I am looking forward to going back to work tomorrow, I need some rest.
I did not sleep very comfortably last night, I think I might have been 'too-tired' or maybe not tired enough. That is kind of what happens when I get too much sleep over the weekends, I tend to not be able to get to sleep and kind of toss and turn. Tonight, the issue will be more of 'too tired to sleep' than anything else.
Miguel arrived about 8 o'clock this morning, and by then we had already finished our breakfast and moved on. The Sunday papers are really not what they used to be, and I used to look forward to the 'funnies', but lately I do not even care to read (probably) sixty percent of them. Pretty much the same thing in the dailies, so maybe I have matured or maybe I am even more jaded than I think I am. Whatever it is, I wish the 'funnies' were better. It is like going to a play or the movies, Jody and I decided we wanted to go and be entertained (that translates to laugh) and not have to think. We have to think enough as it is, so if we are going to pay for entertainment, we want it to be funny. Maybe we are just shallow, maybe not.
Anyway, let me try to recap some of the day; we moved about 15 pallets from the side yard (where we had intended to plant a garden) to back by the barn. We had used the pallets to hold down a tarp over an area about 20 by 50 feet. The tarp was down for about four or five months, and e=when we removed the tarp, nothing had happened. We expected the grass would be dead so we could plow the soil, but it was just as is the tarp served as a greenhouse. So, that is one for the prairie grass out here. Anyway... After that, we started trimming palms and trees around the pool, but we were kind of stopped (just a little bit) by the discovery of a Dove's nest in one of the palms, so we did not disturb that one. We will watch the nest just to see what happens. It looks like a viable nest, and we will be interested to watch the progress.
After that, we planted the four fruit trees that we bought yesterday, two apples and two peaches. We have the beginnings of a pretty nice little orchard going out there. I think we are going to try and get a plum or two to go along with these. I doubt that we will actually get any fruit from any of them this year,but they will be nicely settled in for next year, and that will be good. We are also going to put some steel rings around the Pecans that were here when we moved, and see if we cannot get them to produce a little better. They looked promising last year, but then we did not get any rain in the late summer, and the fruit on them just withered away. I will make a better effort to water them this year. After planting those new trees, we took lawn mowers out to the fence row by the road, and cleared about three peach trees that were there when we moved. We actually got peaches from one of them last year, and the other two are showing signs of life, so with a little attention, we may get a little bit of fruit from them this year. That would be nice.
We took the pool cover off the pool, cleaned the filter, but we still could not get the Polaris to start working properly. That might take a little more attention. After that, we fed the cattle and put a fresh bale of hay out there for them. Next week, we will be cutting the far back pasture so the sun can get down to the dirt and get some fresh green grass growing for them. We expect that the fields will all be fertilized (sorry not organic here) in the next week or so, so I need to get that grass cut down before that happens. The cattle all seemed happy and content, but they are always kind of pushy when there is feed being put out. At least it gets them distracted so we can put a bale of hay out in the back without them all sticking their noses (literally) into it while we are back there messing with it.
Jody and I also made time to go into Georgetown for hot fudge sundaes. Not that there is anything wrong with that. It was a pretty day, and a perfect day for a ride in the country. There was a conglomeration of middle-aged (okay about my age) weekend easy-riders wearing day-glo colored t-shirts with their pony-tails (his and hers) and the 'leathers'. I am certain they are attorneys and bankers by day, but on the weekends they hit the roads on their Gold Wings. BUT, I think it takes something away from the mystique when they stop at the Dairy Queen for 'Blizzards All Around'! Something is just not right about that picture!
In all of this (and more) the chickens were totally unaware of all the activity. They were out for good long periods both yesterday and today. I hope they leave the seeds I planted alone. I planted water melons and cantaloupe today, along with some supplemental morning glories. It should be another good year.
Jody made a nice chicken and pasta case role this evening, and he included some asparagus that we have been harvesting from beside the garage for three years now. Yummy! Gonna go to bed now, as soon as I finish my cheese cake.
Deeds, Actions, Changes, HARD WORK, Kindnesses, Whirled Peas, FUN!
ANYWAY, actually moving the plants made me forget to check for eggs (we got six today), and so I went back out to the barn in front and when I was in there, I actually stopped and took a quick glance at a bunch of pictures and things that are being stored out there. These happen to be three things from my DISTANT past. The picture in front is from the late 70's when I was living in Memphis (not really my glory days, but fun). I had this dog (Borzoi) whose name was Justin and I schlepped this dog to the UP Bank Building at 100 North Main and convinced him that the escalator would not kill him and we arrived at a photographers shop on the mezzanine. Something else! And how do you like the suit? It was green and yellow plaid! No, really! The other chalk-drawing behind that was done in 1973 in New Orleans. I used to go to New Orleans (anything to get out of Memphis) every couple months and I had this made in Jackson Square. I remember that I had taken the train from Memphis to New Orleans and back that trip, LOTS OF FUN. No driving involved, but I do seem to remember a challenge or two making it TO the train. All was good once I was on. Lots of interesting stories I can tell, how much time do you have?
Okay, now we get to the Car & Driver part that I teased you with yesterday. As the days get warmer, the batteries on the Volt hold a better charge, and yesterday was a really good day. I made it 96.4% of the way to the office yesterday morning on electric power. That is over 46 of my 48 mile commute to the office. When I got there my average was over 126 MPG on this particular tank of gas. Well, I am really proud of that, but things have gone substantially downhill from there. I had meetings yesterday, and this and that and could not get a good charge. THEN, when I got home yesterday I FORGOT to plug the car in, and I did not realize it until this morning when I got up. SO, I plugged it in and got about 20 miles worth of charge, but my average for this tank of gas has gone way down. BUT, for the lifetime of the car, I am still around 83 MPG, so that does not suck. You have to keep in mind too, that I probably spend (not sure, more than a dollar, less than two dollars) about $1.50 per day for electricity. Overall though, it still comes out better than the Prius I was driving, and the technology will only get better. AND CHEAPER...
