YIKES!!!

Couldn't resist putting this on here.  We knew one of the horses got out of the pasture late at night, and so we closed the gate along the roadway.  Much easier than tryng to find a black horse after dark.  This is our paint mare who's quite fine.  She just likes to sprawl out when she sleeps.  If I had my wits about me this afternoon, I would have taken a picture of all 3 horses prone in the pasture!

They're back!!!

Yes, I started bird watching, in some earnest, a few years back, and when the Cornell Bird Watch started, I became more interested.   I keep out 4 seed feeders and 4 suet feeders at any given time. I also keep at least 2 hummingbird feeders out.   I bought Audubon's Field Guide so I could identify the birds that I did not recognize at the feeder.  I mean everyone probably knows what a goldfinch or a cardinal look like, but there are quite a few different types of sparrows, and some of those sparrows are wrens, NOT sparrows at all. 

Then a couple years ago I had my first Rose Breasted Grosbeak!  The following year I had a couple more, and then I had quite a few.  And I also had a different kind of grosbeak, a Blackheaded Grosbeak.  And then a Baltimore Oriole!!!   They don't stay long, but now that they've found my lttle "layover" they come back every year.

The hummingbirds are back too.  They came back on April 20 to our house  hat's the earliest I've ever known them to show up.  I used to wait until Memorial Day, but was told they show up earlier, and the experts were right!

So, disregarding the last post, life is good!

Great interview but...

No job!!!  Had what I thought was a great interview, for a job that I really wanted to try, and only 4 other applicants, but...no luck.  I shouldn't be too unhappy as there are people who have been out of work for a year or more.  I've only been out of work for 2 months.  So I'll have to return some of the clothes I thought I might have needed for the job.  The only reason I bought those was that I needed to buy clothes just for the interview, and I found a few more things that caught my eye.  Plus they were on sale!!!  NEVER pay full price, although one is limited when one buys only only sale.  Makes it a bit harder to find your size in the color you prefer, etc, etc. 

I realize that some people have had to take pay cuts when taking a new job, but I've taken so many pay cuts in my lifetime, I'm ready to wait for something big.  I didn't lose a high powered job, so I'm ready to take one on! 

Or contemplate retirement, start a big garden, and renew my fishing license! 

Garage in, garbage out...

We (the significant other) and  went out of town this weekend to a wonderful wildlife refuge/research natural area, in Illinois's Pine Hills area.  The weather was beautiful, and the hikers were abundant.

Unfortunately, so was the trash!  So many, TOO many plastic bottles, aluminum cans, paper wrappers, etc, etc.   When will we ever stop leaving a trail of garbage behind us?  I'm especially disheartened when I think that the people who utilize this area are conservation-minded. 

Come on people...if you're not one of the culprits, then please take a trash bag with you, and help clean up someone else's mess, before it gets to be too much to clean up!  You might even be setting an example for others to pick up!

Dots update!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

WOWEE...looking for candy to take to a friend in the hospital, and omigosh.  Found SOUR DOTS at the grocery store.  I was a very big fan of Gummy Sours, made by Hershey, a few years back, but they were discontinued.  They have since reappeared in a smaller package, but there are not as many flavors, and it's just not the same.

These SOUR DOTS are wonderful, although the box I got seemed to be a bit sticky.  This could be due to the fact that I had them in my car, without air conditioning, and the car was hot inside, as it sat in the sun. 

Please, please, please TOOTSIE ROLL, don't stop making the sours! 

As for my friend in the hospital, I bought her chocolate.  I didn't want to share my DOTS!

Dots, dots and more dots...

I love Tootsie Roll Dots.

Unfortunately they are not carried by all candy outlets, and some of the more uncomon flavors are not carried in my neck of the woods at all (SW Missouri.)  I am blessed with a relative who works for Tootsie Roll, and occasionally  do get some of the more uncommon varieties.  This post will just be personal observations on some of those varieties. 

 

My last "care package" was composed of regular Dots,  Valentine Dots, Easter Dots, Yogurt Dots, Tropical Dots, and my absolute favorite, Crows (that is to say Black Crows.)  One benefit of getting them straight from the factory is that the freshness level is wonderful.   I must admit though, it's been years since I've bought "stale" Dots at any store.

 

• The Valentine Dots were superb.  Greast taste.
• The Easter Dots were strictly okay.  Nothing too out of the ordinary.
• The Yogurt Dots are on a par with the Easter Dots.
• The  Tropical Dots should be sold everywhere regular dots are found.
• Crows, or "Black Crows", are always a delight.

Interestingly enough, I found a reference to Crows in a Robert B. Parker book.  He also referred to them as "Black Crows" which is the only way I've ever known to refer to them.  It may be an age-related moniker for the best licorice you can buy.

I'm saddened that not all the big box stores carry Dots, and many of the grocery stores do not carry Dots either, except for an occasional special display.  Maybe it's time to call your congressman or congresswoman, to demand these stores carry more Dots.   Extra sales would mean beefed-up production which could only mean increased job creation.  It's a win-win situation

And...I saved the best for last...they're FAT FREE!!!