white crested sparrows have not been seen at all lately so I guess they have left us for the season. Cheryl thinks I am becoming a "very" old man because I am enjoying watching them so much. She seems to think only "old" people do things like that. Hmmmm, I will give her a cuff to the ear for you since you don't appear to fit that category either.

Hey, my North Carolina buddy, how are you doing? How is the boy progressing? You sound as if you are in a depression and need some good lively activity to pep you up. What could that be? No, sex is not the answer to everything although I do tell Cheryl that.:)) Fishing, that is what you need to do. Great therapy. Who cares whether or not you catch anything. Go horse back riding. Buy a motorcycle and ride, baby, ride. If money was not so tight I would have a Harley or a Goldwing out in the garage right now. Cheryl and I loved it when I had my bike in California. I just hope you get back to feeling like your mischievous self.

Alice it was good to hear from you. I thought maybe you had been caught in one of those Canadian blizzards. Hey a Mom is a Mom. There are no set rules on Mom to whom or what.

I have been suffering from depression lately and so has Cheryl. She thinks hers is caused by all the things she has to do before school ends and mine is caused because school IS ending. I love my job and for 2 1/2 months there will not be anything for me to drive. Cheryl has some kind of surprise for me in July and won't tell me what it is. I wanted to drive for a charter bus company but she told me no, not this time.

Hope all of you had a nice Mother's Day. I didn't give Cheryl anything but the pleasure of my company all day. I even let her fix my meals so she would feel needed. I keep telling her that I don't need a special day to tell her how much I love her and appreciate her; every day is that way. If I want to get her a gift I am not going to wait until some special day comes around. Heck I bought her a shovel, hoe and other garden materials. I bought her a new fishing pole. I really splurged and got her a wheat grinder, electric, so she can make her own flour without using a hand grinder. (We are trying to make flour out of wheat to see how it works.) Now how much more loving can a man get. I even took that picture of me standing by my bus so she would not forget me.

Got to go outside and try to plant the garden. If that does not work then I have a garage to clean. If that does not appeal to me I have a tomato plant I want to put in a hanging upside down container so I can see how that works. I have shelves to put in downstairs. I have so many projects to do that I think I will wait until Cheryl comes home to see which ones she does. I think it is time for a nap. Just thinking of projects has made me tired.

Oh, I forgot, welcome to Eric who has been reading my jibberish all the way from Sweden. I think blogging is so neat 'cause you get people from all over the world let alone the United States. I would love to visit Sweden and Norway especially. What pictures I have seen they look like beautiful countries.

I took a group of children to Ogden, UT last Saturday so they could attend a Medieval Faire. They had a lot of fun and I saw some of the strangest costumes. Pixies, fairies, belly dancers (ohhhhhh yeahhhhhhh), men dressed as counts or something, ladies dressed as whatever they call the upper crust. It was interesting and in one case embarrassing. A lady came walking by the bus and she had the largest breasts that I have ever seen in my life. I apologize ladies but this woman could make a cow jealous with just one of her breasts. She would make Dolly Parton look like she had 24 watt bulbs. On top of all that she had on a thin, and I do mean thin, blouse that was straining mightily to hold everything in and not doing a very good job of it. Mercy!!!!!

Enough Tim.

That is all for today. Hope all is well and behaving.

Have a nice day everyone.


That is all for today.

A real short one today. I am very tired and don't know why so I am heading to the next room for a nap. Just wanted to wish one and all a very happy mother's day. Pardon my religious references but mother's are very special people. You have such tremendous responsibilities placed on your shoulders to raise, love and nurture. My mother died when I was six months old and much of that love and nurturing I missed out on. I have a very special place in my heart for a mother who has that special relationship with her children. God knew what He was doing when He created mothers.

Happy Mother's Day and have a nice day everyone.

No picture today since my time is somewhat limited. I thought of a couple of things last night and wanted to post them before I forgot what they were.

First: I watched Moonlight and of course enjoyed it immensely. Each night Cheryl and I kneel for prayers and after we are finished we kiss each other, tell each other we love Tim, then plant a kiss on the neck. After Moonlight we went through our evening ritual but I really clamped down on Cheryl's neck. Unlike the women in the movies she starts giggling and laughing when I am trying to be a serious vampire. Kind of takes all the fun out of it for me. Of course there is the problem of me having no teeth. All my teeth were pulled the day after I graduated from high school and all I can do on her neck is gum it good and proper. Makes for a great hicky though. So you can see why I get frustrated with her laughing at me. (I sure hope she does not read this 'cause then I am in real trouble.)

Second: For my friend Foam. I never did get the email. If you wish to send it again I would appreciate it. Part of the problem is me. After getting so many spam mails over the years if I don't recognize who it is I just delete it. I think that is what happened. I didn't recognize your email address. Too many women wanting to enlarge something. Darned if I know what they want to enlarge but they sure seem anxious to help me out. Then there are the ones who want to help me meet my perfect mate. What the heck do they know? I have my perfect mate. Last, but not least, are the ones who are going to make me rich overnight without me having to do a blasted thing. Yeah, right.

So my friend I apologize and I still would like to know the answer to my question. Thanks to you, Pam, and the Barn Goddess for sending me information on how to improve my header. By the way Barn Goddess, (if you read my blog again), how about some more blogs? Anyone who likes horses, hunting, hmmmm, I forget what else you had down, has to be OK in my book. I won't hold it against you for being an OKY. It seems like you said you were originally from Michigan. What town? I lived in Michigan for just about two years, mostly in Ann Arbor and Alma.

I think I have rambled on enough for today. Been thinking of changing my blog name, got any good suggestions? I just thought of Tim's BS Corner. How about Life Around the Old Blarney Stone? Hmmmmmmmmm.

Have a nice day everyone.

OK, a question. How do you guys put those neat looking pictures and etc on your blogs at the top of them? Pam is a great one and there are others.

Pam, I enjoyed your video of your backyard. We used to have lots of trees and stuff in our yard but poor Cheryl married a man who worked in the woods cutting down trees and when he bought himself a new chainsaw he just had to see how well it worked. Now we have less trees and bushes and lots of tears from the female faction of the home. Of course she could not see that many of the trees and bushes had been unattended in years and needed to be removed. Oh no, they were supposed to last until the end of time. Our apple tree remains because the squirrels have a home in it. They can run up and down "inside" the trunk almost the entire length of the tree. One limb is hanging by a thread but I can't cut it off, oh no.

I have to admit when I got my new chainsaw I felt like the "new" chainsaw massacrer. (No, I can't spell either.) I would see a tree and give my manical laugh as I revved up the motor. Bwahahahahaha. They didn't stand a chance.

Welllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll, I woke up this morning and what did I see? Snowballs forming on the lawn in front of me. Spring had brought me such a nice surprise. Snowballs forming right before my eyes. Yep, it is snowing............................. again. My run got canceled yesterday due to snow and it looks like the same thing will happen today. I don't mind but this woman I am married to seems to find all sorts of things for me to do. Personally I think I should be allowed to lie down and conserve my strength but she doesn't think I need any. I would say "beauty rest" but we all know whatever beauty there was left a long time ago and now I am an ugly old toad.

Read in the news today that a model made 35 million dollars last year. Heck, Foam could do that in her sleep.

Seems like there was something else that I was going to comment on but cannot think of what it was so will close.

Have a nice day everyone.

Speaking of refunds. Has anyone received this supposed money from the government that is going to stimulate the economy? Our country is in such a big mess.

I called my wife a big poop this morning and she really is. She wants $500 by the end of May so she can pay for a birthday present she is getting me. I am not one who wants or likes big fancy things or to have someone spend a lot of money on me. I would rather spend the same amount doing something for the two of us. Oh well, guess I will have to just enjoy it.

I don't know how many watch American Idol. I don't watch it at all but today's news caught my eye. Apparently none of the contestants did very well with Neil Diamond songs. I don't know why people don't like Neil Diamond's music 'cause I thought some of his songs were quite good.

I used to watch Dancing With The Stars but when some contestants were kicked off while others who could not dance any better than I were left on, it was time to change the channel. I now have only three programs that I like to watch; Ghost Whisperer, Moonlight, and NCIS. Ghost Whisperer is getting too redundant, Moonlight... the woman is a hotty, and NCIS I just like the interaction the writers have created, plus the women are hotties. (This hotty thing seems to be very important.)

Sarah, my friend and relative in Iowa sent me this thing about "what is my tree." I am going to include it today (if I can) so you can see what your tree is.

Find your birthday and then find your tree. This is cool and somewhat accurate. Then send it to your friends, including the one that sent it to you, so they can find out what tree you fell from, but do not forget to change the subject line to your tree. Find your tree below and see how accurate it is...

Dec 23 to Jan 01	Apple Tree
Jan 01 to Jan 11	Fir Tree
Jan 12 to Jan 24	Elm Tree
Jan 25 to Feb 03	Cypress Tree
Feb 04 to Feb 08	Poplar Tree
Feb 09 to Feb 18	Cedar Tree
Feb 19 to Feb 28	Pine Tree
Mar 01 to Mar 10	Weeping Willow Tree
Mar 11 to Mar 20	Lime Tree
Mar 21 (only)	Oak Tree
Mar 22 to Mar 31	Hazelnut Tree
Apr 01 to Apr 10	Rowan Tree
Apr 11 to Apr 20	Maple Tree
Apr 21 to Apr 30	Walnut Tree
May 01 to May 14	Poplar Tree
May 15 to May 24	Chestnut Tree
May 25 to Jun 03	Ash Tree
Jun 04 to Jun 13	Hornbeam Tree
Jun 14 to Jun 23	Fig Tree
Jun 24 (only)	Birch Tree
Jun 25 to Jul 04	Apple Tree
Jul 05 to Jul 14	Fir Tree
Jul 15 to Jul 25	Elm Tree
Jul 26 to Aug 04	Cypress Tree
Aug 05 to Aug 13	Poplar Tree
Aug 14 to Aug 23	Cedar Tree
Aug 24 to Sep 01	Pine Tree
Sep 02 to Sep 12	Weeping Willow Tree
Sep 13 to Sep 22	Lime Tree
Sep 23 (only)	Olive Tree
Sep 24 to Oct 03	Hazelnut Tree
Oct 04 to Oct 13	Rowan Tree
Oct 14 to Oct 23	Maple Tree
Oct 24 to Nov 11	Walnut Tree
Nov 12 to Nov 21	Chestnut Tree
Nov 22 to Dec 01	Ash Tree
Dec 02 to Dec 11	Hornbeam Tree
Dec 12 to Dec 21	Fig Tree
Dec 22 (only)	Beech Tree

TREES (in alphabetical order)

Apple Tree (Love) -- quiet and shy at times, lots of charm, appeal, And attraction, pleasant attitude, flirtatious smile, adventurous, sensitive, loyal in love, wants to love and be loved, faithful and tender partner, very generous, many talents, loves children, needs affectionate partner.

Ash Tree (Ambition) -- extremely attractive, vivacious, impulsive, demanding, does not care for criticism, ambitious, intelligent, talented, likes to play with fate, can be very egotistic, reliable, restless lover, sometimes money rules over the heart, demands attention, needs love and much emotional support.

Beech Tree (Creative) -- has good taste, concerned about its looks, materialistic, good organization of life and career, economical, good leader, takes no unnecessary risks, reasonable, splendid lifetime companion, keen on keeping fit (diets, sports, etc.).

Birch Tree (Inspiration) -- vivacious, attractive, elegant, friendly, unpretentious, modest, does not like anything in excess, abhors the vulgar, loves life in nature and in calm, not very passionate, full of imagination, little ambition, creates a calm and content atmosphere.

Cedar Tree (Confidence ) -- of rare strength, knows how to adapt, Likes unexpected presents, of good health, not in the least shy, tends to look down on others, self-confident, a great speaker, determined, often impatient, likes to impress others, has many talents, industrious, healthy optimism, waits for the one true love, able to make quick decisions.

Chestnut Tree (Honesty) -- of unusual stature, impressive, well-developed sense of justice, fun to be around, a planner, born diplomat, can be irritated easily, sensitive of others feelings, hard worker, sometimes acts superior, feels not understood at times, fiercely family oriented, very loyal in love, physically fit.

Cypress Tree (Faithfulness) -- strong, muscular, adaptable, takes What life has to give but doesn't necessarily like it, strives to be content, optimistic, wants to be financially in dependent, wants love and affection, hates loneliness, passionate lover which cannot be satisfied, faithful, quick-tempered at times, can be unruly and careless, loves to gain knowledge, needs to be needed.

Elm Tree (Noble-mindedness ) -- pleasant shape, tasteful clothes, modest demands, tends not to forgive mistakes, cheerful, likes to lead but not to obey, honest and faithful partner, likes making decisions for others, noble-minded, generous, good sense of humor, practical.

Fig Tree (Sensibility ) -- very strong minded, a bit self-willed, honest, loyal, independent, hates contradiction or arguments, hard worker when wants to be, loves life and friends, enjoys children and animals, sexually oriented, great sense of humor, has artistic talent and great intelligence.

Fir tree (Mysterious ) -- extraordinary taste, handles stress well, loves anything beautiful, stubborn, tends to care for those close to them, hard to trust others, yet a social butterfly, likes idleness and laziness after long demanding hours at work, rather modest, talented, unselfish, many friends, very reliable.

Hazelnut Tree (Extraordinary ) -- charming, sense of humor, very demanding but can also be very understanding, knows how to make a lasting impression, active fighter for social causes and politics, popular, quite moody, sexually oriented, honest, a perfectionist, has a precise sense of judgment and expects complete fairness.

Hornbeam Tree (Good Taste) -- of cool beauty, cares for its looks and condition, good taste, is not egoistic, makes life as comfortable as possible, leads a reasonable and disciplined life, looks for kindness and acknowledgment in an emotional partner, dreams of unusual lovers, is seldom happy with its feelings, mistrusts most people, is never sure of its decisions, very conscientious.

Lime Tree (Doubt) - intelligent, hard working, accepts what life dishes out, but not before trying to change bad circumstances into good ones, hates fighting and stress, enjoys getaway vacations, may appear tough, but is actually soft and relenting, always willing to make sacrifices for family and friends, has many talents but not always enough time to use them, great leadership qualities, is jealous at times but extremely loyal.

Maple Tree (Independence of Mind ) -- no ordinary person, full of imagination and originality, shy and reserved, ambitious, proud, self-confident, hungers for new experiences, sometimes nervous, has many complexities, good memory, learns easily, complicated love life, wants to impress.

Oak Tree (Brave)-- robust nature, courageous, strong, unrelenting, independent, sensible, does not like change, keeps its feet on the ground, person of action.

Olive Tree (Wisdom) -- loves sun, warmth and kind feelings, reasonable, balanced, avoids aggression and violence, tolerant, cheerful, calm, well-developed sense of justice, sensitive, empathetic, free of jealousy, loves to read and the company of sophisticated people.

Pine Tree (Peacemaker) -- loves agreeable company, craves peace and harmony, loves to help others, active imagination, likes to write poetry, not fashion conscious, great compassion, friendly to all, falls strongly in love but will leave if betrayed or lied to, emotionally soft, low self-esteem, needs affection and reassurance.

Poplar Tree (Uncertainty)-- looks very decorative, talented, not very self-confident, extremely courageous if necessary, needs goodwill and pleasant surroundings, very choosy , often lonely, great animosity, great artistic nature, good organizer, tends to lean toward philosophy, reliable in any situation, takes partnership seriously.

Rowan Tree (Sensitivity) -- full of charm, cheerful, gifted without egoism, likes to draw attention, loves life, motion, unrest, and even complications, is both dependent and independent, good taste, artistic, passionate, emotional, good company, does not forgive.

Walnut Tree (Passion) -- unrelenting, strange and full of contrasts, often egotistic, aggressive, noble, broad horizon, unexpected reactions, spontaneous, unlimited ambition, no flexibility, difficult and uncommon partner, not always liked but often admired, ingenious strategist, very jealous and passionate, no compromise.

Weeping Willow (Melancholy) - likes to be stress free, loves family life, full of hopes and dreams, attractive, very empathetic, loves anything beautiful, musically inclined, loves to travel to exotic places, restless, capricious, honest, can be influenced but is not easy to live with when pressured, sometimes demanding, good intuition, suffers in love until they find that one loyal, steadfast partner; loves to make others laugh.

My tree was a fir tree. Yep, I "AM" mysterious.

Guess I will close now. My runs start up today and am busy the rest of the week.

Have a nice day everyone.