I ran over a rattlesnake.
I was out for my run, wearing my dark sunglasses, so I didn't even realize a snake was right in front of me until I was only a step away. Propelled by my forward momentum, it was just easier to keep running. I've never had a fear of snakes, and we've found so many bull snakes on our property, it never occured to me to be cautious. It didn't move as a ran over it, so I slowed and turned around, lifting my sunglasses to get a better look. Is it dead, or was it only a stick?, I thought as I took a step towards it.
He lifted his head in caution as I stepped his way, and without my sunglasses I got a good look at his unmistakable, triangular viper head. What a shock! Fortunately, he was only interested in getting away from me, and when I moved no closer, he went on his way, off the road and into the brush.
Just today I got an email regarding a child bitten by a rattlesnake at Crow Butte, complete with photos. Boy, talk about a nasty injury. I feel pretty lucky now, since I stepped within 3-4 inches of, and right over, his tail.
Thursday, June 29, 2006
Gardening Frenzy
It's so hard to spend only a few hours in the garden. I always find so many things I want to work on. I so rarely get a chance to work out there, and it feels so good to be outside!
Sunday, after a 6 mile run, I stayed outside to putter in the garden while I was cooling off. I never stopped. 10 hours later, I was wiped out, but happy. So what if I felt like I had been run over, or was 80 years old?! So what if my body ached from head to toe from digging, dragging, bending and weeding?!! I had finished all the gardening "wish I could do"s that I could think of, and was happy.
I admit it, I'm carried away. I think I might be taking the garden too far. I've extended so far beyond the sprinklers Clint installed for me that I'm back to dragging hoses and worrying about remembering to water before my plants get killed by the heat. And I'm playing with a number of new species for me; that can be tricky because they may need to be moved a time or two before I find the spot in the garden that they like best. And my family keeps bugging me about the poppies. Yes, they are a dishevelled mess, and cover the pathway so it's impassable. I don't care. I like being able to look at them from my bathroom window.
Maybe it's ok to be carried away. It sure makes me happy to see what I've grown. I think the birds like it, too.
Sunday, after a 6 mile run, I stayed outside to putter in the garden while I was cooling off. I never stopped. 10 hours later, I was wiped out, but happy. So what if I felt like I had been run over, or was 80 years old?! So what if my body ached from head to toe from digging, dragging, bending and weeding?!! I had finished all the gardening "wish I could do"s that I could think of, and was happy.
I admit it, I'm carried away. I think I might be taking the garden too far. I've extended so far beyond the sprinklers Clint installed for me that I'm back to dragging hoses and worrying about remembering to water before my plants get killed by the heat. And I'm playing with a number of new species for me; that can be tricky because they may need to be moved a time or two before I find the spot in the garden that they like best. And my family keeps bugging me about the poppies. Yes, they are a dishevelled mess, and cover the pathway so it's impassable. I don't care. I like being able to look at them from my bathroom window.
Maybe it's ok to be carried away. It sure makes me happy to see what I've grown. I think the birds like it, too.
Movie Mania
I couldn't resist the free month of video rentals, so I decided to give Netflix a try. I was skeptical. When I want to watch a movie, I don't want to have to wait around for it, and who wants to hassle with dropping them in the mail, postage paid envelope or not?
I was wrong. We've had such fun developing our queues and rating movies to see what recommendations will pop up. In fact, we've had too much fun. Trying to watch a movie a couple of times a week was getting way too challenging for me. After the trial month was over, I failed to change the membership in time, and so we paid for a second month at the 3 movies at at a time rate. This worked well for us, since Shelby, Rhiannon and I each had a queue and particular movies we were interested in watching. And it's a great deal, working out to about a dollar per movie if we return the movies promptly.
This month we stepped our membership down to the 2 movies at a time rate, and will alternate who gets to choose the movie. Shelby is on an anime' kick, and is watching as many as she can, since they can be hard to come by at the library or the video store. Rhiannon likes contemporary comedies as well as an interesting mix of other genres.
Some of my favorites of the last two months were; The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio, Zathura, Fahrenheit 9/11, The Family Stone, and Tea with Mussolini. Now that Cint is back I will try to find movies we can watch together; next we will check out the new Harrison Ford movie Firewall, and after that Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang, both of which were recommended by my brother.
I was wrong. We've had such fun developing our queues and rating movies to see what recommendations will pop up. In fact, we've had too much fun. Trying to watch a movie a couple of times a week was getting way too challenging for me. After the trial month was over, I failed to change the membership in time, and so we paid for a second month at the 3 movies at at a time rate. This worked well for us, since Shelby, Rhiannon and I each had a queue and particular movies we were interested in watching. And it's a great deal, working out to about a dollar per movie if we return the movies promptly.
This month we stepped our membership down to the 2 movies at a time rate, and will alternate who gets to choose the movie. Shelby is on an anime' kick, and is watching as many as she can, since they can be hard to come by at the library or the video store. Rhiannon likes contemporary comedies as well as an interesting mix of other genres.
Some of my favorites of the last two months were; The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio, Zathura, Fahrenheit 9/11, The Family Stone, and Tea with Mussolini. Now that Cint is back I will try to find movies we can watch together; next we will check out the new Harrison Ford movie Firewall, and after that Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang, both of which were recommended by my brother.
Tuesday, June 13, 2006
On to New York
Clint is off on his last tournament of the season (at least for this circuit). This time he's going to New York. The tough part of it is that his truck and boat are still in storage down in Nashville. He will have to fly to Nashville, pick up his boat, and take the 1ooo mile, 22 hour drive to Lake Champlain. Talk about brutal.
Luckily, he's managed to talk a friend into taking the trip with him, so he's going to have company on the drive, and someone to prefish with prior to the tournament. After the tournament is over, they will make the 2,000 mile drive home.
In retrospect, having my husband gone for close to 3 months of the last 6 has not been so bad. We worked harder at being together when he was home, and I got to do things I normally wouldn't have had a chance to so while he was gone.
The hardest part has been that he has not done well in the circuit, which means that financially we will be spending the next year or two paying off the expenses of the trips. It must be incredibly disappointing for him, since his purpose in going was to make money doing something he loves, not create debt that he will have to work harder doing something he doesn't like to pay for.
It's not over yet, though. He still could bring home a paycheck on this last tournament. I'll be keeping my fingers crossed.
Luckily, he's managed to talk a friend into taking the trip with him, so he's going to have company on the drive, and someone to prefish with prior to the tournament. After the tournament is over, they will make the 2,000 mile drive home.
In retrospect, having my husband gone for close to 3 months of the last 6 has not been so bad. We worked harder at being together when he was home, and I got to do things I normally wouldn't have had a chance to so while he was gone.
The hardest part has been that he has not done well in the circuit, which means that financially we will be spending the next year or two paying off the expenses of the trips. It must be incredibly disappointing for him, since his purpose in going was to make money doing something he loves, not create debt that he will have to work harder doing something he doesn't like to pay for.
It's not over yet, though. He still could bring home a paycheck on this last tournament. I'll be keeping my fingers crossed.
Wednesday, June 07, 2006
Secret Garden
I love having the opportunity to see other gardeners' gardens. It helps me with my own gardening to see what someone else has tried, what combinations look good together, what plants they have been successful with, and how they put it all together.
The Secret Garden Tour comes to the Tri-Cities once a year. ACT puts it on as a fundraiser, so the tickets aren't cheap. But it's a great way to see how other gardeners in our area garden.
This year I volunteered as a garden sitter, taking tickets and answering questions at one of the featured gardens. I did get some good ideas, at all of the gardens. I also came away with renewed confidence in my own garden, which doesn't look too bad, even compared to these "choice" gardens, at least to me.
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