2010 - Day Three Hundred Thirty One...

Another relatively busy day, but it was busy doing stuff in and around the house. Our friends Joe Mac and Carolyn got up and headed for home, leaving here at about 9 o'clock. Hopefully, they had an uneventful trip back to Gautier, and they should be cooling their jets in their own home by now. We had a really nice time with them during their visit, and miss them already.

We had our first honest-to-goodness freeze last night, and it took out some of the vegetation around the house. A lot of the cannas have been burned and the morning glories may have been burned a little bit, but they looked pretty good this morning. The next day or two will tell how badly they did overnight. BUT, they were GLORIOUS when they were blooming, I really enjoyed their beauty this year, and already look forward to next year.

Not too long after they left, I headed over to one of the neighbors and bought some square bales of hay to use as a wind break around the chickens outside pen. I think I most likely did not need to do that, but these are pampered chickens to say the very least. We got another six eggs from them today, so we need to keep them as happy as possible! Now they will have a little outside shelter from the harsh north winds that are becoming more frequent. AND, in the spring, I can make a hole in the bales and put some good dirt in the holes in the bales and plant tomatoes or peppers or something. Reduce, Reuse, Recycle.

I had my car serviced yesterday, and it was a pretty major service job. AND of course, there is something not right about the car right now. It idles very fast now, and it idles when it should not be running, that is the whole deal with a hybrid. The motor is not supposed to be running all the time. I called my service person (Sally, bless her heart) at the dealership and even though she was not working today, she called me back and said they would take care of it. Something is probably just sticking somewhere, and it will not be a really hard thing to fix, she does not believe. My mileage has really taken a hit with this new development, my MPG has been reduced by about 7 miles per gallon. That is HUGE!

Anyway, Jody and I ventured out to Salado this morning to explore what is really available up there. Even though we have lived here for two years, we have always drifted southerly for groceries and things, but we are thinking we can get the needs met north; it is closer and less congested.

We started out a Ace Hardware, which is a relatively new addition to the area. A very nice store, and we bought a pecan picker-upper. Then we went over to the Brookshire Brothers grocery store, which is a VERY NICE place. The produce and meats and vegetables are all lovely, and it will be a very nice place to shop. It was not at all crowded, and we did not expect it to be too busy, since it is the weekend after Thanksgiving. Most everyone is existing on leftovers right now, we expect.

After the grocery, we went to the Salado Dairy Queen. Well, what can I say...there is no comparison between this store and the ones in either Taylor or Georgetown, so we will most likely have to pass us the temptations to go to Salado for spoilers. The staff person who seemed to be in charge was not at all friendly, so that is the main reason we will not be regulars there. We could overlook the rest, but we want our spoiler vendors to be happy. Whatever...

Home now, fire going, dinner finished and pretty soon it will be bedtime for me (just getting started time for most) and falling asleep with the television on. Heaven!

Deeds, Actions, Changes, SQUARE BALES, Kindnesses, Whirled Peas, FUN!