I’m currently suffering from a post three-day weekend hangover. Not in any way alcohol-related, of course. Just from having three warm sunny days spent, for the most part, out in the fresh air and then having to get up and come sit inside my box within a box staring at a screen attached to a box. This really blows, to be honest. But I’m actually starting to believe that winter is finally over in these parts, and I took the major step of moving my hat, gloves, snow brush, and ice scraper to the trunk of my car (that’s as far away from me as I’m willing to let them get – after all, we’ve had 8 inches of snow on Mother’s Day, so we’re not out the woods yet).
I did, however, get the mower all sharpened up, greased, and on the tractor. This is always a (literally) painful process that’s better not to do more than once a season. John Deere has a commercial for a tractor where you just drive over the mower and it attaches automajically. If that actually works, I want one. Sadly, that’s not in the budget.
Speaking of budget-busting, I spent plenty of money this weekend – and not on anything fun. The folks who lived at my house before we moved in left us a dump cart with beat tires, and I’ve been meaning to get new ones for it for about four years now. So I finally got some. The wheels were different, of course, so I had to make up spacers for them and I didn’t really have the right size stuff laying around, but I made do. I won’t be towing it on the highway anytime soon, but it’s good enough.
I also needed a drawbar in order to use it with my tractor, so that was another $40. Then the cart hitch had a smaller hole that I had pins for, so I had to go buy a hitch pin, only to find that the top hole was bigger than the bottom hole. Why? I’m certain there’s a reason, but I don’t know what it is. But it works.
Sunday was a big day, as a load of fencing showed up at 9:00 thanks to the good folks at NEMF. I asked the driver if he got to meet Paul McCartney when he was visiting with his wife, but he said he was busy working while all the dock people were slacking off with Paul that day.
He did mention, though, that his wife’s daughter goes to SU, so they’re in the areas relatively frequently. Not that I’ve ever seen them around.
But, anyway, it’s back to work today for a five-day week locked indoors. The only good part about being inside is that it’s a bit easier on my allergies, which have definitely kicked in to high gear. I guess that’s the punishment for not having a foot of snow on the ground.
Spring does seem to be here. We are supposed to be in the 70’s this week. Of course spring brings allegies but I’m still happy to be able to get outside. Along with spring we have a bee mystery: we have found 3 in the house. Big bees, bumble bees I think. I have had to capture all three and send them on their way outside. Why they are in the house is a mystery. I have not seen one fly in. Two were in the kitchen and one I found in the toilet bowl, drowning. But when I got him out he seemed to revive and after drying off in the sun, flew away.
Yep, Winter is over….
Yep,winter is over….
I have found a bee in my kitchen every day. I don’t know where they are coming from or why one and only one appears each day. So far I have managed to relocate them to the outdoors without getting stung.
Are they different bees, or the same one? Too bad Sunshine Jim isn’t around – he’d know how to tell.
Well, I admit that all bees look alike. Perhaps there is crazy one that keeps sneaking back in because he likes being caught and released. I’ll take a photo next time.
Beeist!
The bee came back. I think you are probably right, PJ, it’s the same bee. Why he visits me every day I do not know. I don’t think he’s too bright.
I was thinking it was the same bee as well. Can you tag his foot?
I’m leary about messing with it. I thought about putting a drop of paint on one of its feet but I fear a sting as I’m allergic to bee stings. But, as it is one bee every day and aside from the time it it tried to drown itself in the toilet it takes the same route to the door every day so it makes sense that it is the same bee.
Put out a shot glass of beer for her. They like beer.
Hey, we set a new record!
I’ve learned some interesting things about the tests given to public school kids. The language arts and the math test each are given over 3 days. The total time spent on the two tests is 16 hours. After the tests are marked they are returned to the schools sometime during the summer. The tests do not determine promotion and each child receives only a score for the total test. There is no break down so the tests cannot be used to determine where an individual is succeeding and where s/he is not. Therefore they are of no value for educational purposed. The only use for the tests is to grade teachers. (Surely they could do that in less than 16 hours.) NY State (read governor Snotball) says that inspite of the fact that in some districts as many as 80% of the kids opted out they will be able to use the tests to rate the teachers.
OK, everybody needs to write to Fox. Saw this in a list of teevee shows renewed or cancelled:
Don’t let them kill Backstrom!
Here’s our weekend – we’re gonna see how much of a dent we can put in these piles.
Is that a cherry tree? Your work is cut out for you.
As of last night and in a two week period, our little cowtown has had a record 10.61 inches of rain. We’ve had more since then, but I haven’t seen the new total. It is quite soggy here.
I don’t think so. At least, I’ve never seen cherries on it (or any fruit, for that matter). I call it the Briard tree, because when all the leaves come in, it looks like a Briard
🙂
THAT I have to see! I was thinking a wheeping cherry (fruitless).
Could be. They certainly look like cherry blossoms, but I only know fruit trees by their fruit.
I know what maple trees look like. And oak, poplar, and sumac. Oh, and birch. And everything with needles where the leaves ought to be are pine trees, to me.
I had to go out today and when I came home there was no bee. Perhaps he has learned that bzzing around my kitchen is useless.
The threat of paint.
If tests don’t matter to the children’s progress and they are optional, I’m wondering why any parent would opt-in. Seems like that 16 hours could be better spent actually teaching.
The only tests that don’t matter are tests for lead in the paint or plumbing, ‘cuz nobody wants to live in a nanny state, damnit.