APRIL 2020

I think I'll keep the kitty with the scrubs and mask on for awhile......Happy April.

He or she is cool................

Everyone have a good day...............

Ark, you always find such cute pictures. Nurse Kitty is as cute as they come.

At last!  A pretty spring day!  It will be an outdoor day.  

A few hours later: The warm sun makes the flowers grow and bloom. It makes boaters bloom too. It seems that a lot of people have decided that if they have to be isolated from other people, the lake house is the place to do it. It's a little unusual to see as many boats on a Thursday in early April.

Happy April...What a fun morning I had yesterday.  Got up at 4 AM, got dressed, had some coffee and waited for my friends Karen & Rick to show up so we could go to the grocery store at 5:30 and be there for senior citizen shopping at 6 AM.  Rick & I wore our masks and had our gloves and hand sanitizer with us.  There were people NOT wearing masks, even though the Gov said we were supposed to wear them.   Karen stayed at my house with George.  It's too hard for her to maneuver around and not knowing what to except we thought she should stay home with George.

It was a lot easier than we had envisioned since our Governor shut down the state, we were expecting a riot of senior citizens.  LOL  The shelves weren't bare but they were sparse.  I did get everything on my list & a couple extra things.  Rick even managed to get toilet paper.  Maybe now I'll stop having nightmares about grocery shopping. LOL

Yesterday we delivered 17 dozen of eggs from our friend Jeff, his chickens have gone into overdrive and have been producing like crazy.  Last week 12 dozen.  We are his distribution center.  Nothing like home grown eggs.
 Love & prayers...

What a nice afternoon this turned out to be. I was outside on a warm spring day, scooping up some of last fall's leftover leaves into trash bags. A neighbor couple was driving by on their golf cart, and stopped to visit. They saw what I was doing and that I had more that needed to be cleaned up. They went home and came back with a good backpack blower. They helped me finish cleaning up, and then he blew all the leaves down the hill for me to crunch up with the mower. We helped a next door neighbor clean up their leaves too. All of us have been staying home, and we were outside, so there was no danger of contagion. We visited and worked and had a great afternoon.
The other neighbor sent them home with a hot loaf of bread, and I'm going to make them some ice cream.
It's good to live in a nice neighborhood.

Hello, folks!
Still here this side of the grass, and figuring that I'd better speak up now, before C-19 puts me under it .
Belated birthday greetings to ARK and CB and all those others that I've missed, and condolences to Nancy Lee for the loss of her mom, and admiring kudos to Graymare for shepherding TL through his long recovery, and ditto to ARK for meeting all the challenges involved in getting Donnie less gimpy, and ... and...and!
I do read and keep up with you all -- and cheer and sympathize both -- and I'm fine so far,
though concerned about how all are doing just now. We are lucky, yes, (smart?), most of us horsey people, to be living where both a degree of isolation and lots of self-sufficiency are not so far from normal. Here, I've been astounded at how many friends have called, offering to run errands for me, to keep me out of harm's way. The Good News side of that is, of course, the marvelous kindness shown; the Bad News is the revelation that I'm clearly widely seen as a wheezy old bag at the top of the Most Vulnerable list! Gosh, I didn't think it was so obvious.
But what good friends! They've been picking up and delivering meds for me, and doing grocery shopping -- and some have brought, unbidden, gobs of food. Two guys just down the road from me are doing a land-office business raising turkeys and making and selling big (and scrumptious!)turkey pot-pies; they brought me one, plus a pint of tomato bisque and a slice of pecan cheesecake. Another person delivered, unannounced, a HUGE box, put together, I think, by members of a little church community he started, full of all kinds of home-made food, all sealed in freezable plastic packages, from French toast with sausage to a full fish dinner. Yesterday, at my request, a friend delivered 50 pounds of sunflower seeds (for my wild birds, with the migrants now returning) and a 12-pack of Guinness Stout (for me -- spirits to keep my spirits up). What more could I possibly need?? Ah, yes, t.p....
But I'm not really disabled at all (I AM wheezy) -- nor am I in the least thin or in need of food!!! I When the clouds lift, I'm still planning to zip around on my little Ruckus scooter, dreaming that I'm 11 years old.
ELLEN, one item not available here (in addition to t.p.) is whole wheat flour, which I use for my breadmaker bread. I ordered some online (at $12 for 3 pounds!), but have copied out your recipe to try while waiting. Thank you!
And thanks to all for still being here -- and to ARK for making it possible.
Health and hugs all around!

I need to change my pic, cause I no longer have that scooter, and seeing it makes me sad. I'lll work on that...

Hi Beech! It's good to see you and know that you are okay.
I know what you mean about realizing that the neighbors see you are you really are, not what you wish you were. That's where I am. I have a hard time thinking of myself as the OLD neighbor lady, but that's exactly who I am. I am very grateful for good neighbors who are willing to help. Fortunately, I don't need much help, but I'm sure glad to get it when it happens.
They haven't been bringing much food, but that's okay, because I have a freezer full of stuff. The only things I'm likely to run short of is bread flour. But, a neighbor has 50 pounds of it, so I'll get by.

BEECH:
I am so glad you checked in!! What good neighbors you have! How nice of them to care for you and bring such scrumptious sounding goodies!
I think you are right about horsey people being more conscious about shortages. After all, every year or two or three, we are out scrounging for hay during droughts or too much rain, and making sure we have supplies on hand for a few weeks most of the time. We are stocked up by fall for six months of winter every year. It isn't hard to translate our animal care needs to ourselves.
We used Kroger's pick-up system today for the first time. We didn't use it for my broken leg last year or Donnie's knee surgery this year, but it is very attractive to us now. It worked out pretty well, although they did make some substitutions....and we didn't ask for T.P. We didn't step foot in the store. The cute store employee brought our order out to our truck and loaded it in! People are not taking this virus very seriously here yet. There have been very few cases and they don't seem to realize the danger. The parking lot at Kroger's was packed on a Friday afternoon and we only saw a couple of people wearing masks. Entire families were walking into the store. We sat in our truck wearing our weird black masks when the kid came out with our order.
We used to live in Galax, Va, that had a law on their books that said anyone over 12 years old couldn't wear a face mask. I wonder if they dropped that law?


ELLEN:
I do love your neighbors! It's great when a neighborhood gets along and helps one another. And the food!!! I am glad you got your leaves done so easily.

Our neighbor who bought the house next door, and his son, came over this morning and helped Donnie put the metal roof on to the hay building!!! I couldn't believe how much they got done in 6 hours. The entire main part of the building is done and just the front overhang is left to put it's little roof on tomorrow. These people have been our best neighbors since we moved here. They live about a quarter mile down the road, but recently bought the house next door that was in their family many years ago. Our 'carpenter' hasn't been here in over 2 weeks. Won't he be surprised if he ever bothers to show back up? The roof will be done. His job is over. He is a nice enough fellow, but terribly unreliable. He must be picking up jobs elsewhere.

GRAYMARE:
How is TL doing? Any signs of the virus around you? Our county just got its first patient yesterday, although a few are in some of the independent towns and nearby counties.

CB:
How are you and Harry doing? Where are you staying now?

NANCY LEE:
How is the virus in Canada? What are folks having to do differently around you? I heard they closed the national forests here, so riding at Pandapas is probably not going to happen this summer for me. Are you still working with your new horse?

Stay safe, stay healthy!!

Travis is a happy camper today. It's a really nice day, in the mid 50s. He got to put his little rowboat in the water and then choose which small motor to put on it. (He has several.) They have a pontoon, an inboard speed boat, and a jet ski. But, he loves his little rowboat with the little motors. He's out playing with it now.
There have been quite a few people out on boats and pontoons for the last several days.
Some of the people who live here full time aren't too pleased to see the weekenders who come from Indianapolis, Chicago, and Detroit. There is fear they might be toting a virus from their cities with them. SO FAR, this county only has 11 confirmed cases and no deaths. All three of those big cities have LOTS.

Holy cats! The same person who, last Sunday, brought me more food than I could possibly eat, has done the same thing today. I'm growing fat(ter) and feeling guilty as all get out!!

Just called area police dispatch for a wellness check on a friend I'm worried about. Though she doesn't look it, she's in her 70s and is in fragile health, living alone with next to no money in one room in a tiny motel, and hasn't answered calls from me on her cell phone for a week. I found the motel's phone number on the Web, only to be told that the number had been discontinued. ...... Now, WHEW! As I write this, she calls!! Eureka! Police came knocking on her door, happy to do so, and cheerfully suggested she call me. Her phone had died, it seems, and, because she's had a cold or some flu (she insists it wasn't C-19) she hadn't been able to get out to get a new phone until yesterday. (She has no computer and is not on the Internet.) Now on the mend, she's a chipper and upbeat soul, and I'm vastly relieved -- and we agreed that the police officer was probably also relieved to be given something to do, because crime is down these days! Big hugs from me to dispatch and police! One welcome and much-needed happy ending.

Want a hoot? When the fellow brought that food to me today, we chatted for a while, and among the issues we touched upon were the number of extraordinary individuals in and around our town. HE is one of them, for sure! You can meet him on YouTube at Unkul Petah's Kitchen, where he makes cooking videos that are....well, INIMITABLE. Go see.

And you can meet the turkey-pie guys at their super web site at harristurkeyfarm.com. I'm lucky and proud to call them close neighbors.

A couple of diversions to fill the current fretful hours...

THAT picture made me laugh!!!

Beech, I'm so glad your friend is okay.

Yesterday, I got the lawn tractor started (easily) and mowed all the leaves that my nice neighbor had blown down the hill. They are dust now and will happily fertilize the grass that will soon be coming up. It's just beginning to think about being green instead of brown.
The tulips are up about 6 or 7 inches, but no buds showing yet.

Happy Birthday, BEECH!!!!




Hope you are enjoying your non-calorie goodie day!!!

You do have wonderful neighbors

ELLEN:
 We mowed our yard this past weekend.  I already am being careful about how much grass the horses can get to.   Our tulips are blooming and I was surprised to see some azaleas blooming that I had forgotten we had planted on the edge of the yard.  

Today it is going to be about 70 degrees, a perfect temperature.  


 That face mask photo made me laugh, too!   I shamelessly stole it.  

 Today is Areion's 11th birthday.  She is nearly all white, when she is clean.  I got her a new breakaway purple halter for her birthday.  She hasn't pulled back in a few years, but I still put her in a breakaway halter after she broke off a fence post and dragged it around in panic several years ago.  She didn't get hurt, but I figure I lost a few years.....

Happy belated birthday Beech!

We are still in fam camp on mt home afb.
I have a bone that broke and left a hole into my sinus cavity...get it fixed on the 9th. Yay.

We are on that lock down now in our town and on the base. I can live with that.

We had 8 of us having a cookout last evening....we sat 6 ft apart and talked and laughed. These folks have been here for months with us .....we just stop in the road when out walking dogs and chat with folks in their yard....so not entirely cut off.
Ill be glad to get my mouth all done so if they lift travel we can go elsewhere.
Stay well everyone

Thank you for the birthday greetings!

And Happy Birthday to Areion! ARK, she looks gorgeous in her new purple halter.

And I LOVE that picture at the top!

Oh, that picture is a scream!!!

BEECH, good that you're back. Unkel Pete is a scream.............and his fruit cake looks like a dream.
Belated happy birthday and best wishes for the year.

Last Saturday was parade day in our little hood. T in his wc and me on the porch.............we had 2 little girls
(Prob 6) ride by no hands, then 3 lamas leading very well, then 1 goat, then 1 sheep.........they made a circle in our driveway
and we clapped, which then turned into two circles. Then we had all the parents which came in and said "hi" about
10 feet apart. Then we had the marathoners about 10-12 yrs all running single file and they, too, made a big circle.
Then it was lunch time for a rest I guess. It's great now with kids in the hood. One little jogger this morning
was WAY behind the group, prob about 6-7, but she hung in there. Since they're all home schooling, they
exercise early and go in for schooling. This has sure been good here for all, so far. We don't have any
covid19 here, so far.

Our neighborhood is small with one way in and one way out so we know who everyone is. We were to have
the neighborhood picnic on the 28th of March but it got cancelled due to virus restrictions.

With the horses across the street and my horses they are a constant attraction for the little girls.............SO
cute. They ride over a lot.

Anyhow, just wanted to catch up..............see ya. God bless.

Today was grocery pickup day. I picked up a few things I needed and some for the neighbors. Walmart curbside pickup is doing a land office business.

It was a beautiful day today. Some young idiot in a wetsuit was out wake boarding behind a rowboat. LOL The boat was probably doing all of 7 or 8 miles an hour. The kid on the board must have weighed 12 pounds. (just kidding) He was doing pretty well staying up. The water is still waaaay too cold to want to be in it.
More of the docks were installed today. For a Monday, there were a lot of boats out on the water. People are isolating at the lake.

Here in AZ the moon is as bright as a reading light...............I remember when we used to go riding on full moon
nights.............

The good old days..............

I wonder what kind of parade we will have tomorrow..................

BEECH:  Happy belated birthday wishes.  Glad your friend was OK.  That had to be a scary moment.

ARK:  I'm still laughing over me sending you that mask photo and you already having it.  Great minds think alike.  LOL Happy birthday to Areion. What a lovely purple halter.

GRAYMARE:  What a wonderful parade you had at your neighborhood.  We have had a bunch of people we have never seen walk on our road before.  Ace gives them his best big dog warning.  Keeping walking I don't know you.  LOL

CB:  Hang in there girlfriend.  Someday we will be able to get our surgeries.

ELLEN:  We planted grass yesterday and mowed the yard.  Our tulips are up but no buds yet either.  Ours seem to be the last ones around here that bloom for some reason.  The farmer brought the cow poop for the garden so we will be working on getting the ground ready for planting.  Never thought we would be having another garden but here we go back to gardening.

Our neighbors made us some special masks to wear.  What great neighbors, they always call before they go to the store to ask if we need anything.

Stay safe and healthy everyone.

Anybody need a laugh? Try this one.
https://www.youtube.com/embed/n6mbW-jMtrY?rel=0

I enjoyed that, ELLEN. Thank you!

"Grass"?? What's that????!!!

The Easter Bunny on horseback. Love it!

A friend sent me the information that New Zealand had declared the Easter Bunny and the Tooth Fairy as essential personnel, so they are allowed to be out and about.

Beech, I liked that video too. It is still possible to be funny without being profane.