Thursday, November 3, 2011
Offering classes in sewing, quilting, knitting, and crochet
I'm now offering classes or private sessions in sewing, quilting, knitting, and crochet. The first 30 minute session is free. I also offer sessions of 1 and 2 hours. This is a great chance to learn these skills!
Saturday, April 23, 2011
New Tricks
Toby has developed new ways of communicating in his old age. He can't really bark any more and he's not willing to wait for someone to let him back inside, especially when it's cold out. He has discovered that putting his front paws on the screen door gets our attention, particularly if the inside door has been left open. We find it annoying, but it is rather difficult to reason with a dog who can't hear.
Toby has also discovered the snow is high enough so he can look into the living room window in the evenings when we're watching television. The first time he did that gave us quite a start, I can tell you!
One snowy morning before we had gotten out of bed, there was this terrible racket going on at our bedroom window, waking us. Toby, soaking wet, was attacking the screen on the window - having found the snow level with the window sill - and making it perfectly clear that he wanted in, NOW. He'd had enough of the snow and rain and wanted his morning treats, pronto.
If all that weren't bizarre enough, Cupcake has also learned the screen door trick.
Years ago, when we slept upstairs, the snow in winter would get high enough to reach the porch roof and Toby and the cats would appear at the bedroom window early in the morning to make sure we were up and moving.
After living with pets for a time, one wonders who owns whom.
Toby has also discovered the snow is high enough so he can look into the living room window in the evenings when we're watching television. The first time he did that gave us quite a start, I can tell you!
One snowy morning before we had gotten out of bed, there was this terrible racket going on at our bedroom window, waking us. Toby, soaking wet, was attacking the screen on the window - having found the snow level with the window sill - and making it perfectly clear that he wanted in, NOW. He'd had enough of the snow and rain and wanted his morning treats, pronto.
If all that weren't bizarre enough, Cupcake has also learned the screen door trick.
Years ago, when we slept upstairs, the snow in winter would get high enough to reach the porch roof and Toby and the cats would appear at the bedroom window early in the morning to make sure we were up and moving.
After living with pets for a time, one wonders who owns whom.
Cupcake and the Fox
Living in an A-frame, our windows all have wide sills, perfect for cats to bird watch or bask in the sun. The other evening Cupcake, one of our cats, started running from window to window. Of course we had to see what she was fussing about. It turned out that a small red fox was visiting and wandering all around outside the house.
Cupcake wanted desperately to go outside and confront the intruder, although I'm sure the outcome wouldn't have been as nice as it is in storybooks. She was quite frantic about it. Cupcake has run off German Shepherds, Beagles, and other assorted canines in the past, but she's getting on in years and isn't as fast as she thinks she is.
Toby, our dog, isn't as sharp as he once. He's 15 years old, deaf, although he manages to know when one of us is in the kitchen, and doesn't see very well either. He didn't add to the commotion this time simply because he didn't know it was going on.
On a previous occasion, Cupcake and Toby confronted a fox over the compost pile. It turned out to be a stand-off, as neither side would give in. The fox tried to lure Toby out on a chase, but Toby wouldn't leave Cupcake behind. After quite some time, the fox gave up, smiling, and went on his merry way. One wonders who actually won that round.
Cupcake wanted desperately to go outside and confront the intruder, although I'm sure the outcome wouldn't have been as nice as it is in storybooks. She was quite frantic about it. Cupcake has run off German Shepherds, Beagles, and other assorted canines in the past, but she's getting on in years and isn't as fast as she thinks she is.
Toby, our dog, isn't as sharp as he once. He's 15 years old, deaf, although he manages to know when one of us is in the kitchen, and doesn't see very well either. He didn't add to the commotion this time simply because he didn't know it was going on.
On a previous occasion, Cupcake and Toby confronted a fox over the compost pile. It turned out to be a stand-off, as neither side would give in. The fox tried to lure Toby out on a chase, but Toby wouldn't leave Cupcake behind. After quite some time, the fox gave up, smiling, and went on his merry way. One wonders who actually won that round.
Chickens
We've had chickens for several years here in Wyoming. At the moment we have New Hampshire Reds, Barred Rocks and a couple of Arcunas. They're excellent layers and have easy going personalities for the most part. The rooster isn't aggressive at all, which counts for a lot in my book, but not so much in my spouse's. He prefers roosters who stalk you and then attack from behind.
Steve built our coop and insulated it very well so the chickens continue to lay, even through our very long winters. He is in charge of cleaning out the coop, which he faithfully does on a monthly basis, and feeds and waters them. We alternate getting the eggs, I do it during Daylight Savings Time and he does it during the winter, although in the fall I seem to be filling in quite a bit during hunting season.
Recently, on my egg gathering, one of the Barred Rocks was sitting on a nest. We don't brood our own chicks and none of our hens has tried to set. I usually just move the hen aside and take the eggs. However, this time, the hen wasn't going to budge. She peeked me, harder than necessary, I thought, but still refused to give up her seat. I managed to get a few of the eggs under her and then she bit me! I have never in my life been bitten by a chicken! Thankfully they haven't any teeth. She bit hard enough to leave a bruise. I still managed to get all the eggs because once she bit me, she left the nest on her own. I was too shocked to do anything at all for a moment or two.
I suppose I'll have to be more wary in future egg gatherings. It just seemed so out of character for these chickens.
Steve built our coop and insulated it very well so the chickens continue to lay, even through our very long winters. He is in charge of cleaning out the coop, which he faithfully does on a monthly basis, and feeds and waters them. We alternate getting the eggs, I do it during Daylight Savings Time and he does it during the winter, although in the fall I seem to be filling in quite a bit during hunting season.
Recently, on my egg gathering, one of the Barred Rocks was sitting on a nest. We don't brood our own chicks and none of our hens has tried to set. I usually just move the hen aside and take the eggs. However, this time, the hen wasn't going to budge. She peeked me, harder than necessary, I thought, but still refused to give up her seat. I managed to get a few of the eggs under her and then she bit me! I have never in my life been bitten by a chicken! Thankfully they haven't any teeth. She bit hard enough to leave a bruise. I still managed to get all the eggs because once she bit me, she left the nest on her own. I was too shocked to do anything at all for a moment or two.
I suppose I'll have to be more wary in future egg gatherings. It just seemed so out of character for these chickens.
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Recession in Wyoming
The ups and downs of the economy seem to affect Wyoming differently than the rest of the country. The recession has hit many of us this past fall. The oil boom is dropping off somewhat and moving to North Dakota. Unfortunately, costs for everything just keep rising, but incomes aren't increasing at all. I've noticed packages at the grocery store are getting smaller and smaller but the prices keep going up. My husband has been out of work for quite a while, and it's a little slim on my end as well. We're cutting back as much as we can, but living in Wyoming means traveling long distances for everything, so our gas consumption seems pretty high. That's one area we're not able to cut, although we can cut down in other areas.
We've talked to several of our local and state politicians, although I have no faith in them at all. They're so focused on their own pet projects they aren't able to see what the public needs or wants. We have the fewest doctors - and the ones we do have weren't at the top of their class. We don't have the specialists that most places do either, although some pretend to be. In some areas we have medical students and residents filling in for actual physicians. Not that it makes much difference. Quality medical care is not a priority here and few insurance companies are allowed to sell their policies in the state as well. Some of these companies have never heard of the word "ethical", I'm sure. That seems to be the usual state of affairs these days with health insurance and a great many people in this state don't have insurance. That in itself wasn't a problem, but it has become one lately, with county supported clinics demanding payment before a patient is seen. It's a very sad situation. I'm not sure what can be done about it, though.
We've talked to several of our local and state politicians, although I have no faith in them at all. They're so focused on their own pet projects they aren't able to see what the public needs or wants. We have the fewest doctors - and the ones we do have weren't at the top of their class. We don't have the specialists that most places do either, although some pretend to be. In some areas we have medical students and residents filling in for actual physicians. Not that it makes much difference. Quality medical care is not a priority here and few insurance companies are allowed to sell their policies in the state as well. Some of these companies have never heard of the word "ethical", I'm sure. That seems to be the usual state of affairs these days with health insurance and a great many people in this state don't have insurance. That in itself wasn't a problem, but it has become one lately, with county supported clinics demanding payment before a patient is seen. It's a very sad situation. I'm not sure what can be done about it, though.
Friday, January 14, 2011
Another guest blog
Wrote another guest blog for a home improvement blog! http://youridealhome.wordpress.com/2011/01/14/how-to-communicate-with-your-contractor/ It was a lot of fun! I'm really enjoying all the article writing and blogging. So much fun!
Supposed to snow this weekend. We'll see. The weather forecast isn't always correct. The pets didn't want to go outside today, but it didn't seem too cold.
Wrote an article on plantar fasciitis the other day. I was inspired to buy new boots and slippers to help deal with mine. Amazon had great deals on them. Certain brands work really well at eliminating the pain. I think we can all use less pain. I hear that flu A is making the rounds in town. Two of my neighbors have or have had it. Hope I don't get it. I hate being sick!
Hope everyone has a good weekend!
Supposed to snow this weekend. We'll see. The weather forecast isn't always correct. The pets didn't want to go outside today, but it didn't seem too cold.
Wrote an article on plantar fasciitis the other day. I was inspired to buy new boots and slippers to help deal with mine. Amazon had great deals on them. Certain brands work really well at eliminating the pain. I think we can all use less pain. I hear that flu A is making the rounds in town. Two of my neighbors have or have had it. Hope I don't get it. I hate being sick!
Hope everyone has a good weekend!
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Remote Controls
Remote controls are both a help and a pain in the neck. I'm sure most women would agree once their spouse or significant other gets their hands on the remote - it's all over. Women no longer get to watch what they want to watch. When the men in their lives are zipping through hundreds of channels in 60 seconds, the women are forced to resort to unusual methods to get to watch the shows they prefer. Check out my latest article on men and remotes!
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