2018 - Day 243/122 - Friday...1570...

This is not a photo of what you are thinking it is, especially if you are thinking it is a lunar landscape or something like that. This is just a bunch of hen scratching. How many of you got it right? Hem Scratching. I think it does make for interesting patters though. Hen scratching.

It is Friday. It is the last day of August. Tomorrow will be Saturday. It will be the first day of September. Is it just me or does that seem somewhat improbable? Whichever you choose, the first four statements in this paragraph are true, not fake news.

It seems we are experiencing Internet challenges, so that is it for tonight.

We expect there will be more tomorrow. Journal postings, not Internet challenges.

Deeds, Actions, Changes, HEN SCRATCHING, Kindnesses, Whirled Peas, FUN!

2018 - Day 242/123 - Thursday...1575...

So kind readers, I have decided to spare you from further bitching about the heat, stupidity and the lack of measurable precipitation. Not for ever, but maybe for the next several day. Maybe. There is a bit of a chance of recordable precipitation Monday or Tuesday, but that is not really saying much. SO...I have decided to turn my thoughts and rantings to that ever popular subject of the challenges of my daily commute. Our transportation corridors and infrastructure is woefully lacking in many things, although commuters is not one of them. I know this practice is legal in some states, and I am not sure if it is in Texas or not. I do know that it has not been (and is not) a common practice anywhere I have lived (to the best of my knowledge). I have witnessed it in California, and it surprised me (perhaps 'startled' is a better description), and it surprises me occasionally here in central Texas. BUT, this guy DID NOT surprise me this morning, I spied him pulling his little 'middle roading' gig from my real-view mirror. My first thought was to exit my vehicle to check some status or another, and the second thought was to open my camera and document his actions for this journal post.

Done.

Deeds, Actions, Changes, MIDDLING, Kindnesses, Whirled Peas, FUN!

20018 - Day 241/124 - Wednesday...1585...

I started to crop this photo a little bit, but then I decided, Oh what the hell, I kind of like it just the way it is. I took this photo in the elevator lobby of the place where we DID NOT meet Chairman McCaul yesterday. We were supposed to meet him there, but he had been detained and asked if we could meet him at another location, which we did. BUT, all was not a loss for this spot, it was worth getting this nice view of the Capitol.

As I reported yesterday, yesterday was a really good day, and today was a good day as well. I am impressed with the amount of work I have been able to get accomplished, and that will be good in the long term. It will also mean that I will NOT need to spend the entire Labor Day Weekend working on things that I had not been able to accomplish before.

We don't really have too many plans for the weekend, I am hoping to spend a lot of time taking naps in the big blue chair. Otherwise, there will be the usual stuff to get done, and watering the landscaping will occupy a good bit of my time, BUT there will be three days to accomplish what I usually have to get done in two days.

Good news.

Deeds, Actions, Changes, THE CAPITOL, Kindnesses, Whirled Peas, FUN!

2018 - Day 240/125 - Tuesday...Something...

SO...the most fun of the day award goes to the ABoR TREPAC Bowling Night, raising money for TREPAC. Our fiscal year ends on September 30th, and we are pushing to make sure we achieve out quotas and goals. Bowling with a bunch of real estate professionals is always a fun thing, and tonight was extra-fun. This is a photo of me and Holly, the ABoR TREPAC Committee Chair. It is absolutely a pleasure to work with Holly, and she is a great leader in our association. Always open to having fun and letting me lead her into situations she might otherwise take a pass on. A GREAT sport!

Tuesdays have a tendency to be good days, mostly because they are not Mondays. Today was a really good day. I actually made significant progress in some deadlines I had and still have. I have two major deadlines I am working, one is due Friday and the other is due next Wednesday. I am in control of both the deadlines, and it will all be good, but there are other issues in the day that need to be taken care of. In addition to enjoying the TREPAC Bowling Night this evening (see above) and in addition to the progress made to the looming deadlines, I also met with our Congressman Michael McCaul, Chairman of the House Committee on Homeland Security. The Chairman lives in Austin, and we get a chance to see him every now and then, and he is always warm, welcoming and down to earth. A very nice guy.

Deeds, Actions, Changes, FUNDAY TUESDAY, Kindnesses, Whirled Peas, FUN!

2018 - Day 239/126 - Monday...1588...

We not only subscribe to the Bartlett newspaper (serving central Texas since whenever), we have also begun subscribing to the Georgetown newspaper. Bartlett is weekly (four to six pages), and Georgetown is twice weekly (two sections, very similar to a real newspaper). Last week, there was an article in the Georgetown paper about this church in Bartlett. Jody and I have passed by this church several time. There is another distressed church a few blocks east of this one. It seems the buyer (who gossip says paid $135K for the property) is putting another $150K into it, with the intention of flipping it. Nothing wrong with that, she has done it a couple other times in the past. It can be used as a commercial space or a residence. The sanctuary is about 1,600 square feet (and I assume there are some ante-rooms), so I think it would make a great residence. I have just a bit of jealousy surrounding this journal entry, can you tell?

Monday. The Mamas and Papas. Cass Elliott. Those are really good things about Monday. Nothing good like that happened to me today. Nothing bad happened, but nothing exceptionally good either. Okay, I am lying (there is that spelling again). A couple really good things did happen today, but the results of those happenings are yet to be determined. Maybe that is why I don't feel like anything GREAT happened today, because only the ground work has been laid, and I have to wait to see if the seeds that were sewn will grow into something great. We shall see.

Deeds, Actions, Changes, CHURCHES, Kindnesses, Whirled Peas, FUN!

2018 - Day 238/127 - Sunday...1575...

In honor of National Dog Day, I give you this photo of our two girls. I searched my photos for 20 minutes looking for one that had not been posted already AND had them both together AND looked like they were well mannered. Hard to get all three of those things in one dog photo. But here you are, it is Lexie on the left (the piglet) and Callie on the right.

I got all my chores done, and paced myself. Chicken coop cleaned, hay to the cattle, cleaned the cartridge on the pool filter, did a LOT of this-and-that, and still had time for a couple naps in the big blue chair. That list of chores does not seem like much of anything, but it got more intense as it went along. I even have the trash can out by the road for the early morning collection.

Still hot. Still dry.  A little bit envious of the 50 inches of rain that hit Hawaii, but hopefully no one was hurt. Fifty inches can do some damage. We would be happy for two or three, if you could just sent it our way.

Deeds, Actions, Changes, DOG DAY, Kindnesses, Whirled Peas, FUN!

2018 - Day 237/128 - Saturday...1580...

Everything is dead or dying. Why is dying spelled d-y-i-n-g, when, if you were to die, it is spelled d-i-e. Dying is like what you do to a pair of white pants when you really want them to be blue. Not when something is terminally ill, like most of the greenery in central Texas. So far this month, we have had less than an inch and a half of rain. Last month we recorded less than one inch of rain. There is no more rain in the forecast for the rest of this month. We have hit 46 days so far with temperatures over 100 degrees, and the last nine days were highs of 103 degrees or more. Once you hit 100 degrees, I don't really think 104 is any big deal. Mostly psychological. Jody and I went in to Georgetown for lunch as we usually do on Saturdays, and stopped at Berry Creek Park to feed the mules. There was very little water in Berry Creek, but there was an abundance of Egrets and Herens hanging out. I passed them by and then backed-up to take a couple pictures. I do not think I have ever seen this many at one time. Cattle Egrets are another story, there are usually dozens of Cattle Egrets in one place.

Deeds, Actions, Changes, EGRETS, Kindnesses, Whirled Peas, FUN!

2018 - Day 236/129 - Friday...1591...

If I have a chance to get myself in front of my colleagues and talk with them, whether it is about REALTOR® Ethics or TREPAC or How to Succeed in Business (by working really, REALLY hard, you can bet your last jelly donut that I am in my element. Today, I had the opportunity to guide an Orientation Ethics class to newly licensed REALTORS®, which totally made my day. I like that a lot.

IT. IS. FRIDAY. Just making sure you were aware. IT. IS. HOT. Just making sure you are aware. CAN'T. FIX. STOOPID. Just making sure you are aware. I. HAVE. TO. COME. UP. WITH. ANOTHER. PLAN. FOR. WATERING. Just making sure you are aware.

I cannot keep up the watering schedule that I have been on. We are in the midst of what portends to be a deep, lasting drought. That is the new normal. Drought or flood, I doubt there will be much of any in-between from here on out. Things are changing (times, etc.), and we have to adjust. Sad. Tomorrow, I plan to water the bamboo. You really can't kill bamboo (to the best of my knowledge) but it is looking pretty shabby.

We will talk more later.

Deeds, Actions, Changes, STOOPID, Kindnesses, Whirled Peas, FUN!

2018 - Day 235/130 - Thursday...1600...

Today was a day of many accomplishments, and lots of things crossed off my 'to-done' list. Jody had a dental appointment in Austin this morning, and then I was off to the office. Our friend Lynda had scheduled their monthly 'soup lunch' with Jody, so she picked him (and the girl dogs) up and took them all home for lunch. When I was finished at the office, I headed to Marble Falls to attend the Highland Lakes Association of REALTORS® 2018 Member Election Social & Affiliate Appreciation Dinner. And, as long as we were all there, we may just as well have a TREPAC auction as well. This is a picture of Sonya, me and Casey after dinner. It was a blast, and I have a pretty good idea that they raised a good bit of money during the event. They have already exceeded their fund raising goal for this year, and they just keep going and going and going! Thanks for inviting me.

Tomorrow will be a fun day; guiding a class of newly licensed REALTORS® for their introduction to Ethics, and then a quick meeting with some buds to raise MORE TREPAC investments.

I am the luckiest man in the world!

Deeds, Actions, Changes, HIGHLAND LAKES, Kindnesses, Whirled Peas, FUN!

2018 - Day 234/131 - Wednesday...1579...

When we dug up all (okay, as much of it as we could) the Nandina (a nasty, deep rooted bunch of plants that should never be encouraged), it made room for a new bed of plants, and for some plants that had been there already, but had been shut out by the Nandina. This particular plant, either a survivor that had lain dormant, or something the birds sowed in the refreshed bed, is yet to be identified by us or anyone we know. It is over five feet tall, and it has recently bloomed. It has a bloom that reminds me of a corn plant, but I have never seen corn plants much taller than 12 to 18 inches high. SO...if you know what this is, lemme know and I will be sure to give you credit for your horticultural knowledge.

Bueller? Bonnie?

For a Wednesday, this was not a bad day at all. I did make it in to the office, and did some power real estate, went to one meeting, and then back to the office. I am counting down to the three-day Labor Day weekend. It is in sight, I just need to be patient. Breathe!

Deeds, Actions, Changes, WHAZZIT?, Kindnesses, Whirled Peas, FUN!

2018 - Day 234/131 - Tuesday...1579...

Well, for a little while, it looked as if we might get another rain shower this afternoon, but so far, nothing. Yesterday, we received 0.41", and to be honest, that was a real surprise. There was a little bit of a tease that we might get a little more, and the clouds looked promising off-and-on, but I guess it was just not meant to be. The clouds that are hanging around now are really pretty though, so that is worth a mention.

It is a sign of the times I guess, but a sad one. I went to a luncheon meeting today, and the topic was 'Active Shooters', what to do if you or your office it the target. Not the most appealing luncheon topic, but as I said, it is topical and it needs to get out. Police, EMS and governmental agencies are trained, but generally, members of the public are not. I guess it is important that everyone have a plan, because the other side of this equation has a plan.

Dammit.

Okay, that is it for today, I am going to retire now to the blue chair, and turn on the tube. Enjoy the rest of your evening. Does everyone still call it the tube? There is no tube. Is there?

Deeds, Actions, Changes, SHOOTERS, Kindnesses, Whirled Peas, FUN!

2018 - Day 232/133 - Monday...1587...

There are finally some blooms on the plumeria that Mikey (from Del Ray Beach) brought to us last year. He brought several, but only one made it through the winter. I bought two more and they have not bloomed yet this year, but this one is thriving and I love the blooms and the fragrance. It reminds me of buttered popcorn. Of course, lobster reminds me of buttered popcorn, too, so there is that.

Whatever...

OMFG...I do not know what I will do with all the extra time tomorrow morning. I expect, however, that I will be able to put it to SOME good use...maybe an extra half-hour of sleep. My phone kept telling me that there was lightning detected near the house, and as I got closer, it sprinkled a little bit of rain here and there, but I saw nothing close to the house. When I got home, the driveway was wet, but still I thought there would be just a trace. Jody said it rained for a few minutes. When I went outside (I was watering the trees), there was a reading of 0.39" in the gauge. Since then, there has been a little more rain, and there are still a few chances of more rain overnight. We shall see if there is any more accumulation.

Okay, if it is Monday, it must be 'Antiques Road Show'. This journal entry MUST END.

Deeds, Actions, Changes, PLUMERIA, Kindnesses, Whirled Peas, FUN!

2018 - Day 231/134 - Sunday...1612...

Home again, home again. All is right with the world. This is going to be a short journal entry. It took an act of Congress (practically) to get off the ship and through customs. I got to my car around noon, and got home about 4:45. All is good, it was fun, but the coming and going part is a pain in the butt. This is a picture of Galveston as we were puling in to port this morning.

Tomorrow will not be too bad of a day (I don't think, but the rest of the week is pretty packed. I will use tomorrow to do catch up and tie up some loose ends, and then it is back to it the rest of the week.

I am looking VERY forward to some celery and hummus.

Deeds, Actions, Changes, HOME, Kindnesses, Whirled Peas, FUN!

2018 - Day 230/135 - Saturday...Increasing...

Full Disclosure: I was not lucky enough to see this sunset this evening, but one of OUR new friends, ADAM, took this photo and shared it with me, so I could share it with you. Adam and Elliot are new friends of lots of Texas REALTORS®, and their company was a generous supporter of the CRS programs that were presented on this cruise. They offer (you will get that later) a great product that I will soon be a subscriber of, and one that I expect will put more dollars into my pockets, and the pockets of my agents. If you want to know more about that, let me know. But I digress... Tonight is the last night of our Texas REALTORS® International Cruise (2018 Edition). Just about the time you get really comfortable with the new friends you have met, you have to go pack and put your bags out in the hallway outside your cabin. Kind of like the old Carol Burnett show...we're so glad we had this time...together. I have met some really nice people, made (what I think will be) some long-lasting friends, and also had a chance to learn more about and understand more about friends I already had. All I can say is, if you are thinking about taking one of these cruises with your colleagues, do it. Don't wait. The next cruise is scheduled for April 11th, and it will be a five day cruise. Quick, so you will just have to make friends more quickly. YOU CAN DO IT.

SO...I survived three different classes today, beginning at 8:30 and ending after 5 this afternoon. Lots of (more) really good information. Then there was a nice reception where thanks were shared with all the folks that worked so hard to coordinate all this, then we retired for some free time (R-Bar) before dinner.

And then the packing. I got done and set my bags out with 15 minutes to spare.

Deeds, Actions, Changes, OVER, Kindnesses, Whirled Peas, FUN!

2018 - Day 229/136 - Friday...Hmmm...

This is a photo of our penultimate dinner on the ship. Tomorrow will be our last night, and we will dock in Galveston on Sunday morning. It will be a mad dash to get off this boat, and find our luggage and the shuttles to our cars. From left to right in this photo, me (with the bunny ears), Candy, Mike, Adam, Elliott, Barbara and Carrie. There is also an unidentified server in the background, but I did not get her name. It has been fun to meet lots of new colleagues and made lots of new friends at the same time.

Okay, we are headed back to Galveston. It has been fun, and I still have three more classes to take tomorrow. That will be 25 hours of CE credits during this seven day cruise, and three trips to look at properties outside the US, as long as we were at it.

It will be an early (and long) day tomorrow, so that is it for tonight...

Deeds, Actions, Changes, DINNER, Kindnesses, Whirled Peas, FUN!

2018 - Day 228/137 - Thursday...Whatever...

Today was a really, really, REALLY great day. Discounting the part of being kidnapped and held for ransom, it was all really okay! Many of you are aware that I have lived an extraordinary life, and that I consider myself quite the story teller. Well, today was just another chapter in the book of really very entertaining short stories. Interesting and entertaining stories do not need to be long and drawn out, short and quick to the punch line is better, ALWAYS! Okay, so here is the abridged version: We left for our property tours in Costa Maya and ran into problems with unionized cab drivers and our bus driver. We ended up taking cabs to our bus, at which time we were told the cab rides were $200US for each of the 13 cabs. The distance was about 3 or 4 miles, and we thought $120 was somewhat egregious, but they insisted. The folks in charged negotiated the fee down to $120 per cab, and then it was kind of a stalemate. To make this long story short, they settled for $20 per cab, and we were released to go on, but caution prevailed, and we returned to the port on the bus. There is a lot more to this story, but it is late and I am ready to go to sleep.

BUT, it did make for a great afternoon. I ended up having lunch with some really great friends, and we all laughed and had a great time, and that great time lasted well into the evening, and into the next day.

Good night!

Deeds, Actions, Changes, PAYOFFS, Kindnesses, Whirled Peas, FUN!

2018 - Day 227/138 - Wednesday...Undecided...

So, today was a pretty long day. Early rising, quick breakfast, then meeting at 7:30 and getting off the boat and onto a bus to go visit some properties in Roatan. We visited a development about 40 minutes away from where we docked (there are several docks for cruise ships in Roatan, it all depends on the weather conditions). The trip UP to the development was somewhat similar to the bus ride to the ruins at Machu Piccu, winding and steep. Once there, it was a lovely development, and after touring two properties and a beach club, we had a nice lunch and then there was an opportunity to rest for a while, or, in my case, take off your shoes and were into the water up to (about) your knees. I coerced Socar into joining me, and we now hove documentation of our feet in the water as well as a couple other photos to prove that we came and we did it! Done!

Tomorrow: Costa Maya (I think).

Deeds, Actions, Changes, IT'S WET, Kindnesses, Whirled Peas, FUN!

2018 - Day 226/139 - Tuesday...Who Knows...

Okay, today I completed the second full day of classes on this ship. Two days of classes, two days of tests. Done. Tomorrow (and the two days after that) I will be taking property tours in three different cities. Tomorrow is Roatan, not sure where we will be on Thursday, but Friday will be Cozumel. Cozumel (I believe) is Spanish for 'there is a mall there'. I am not really sure what else is there, but I guess I will find that out on Friday. Then on Saturday, I will take two (maybe three) more classes. I'm not sure. One thing I am sure of, I over scheduled this cruise. Live and learn.

Otherwise, this cruise is pretty much like any conference I attend, except you don't really have to search to far for the bar that has corralled all your colleagues. They cannot get too far afield while on the ship.

So, it is time to call it a day, and tomorrow is going to be an early day...attendance will be called at 7:30. Ugh.

Deeds, Actions, Changes, CLASSES, Kindnesses, Whirled Peas, FUN!

2018 - Day 225/140 - Monday...Something...

This is at least the second or third time I have been on a Royal Caribbean ship, and it is always interesting to me that I am obviously not the only person that cannot keep up with what day it is. I only got on this ship yesterday, and I have lost all sense of time. BUT, I am aware of the fact that it is Monday, because it says so in the carpet insert in the elevators. So, at least while I remain on this boat, if I cannot remember what day it is, all I have to do is go find the nearest elevator. Done!

Today was a full day of class. I am taking six days of classes on a seven day cruise. It kind of seemed like a good idea at the time, but now that I am faced with the reality of it all, I might have scheduled a little bit of free time when I was reserving this. I also, however, expect that I will survive and make it through. Today, I learned all about Global Real Estate Transaction Tools. After this cruise, I will need one or two more classes to qualify for the Certified International Property Specialist (CIPS) designation. Working with foreign investors will just be one more arrow in my quiver, and much of the stuff I learned (or was refreshed with) was basic information that can be modified and fitted to apply to any real estate investor.

Time for bed.

Deeds, Actions, Changes, WHAT DAY IS IT, Kindnesses, Whirled Peas, FUN!

2018 - Day 224/141 - Sunday...155?...

This is going to be quick, and no one will get hurt. I have been n this ship way too long to NOT have taken a single photo that I can reproduce within this journal entry, so here I am somewhere adrift in a sea of darkness, with no photo for this entry, and I am lowering myself to search the Internet for some stupid photos. This cruise has (unfortunately) taken on a kind of a Walmart cruise atmosphere. There is not a diet coke in the place to be found except at a fountain for a fist full of dollars.

It is late, and I have to be up early in the morning for my first class.

Deeds, Actions, Changes, STUPID, Kindnesses, Whirled Peas, FUN!

I promise I'll do better tomorrow.

2018 - Day 223/142 - Saturday...1559...

In the spirit of equal time, I thought I would share this photo of the way the girls ride in the car when I go with them on the weekends. Usually they alternate; Callie starts in my lap, and then the pushy Lexie girl barrels her way in, and Callie goes into the back seat. Today, they decided they could share the lap for a while, but only for a while. They can only do the sharing thing so much...and then Lexie has to be declared the winner. Callie is a much more clam and reserved girl, and she does not mind to be in the background.

Over the last 24 hours, we have received about a quarter-inch of rain. Not enough, but something. Hopefully, there will be more rain over night, and some more tomorrow. We can hope.

I did manage to get the chicken coop cleaned this afternoon, and then we went into Georgetown for lunch, and then I took hay out to the cattle. I did also manage to get a little bit of shopping in as well. It is a sales tax Holiday today and tomorrow, so, in addition to everything being on sale, there was no sales tax to pay! WIN!

Deeds, Actions, Changes, TANDEM GIRLS, Kindnesses, Whirled Peas!

2018 - Day 222/143 - Friday...1553...

Barney has not been particularly photographable lately, but he made an appearance this evening. While we were finishing our dinner, he made a visit to a watering hole on the Serengeti, you can never be too careful. He was very aware of the dangers he could be facing, and this National Geographic photographer was careful not to spook him. He got his fill of water, and he was back off into the brush. I usually see him a couple times a day; when I get home from work, he is usually under the truck or the Polaris, and that is when he gets fed. Then, I may see him in the evenings when I am putting the girls to bed. He is a good fit for me and Jody; he has his habits, we have ours, and we like that just fine.

This was a pretty good day and not such a good day. It started off just fine. HAPPY BIRTHDAY MELODY! Got to chat with Melody and Bruce for a few minutes, then Mikey. Then a meeting. Then to the office. That was when it started to crack, but only because I am trying to get too much done in too short a period of time. It is all about the scheduling.

No rain so far. I did not water anything this morning, I put my trust in the weather folks. Maybe it will rain tomorrow, and maybe I will win the lottery, too.

Deeds, Actions, Changes, BARNEY, Kindnesses, Whirled Peas, FUN!

2018 - Day 221/144 - Thursday...1556...

I crossed my fingers, crossed my toes, crossed my legs and crossed my buns (try to get that picture out of your head), but there has been no rain. There was rain a little bit (Texas little bits) north of us, and I could see the dark skies and even some lightning. But other here on the Edge of Nowhere. The chances of rain are increasing little bit as we get closer to the weekend. Fifty percent chance on Saturday. That would be swell. Anything to save me from having to keep watering. But, it is what it is...

Otherwise, this was a pretty good day. In fact, overall, this has been a pretty good week! Tuesday sucked, but you can't have everything! Now if I can just make it through tomorrow, it will all work out okay!

Deeds, Actions, Changes, DARK SKIES, Kindnesses, Whirled Peas, FUN!

2018 - Day 220/145 - Wednesday...1562...

My concerns as to whether or not my dark photo of the pool water would translate via my iPhone app, were, in my opinion, justified. I do not believe this photo can come even close to the beauty, but maybe you can see what I was thinking about when I said I did not know how an artist could capture the intricacies of the water. I still don't, and I doubt I would have the nerve to ever attempt it. But it is beautiful. I have seen some lovely paintings by David Hockney that are absolutely beautiful, and they capture the movement and the calm serenity very simply, and I know that is a technique that took decades to master. SO...I will simply continue to enjoy looking at the pool water in the darkness of the dawn, and trying my best to remember it mentally.

Not bad for a Wednesday. Guided a dozen or so colleagues through a Broker Responsibility class at the board. I always enjoy that opportunity.

Just one meeting tomorrow, and then it is Friday.

Deeds, Actions, Changes, DARK WATER, Kindnesses, Whirled Peas, FUN!

2018 - Day 219/146 - Tuesday...1564...

This photo is to be used as a benchmark only. This is the water in the pool this evening. Lovely, clear, looks refreshing. Not a thing wrong with it. However, in the dark of the mornings, when I am going about the business of watering plants here and there, wearing the head-light-lamp (gifted to me by Joe Mac), it looks totally different, even more beautiful, markedly geometric and much more contrasting in the colors. I have no idea how an artist could capture that with water colors, oils or acrylics, and I am very interested to see if the camera on my iPhone can do it any justice at all. If not, you will all just have to make time to come see it for yourselves!

What was I saying yesterday about Mondays? Oh yes, Mondays are not so terrible in my opinions, the worst days are now (apparently) Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Today was a typical (alleged) Monday to the fourth or fifth power. I really do not expect tomorrow to be very complicated, since I will be guiding an all day course at the board. Always a good feeling after guiding class-goers and colleagues.

Deeds, Actions, Changes, POOL WATER I, Kindnesses, Whirled Peas, FUN!

2018 - Day 218/147 - Monday...1554...

Dahlia update: You may have understood that I do not have ANY experience with Dahlia's (the flora type) but Jody is somewhat familiar with them, and he grew up in Cleveland and his father was quite a gardener. Joel is fond of the Dahlia's, and I am excited to see what other colors we get from these earlier plantings. In this particular bed (probably about 15' x 15'), this is the second species to bloom. Naturally, the cannas were the first to bloom, and none of the lilies have produced any blooms yet. We are happy to wait and see what happens, and I will keep you in the loop as things produce more blooms.

I am kind of beginning to believe that Mondays are over-rated. The hype behind Mondays is overdone (in my opinion). Last Wednesday was about three Mondays all combined, but again, that was a Wednesday. The previous Monday was kind of underwhelming, and today was nothing of any real note. Just another day.

Deeds, Actions, Changes, DAHLIA UPDATE, Kindnesses, Whirled Peas, FUN!

2018 - Day 217/148 - Sunday...1553...

I took this photo yesterday, but even so, it is just about the most interesting thing I have done in the last 24 hours. We did get a little bit of rain yesterday (late afternoon), so that helped in the watering department for today. All I really watered today were a few of the potted plants and the fruit trees in the back. Five trees, an hour each. I had watered the other trees yesterday. I think many of the potted plants can stand a day with no watering. I fear there is one plant by the pool that is suffering from TOO much water, so I am trying to be more mindful of that. I did think this was an interesting cloud formation yesterday, so I thought I would share it wit you.

I fine tuned the chickens water fountain today, after having cleaned it yesterday. I think it is working a lot better now. Cleaned the chicken coop, took four salt blocks out to the cattle and did a few other miscellaneous chores. That was it. I took several naps and was interrupted during all of them, but that is okay, I expect I shall survive.

This should be a relatively calm week coming up, I will be teaching a six hour class on Wednesday, but otherwise, it is all pretty mindless stuff.

Deeds, Actions, Changes, CLOUDS, Kindnesses, Whirled Peas, FUN!

2018 - Day 216/149 - Saturday...1543...

Finally. I have very little patience, and am more prone to (if not instant, then) really seeing quick results. Instant gratification is totally different, but I am more prone to that as well, the older I get. BUT, in this case, it is about the Dahlia's I planted a couple months ago (or maybe longer). The plants that we put in the area that had been overrun with nandina (nandena?), had all settled in nicely, and were growing very nicely. We planted three Dahlia bulbs (three different colors) in three holes, expecting to see multi-colored blooms from each 'plant'. The plants grew lushly, and from left to right they were medium sized, smallest and largest. The the smallest plant decided it preferred to become ground cover. Still alive, still a lush dark green color, but not growing up vertically. The medium sized plant (on the left) has produced (so far) this partial bloom. It is a lovely color red, and maybe the flower will open up fully before too much longer. There are, what we believe are, buds on the other two plants, but so far, no other blooms. We have been watching these buds for at least two weeks. It seems they are in no hurry to bloom.

Elsewhere around the Estate on the Edge of Nowhere, everything is dry and crackly. Grass (or what passes for grass) is dead and brown. All around us they are harvesting the corn and maize, so we are attacked by the chaff of that product, and most of it ends up in the pool. Right now we are experiencing gale force winds, so nothing is safe.

Deeds, Actions, Changes, DAHLIA'S, Kindnesses, Whirled Peas, FUN!

2008 - Day 215/150 - Friday...1556...

I have been thinking about Roseanne Roseannadanna a lot lately. What's all this talk about flea erections in China? Roxanne Roseannadanna. Well, that's very different. But it just goes to show you, it's always something. If it's not one thing it's another. Take traffic in central Texas. Just when you think it is clear to get back on the Interstate, something goes wrong. It is not enough that traffic sucks and there is nothing you can do about it, but then something else happens and makes everything worse. Not sure exactly what it was, but it definitely made the traffic worse. Since I am wont to make up stories, this is my take: There was a homeless guy (or girl) that was causing a ruckus at the intersection, and there was just no tolerating it. That's my story and I' sticking to it.

On the other corner (just about 50 feet away) there was another homeless guy going about his business unmolested by the local gendarmes, so maybe the entire previous paragraph is just a fig newton of my imagination.

Here is what I know for sure. There is going to be a chicken coop full of trauma in about an hour. The youngest girls are ten weeks old (at least) tomorrow, so they are being introduced into the big girls chicken coop tonight. It will be a tough day or two for them, but after that, it will be business as usual.

Deeds, Actions, Changes, ROSANNADANNA, Kindnesses, Whirled Pes, FUN!

2018 - Day 214/151 - Thursday...1546...

2018 - Day 213/152 - Wednesday...1556...

Moth or Butterfly? How can you tell the difference between a butterfly and a moth. According to the googles, which referred me to the Everyday Mysteries site: One of the easiest ways to tell the difference between a butterfly and a moth is to look at the antennae. A butterfly's antennae are club-shaped with a long shaft and a bulb at the end. A moth's antennae are feathery or saw-edged.

So there you have it, straight from the googles. This particular specimen (IMHO) is a butterfly. I have the advantage of having taken the photo, so I can enlarge the visual to see the details of the antennae. I see nothing feathery, and I see what could be considered a bulb on the end of the antennae. So, I an going with 'It's a butterfly for $2,000 Alex'. Jody and I saw this guy on the ground (actually on the sidewalk) outside the optician's office in Austin this afternoon. I moved it to the greenery, so hopefully he had a better change of survival. We will never know.

Deeds, Actions, Changes, BUTTERFLY, Kindnesses, Whirled Peas, FUN!