I did what? 04.08.2022

            I did it, and I can’t remember the last time I had done that. What did I do, I overslept! I remember rolling over and looking at the clock, it was 4:30. I get up at 5:00, so I thought, wow I get another 30 minutes of sleep. The next thing I know, Charlie, the Ford’s ole cat, jumped on the bed and that woke me up. I thought, it must be close to 5:00 so I rolled over. I looked at the clock and had to do a double take, it was 5:40. Yep, I overslept!

            Now we are going to pretend as if someone is reading this post, and they ask, “Why did the Don over sleep”? The answer may be understood, after viewing the photos, and reading the commentary below.  In the first photo, I am trying to indicate the condition of the ground in the area that we hope to soon be a new Jasmine bed. The grass has been removed and the ground is hard.

            In the next photo, I am attempting to show the improved soil condition that this ole senior person was able to accomplish.

            This work took 3.5 hours of non-stop work, to accomplish these results. I did use the Ford’s new light weight tiller. It worked as expected. No, it doesn’t work like a heavy-duty tiller that one would use in the garden. This light weight unit bounces a lot, and you need to go over the same area several times to loosen the dirt. The little tiller put a lot of stress on the arms and back, but it is still better than attempting to use a shovel and hoe.

            (I remember in the olden days, when I was a young lad, people who had gardens would either hire a person who had a team of mules to plow and prepare their garden, or hire a fellow to use a shovel and basically spade up the entire garden area. I bet you can’t find anyone to spade up a garden now.)

            So, I believe, the reason for over sleeping was, my ole body was tired!

            Now there was other work accomplished yesterday, and it was accomplished by my favorite wife. Donna went to the back 40 where she was on her hands and knees, yes, I believe she was praying, and she was also pulling weeds from several flower beds. At the end of her work the Ford’s ole red wagon was full of weeds that she pulled from these beds. I must say the flower beds do look good, she did not go to the berry beds and pull weeds, I guess I will need to do that. My favorite wife has pointed out a couple things that I will be allowed to do, to a couple bushes at both ends of the house.

              My favorite wife will also attempt to find some new Jasmine plants so we can get them started in the new bed.

            Changing the topic; we decided to not go to the usual place for supper last evening, so we decided to go Mexican Food. We had narrowed it down to two places here in Hewitt, and since neither of us would indicate a preference, I flipped a coin. The coin flip indicated the flower named restaurant, so we went to the other restaurant. We should have stayed with the flower café, as the food was ok but not great. The service was good and we got the food very quickly. We did purchase some of their hot sauce, as it is very good and hot!

              Arriving back at home we both procured a drink and we went outside to sit, as we both needed the rest. The pollen from the oak trees was generously falling, and the wind was quite cool, so at the end of the first drink, it was decided that we should go inside.

                             It was a tiring and yet productive day!

What a day we had!

Senior ole person who is still tired but has more to do, Don the Ford

#1 and #2 bloom 04.07.2022

            Yes, they have now started! We usually start out with one or two, and then they all show up. I do have a couple photos to enhance this soon to be wonder filled article, so set back, relax, get a cup of coffee, and prepare to be enlightened.

            But first, allow me to post a photo of me. Yes, I know, seeing me usually makes your day, and that is want I am hoping to do now. This photo of me was taken yesterday and I have a shirt from the olden days on. This shirt is from my past employer and it indicates 5 years of safety.

            It is a long-sleeved shirt and it looks very nice on this ole senior! What? You did it again. I present a photo of me with a shirt, and you ask, “if that is a drone hanging on the cabinet door?” I give up, I don’t know why I even try to enhance the lives of the reading public.

                                                                                                                                                 

            Now that I have calmed down some, allow me to change subject matter. Yesterday, I went outside a couple times thinking that I would get started on a couple projects. One project was to water all the plants in pots. The wind was blowing so hard (at times 40 mph) that I went back into the house and did nothing. Do you know how boring doing nothing is, for a senior person? Well, I do, it is very boring!

            Later in the afternoon, after dropping Alex off at his home, I returned to the Ford’s Homestead where the wind was still blowing, but not as bad. I then watered the plants in the pots, front and back yards, and the black berries were also watered. During the watering process, I observed a couple blooms in bed #1 and #2. Photos to follow.

           It won’t be long now, till I start getting my ole senior hands stuck by the thorns, as I try to pick the berries.

            One other topic and then I will leave you alone! The red oak trees are shedding those green things that are loaded with pollen. With all the wind, that stuff is going everywhere. I swept the garage one time, and I used the blower a couple times. The wind kept pushing the debris on the drive way, and into the garage. There is no rest for the ole senior people.

Have a safe day!

Senior ole person who needs to be working outside if the wind lets up, Don the Ford

           

Was it warm 04.06.2022

            No, it was not warm yesterday, it was hot! Can we say 97 degrees, and a record high for April 5^th. You are correct, that was a very unusual way to celebrate our 53^rd anniversary. It was so hot that we decided to have supper at a local restaurant, the food and service was great. Wow, it was a nice day!

            Ok, back to normal schedule. I do have a couple photos for the viewing public’s enjoyment. First, the motion detecting camera, with sound both ways.

             The camera is attached to the grand kids ole swing set, and I can aggravate Tres by talking to him through the camera. Next, we have a photo from the camera showing what the camera sees.

            Then we have a photo of the #3 black berry bed, it is getting green and ready to start producing berries, if we get some rain.

            #3 bed is the newest of the three beds and this will be the first year to produce berries. Then I have another photo of two berry plants which I dug up about a week ago, they were growing outside the #2 berry bed. They seem to be doing ok.

            I put them in pots as I do not have a location for them at this time. My favorite wife said she knows someone who wants to start a berry patch, so they will likely go to her friend.

            That is it for now, we hope you have a wonder filled day!

Pray for Ukraine!

Senior retired photographer, and almost nice guy, Don the Ford

April 5th, 1969 04.05.2022

            For that one person who looked at the title line, that date happened 53 years ago. On that date I married my lovely wife, Donna. I find it amazing that she has put up with me for all those years. She is not only my first wife; she is my favorite wife. Yep, I say that a lot, and I mean it!

            To say we have had a blessed life is an understatement. Throughout our entire marriage we have been blessed, in so many ways it is impossible to list them.

            Having been blessed through all 53 years, there are things that stand out. We were blessed with two sons, two daughter’s-in-law, and two grand kids, and I have been blessed by having Donna as my wife!

            I am truly thankful that my wife accepted me as her husband 53 years ago!

 

I do love my wife of 53 years!

 

                  Happily married to a great wife, Don Ford

New week ole schedule 04.04.2022

            As I begin this new week, I wonder if I will be on the old schedule, or will I have some new experiences.

            Yesterday, I tried a new experience, as I was attempting to clean out and straighten my so-called work bench. It is known as so-called, because it is never used, due to the items that litter it and around it. Photo to follow.

            You are correct. This senior retired person lets stuff pile up. I was able to move some items and I tossed out a couple items, but the improvement is not breathtaking.

            I did do something yesterday that was unusual, I repositioned a camera that I had purchased close to a year ago. This camera has a solar panel to charge it, or it can be charged in the house. I took it out back and it points at the back of the house, it is attached to the ole kids swing frame. This camera records video with sound, and I can talk to someone who is standing near to it. I tell you all this to explain the following.

            As my favorite wife and I sat outside yesterday afternoon, I was showing her the video from my phone, that the camera out back was producing. We both thought it was good, and as I was looking at the video, she, looking up into the tree noted that there was a bird up there making a lot of noise. That is when we realized that the bird sounds were coming from my phone, which was coming from the camera out in the back 40.

            This morning Tres was laying on the back porch, and I checked the camera to see if it was working properly. I saw the Tres laying there so I decided to say something and see if he could hear me, as the camera is about 50 feet away from where he was laying.

            I said, “Tres it's me”, his ears stood up and he looked in the direction of the camera. I said it again and he kept looking. Then I made a clicking noise that I use when we are walking to get his attention, he began to bark like crazy. I had to get up from the ole computer and go to the back door to get him to come in, so he would stop barking. Well, I know the sound from the camera works both ways.

            I need to get ready to take the kids to school, see you later!

Have a blessed day!

Senior person who has several things I should do today, but will I, Don the Ford

It was a jet 04.03.2022

 

            The Tres and I go out front each morning, even though there is no newspaper to retrieve. This morning as I was scanning the sky, the sun was not quite up yet, but the sky was a bright light blue. Just above the horizon I could see what appeared to be a vapor trail from a jet plane. This vapor trail was unusual in that it was very short and it was a light brown in color. There was one other difference in the vapor, it was moving with what I assumed to be a jet. (Allow me to explain something, the vapor trail front and back were moving as one, the trail was not getting longer, it was moving.)

            Understand please, I could not see the jet. I could see a very short light brown vapor trail that was coming up from the horizon. When I say short, it appeared to me as being ¼ inch long, of course it was many miles away.

            Then the vapor trail disappeared. No vapor trail, no jet plane. In a few seconds possibly less than 15, the vapor trail was again there, and it was still moving. I should note, for that one person who might be interested, the vapor trail was coming from the north east.

            The vapor trail again disappeared and there was a shiny spot which I assumed was the jet. Then this shiny spot seemed to have lights like landing lights coming from it, which made me believe it was a jet, but why would a jet have landing lights on while it was flying several miles high.

            The shiny object disappeared and the vapor trail also disappeared, did it come back, I don’t know, as me and Tres came back into the house. No, it wasn’t a UFO, it was just a jet in the sky and there were optical allusions for this ole senior person to see, but I did find it interesting.

            Topic change, Alex’s scout troop did good in their car wash yesterday. The money they rase goes towards the cost of summer camp. They will have a couple more washes before camp time.             Note; we had both of our vehicles washed and they looked good. The van was left out on the drive way all day and when I went to put it into the garage in the afternoon, the windshield was covered with green pollen from the red oak trees.  

            I will not bother you with what I did yesterday, no one wants to know that I mowed both the back 40 and the front yards, I pulled baby trees from the Jasmin beds, then I sprayed the beds with something my first wife provided, to help them grow, or that I watered all the flowers and berries out back. Photo to follow of the Tres enjoying new mowed back 40.

            I will tell you that my favorite wife and I ate lunch at a burger place, and it was not good, but we did sit outside during happy hour and rested from all the toils of the day. 

Happy Sunday to you!

Senior retired ole person Don the Ford       

Calendar change 04.02.2022

            This morning I discovered that I am not only an April fool, I am, or was, a March fool. Yep, I had not turned the page on the calendar and it was still March. The calendar has now been changed, and I am as up to date as I will ever be.

            I came into the Fords ole office area this morning, turned on the security monitors so I could keep an eye on the front porch, I had the front door open and not being in the TV room I wanted to be sure that no one would attempt to enter the Ford's ole house without me knowing.

            I was surprised as there was a male Sparrow sitting on the ledge above the area where a bird residence hangs. He was not doing much, he would stretch a wing, maybe scratch and then just sit there waiting, I can only assume that his mate was on the nest in the bird residence, and he was required to stay outside.

            The sparrows are flying back and forth from the bird residence now, I do not know if they already have young, and are bringing food for the little ones, or if they are building a nest.

            Enough about the birds, let's talk about me. Yesterday I did spray weed and grass killer on the area of the soon to be new flower bed. There are still some roots that I want to kill and remove before tilling it up. I did also go through this area and pull out of the ground any acorns I could see. Acorns get stepped on, pushed into the ground, and that basically plants them, which encourages them to grow. The front yard has at least 100 trees growing at this time.

            I didn't say they were big trees, they are the beginning of a red oak forest, but I will mow them down enough times that they finally give up. I like the grown red oaks; I wish we did not have the acorns.

            Yesterday, I did weed eat the back 40 and along the fence at the ditch. The city usually has the ditch sprayed in early spring with weed killer, but they try to stay away from the fences, so I get to trim the fence line. Heck, the weed killer doesn't work that long and as summer progresses, I trim and or mow the entire ditch.

            I do hope to have the energy to get on the Fords ole riding mower and mow the back yard. A neighbor got a new zero turn mower and I want one but being on a fixed income, it is just a dream. 

            I was allowed to water the flowers in the front yard yesterday, and I am told I can water the flowers in the back 40 today. It is great when ole people are allowed to have fun. 😐

            I plan to get my cars washed today. No, I aint going to wash them! Our grandson Alex's Scout troop is having a car wash today, and I will do my best to take both vehicles and have them washed. I wish they were doing the insides too. The wash site is across from the school on Hewitt drive.

           

sat-her-day

            The name was started because, "she sat all day," then trying to satisfy the female population, they changed the name to Sat-er-day, and later they took out the dashes.

 

Senior silly person who doesn't know everything, but knows enough, Don the Ford

April fool's day 04.01.2022

            I can be one and have fun doing it! May we all have fun being foolish today!

            The grand kids will be here about an hour earlier than normal, we will hopefully go to the Star coffee place and use the last $2.49 that is in the card, yes, I will need to donate some cash to get drinks for the kids, and then on the way back to the homestead I plan to get a couple burritos. Sounds like a good way to start the day.

            Let’s hope I get them to school on time. 

            I got the gas-powered weed eater out and cleaned the dead grass out of the area that will be our new flower bed. The gas-powered unit is lighter than the electric unit and is easier to use. I then raked all the trimmings up and disposed of them. There is still some green in the area, and I will apply round up again today. We want all the green dead and gone before we attempt to till it up and plant some flowers.

 

             I was also able to trim the grass along the street, driveway, and walkway yesterday, but I did not get to work the back yard or the ditch. Maybe today I will be allowed to do more work.

            My favorite wife and I went to the cracker restaurant for supper last night, but it is no longer fun. The food was ok, and the service was good, but we no longer know the people who work there. We will likely start going to different food places on Thursday, if we are going to be around strangers, we might as well have some variety in the food.

            The grand kids and I made it to the coffee place, my gold card is now empty, and we also got the burritos, and are home eating and drinking. The hot sauce is hot.

            I need to decide what work I want to do today, hopefully it is not too much.

Workaholic Don nope!

Senior retired person who needs to get the kids to school, Don the Ford