Dreaming of Spring Gardening in the Middle of a Wisconsin winter part 2

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Sounds like a great two days Jim. I can't imagine trying to keep up with a 20 month old little boy.

 

[jvls1942]

Sounds like a great two days Jim. I can't imagine trying to keep up with a 20 month old little boy.

I didn't try to keep up. I just sat and watched mom and dad chase after him. lol

 

[Callender Girl]

Yesterday was one of those rare days when I awoke with enthusiasm and the determination to cross off as many things as possible on my to-do list. Then, reality slapped me upside the head.

I spent an hour crafting a lengthy (no surprise there, huh?) email to a pet rescue group that is responsible for me getting one of my dogs. I detailed how I ended up with three dumped adult cats, managed to rehome 5 kittens and asked if the rescue would take the cats that are in my basement. I was thrilled to get a response within minutes -- until I read it. I was told the cats were lucky to have me taking care of them, but the foster homes are all full. Strike One.

I have had been locked out of my Social Security account and have received a second "reset code" after not being able to EXACTLY answer the verification questions after forgetting my password. However, I can't figure out EXACTLY where to insert the code and will now have to try to reach Social Security by phone, which can be a total nightmare and not one I felt up to dealing with yesterday. Strike Two.

The company that delivers propane wants to know how much is still in the tank before a refill. So I went out to check and discovered a massive bird nest under the gauge cover. Once I removed it (big enough for a flock of somethings), I had to scrub bird poop off the gauge. I was wearing Sloggers without socks and almost immediately realized I was having a reaction to something that was growing by the propane tank. The tops of my feet got red, itchy rashes. Strike Three.

My enthusiasm dashed for the day, I spent the afternoon on the sofa watching baseball. Unsurprisingly, team I was rooting for lost.

On the plus side, I have been waiting for a "Cherokee Purple" to get a bit more color before I picked it. I realized yesterday that it will never get red because a vine from a neighboring Gold Medal tomato has intertwined with the Purple plant. So I picked a lovely orange tomato, the only one produced by the Gold Medal plant.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

That sounds like one really bad day Barb.

There are too many cats this time of year. Two nights ago someone stopped to turn around in our driveway. I'm pretty sure it during these turning around that cats get dumped. So far no new kitties, but they can take a while to show up. I'm hoping not.

It is hard to keep multiple cats happy. I never knew they were so testy. My favorite kitty keeps leaving again because the others are always so hostile to her. Not sure why. Probably because she's prone to hissing first. I wish we had room to bring her in our basement.

We generally get hornets under our propane tank hood. Never a bird. That sounds like it was a mess.

I have one dog chewing her feet for the past month from some sort of allergies. I will be happy after the freeze happens.

I cannot imagine the horrors of dealing with SS. Anything government seems to be over complicated.

Jim that's the best way to watch the grandkids.

 

[Callender Girl]

Sorry to hear about the kitty trauma and possible new "dumpees." Also, it's tough to have a dog with outdoor allergies; my Great Pyrenees got really itchy. Still, I'm not eager for cold weather -- although I wouldn't mind if the flies that hang around the coops and get into the house would drop dead, from cold or anything else.

I managed to talk with a live person at Social Security yesterday. It didn't go well. Not only was she unpleasant and unhelpful, but the call concluded when she told me she "didn't have time" to wait for me to find an email that was allegedly sent to me in July.

Never mind that I had to wait half an hour for a callback (at least SS provides that service). This woman, whose job is supposed to be helping people, apparently had something else to do.

Perhaps she was overdue for her coffee break? Late for a mandatory customer service meeting? In any case, I checked my phone. I had taken up 6 minutes and 11 seconds of her valuable time.