Food for thought...

...nothing eats a skunk!  Except possibly maggots?  Never got close enough to see!

Really, in the country we see more road kill that a person would in the city, or even in the suburbs for that matter.   And we see a wider variety of road kill.  From small stuff like poor turtles, to larger things, like deer.  

Many of those smaller animals are dragged off the road and disappear, most likely eaten by another animal.   Or we will see animals eating on them when we drive by.  Crows, vultures, I even saw a group of turkeys eating on a dead deer (should have taken a picture of that!) 

But hit a skunk...and that skunk will be there until the remains return to dust.   I can say this with some expertise as I witnessed such an event.  A skunk was killed at the edge of the roadway.  He was laying mostly on the white line at the edge of the road.  It was too late in the winter for flies to lay their eggs on it, and the resulting maggots to eat it, and so it just laid there, and laid there, and laid there.  I think it finally dessicated, and fell apart and in the spring will indeed be just dust.

As for vultures, which seem to eat anything, no matter how long it's been dead, well, during the warm season, I've seen them ignore dead skunks too.

Colonoscopy Day 2...

Yesterday went so well, I thought, although I wouldn't want to go through the gallon-of-water-prep again, the rest was a breeze.  Then I woke up this morning and...

I am in some pain.  Not too bad, feels like cramps, which any woman can identify with.  And gas!  I re-read the information from the hospital,  and indeed these are both after-the-fact side effects.  The cramps can be controlled with aspirin (or whatever pain killer you prefer.)  The gas...well, it wasn't as bad as I anticipated, thank heavens!   But if you're concerned, then do not go to work the next day.  Stay at home, walk around, and pat yourself on the back for taking care of your health!

Best suet feeder ever!

I put out suet year-round for the birds.  The woodpeckers love it, but I also see cardinals, chickadees, nuthatches, gold finch and a few others eating there.

I bought my first suet feeder a few years ago at Lowe's.  Loved it because it was so easy to use, somewhat sheltered the suet, and held two blocks easily.  Here's the first one I bought.

I have it hanging on a kind of shepherd's hook, in the fence row.   The top lifts up on the "strings" and you can slide the cakes into the holders.  Birds can eat on either side, at the same time,  and they usually do.  The woodpeckers are a bit more territorial than the other birds, so they spend time chasing other woodpeckers from the far side.

This is the new, improved (?) feeder that I found this year.  Also from Lowe's.

The only difference is that the "roof" is a bit more classy, and the string that the roof slides up and down on, is now some sort of heavy duty vinyl.  It's a slightly different color only because it hasn't weathered.

As far as I know, Lowe's is the only place where I've ever been able to find this particular type of suet feeder.  And they didn't carry them for a couple years, or at least I never found them (maybe sold out?)  The very best part of this is that they are American Made!!!  In Ohio, for Cedar Works LLC. 

I've looked at a lot of suet feeders, even tried another, and this is by far, the best!  Easy to use, not messy, birds seem to take to it easily, and it seems to be tough, as last winter we kept getting attacked by a raccoon, or opossum, or very handy squirrel who would take entire cakes out of the feeder and make off with them on a nightly basis.  I did stop this by hiding the feeders at night.  This year...no problems...yet...

Help the birds, help your fellow American, BUY THIS FEEDER!!!

Got a colonoscopy!

What fun!!!   I actually never felt a thing!!!

So let me start from the beginning.  I went to the doctor for a routine check, and she suggested a colonoscopy.    I know the hype is all about getting one when you pass a certain age, but since I'm never sick, except for an occasional cold, I didn't want to be the one to suggest such a thing.  Since she suggested it first, I thought I'd go for it.

An appointment was made, and she said I would be hearing from my doctor about some medicine I was to take before hand, for best results, etc.etc.  I got the call from the physician's office, and went to the pharmacy to pick up...a gallon jug, and some powder to put in it.    The pharmacist told me that if I didn't like the taste, I could put in some "flavoring" such as Crystal Light.  Fortunately the pharmacy also included some flavoring.

I was to mix the "special powder" with water, shake well, chill, and drink half (in 15 minute intervals) the night before the procedure, and do the same with the remaining the morning of the procedure.   I have to say that the taste was not bad.  The flavoring made no difference.  But I am not a water drinker, and downing a half gallon in 15 minute intervals was a chore in itself.  Along with this, I also had to FAST (okay I could drink clear liquids, and chicken or beef broth) the entire day before the procedure.  I had a diet soda, two cups of tea, and that was it.    I did make lasagna the day before and so I thought about the leftovers AFTER the procedure!

You'd be surprised at how many food ads are on TV, and how many fast food places you pass, when you're out driving around, and how many places you might go in,  have little candy dishes awaiting you at their counters.

So back to drinking the potion.  I knew I wouldn't be leaving the house once I got started, and I didn't.  I took a book into the bathroom, and just sat.   Except for getting up every 15 minutes for another glassfull, I stayed there for about 2 hours total.    The next morning went a bit better.

As for the procedure, I remember watching my blood pressure going up on the monitor as my apprehension rose about the procedure, and that was it.  Next thing I knew, I was talking to Dennis and the nurse who asked me what I wanted to drink.  I chose coffee!  And I got a fig newton.  I had visions of lasagna on my mind!

Then after all the post-operative instructions we went home.  Dennis went to work.  I watched Steve Wilkos, took a nap, and then went out to the library (even though I was "to be watched the rest of the day" and NOT drive!)  The best part?  I found a new book by Carl Hiaasen that I had not read yet.  He snuck one under my radar!  And I finished off the lasgna!

Bottom line?  The prep is far worst than the act.

"...my friends all have Porsches, I must make amends..."

Remember that old Janis Joplin song?  Only in this neighborhood, all my "friends" (neighbors) have tractors!  So they can mow their little patches of lawn, while I walk behind my DR Trimmer-Mower (it's like a lawn-mower on steroids.)

I admit I've been yearning for an "estate-size" or "commercial" (think golf courses) lawn mower, but they don't give them away.  In all truth it might be cheaper to get a small tractor and brush-hog, but I want to get around the trees, rather than  just mow them down, and up and down the hills "safely" rather than turning the tractor over on myself.

But I digress...today as I was out in the pasture I noticed that the fellow who lives behind me had a humongous tractor sitting in his yard  Think great big John Deere, or Case, or Massey Ferguson.  Don't know what it was, BUT, he only has 3 acres, or 5 at the most (we have 20 acres.)  And they're relatively flat, and he has no trees!  Maybe he's taking to putting in septic tanks on the side.

I thought I'd be doing good to get that zero-turn mower that I've got in my sights, but I may have to mortgage the farm to keep up!  Some of those big jobs cost as much as my house! 

Oh well, let him drive the Porsche, while I make do with my Honda (or perhaps pedal car is a better analogy.)  We all get the same results, even if mine take longer.

No, men do NOT understand women.

 Dennis and I had previously discussed what we (or rather I was) were going to do over the weekend (using the DR to mow some pasture, etc.)  So this morning (Saturday) I was putting on my makeup, after my shower, when he came into the room and said "What are you doing all that for, since you're going to be out cutting the pasture, and you'll be taking a shower later anyway."

Of course I said I was going to "leave the property" when we went into town to get coffee, the paper, mail, etc, etc.  therefore makeup is on the agenda.  Any woman would agree, when you leave the house, you put on makeup.  Maybe not as much some times as others, depending upon where you're going, but you DO put on some!

Many men, when they get up on Saturday, just think if they're not going to work  or out to some important place (the movie theatre, a party, etc) they don't have to shower or shave.  Just a swipe with a toothbrush is adequate.  Sometimes even clean underwear is on hold.

But makeup, for a woman, is a time-honored ritual, and men should know this by now...shouldn't they?