NO POWER…THAT MEANS NO WATER, NO AIR-CONDITIONING..
Just a quick check in…..the storm blew in at 91 miles an hour!!!!! I have NEVER seen
anything like that! Our downtown area looks like a war zone….it took my daughter 30
minutes to go four blocks on her way home from work…..It was really scary for her,
she works on the 14th floor downtown….she said the building was swaying and creaking…
The tornado sirens were going off so the dog, cat and I got in the basement…I guess
I wasn’t too scared…I grabbed the cat, the dog, my purse which I had get right next
to the basement stairs…and THREE weight watchers ice cream bars..(85 calories each)
I sat with the dog and ate the ice cream listening to the sirens….(what the heck…
I didn’t know when I might get the chance to eat again…survival instinct I’m thinking.)
After the sirens went off, I drove over to check on my Mother and Jim…..we stood
outside and talked and a neighbor came over to talk about the storm…he told us
that there were two baby robins next to my mother’s house that had been blown
out of their nest…you know what happened next…we went to investigate…Jim got
a really cool, “bendy”, “foldy” ladder…he pulled the branch with the nest in it down
a bit…I picked up the little birds, wearing gloves of course, climbed the ladder
and put them back in the nest..one at a time. I no sooner climbed back down to the
ground, then one of them jumped back out of the nest…We decided to let Mama bird
take it from there….
I have laid in a supply of bottle water, some basic supplies and now we just wait..it
could be three more days before we have power…
So…..if you don’t see any posts…you’ll know why….take care out there in this
crazy world of weather!!
I HAVE BEEN VERY, VERY, BAD….
Over the past month I have been given some lovely, wonderful awards.
Being the procrastinator that I am( did I spell that wrong?)….I have spent too many days dancing up to
the keyboard and then away again..intimidated by the idea of adequately responding.
I am now going to try to make up for my “dance of the timid”…
“SISTERHOOD OF THE WORLD BLOGGERS AWARD”…….given to me by http://hopethehappyhugger.wordpress.com/.
I am so touched that Hope felt that I should be a part of this “sisterhood”…..Hope is a VERY
special person..deep, insightful, reflective,determined and kind. Thank you Hope.
As you all know, the awards do come with some requirements of acceptance..I need
to tell you seven random things about myself…
I need to nominate fellow bloggers to share this award….I’m sorry fellas…because it’s a “sisterhood”
award, I can’t nominate any of you this time around.
So we’re off to the races with seven random things about me that you’ve probably guessed
or suspected by now…also I may have mentioned these things before, so I apologize..
1. I have a morning routine…Feed the cat first…(if kitty ain’t happy, NOBODY’S happy) Walk the dog,
feed the birds.
2. I have a weakness for chocolate (HA!!! NOW THERE’S SOMETHING YOU DIDN’T KNOW)
3. I carry a “tire bat” (truckers use these to check the pressure in the tires of their “semi’s”) when I walk my dog…darn coyotes.
4. I’m 5’6″ tall.
5 I get cranky when I’m hungry.
6 .I like airports, probably because I can always find a jumbo sized chocolate chip cookie for
sale somewhere.
7. I dream pretty much every night….(Why was Tom Hanks, the actor, riding a bicycle in my dream
two night ago?)
For my nominees…….Sisters, every last single one of them….
http://h2obyjoanna.wordpress.com/ I know that she doesn’t accept these awards…but she creates the most amazing images involving water…just beautiful! (My little Sis of blogging)..check out her work…and Little Sis..no need to respond 
xoxoxo
http://photographyofnia.com/ The Elf of the world…..visit her and you get to see the amazing Istanbul!
http://imagesbyregina.wordpress.com/ This is one talented gal…I know she doesn’t accept awards…but I want to include her
in the Sisterhood.
http://sugardishme.com/ Oh MY GOODNESS…recipes you’ll definitely want to make…I’ve tried them…OUT OF THIS WORLD!
http://cyclingrandma.wordpress.com/ The most interesting stories…..BRYOZOANS!!
http://collinesblog.wordpress.com/ I’ve been following Colline pretty much since the beginning
of my blogging experience…she covers all the basis, endlessly
fascinating
The embarrassing thing about this post is that there are more awards…..well, o.k., I’m just a little
bit embarrassed and a WHOLE LOT grateful for the nod from my blogger friends…
So here are the others…
The ONE LOVELY BLOG AWARD….to Colline at http://collinesblog.wordpress.com/ and
Heather at http://sugardishme.com/………..THANK YOU!!!! I am so touched that you felt
that my blog deserved this recognition..made my heart do a little “happy dance”!
I’d like to pass this on to http://mathiaslphotos.wordpress.com/,,,,Images SO beautiful…
I want to BE this photographer when I grow up!
I want to pass this on to another amazing blog…..http://mike585.wordpress.com/
Check out the beauty of ”The Hoo Wood” and “Wilden Marsh”..just awesome!
The INSPIRING BLOG AWARD…Lisa at http://cyclingrandma.wordpress.com/
did me the great honor of nominating me for this award…I’m not sure what I
did to deserve it….but I will wear this award PROUDLY! THANK YOU
Nominated for this award….http://photosfromtheloonybin.wordpress.com/…a gal with a passion for photography and a huge zest for life. She makes me laugh.
http://wordsfromanneli.wordpress.com/…..what an interesting life…a GREAT storyteller..she is a WRITER!
The VERY INSPIRATIONAL BLOG AWARD….My heartfelt thanks to Donkey Whisperer at …
http://donkeywhispererfarm2010.wordpress.com/ Donkeys, donkeys, and more donkeys..
I will put the badges on the side of the blog….
I want to thank ALL of you for following my blog…for commenting, making me laugh out loud, for surprising me with your creativity
and crazy imaginations….I wish I could give an award to ALL of you….You’re all amazing and I’m grateful that I’ve gotten to meet
you all in the blogosphere!
BTW….Can I keep nominating people??? I want to add http://marilynkaydennis.wordpress.com/ SO INFORMATIVE! And one
of my most interesting commenters……
Then in the obnoxious category…..http://bulldogsturf.wordpress.com/
http://afrankangle.wordpress.com/
And then in a category all her own..http://magsx2.wordpress.com/
Some of the most amazing videos….and Friday Jokes..gotta love it
O.K…..I’ll go quietly now….(see, this is why you shouldn’t give me awards).
AN UPDATE ON “BOB’S” DAD…
I saw Melvin again today….I decided to take him copies of the pictures that I posted
of him with “Foot” the other day…
I was really relieved that he was happy to get them…not sad…and
REALLY happy to hear that he is becoming something of a celebrity because
of the book…”‘Being Bob”.
A woman called me last night to order four books, she’s a distant relative
of Melvin’s and he was so excited to tell me that she came to his house
to see the book in person. She wants him to “sign” hers when she gets it.
She has her first grand-daughter and she wants his “autograph”!
He was so happy!
It was kind of adventure when I first got to the farm.
I had to wait for him by the barn when I first got there…he wasn’t in the house
so I thought he had gone out….as I got in my car to leave, I heard the sound
of the barn door moving..out of the cool dark barn came “beauty” his black
dog…(it’s 93 today).
Beauty came up to greet me and then walked back toward the barn..I was worried
that Melvin was in there…the door had been mostly shut, so that wasn’t like
Melvin.
Beauty proceeded to guide me around the side of the barn and then she just stood
staring out into the field….far, far, out in the field I could just see the top of
Melvin’s golf cart….I went back to my car, got my phone..a scarf to protect
my neck from the sun and went back to make the long trek to check on the
golf cart…as I started my hike..I realized the cart was moving.
I watched Melvin drive back to the ten acre woods, and then I saw the herd…
he had rounded them up and they came flying through the field, headed for the
barn….way behind them came Melvin in the golf cart.
I was so relieved to see him…but I didn’t let him know that..he’s very
independent.
THE BELOVED “FOOT”.
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MELVIN AND ONE OF THE “ANGEL HORSES”.
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The horses ran up for a big, long drink of water and then waited for Melvin
to open the stable door and in they went…DINNER!!
You might be asking yourself, “where did “Beauty” go???”
She walked over, climbed into the horse’s water trough, and proceeded
to be a very happy dog.
THE RED ROOM….
All right ladies…sorry (gentlemen)….I think it’s time for a road trip….we’ve got a party to go to!
Jump on a plane…a cruise ship…a walrus…a pony…a trampoline…a helicopter..
WE NEED TO DANCE!! I can manage about five minutes…then I’ll have to sit down..
(injuries from the branch and tree climbing, keeping up with the squirrels is dangerous)
Tell me what you’re going to wear, so that we don’t show up in the same thing…and just
for kicks…tell me how you’re going to get here!
EVER CLOSER….
Gaaaaaccckkkk…..
Sorry, another dust bunny “bites the dust”…I just swallowed it.
For those of you out there in the real world….I have PROOF….PROOF I SAY!,
of the sneakiness of the squirrels….
SHE’LL NEVER SEE ME COMING…
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SHE’LL NEVER MAKE IT ACROSS THIS BRANCH…I’M GOING TO CHEW NOT QUITE ALL THE WAY THROUGH IT WHEN I’M DONE…AND WHEN SHE CRAWLS OUT ON IT…..LOOK OUT BELOW!!
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These Ninja warriors were practicing their approach….although
one member of the group was brazen enough to walk right up to
the door and try to chew his way in…..has he never heard of KNOCKING???
YUMMMMMM..TASTES LIKE CHOCOLATE!
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I have tried to imitate their acrobatics…(I still have my sparkly trapeeze outfit), but
alas, the branch failed inexplicably….Now that I have bandaged my wounds and
repaired my outfit, I am contemplating my next form of self defense….running
and screaming.
In the meantime, I am monitoring the movements of the squirrels, ninja
and non-ninja and although disturbing, I do not
think that an attack is imminent….
Besides, they’re too busy fighting with each other…
IN TWO SECONDS, YOUR TAIL IS GOING TO BE SHORTER BY AN INCH.
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HERE WE GO AGAIN…
My apologies…but once again…all of my images are gone….I’ll hopefully
SEE you soon..
SWEPT UP IN BLUE….
The squirrels are really in fighting mode today…but in between
monitoring the skirmishes, I did get to enjoy part of the “flight
crew’s” maneuvers….
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I WAS LULLED INTO COMPLACENCY AND LET MY GUARD DOWN…
PA-TOOH………………phhhtttt…..phhhttttt….
SORRY,,,,I had to crawl back under the bed and it’s full of dust bunnies…
I’m re-stocking as quickly as I can, but I risked my life to crawl over to the
computer…keeping my head down….to send you an urgent message…
I THINK IT WAS ALL A TRICK!!!!!
I THOUGHT the squirrels had returned to their daily lives and that it
had all been a misunderstanding….but this morning I awoke to the
sounds of teeny-tiny toenails clawing at my window….
EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK…
they want more peanuts…
or so I thought…..
But I have spent the last hour observing them from a place of safety..
(in reality from under a pile of clothes)..
They seem to be even more organized than before…they have musicians,
and flag carriers, and valets, and squirrels selling popcorn to the warriors…
even a squirrel carrying around jars of nail polish, painting their toes red..
(that has got to be a bad sign).
Oooooooopppsssss……This is almost like the “hunger games”…I can see branches
suddenly dip low and spring high as the squirrels leap from tree to tree..ever
closer, ever closer….
I’ll try to get pictures….pray for me….I have to shove the dog and cat out from
under the bed so that I can wedge myself back under….I just need to grab
my Ipad, my phone, my rechargers, my camera, camera batteries, bunny slippers,
dental floss, my husband’s birthday chocolate..(hey, you snooze, you lose, if he
hasn’t eaten it by now and it’s just sitting on the counter, he must want me to eat
it, right?)…some capers and a flashlight, oh! And a flare gun……
To the batcave!
MEET “BOB’S” DAD…
I just wanted you all to meet “Bob’s” Dad…Melvin.
I went to visit Melvin today and I took him his copy of the book about
his horse “Bob”..
It was a good moment and a sad moment…He told me pretty quickly that
his beloved cat “foot” had disappeared. Sadly, he is pretty sure that a friend
hit the cat and tried to hide the fact…so now he has lost his friend and “foot”.
I sat there with him and tried to hide the fact that I was crying…he’s almost
eighty-five and “foot” went everywhere with him…He waited for Melvin to
climb into his golf cart…then he would jump in too…he would ride to the barn
with Melvin, sit on a bale of hay to watch Melvin feed Bob and the rest
of the herd, and then ride back to the house in the golf cart with Melvin.
It was really hard to hear him talk about looking for “foot”…he had nursed him
back to health one winter when the cat almost died.
I’m glad that I went to visit him and I’ll try to get back to see him more often..
Sniff.
Shoot,,,still sniffing.
IT’S BABY SEASON….
NO HUNTING….
It’s a different kind of deer season….
I got so concerned about the new babies last year
that I had my Mother design this for me to put by the
road….
Am I a softy or what??
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DON’T LOOK IF YOU DON’T LIKE BUGS..
Life….Some days you’re the bird…
Some days you’re the bug…
(LOOK AT THE IMAGE CLOSELY)
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TABLE MANNERS….
O.K. class….our lesson today will be on dining with elegance and style.
How many of you out there are at this very moment, eating a snack
without using your hands? Class….is this acceptable??
How many of you out there feel that it is permissible to sit on the
table while dining? Do you think that it is permissible to invite your
dinner companion to sit on the table WITH you while dining?
If it is a first date, do you think you should at least wait until the second
date before eating from each other’s plates?
Well done so far class! Only four of you felt that climbing onto the
table was appropriate in a formal setting…(bulldogsturf , aFrankAngle, El Guapo
and photosfromtheloonybin…I’ll need to see you after class.)
And lastly, your final grade depends upon this answer…
so think carefully about your response before you raise your hand.
If you thought that no one would catch you….would you climb onto
the table, put your feet on someone else’s plate
and then walk on their food??
Class dismissed.
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APPROACHES….
FIRST APPROACH……RAIN PRECIOUS RAIN !!!!!! THE FIRST FEW DROPS…
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THE SECOND APPROACH….
HAVE WE MET ???
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O.K…..SO NOW I HYPNOTIZED MYSELF…
You know the other day when I did the post on the Mugger squirrel, trying
to hypnotize the Little Squirrel of the Woods??
I listened to the Little Squirrel of the Woods’ instructions
and I’m starting to quack like a duck….
(don’t all hypnotists make you quack like a duck? Or is it a
chicken?) O.k. So maybe I didn’t hypnotize myself to be totally accurate…
I know something has happened for sure and I’m blaming it on the Mugger
Squirrel…, I’ve been walking around in a fog….and all I
want to do is to take a nap! Obviously, not enough chocolate has been
consumed, but that was my goal….didn’t know how much sugar must have
been flowing through my veins…..so now……………………………………………
Since the energy is LOWWWWWW….I’m just going to post a few of the images
I love…..there are too many, so you might get tired of hearing me say that I “love”
an image…but I love most all of them…..
After you look at them I want you all to yell as loudly as you can….
WAKE UP ZANNYRO !!!!!!!!!
JOE AND MAC
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Bob and Mac can never resist an audience, so they put on a show for the two “lurkers” in the background…
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THIS IS HOW I FEEL……
THE WOODS ARE SINGING ME TO SLEEP.
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BABY ON DECK…
This is one of four baby raccoons that have been visiting me…
not the best shot, but just a cute little guy…
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TODAY IT WAS HOT…..
Today was a day, just like oh so many days we’ve had this spring…HOT HOT HOT!!
We’re in a terrible drought…trees dropping their leaves like it’s fall, lakes
dropping to very low levels..
I don’t know what the temp was today,,somewhere in the nineties again….
so today it was time to take action…or as much as we can take action…some
areas of town have watering restrictions…we are on a well, so it’s our call.
I watched the squirrels this morning and the hotter it gets, the more they use
their tails as little sun umbrellas to keep cool….the hotter it gets, the lower
their tails get over their heads…
Late this afternoon I saw something that just broke my heart….
Two robins who were obviously over heated….the longer I watched them sit with
their beaks open…to help cool them….the more they started to lean over toward
the ground…they seemed to be really close to….I don’t know…collapse?, death?
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They were holding back, watching the squirrels in the bird baths, not daring to
come too close to them…but you could tell they really wanted to get to the water..
I found any somewhat flat container that I could and filled it with water…then hubby
came home and turned on the lawn sprinkler…he’s my hero…within a short time, there
was a female cardinal simply sitting in the gentle spray and not too long after, the
robins found the water….tomorrow I buy ANOTHER bird bath !!
So here are a few images that did my heart good…even just the spray of the water
was beautiful..
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THROUGH THE SPRINKLER
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FIRST HE TRIED TO HYPNOTIZE ME…….
Luckily I have come to my senses and realized that the Squirrels, ninja and
non-ninja, are really not out to get me…it was all just one big misunderstanding.
Having said that, today I had a remarkable experience..I was hanging out of
my window into the woods, just having a look around when a little squirrel
approached.
I was unprepared when he called up to me and said, “Hey lady, do you
want to know the kind of day I’ve had?” Well you can imagine! It was a
feeling almost like the fellow who had the gorillas all over him!
( If you missed that video, you have NO idea what I’m talking about, but
it’s o.k.,,,I forgive you).
I was stunned beyond belief, STUNNED, I TELL YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
For some reason I felt like “Christopher Robin” to the little Squirrel’s
“Winnie the Pooh”. I was all ears…..I said “tell me your tale, (not tail),
little Squirrel of the Woods.
With no hesitation the little guy chattered away furiously…..
I was minding my own business when one of the larger squirrels started
calling softly to me…..”You are getting sleepy…you are getting sleepy…
your eyes are getting heavier and heavier…”
Well it was beyond my control….I felt myself starting to fall into a light sleep…..
Right before I fell asleep I dragged myself up into the bird bath where I lay as if drugged….
After about five minutes I recovered and I gathered my immense Squirrel strength
and decided that I was NOT GOING TO BE ANOTHER VICTIM OF A SQUIRREL MUGGING!…..
I saw my enemy and impressed him first by leaping a tall building in a single bound…
I raced around the bird bath, up the tree limb and gave that sassy, smart- alecky Hypnotist Squirrel
a slap…..right in the “kisser”…..
Then I went home.
The little Squirrel of the Woods was out of breath and emotionally spent…so I gave him some
lemonade. There wasn’t much to say after that….he trotted off to the woods and I was left
hanging out of my window into the woods…wondering what had just happened.
Am I now the “Doctor Doolittle” of the woods?, able to talk to the animals, walk with the animals,
hang from the trees with the animals?….Hmmmmmmm… I’ll be back….I have a tree to climb.
“BEING BOB”……..AT LONG LAST…
I am happy to announce that “Being Bob”, the story of a horse…
is now available on Amazon.com!
I’m going to get a little choked up here….but….you know I’ve been waiting
to see my second little dream, bookwise, come true..and now it has.
You can find it on Amazon..if you go to Amazon and type in “Being Bob” Suzanne Rogers,
and of course I’m putting all of that info on the side of the blog…I’ll figure out how to
get an order button underneath,,,but you really don’t need any of this, if you just
click on the image on the right of the blog.
Thanks for all of the supportive, kind words that you’ve sent me as I traveled this
journey!
HAVE REINFORCEMENTS ARRIVED???
GASP…….I remained hiding under the bed all weekend….keeping a sharp
eye out for any sign of troop movement on the part of the ninja squirrels…
so far…..they continue to ignore me and act as if nothing is happening….
supplies are dwindling and the “dust bunnies” under the bed are
starting to look really appetizing…
BUT THERE IS HOPE!!! THIS MAY ALL END PEACEFULLY!!
I think I have found the answer to ongoing peace in my little outdoor
community……I have found a creature BIGGER than the ninja squirrels
who, in a large group, could maintain order.
They arrived Friday night and we have been having training sessions
on a regular basis….I put out peanuts, corn and seeds, and they
come and eat them…..they are really good at this!!!!
I feel confident that Peace is at hand, and we can all go about our
daily lives, secure in the knowledge that happiness and harmony
have been restored….I am crawling out from under the bed, and
rejoining the living…..I feel like a frozen yogurt….( I don’t mean that
I actually feel like frozen yogurt…I feel like EATING frozen yogurt)..
I’m taking orders…so hurry up, I’m leaving in ten minutes!
NEWS FROM THE FRONT….
Reporting in…..this is Zannyro……I can’t talk long….
They seem to have Superhuman hearing..and besides, there’s
not much air here under the bed…..
I wanted to advise on the status of the war…….my observations today
were alarming….also my reports received from http://afrankangle.wordpress.com/2012/06/12/on-ninja-squirrel-training/
have caused me to heighten security…no one can be trusted…
except all of you.
OBSERVATION ….WHEN THEY THINK I’M NOT LOOKING….THEY ADVANCE….
SNEAKY
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OBSERVATION…..WHEN THEY FEEL MY TRAINED X-RAY EYES UPON THEM…..THEY PLAY DEAD
IF I LAY REALLY STILL…I’M INVISIBLE.
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OBSERVATION….THEY ARE TRAINING THEMSELVES TO WALK ON TWO LEGS….IF THEY SUCCEED, IT WILL BE HARD TO TELL THEM APART FROM HUMANS.
DON’T LOOK AT YOUR FEET…YOU’RE DOING GREAT.
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OBSERVATION…..I’M IN TROUBLE NOW…THEY’VE BROUGHT IN THE HEAVY ARTILLERY…
THIS CAN’T BE GOOD
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OBSERVATION….THIS NINJA BEAST HAS SUPERIOR UPPER BODY STRENGTH….I’M KNITTING A SUIT OF ARMOR OUT OF OLD TUNA CANS…
DIDN’T I SEE HIM IN THE OLYMPICS ONCE..IN GYMNASTICS?
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OBSERVATION…HE TRAINED HIS BEADY EYES ON MY….AND MY BLOOD RAN COLD !!!!!
EEEEEEEEEEKKK!
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ZANNYRO SIGNING OFF…….I HAVE TO GO DIG A HOLE IN THE GROUND AND CLIMB IN…
