Banished to the outside 07.07.18

            This fun filled and might I say, exciting story, is about me. What could be better than a short story about me? You are right, nothing could be better!

            It was a normal summer afternoon, about 5:00pm. That time of day, known by some as, happy time, and happy hour to others. Can it be happy time, if it only last an hour? I had decided to venture from the air conditioned comfort of the Ford’s house, to the shady area near the garage door, and the Ford’s ole rocker. Immediately upon walking from the house, I was impacted by the extreme heat and humidity. With all this humidity, one would think it had been, or would be raining. It hasn’t rained, a significant amount, in weeks. There has been rain in the area, but for some reason it always seems to miss us. We are 9 inches behind for the year.

            I walked over to the ole rocker and placed my cold drink on the small table next to my chair. I then moved another small table from an area in the sun light, and placed it in the shade on the other side of my chair, where I put my radio.

            I slowly moved into position and allowed my body to drop onto the chair. I turned the radio on and made myself comfortable, as I reached for my cold drink. After a sip or two from the ice cold beverage, I was beginning to feel relaxed. Even though it was stifling outside, there was a somewhat refreshing breeze.

            The neighborhood was quiet, the only sounds that were filling the air was from the cicadas, and they were very boisterous. There was a dead one on the drive way the other morning and I was going to pick it up and show it to Alex when he came over. Unfortunately Tres picked it up before I got to it, and I don’t know where it ended up. 

            The warm breeze helped with the heat, when to my surprise there was a sudden drop in temperature of maybe 10 or so degrees. I immediately thought of an out flow from a rain storm, and that we might get some rain. Nope, no rain.

            I sat there in the ole rocker sipping on my diet coke, when I was suddenly surprised by a hawk that flew over, possibly 6 feet above my head. This hawk was being chased by a mocking bird, and the mocking bird was making a lot of noise. They both flew under the neighbor’s trees and then up into, or through the trees. I could no longer see where the hawk went, but the mocking bird stopped in the tree as I could hear him or her, very clearly.

            I find it interesting that one can have small adventures and never leave the comfort of the ole rocker!

May your day be filled with safe adventures!

Explorer;         Don Ford

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Volunteer 07.06.18

            Volunteer; a person who volunteers or expresses a willingness to undertake a service. We often think of volunteers as not being paid, such as a volunteer fireman, but that is not always the situation. The employer could ask for volunteers to come to work early or stay late. Those employees that accept the early or late work would still be paid, they are paid volunteers.

            Organizations who have unpaid volunteers, have paid employees. So the word volunteer has different meanings to different folks.

            I was a volunteer fireman for 12 years. I learned a lot of things during my time with the department. I also saw things that I did not want to see. My family started using seat belts before they were required by state law, due to what I saw at a wreck our department worked.

            Now that you have this background information, let us proceed to the reason for this soon to be, should I say, “Informative posting”. But first I need a cup of coffee, I will be right back. I have returned with my coffee in hand. Before anyone asks, yes I have a cookie also, not that it is any of your business.

            I just looked at the clock and the grandees will be here soon. Normally on Friday the grandees are here until noon, but they will be here longer today. On holiday weeks their Dad along with the other employees, are asked to arrive earlier each day and to work longer days. They are trying to do 5 days’ work in 4 days.

            Let’s see if I can get back to the subject and then stay on subject. I have a condition known as attention deficit disorder. For me, I do not stay focused on a subject as well as others do. As you can see, I have veered off the path to providing you with an informative posting about volunteers.

            The grandees are here, I need to take a break and greet them…

            I am back and the grandees are settling in. let’s get back to volunteer, and what it means here at the ford Homestead. One more thing before we get into the meat of this subject, I want to ask you to volunteer if you can, it might improve your day.

            As I am forced to work out in the extreme heat, it is especially hot in the late afternoons, I have a tendency to notice things that others do not. If others notice these things, they do not comment on them or they do not see them with an evaluating eye. I like that word evaluating, it is better accepted by the reading public than the word critical!

            I have a couple photos that I will present to you, and I would like you to evaluate them to determine if one or both would be considered as volunteers. For that one person who can’t or will not evaluate the photos, I will attempt to provide factual information as to whether they have volunteered or not.

      

            In the photo of the sun flower, you should ask yourself, was this flower intentionally planted or did it voluntarily come up there.

            In the second photo you should not be concerned with the dog ears, instead concentrate on the two flower pots. Are these flowers volunteers or were they planned. You may click to enhance.

While we are considering the two photos above, I will add an additional photo. This is a selfie taken by yours truly, showing you how I can never get a minute to myself to reflect on the meaning of life, or enjoy an adult beverage.

            That is not dirt on my shirt, I had been sweating and it was in the process of drying up from my shirt. What? I don’t look happy! I told you I never get a minute alone to constipate, I mean concentrate.

            Back to the flowers, and are they volunteers. I doubt that either were volunteers even though we had not planted them. I assume (yes I know what happens when we ass/u/me) that the birds planted the sun flower. As to the smaller flowers in the pots, there was some dirt in the pots, but not enough that I would think a flower would grow there, and it is possible that the original flower was removed and re-planted elsewhere. The little flowers popped up and I have been watering them. I consider the flowers in the pots as volunteers and the sun flower as not. 

May you have time to volunteer, and consider the meaning of life!

Don Ford

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It was blowing 07.05.18

            The video is of three flags that were blowing on the fourth.

No I was no blowing on them, it was the wind blowing these flags.

Don’t be a blowhard!

Don Ford

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Holiday done back to... 07.05.18

               I went to bed as usual last evening, and after viewing some reruns I went into a deep sleep. I had no idea that we received rain last evening and I did not hear a single firework explosion. My spouse of 49 years told me she did hear a few fireworks noise.

            This morning, I popped out of bed as usual and all went well until I put some clothes on, then it was time for me to work. I did some painting in the kitchen area. You got it right, I did some really nice painting!

            I usually sit down in front of the Ford’s ole puter first thing each morning, which did not happen, so my day is completely off schedule.

            Why are you holding up your hand? You usually just open your mouth and ask your question! Ok, I will recognize you, what is your question? Ok, About 1/8 inch.

            I think I will go into Waco today and do some shopping. L I have a plan to install one more sprinkler system in a flower bed out back, but I will need a few items that I was unable to find on the DIB web site. I am sure they have these items, but I can’t come up with the correct term to find the items. I will purchase most of the items needed from DIB.

            Our son Patrick and his present spouse Karla, came up yesterday. It was a surprise visit and we enjoyed some good conversation. Most of it was about remodeling the bath room, the kitchen, and new floors. $

             I need to get a shower and put some clean, non-painted clothing, on so I can venture into the city.

            Oh, I see, you didn’t hold your hand up with this question. Even with the rudeness you just injected into this posting I will answer you, 1/8 inch was the approx. amount of rain received last evening.

            I will likely mow the front acreage this afternoon. More work for this retired senior!

Try to smile some today, it really don’t hurt!

Don Ford      

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Coffee Shop 07.03.17

            I went to the coffee shop and I will not post their name as they think they are the star in coffee. They need to have some normal person, like me, to review their operation.

            Before I get into the one simple change that should be made at many of the chain operations that have a drive-thru, I want to tell you about the female subject in the vehicle that was in front of me. 

            As I sat in the drive through line, the vehicle ahead of me appeared to be a new Ford. The back window was covered with a lot of dirt, even though there was a windshield wiper on the back window. The female subject was fluffing up her hair. To say her hair appeared to be a bushy mess, would be an understatement. I observed this female subject spraying what appeared to be hair spray on her hair inside the vehicle. Hair spray is probably good for the vehicle upholstery. 

            This female subject pulled up to the mic and placed her order. I could see her face in the outside rear view mirror. Her face was kind of pretty but she chewed gum like I do, aggressively! Maybe she spits the gum out before she gets to work, or where ever she is going. That aggressive chewing isn’t very lady like. 

            After she placed her order she looked into the outside rear view mirror to check out the person in the vehicle behind her, me. I could see, she wasn’t impressed! 

            Also, on the subject of coffee shops, I asked for, “A tall coffee with cream”, which should have provided me with a small coffee with cream in it. Their coffee is so strong I have cream added. I don’t know what they had for me but it appeared to be something like ice cream in a clear plastic container with a spoon. I again told the young lady what I wanted, she appeared to be a little frustrated with this senior citizen. 

            That is the end of that part of the story. There is no more info about female subjects, so if that is what keeps your attention, you can stop reading now. The rest of this posting is complaining, I mean commenting by me.

            Drive through can be a pain in the back side. I do not like to get up to the mic and have someone ask for my order when I haven’t seen the menu. I guess one could refer to the list of food and drinks available as a menu. One suggestion, have the so-called menu posted before, and at the mic, so I can review what I might want before I get to the mic, and while at the mic I can read from the menu. 

            That simple suggestion would help many of the customers with their orders, along with speeding up the order process, which might mean the employees could be more productive. 

Heck, I have suggestions on most situations, ask and you shall receive!

^{Ok you didn’t ask for that suggestion, but if you need info about anything, let me know, as I am a know-it-all, I mean I know all things!} 

Host:   dandy  Don Ford

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Celebrate the 4th 07.03.18

               We here at the Ford Homestead are prepared to celebrate the upcoming holiday, often known as the 4^th, which is in reality, Independence Day.

            For those of you who live in Cape Girardeau, I feel it necessary to explain a little about this holiday. When we refer to Independence Day, we are referring to a day many years ago, when we as a country declared our independence from some foreign country. Independence Day has nothing to do with the street named Independence Street, in the city of Cape Girardeau.

            Why do I need to explain everything?

            Would you believe, my spouse of 49 years went shoplifting, I mean shopping the other day, and she was able to get a water melon without being seen, I mean without paying for it, I mean it was free, what could be better for the holiday. We cut the melon and went outside just about ready to enjoy the free melon, when we saw a police car coming down the street. My present spouse told me to drop the melon. I asked, what? And she said in a forceful voice, drop the melon now! I dropped the melon, and we both waved at the officer as she drove by.   Photo to follow, click to eat, I mean enjoy!

            The melon would have been good if we could have eaten it. Charley the cat licked on the melon, so we did not get to celebrate Independence Street early.

            I guess that will be the end of our celebration, my first wife will be out at the parks on Wednesday picking up aluminum cans. The trash cans in the parks usually have a bunch of cans on holidays. Occasionally, she will find several cans of the same brand, and if they have a little beverage in them, she can combine them all into one container. Would you believe, that will provide us with a free beverage for a meal?

            I doubt that you want to know this, and I am sure you will not feel sorry for those of us who live in the middle part of the Lone Star State. It is supposed to be 102 degrees today, this will be the eighth day in a row of temps from 100 to 104.

            Parts of the above story may be made up. The photo of the melon, if you haven’t already noticed, is of wooden melon slices, created by me. They will probably be placed into some of the flower beds. There wasn’t a cop and there wasn’t any shopping, I mean shoplifting. Darn, some of you will believe anything.

            I hope you have a safe and fun Holiday, fly the flag if you have one. If you don’t have one, get one!

What, you must work on the holiday, be happy you have a job!

Don Ford

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Can you say It is warm 07.02.18

            Yesterday was a warm day, yep it was 104 degrees, and that is not the feel like temp. Do you understand the feels like temperature comments? Why is there a real temp and also a feels like temp? Some educated person once decided, it felt hotter than what the thermometer was showing. This so-called person wanted to be known for something, so he invented the feels like temp.

            If you want to have a feels like temp, then do not listen to the so-called weather prognosticators, and use your own feeling! If it feels hot, then you can make up a feels like temp and state it boldly. You will be as correct as the educated professional. Can you believe they pay people to tell you what the feels like temp is?

            We had a neighbor who was out of town for a couple days and I kept an eye on their home. OK let me be totally truthful, I kept both eyes on their home. You want more truth? Ok I keep an eye on most of the homes even if the owners are home.

            Anyway, I offered to water the flowers if needed, while they were gone. They have several new flowers and they said, if I was to water the flowers would I give extra water to three of their flowers. I watered the flowers and gave extra water to those three flowers. It rained about 1/16^th of an inch while they were gone.

            When they arrived home, those three flowers were blooming. It was said, the rain really made a difference, see how those three flowers are blooming. It just goes to show you that rain water is good for the flowers. I wonder if it was the extra water I put on the flowers, or the 1/16^th of an inch of rain. J

        We have a 40% chance for rain on the 4^th of July. It would be a blessing in two ways. One, we need the rain, and two, it might make shooting fireworks safer.

Keep America independent, and safely celebrate the 4^th!

Don Ford

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Dusty 07.01.18

               I tried to get a photo of the dust in the sky from Africa, but the photo did not show the dust although I could see it.

            Tres, the Ford’s pot hound, has a tendency to want to be petted by my wife of 49 years. He gets on the foot stool in front of her chair and more or less lays on it. I did get a photo of this pot hound, relaxing as he waited for some petting.

 

            The newspaper wasn’t here again this morning. This is about the 8^th time this has happened. As I was outside looking for the paper the neighbor was also out looking, evidently none of us had received said paper. It use to get here about 5:30, today it was about 8:30.

            I need to get cleaned up so I can go out for Brunch. It is brunch as I never decide whether I will eat breakfast or lunch, until I arrive.

            We have a chance of Rain on the 4^th, which would be an excellent day to have rain.

 

Enjoy the first day of July, it should be Hot and dry!

 

Don Ford

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