I didn’t need a shower 07/24/2021

            Ok, that one person is just dying to make a comment about me and not needing a shower. That one person may be correct when he says, "The Don needs a shower most of the time!" I am an ole senior retired person on a fixed income, and I work twice as much as most real people. That being almost true, I need more showers than real people.

            Yesterday, Friday, July 23, 2021, when I was finished with the back yard mowing, I did not need a shower. If you will allow me to continue, I did not need a shower but my favorite grandson did need a shower.

            Alex mowed the back 40 and I observed. Alex is learning to use both mowers in a safe manner. As he learns more, he will need to mow closer to the flower beds, and maybe even use the string trimmer. 😊    Let's see photos.

    

            The back 40 looks good!

            I broke my own rule and went on Face book yesterday. I am kind of happy I did, as I was able to get a photo. The photo was taken I believe in the 1980s, and was of a flood. What caught my attention was, in the photo was the church that we went to when I was a kid.

                                    

            In the olden days, we lived about one block from this church. We see two windows on the side of the church, my mom always set by the first window. In the summer time they would open the windows during services and there would be air coming in the window, making it cooler, (no air conditioning in the olden days). All the buildings in that part of town have been demolished, due to the fact that the area floods easily. Ok, I think there is one building still down there, get off my case, I haven't been there in several years!

            If I may, allow me to move to another topic:

            Yesterday afternoon I was able to drag my ole body out of the homestead and venture into the back 40. My goal for that venture was to water the black berries and any flowers in flower pots.

            I was required to drag the Ford's ole hose 50 feet to the #3 bed. After a couple minutes of watering, I then moved to the #2 bed, which was another 50 feet away. It was a lot of work, but this old person finally reached the #2 bed. No, I did not rest after all that work, I just began watering the berries. I was getting close to completing the #2 watering process when I saw a ripe black berry. Wow, I had assumed all the black berries were done for the year.

            I bent down to see the berry and to my surprise there was a second berry. The two berries were large, and I called to my favorite spouse to come and see. I reached into the vines, and pulled the two berries from the bush, that is when I saw three more berries. Wow, 5 large black berries. Photo of berries to follow.

            Those berries are super berries! I then drug the hose across the back 40 to bed #1. All the berries were watered and would you believe I was able to crawl back into the homestead, but I could not get in the ole recliner, I just lay there on the floor?

Happy Saturday!

Senior ole retired person with super berries, Don the Ford

Front done back today 07/23/2021

            Yesterday, the Alex mowed the front yard, I did the trimming. Today I plan to put, “The Alex”, on the Ford’s ole riding mower in the back 40. I have previously trimmed around the fence and flower beds, that will allow him, while learning to mow, to not get too close. Later he will be required to get close.

            Theme change; as I was working in the sun yesterday, I had my ole cowboy hat on. I decided to get a couple photos showing the old hat, and hopefully encouraging you to donate toward a new hat for, “the Don!”

   

                                

            This hat was new many years ago. It keeps the sun off, but it tells anyone who see it on me, that I am a retired senior on a fixed income. Real people have new hat, it would be good to be like real people.

            I have another photo, and in this photo, I show you how difficult it is for me to put together these wonderful postings. In the following photo you will see that I can’t get close to the desk to work.

                                   

            Alex is out back getting the mower ready; I need to get out there too.

Mow not, enjoy the day!

 

Senior retired person who isn’t mowing today, Don the Ford

Nothing new today 07/22/2021

            I hate to tell you this, I have nothing to write about today. Ole senior retired people just sit around and do nothing all day. Ole people wish they had something to do but we don't! ☹

            My pot hound Tres and I went out to get the paper this morning and while Tres was checking the yard out for any strange smells, I was looking around the neighborhood. I saw the Oak tree in the neighbor's yard, it is full of green leaves. There was what appeared to be a small group of bright red leaves in the center of the tree.

            I thought that was very odd, trees should not be showing fall colors in the middle of summer. After a very detailed viewing, I found that there was a small hole all the way through the tree and the red that I was viewing was from a tall bush on the other side of the tree. Yep, I could see all the way through the Oak tree. Maybe I have X-ray vision, my middle name is Ray!

            Altering the topic; we have a neighbor who is out of town this week and as I was setting at the Ford's ole desk, when through my X-ray vision (aka security cameras) I noticed a vehicle in his driveway that I did not recognize. We had been told that his daughter would be taking care of things at their house during this week. I walked out of our house to get a better look, as the vehicle was backing out of the drive way. The vehicle turned to go up Oklahoma Ave when it stopped and the window on the passenger side rolled down. It was the neighbor's daughter and she called out to me so I would know it was her. I gave her a thumbs up, and returned to my desk, again with nothing to do but sit around.

            Shifting topics; my ole whisk broom has been worn out for years. I attempt to use it to remove grass and other items from my clothing and body parts before I enter the homestead, but it isn't very effective. This whisk broom is made of straw like material, like a larger broom. I asked my favorite spouse to purchase me a new whisk broom, which would clean my clothes and body parts more efficiently. 😊

            Returning from town she gave me the bad news, the store she was at, had whisk brooms, but they were all plastic, even the sweeping parts. The employee told my favorite spouse, they no longer get the ole type whisk brooms. ☹

            Being a resourceful senior retired person, I went on line and found said item for $5.50 each. I ordered two of them! They will be here tomorrow, and they are shipping free! 😊

            Altering topic again; yesterday my favorite grandson went out and drove the riding mower around the back yard. He was practicing to be able to mow on Friday. I may get out in the yard and do the trimming today which makes the mowing much easier for the grandkids on Friday.

            My confession; Yesterday I killed two people! Now before you get too excited, allow me to splain, Lucy. I had started writing a story a few years ago and the name of the story was, "Hell on Earth". Back then I stopped writing the story as it seemed that it could actually happen.

            After re-reading the part that I had previously written, I decided to give the story a finish. Yep, I killed two people, yet, you don't know why!

            Subject change; I do not need a cup of coffee this morning, I have one here on the desk as I create this wonderfully well composed article for the Blog posting. Heck, with nothing to do, I may just get in the Ford's ole recliner and kick back for a while. 😐

 

Real people have things to do!

Senior author and almost novelist, of the Ford's homestead, Don the Ford

Ditch it or not 07/21/2021

            Ditch it or not, that is the question. I have ditched it ever since we moved here, although none of the other neighbors do. The city has weed killer sprayed on the ditches early in the growing season, and it knocks down the weeds for a short while. When they come back, that is when the weeds come back not the city, I take over.

            I have a couple photos of the ditch again, (the 2 previous photos were from 07/12/2021) before and after shots of the back side of the ditch this time. We had a somewhat cool morning with clouds keeping the sun at bay. I attack the weeds using the battery powered string trimmer. The first battery had been used some so it didn’t last too long. The second battery did good and I got the weeds knocked down. The wood fence in the second photo, is about 4 feet inside their property line, and I do not cut their weeds.

 

            It had rained the day before so there was water back in the ditch.

            Let’s get to today, Wednesday: the grand kids are scheduled to be here today, what could be better than that?

            I have no real plans for today other than to have some of that home made Chicken soup for lunch. I might work on another gray alien today, maybe I can get the grand kids to help.

            Wow, I was just hit with an urge to get a cup of coffee, I need to go, goodbye!

 

May all aliens be Gray!

 

Senior retired person who may have made a political comment, Don the Ford

What could be better 07/20/2021

            Yes, the title line does bring up a subject that even you like. I know that you will enjoy the wonderful photo that I will add to this soon to be well written, and published, Blog Post. You are right, my blog posts are more interesting than the so-called news, and the professional quality photos are much better than those in the Play Girl Magazine.

            Actually, I have two photos to add to this posting, and I must admit, one of the photos is not real good. As the Tres and I walked this morning, we came to a cross street where I saw something amazing. The sun was rising and it was just above the horizon. It was a bright red ball that I could look directly at, without hurting my eyes. There was fog in the area and I assume that was filtering out some of the brightness allowing me to see the sun. I tried to get a photo of the morning sun, but my camera could not capture what I was seeing.

            I did get a photo of the sun peeking through a tree, it isn’t real good but I took it and I posted it.

 

                                                          

            Now let’s see the photo that the title line had questioned you about. This photo was taken as a selfie, yes, it is of me, and I was sitting in my ole rocking chair near the garage door. There is a blooming bush above my head, so I knew that you would want to see me and the blooming bush! The sun glasses are different from those the president has, I believe he gets his free, as a retired senior person, I have to pay for mine. Actually, I did not purchase these glasses, my favorite wife bought them for me!

 

                                                          

            One might ask, what is this handsome senior person going to do today? He has planned to go to the ditch behind the Homestead, and cut the weeds on the other side of the ditch. Let’s hope he can keep the chiggers off him while working. I have found many things in the weeds of the ditch like baby rabbits and snakes. Luckily the snakes are usually grass snakes. 

            Well, I have had my second cup of coffee, and I am watching the rocket take the 4 people into space. Well, they are back on earth, I need to get to work.

 

May your weeds stop growing!

 

Senior retired person who works way too much, Don the Ford

It almost rained 07/19/2021

            On this Monday morning, and yes, I am writing this on the same day that I am posting it, it is supposed to rain. The Tres and I decided we would head out for the morning walk and take a chance that we could get wet. We started down the street and after about half a block we noticed that the street was wet. The wet part went a couple hundred feet down the street, and then it stopped. Oddly, the rain had occurred in a small streak, leaving the ford homestead completely dry.

            Our neighbor next door to us is selling their home and will be moving back to Washington State. The thought of Washington State brought an old thought to mind. Back in the mid-60s I spent several months in the State of Washington. I was at Fort Louis being trained to do some military things.

            One of the other trainees wanted to go into Seattle since we had the weekend free. He knew of a place where we could rent motor bikes and we would be able to ride around in Seattle and see the sites.

            Well, we went, and we rented the motor bikes, and we did see a part of the city. The sites were interesting but one of the sites was creepy. We were heading across a big bridge when I noticed that the road was not made of cement. We were on a metal roadway, that I could see through. Imagine if you can, you are riding on a motor bike, on a bridge, and you can see through the road at water that appeared to be several hundred feet below.  

            Just for a second, I almost panicked. Then I settled down and enjoyed looking down through the road way at the boats and water below. I believe that the bridge was designed to open for large ships to get through, aka a drawbridge.

            Topic change; as the Tres and I walked this morning we saw a limb fall from a tree. The wind was not blowing but the small limb fell onto the person’s lawn. Why did it fall, we don’t know? That was all the excitement we had during this walk. 

           

Have a safe and enjoyable day!

 

Senior dog walker and one time motor bike rider, Don the Ford.

Sunday 07/18/2021

            Yesterday, Saturday, was kind of a boring day here at the Ford homestead. It seemed as if all I wanted to do was to eat. I wanted to go out to lunch, but decided that I did not want to drive anywhere, so I stayed home.

            My spouse went out in the back 40 and pulled weeds, in the heat of the day. I went out and raked up the weeds that she pulled. I also cut down a bunch of small limbs that are growing on limbs where they should not grow, due to the freeze we had.

            One good thing that occurred Saturday, I took the Ford’s ole trailer that was filled with limbs and scrap wood from me and David, to the dump site. I normally go early, basically at the starting time 7:30, but I went at 9:00am. There was no one in line ahead of me! There were vehicles being unloaded but I only waited about 2 minutes to be unloaded. This was the easiest and quickest dump day I have ever had.

            I did get to watch the three stooges Saturday afternoon, after I cooled down from working in the back yard. Watching the Three Stooges might tell you how boring my day was. The three stooges are on for two hours Saturday afternoon, starting at 5:00pm. They show the same programs quiet often, and you might truly need to be in happy hour mode, to watch them.

            Following the three dudes (aka stooges), there was an ole Mummy movie on, and I watched it. Wow, exciting ole movies, exciting day!

            Since you did not ask what I had planned for today, I am not going to tell you that I again have no plans for Sunday!

            The price of everything has gone up so much that ole retired people, can’t enjoy things like going out to eat, as you real people are able to do. Poor ole people just sit at home and do nothing. If we could just be real people for a while, we would feel as if we were alive again!

 

            Do you feel sorry for me? Did it work? Are you going to send us donations so my favorite spouse doesn’t need to go out in the heat to pick up aluminum cans? Do you know how hard it is for her to find these cans? People are not littering as much as they use to, so it takes twice as long for her to get the same number of cans. When she is picking up the cans, she is not here cooking food for me.

            For that one person, do not toss your aluminum cans out on our lawn, unless they are in a plastic bag!

Sunday is fried chicken day!   

^{If you can afford it!}

Senior retired person who will try to keep busy, Don the Ford

Yard is mowed 07/17 2021

            The Tres and I went for our walk early yesterday morning. There were people out mowing their yards at 6:30 am. I guess they were trying to beat the heat, just as the Tres and I were, in the early morning walk.

            Alex mowed the front yard yesterday, after he finished that, we went to the back yard and did some training on the riding mower.

                                               

            Both Alex and Gabi took turns on the mower. They were learning to shift, back up and drive close to things without hitting them.

            They seemed surprised when I increased the motor speed, and showed them how to engage the mowing blades. All their driving and backing to that point, was without the blades turning. Now with the blades turning, there was some circles and figure eights, mowed in the yard. I told them that since they were learning, mowing in circles was ok, but when mowing to cut the grass, we want to use straight lines.

            After they left, I finished mowing the back yard.

            My wife went to breakfast with Neva, a neighbor and good friend. They did not take me with them, I had cereal here at the Homestead! 😐          I have a photo taken while they were at breakfast. They had fun, I had to work. ☹

 

                                                            

            Birthday over, gifts and flowers received, it was a very good day! 😊

Thanks to everyone!

Senior retired person who is both retired and tired, Don the Ford