White on Black 03/21/2020

            Before we get to the title line, let me say that Tres is doing much better, in fact, he is again being more like the north end of a south bound donkey. In the words that my grandkids use to describe me, “He is annoying”. We are glad he is doing better.

            Now let’s get to the title line, but first I should say that we received an inch of rain at the Ford Homestead. The title line is not racist, it is purely biological. Yesterday, when I was out in the back 40 surveying the area before the rains came, I noticed some small white blooms and I did get a photo to share with you, the reading public. I will post the photo for my, I mean your enjoyment.

                                               

            This professional photo was taken by me, at the Ford’s number one black berry bed. The second bed has not yet began to bloom. Now, most of you know what the title line means, but for that one person with a third grade education, (yes I graduated from the fourth grade ha ha), White on Black means, “white blooms on the black berry plants. Click to enhance the experience.

            There are a bunch of blooms beginning to pop up, which means we should have another good year for the black berries.

            I think staying at home and the fact it is too wet to get outside and work, is about to drive us both a little nuts. Maybe we can at least get in the Fords ole Chevy and go for a ride today.

If you get out and about, keep your distance!

Senior annoying retired person, Don Ford

Virus-free. www.avg.com

How is he 03/20/2020

            Tres had not eaten or drank water since Tuesday evening. Wednesday I put his food out that morning and it was not touched. I am not totally sure but I had not seen him drink water during the day Wednesday. Thursday morning I called the vet and the doctor said bring him in at 8:00am, I did.

            The vet has new rules so I sat in the car and they came out and took the Tres. They had big masks on to keep from getting or sharing the virus. When they got to the door he looked back at me and did not want to go in. They got him inside. I sat out there in the Ford’s ole vehicle for almost an hour.

            They gave him a shot that should help he stomach settle down. They did a blood test and said everything looked ok. They sold us some meds that we need to give him every 8 hours, which is supposed to help his throat, if it is irritated. It took both of us to give him his first dose.

            Tres has not eaten anything Thursday and he has not drank any water. I have not seen him Potty. I called the vet Thursday afternoon and she said, bring him back. They gave him a laxative via suppository. They said he went a little. I brought him home and he went out in the back yard and he went a little more. Then he went and got a drink of water. When he came back in the house he got a large drink of water, still not eating. We are glad he is drinking water.

Friday: I put some of the can food in Tres bowl and he ate a little bit but not all. Donna and I gave him his medicine, we have to force his mouth open and he don’t like that. After giving the meds this morning he was looking at the container that have marshmallows and his treats in it. These treats are not on his special diet but we decided to see if he would eat it. He eat the marshmallows and the other treats. We decided if he would eat this, to try something else. We had Turkey for supper last evening, so Donna gave him some turkey and he ate it.

            We are to keep an eye on him and call the vet Friday morning. Drinking water and eating even if it isn’t on his special diet, is good. Let’s hope he gets totally better. 

            Now let’s talk about me! I have a photo and it is of me, you are welcome! Click to believe!

                                                            

            I took this photo so you, the reading public, might enjoy thinking about a senior retired person and not that other stuff that is going around. As you review this photo of yours truly, you should be thinking that this senior retired person appears a little different. What has changed about this hansom ole fellow? No, you should not be looking at the ole Ford nose, which has always been there. You should have noticed that he shave the hair off his chin. Thanks for not noticing, what a friend!

            What? Yes that is my hat hanging on the wall behind me. Yes that is a dust and virus mask hanging on the door. What? You want to know what the orangish looking thing hanging behind me is. Not that it is any of your business, but it is the Tres dog lead.

            I try to provide you with a little personal photo, showing a slight change in the ole person, and you see everything but me. That is hurtful!  (Orangish evidently isn’t a word, so how did you know what I was writing about if it isn’t a word?)

Changing the subject; I am working on another theory about robots, but it will be published at a later date.

            Have a good weekend? What the heck are we going to do this weekend? Can’t go the local eating place for lunch or brunch.  I wonder if I have enough adult beverage to get me through this adversity.  

Get prepared, it will get worse before it gets better.

Stay home and be safe.

Senior blog author and all round nice guy; Don Ford

Virus-free. www.avg.com

Sick but not the virus 03/19/2020

            First let me state, my spouse of over half a century is not sick, and I am not sick! Tres is sick. Tres has not eaten anything yesterday and nothing this morning. I have the feeling he has a throat problem but I don’t know what the problem might be. I will call the vet this morning and try to get Tres over to the vet.

            I would rather stay at home and not be exposed to other people, but we don’t always get what we want.

            I understand that the vet has some new rules. When you arrive on the parking lot you are to stay in your vehicle, and call them. They will then come out to you and if you and the pet need to go inside they will escort you in, when there are no others in the office area. It sounds as if they are trying to keep the public and themselves safe. 

            Today is the start of spring and tomorrow is the first full day of spring, tomorrow the temperature is supposed to drop into the 40s. Spring is trying to sprang but is seems to have gone in to reverse. The cool temp is for one day only and then we get back to warm weather.

            I have removed all the flowers from the Fords ole hot house, except for one, assuming that spring will continue. There is one potted plant that is just too big, for an ole senior retired person on a fixed income, to move. This plant is about 90 pounds, is about 5 foot tall, and is wider than the door. (The plant itself is wider than the door not the pot.) I am hoping to get help from my son, as he help me put it in the hot house.

            I was speaking to a friend during happy time yesterday, staying 6 feet away from each other, and he noted that he had tilled up a garden spot. I was thinking about that and having a garden might be a good thing this year.

            I got my census paperwork yesterday. I will need to go on line and answer the questions. I may try to do that today.

            I think I have a skype account, I guess I should learn how to use it. Who the heck could I skype with? I guess a senior person would need friends, or at least people they know, in order to skype!

 

             Assume that everyone has the virus,

             That will help protect you and them!

 

Senior ole person who assumes; Don Ford

Virus-free. www.avg.com

Voluntary Confinement 03/18/2020

            Not that you asked, my spouse and I have stayed at home the last few days. Donna made homemade chicken noodle soup and a black berry cobbler, not for health reasons but because we like it! As senior ole retired people on a fixed income, the chicken soup and cobbler is all we have to eat for the remainder of this Confinement. Go to our ^non-existing web site to make donations. 

            I did get outside yesterday and worked in the yard, and took the dog for a walk. It is ok to get outside and have some fresh air, but don’t over work. I cut the jasmine yesterday, it was from 1 to 1 ½ foot tall, and is now about 6 inches tall. Will it come back, I think it will, but if it don’t that is ok too.

                                               

            As I said, go outside and enjoy some yard work, but don’t work too hard.

            Our neighbor just texted us saying she was going to the grocery store and asked if we need anything. There are nice people in this world and in our neighborhood!

          If you have an older neighbor that needs or might need some help, give them a call and check on them. If you know someone who lives alone, even if they are not in your neighborhood, give them a call, it will make them feel good that you have thought about them.

You shall love your neighbor as yourself!

Senior retired and voluntarily confined person; Don Ford

Virus-free. www.avg.com

The fog was there 03/17/2020

            As the Tres and I ventured outside this morning in an effort to get the morning newspaper, we were very much aware of the dense fog in our area. This dense fog was like a wet blanket covering the neighborhood. Tres inspected the front yard looking for any evidence of any intruders during the overnight. He found no evidence but he did leave some evidence that he had been there. I gave the command, “Get the paper”. He did not respond as he was still investigating the yard. I gave the command again, “Get the paper”, with no acknowledgment that he even heard my command. I then said, “Get the P A P E R”, spelling the word paper. He looked at me and then retrieved the paper. Who knew he could spell?

            Follow up story, Tres was laying on the floor and I noticed something. Tres is a natural STAR. I have a photo of the Tres and I encourage you to click on the photo to see this star. Look at his feet to see a star!

                                   

               Advice from the Ford:

Many normal daily activities aren’t acceptable!

Be careful and change your daily routines!

Assume that everyone else is infected and stay at a distance!

Check on your ole friends and relatives!

Think it won’t happen to you?  Bull Shirt!

Senior stay at home ole person, Don Ford

Virus-free. www.avg.com

Meditation 03/16/2020

               What the heck is meditation? There are several answers to that short question, I might define it as quietly thinking about something. I have heard it said that meditation at times is like looking into a mirror. Was I meditating in this photo, taken of my monitor? For your pleasure click to enhance.

                                                           

            Who knows what this hansom senior person was meditating on when this photo was taken, and who took the photo? A person can’t have even a moment of privacy in their own little office area. Meditation or day dreaming, is there a difference?

            Let’s change the subject, I came up with a short story that will follow. Do you think I came up with the story while meditating?

                                                  Was it murder?  

                                                         A short story by Don Ford                 

            I have a short story to present to you, this short story could apply to co-workers, bosses, non-friends, and family members. I have chosen a family member for this story.

            Susan Caster, is a well to do older lady in her early 80s. Her husband of 47 years passed away over 12 years ago, leaving her his portion of a business in which he has stock worth over $50,000,000. The board of directors of the company offered her $5,000,000 immediately and then they would guarantee payment to her or her beneficiaries of $5,000,000, a year for the next nine years.

            Susan consulted with her daughter Angela and decided to take the offer, as she did not have any desire to be in a business, and being elderly, she just wanted to be at home and enjoy life. Angela and her son Robert lived with Susan in the 38 room mansion located on 300 acres overlooking Big Foot Lake.

            Robert was in his early twenties and enjoyed having a good time spending his grandmother’s money. There were times when nearly violent arguments would arise between Robert and his Grandmother, and these arguments were always over money and the fact that he did not work.

            There came a time when there was a virus spreading worldwide, and oddly this virus had little effect on the younger people but often would kill the elderly. All the government agencies were putting out information as to how to possibly avoid coming in contact with this virus.

            Angela was being extra careful to keep her mother more or less quarantined, Angela would order the items they needed, have them delivered, then she would do all she could to disinfect the items, before allowing them inside the mansion. Angela was continuously reminding Robert to disinfect himself by washing his hands and changing his clothes before he would go into the same room as his grandmother.  

            One night while out partying Robert learned that a friend might have the virus. Now his friend was self-quarantined. Robert decided to visit his friend knowing that the virus doesn’t usually have much of an effect on the younger people. Robert and his friend talked, watched a movie and shared several bottles of wine, and Robert spent the night with his friend, sleeping in the same bed.

            The next morning Robert dressed and headed for his Grandmother’s home. Robert arrived and he forgot to wash his hands and did not change his clothes before visiting with his grandmother.  During this visit Robert was polite, even handing her a glass of tea as they sat there talking. Susan was surprised that Robert was being so nice and she assumed he was going to ask her for money. The subject of money did not come up during their conversation. After about 30 minutes of conversation Robert left his grandmother. Susan was still wondering why Robert was so nice to her, and she was very surprised that he did not ask for money.

            Eleven days after his nice visit with his grandmother, Robert tested positive for the virus and was quarantined. After the quarantine period he was ok and ready to start partying again.

            Two weeks after his nice visit with her grandson and while Robert was quarantined, the grandmother Susan was not feeling well, she had a fever and was coughing. Susan was tested and found to be positive for the virus. Susan died 10 days later.

Do you think it is the perfect murder, or just an accident?

Don Ford

Virus-free. www.avg.com

It happened to me 03/14/2020

            Well, if you are reading this you already know that I work continuously, and yes, “I am now working from home”! As with many Americans, I am now working at my home office. I just realized that I may have made an untrue statement, I am “Working at home, not from home”. If I was from home, wouldn’t that mean I was not at home? 

            You can see I am at my desk entering this brilliant article into the Ford’s ole computer.        I ordered a bag of fertilizer from the ole employer, and when I went to pick it up Friday I learned that the VP of Logistics had issued orders that no non-employees (aka outsiders) were to be allowed in the center. Wow, I am now an outsider. That is what happens when you become a senior person without employment (retired).

            I was able to get the bag of fertilizer and they took my check, I hope it don’t bounce. Returning to the homestead I fertilized the front yard and the entire back 40. Yep that is a lot of walking for a senior person. 

            Completing that work I was able to pull together a few scraps, you know left overs, for what was almost a real lunch, and then I headed outside. Tres and I drove the Ford’s ole Chevy into the back 40 and hooked onto the Ford’s ole trailer. We brought it up to the front gate where we parked it. It is loaded with tree and shrub parts to be hauled off next Saturday. It is supposed to rain next week and I did not want to drive through the yard when it was wet. 

            Concluding that task, we got the Fords ole string trimmer out and attacked the back ditch. I completed one swatch along the ditch when I decided to get a gator aid and close the garage door, photo to follow, click to believe.

                                               

            Sorry the photo is not clear, I must have been very tired from, “Working at home”! After the gator aid break, I did complete the job of cutting all the weeds in the ditch. 

            I have another photo and it is of a plant in the Ford’s ole small hot house. I will be needing to attempt to get these plants out of there as I believe cold weather is over. What? Ok since no one asked I will tell you, I got the hot house at the Freight Company.

                                                

            Now you see that working at home can often be much more difficult than working at the employer. 

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            Here in Hewitt TX the schools have been on spring break all this week. Our school system has now canceled school for the next two weeks, they are supposed to go back on March 30^th. 

            Prediction: at the end of the two weeks the situation with the virus will be worse! The     school will cancel school for another two weeks. The students who have school tablets will be expected to work from home. At the end of the second two weeks (April 13^th) things will have leveled out somewhat, some schools will resume on the 13^th, some will be out for an additional two weeks, our students will be back in school April 20th.

I haven’t even told you about the effect on parents and employers. You don’t want to know!

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You really don’t want to know!

Senior know-it-all and work at home person, Don Ford

Virus-free. www.avg.com

Who is watching? 03/13/2020

            Yesterday I worked in the yard a couple times. First I cut some of the vines in the front yard so I could remove some acorns. I was there with my ole shop vacuum. The vines that are still there make it almost impossible to use a rake, so the vacuum will pick up the acorns. A neighbor lady asked me what I was doing, she said she had never seen anyone vacuum their yard. I explained that vacuum is a good way to get the dirt up from the yard. She looked at me like I was a silly senior person!     I am!

            My spouse of half a century wanted to wash the dog so we went to the back yard and began the, “Scrubbing of the dog”. As we were in the rinse mode, all three of us heard a buzzing sound. Tres was looking up and I noted that there was some kind of bug flying around. Tres continued looking up and the sound became louder. My spouse and I then looked up and observed a drone. Photos to follow, click to believe.

                                               

            Why was the government observing the Ford Homestead? This government drone went back and forth several times, it lowered some, I assume to get a better video, and then it left. Why should the government watch nude senior people in their own back yard wash their dog?

            Let’s go to a different subject. After scrubbing the dog I decided to cut some of that ole stump that was a part of ole Fort K. Photo to follow.

                                               

            As you should see, I had my work, “Cut out for me”, get it. Would you believe some of those wood blocks weighed more than 100 pounds? I wouldn’t either.

Work less have fun more!         Today is Friday 13^th.

Senior dog washer and wood butcher, Don Ford

Virus-free. www.avg.com