Tid-bits again. . .

I found a small (about a foot long?) snake on the easement, this morning. I'm not sure how it died, but it may have been crushed, as it was right in the middle of one of the tire tracks. (By the time I went back to take the photo below, it had been driven over a few more times, and it was getting pretty squashed. I tried to crop out the gory parts. (g))

It gave me a nice little shock. I think I'm paying attention as I walk along-- looking out for snakes in particular-- but somehow I still didn't see the thing until I was right upon it-- just a couple of feet away. I guess my mind wanders. . .

I think it looks like a moccasin (aka cottonmouth), but I probably tend to think every snake looks like a moccasin. ;o) What do you think?

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I came across this link today: Top 100 April Fool's Day Hoaxes of All Time. I've read through the top ten, and there are some good ones. (g) (Donald had already told me about #3, as it happened in Sweden.)

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Donald and Jocke (our visitor) killed three of those giganto monster bumble bees, yesterday evening. Added to one Donald had already killed, that makes four. Maybe now we'll now be able to come and go without being harassed.

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Somehow our plans to fix up our "temporary" step to the kitchen door morphed into "wouldn't it be nice to enlarge it and give a nice spot for pets to rest?" (It's one of the shady spots, and it's near a door, so it's a natural choice for an afternoon nap.) Then that somehow grew into a little patio with some type of shading so we can enjoy it, too.

Of course, this is all still theoretical. The only things really growing are our plans. ;o) But we did buy some concrete pavers, so we're definitely going to be building something. . .

It's hard to see what color they are, in this photo. . . And they actually do change color a lot, depending on whether they're wet or dry. They're a pretty close match to our tinted mortar, if you're familiar with that. Sort of a slightly reddish/maroonish brown.

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We put the bottom layer of pavers there on Sunday, and all the rest on Monday. Yet already I found some ants trying to colonize! They don't waste any time!

Industrious little creatures. Too bad I'm going to have to demolish them. ;o) Yeah, I'm pretty heartless. I may feel a small twinge when I do away with them, but we don't want a yard crawling with fire ants! I've already done one round of ant poisoning this year. Looks like I'm going to have to do another one soon. . .

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It suddenly strikes me that there are a lot of dead or doomed critters in this entry. . . I hope I haven't put a damper on your day. After all, they're all pest-type animals. ;o)

Back again!

And I'm ready to type up one of my usual snippet-style entries! ;o)

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The All-Important Computer Issues Update:

I guess I shouldn't have bragged about the fact that "my" computer-- the slower, smaller-monitored one that Donald shuns ;o)-- was still up and running, because it almost immediately lost its internet connection. We have it working again, but it's a bit iffy if it'll stay that way, and in order to get the connection back, I lost some of the convenience of getting photos into the computer and using the flash drive, etc. :o( Oh well, I guess I can't complain too much. Well, ok, I can, but I'll try not to. ;o)

Our "main" computer is back, again, too. (Turns out we needed more RAM. If that means anything to you. It doesn't mean much to me. (g) I have a vague idea that RAM is the memory the computer uses to keep applications running smoothly-- kind of like our short-term memory-- but beyond that, I know nothing.) We didn't lose any of our important information, photos, etc., but we did lose our saved email, which is a bit of an annoyance, but not a huge problem.

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Does anyone know of a good, safe way to kill those horrible bumblebees that we get around here? I might feel guilty about killing a regular bee (especially since so many honeybees are supposedly dying off for some unknown reason, these days), but for those mean bumblebees I have no pity. Over the past few days, I've noticed that we have at least one that's already set up camp outside our kitchen door. Every year they do this-- guard our door and terrorize me, hovering right in my path, darting back and forth-- almost daring me to come closer. Seriously, they scare me. I don't know what I think they're going to do-- beyond sting me, maybe-- but they're just so intimidating!

Anyway, I want this one dead. Will regular wasp spray work, or do I have to hit it with something? I doubt I can work up the nerve do hit it. . . It takes a lot of willpower for me to squash a regular bug, much less these hovering monsters. ;o) (Yeah, I'm a sissy.)

Maybe the bad weather that we're supposed to get tonight will blow the bee out of town. Wishful thinking. . .

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Have you seen this video yet?



A German jet with over 100 passengers nearly crashed during landing. Pretty scary! I can't imagine what the people on board must've been thinking. Well, I do know what I would've been doing-- praying and panicking! Fortunately, they were able to land safely on another attempt, so no-one was hurt.

K., can you hear/understand what the guys are saying at the end of the video? Just curious. ;o) ( Isn't it just so much fun when people ask you to translate things for them? (g))

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Daisy had another seizure or two, within the past few days, but so far, they've just been the run-of-the-mill sort. Nothing like the time that she was having several a day and never completely recovering between them. We've been giving her diazepam (valium) immediately after she seizes, and that does seem to help keep the "aftershock" seizures to a minimum.

Based on the records we've been keeping, it definitely seems like this is a monthly occurrence (apart from the last time, which we know was triggered by a dosage problem). It makes you wonder why it happens once a month, though. If this pattern holds out, at least we'll know when to expect her next fit.

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I'm looking forward to the season finale of the new(ish) Terminator series on TV. It's one of the very few TV shows we both watch. (I don't think I've ever seen the first two movies, but apparently I know enough of the backstory to follow along.) There are others we both like, but most of them have been on hiatus for a while. I wonder when new episodes of The Office and Pushing Daisies will start airing. . .

Watching a show with someone is a pleasant change from watching by myself. It's nice to have someone to talk to about plot twists-- and you don't have to make your predictions and comments to an empty room. Not that I've ever let that stop me before! I don't mind sharing my brilliant insights with no-one but myself, but if there's someone there to talk back, all the better! ;o)