Slow Blogger

I can't believe it has been so long since I've visited here to talk with you. I guess there have been so many things happening in my life that I just have been talking in my head instead of talking to you.

Let's see where I left off in this crazy life. There have been major changes in the living arrangements here. My daughter(Renee), her 14 year old son(Josh) and one year old daughter (Bella) have moved out (sort of) and moved in with her boyfriend (they plan to marry). The moving is a slow process that takes time as she finds ways to mesh both households into one. Renee and Jeremy are working very hard to get her website redesigned and up. It is amazing to me how much work it takes to make a site look great and work. Sure looks easy from the front end!

My son, Tommy has been caring for his 3 month old daughter (Haylee), so the mother can get some housing things arranged. Two days ago she found out that her 3 year old has chicken pox! So for now the baby is staying clear of the household. I love having her here, but I get very little done since I just carry her around. She is at the cuddly stage that just doesn't last long enough. Bella ia just over a year old and sooo independent that cuddling is often not on her agenda.

I'm currently reading the book that Gary (my husband) and I sort-of co-wrote. I added recipes and one section, so now I'm correcting, reviewing and adding stuff. I sent a proposal out to an agency but have heard nothing. So it's time to send out some more. It is a fun book.

As for my book I have mixed feelings; maybe I'll self publish and just use as part of programs or maybe I'll send it out to a specialty publisher due to the way I'd like it presented. I just don't know there are so many books on this topic out there now. The last couple I've reviewed have been good.

The weather in Texas is typical Hot and Dry today, tomorrow, yesterday and any other day you chose. That means I must take time out to do some watering of the poor flowers and garden. Keeping clean water for the birds is also part of my chores. The hummingbirds are delighted with fresh nectar and even the squirrels raid the bird feeders just after I fill them. But it is so beautiful here by the pond it's hard to leave for any reason.

My radio show was fun tonight. It was about sexuality and aging. Matt was there as the main host and he had a Masters student as the guest. This was the student's area of study (she was all of 24!). She will have much more insight in another 30 years. Of course, by then there will be a pill to make everyone sexually functional and beautiful. In truth the student did a great job and it was a lot of fun. Her boss even sent her a text message that she was doing a great job. How nice is that!

I'm considering doing a podcast on the health topics I work on. But again there are so many out there by big names like Mayo, John Hopkins etc. Guess I'll continue to investigate the possibilities.

The Armadillo Hunts continue nightly. We are losing! So far one opossum and one raccoon have been caught. One very speedy armadillo was seen but escaped. Nightly we get more holes and dug up garden areas. Life in the country is great fun!

Almost time for the news - we have to watch the weather!
Hot, Hotter, Hottest,
Dry, Dryer, Dryest,
for the next seven days - welcome to Texas Summers!

July 4th

It's a holiday that takes lots of people to the roads, my family included. My daughter and her family are headed to a lake to play. My son and girlfriend are off to Houston for fun and a visit with friends. Gary and I will stay home and watch Haylee. She is two months old so there isn't much watching. She is very cute.

I'm working on three major projects my book, the co-authored book and a disaster plan. So I have lots to do. Gary went to his office to work until about 3, so it is quiet here at Muse's Acres. I'm watching the squirrels and birds, but I need to be working.

It is a true Texas summer day, clear and hot. Hope people will use there sunscreen cause it's a great day for burns. Tonight the fireworks will be out. They drive my dogs crazy and there is always a danger of fire so we need to watch close. Some of the older kids in the neighborhood are big into noises and explosions.

Baby is awake time to play. See you later.

Critters At Muse's Acres

We have been having problems with some sort of a critter digging big holes in the lawn and tearing up the flower beds. The best guess was an armadillo. All the experts said try strong odors to drive them away, but to totally be rid of them you have to shoot them. Yuck!

So we spread moth balls all over. Drove us away, but not the digging critters. So Gary started taking the two dogs out each night to see if Othello, the pit bull could catch the critter. Last year Othello caught an armadillo and played with it for a while. You know, rolling it around. The next day it was gone. The nightly digging continued.

This year the digging is worse, more and bigger holes. The dogs continue to go armadillo hunting nightly, Two nights ago my husband came in to say that Othello had gotten the digger. Of course I had to go luck. No armadillo - a opossum! It had big fangs, lots of teeth and long claws and looked dead. I went out a little later for a closer look. It was beginning to breath again! I hurried back in to tell Gary the thing wasn't dead. He said it would probibly die over night after the shaking that Othello had given it. I went out one more time cause I just wasn't sure - it was breathing deeper and it seemed to look at me. I went back in the house and announced it was alive. Gary said to wait til tomorrow to see if it lives or dies.

Next morning the opossum was gone. I looked them up on the net and found that they "play possum" until the attacker leaves then they leave. So we had been fooled by an ugly toothy creature.

The next night during the armadillo hunt Othello got a opossum again. Not sure if it was the same or another on. Same story with this opossum, Othello shook it then left it alone. Breathing returned so Gary and Josh, 14 year old grandson had to kill it by dropping the cement top to a bird bath on it's head. It was dead this time as it was still there in the morning.

Not the best thing to write about, but the holes were becoming hazardous and damaging. Tonight we'll see if the death of one will keep others away. Life in the country can be cruel.