Snap Crackle Pop 05.03.17

                I hope that title does not apply to my dental visit later this morning. I am scheduled for a cleaning and hopefully they do not find anything else to charge me for.

                The title might bring the thought of a kid’s cereal to some of you. I remember one part of the advertisement from the olden days stated, “The best is missed unless pops around”. It seems as if many people do not believe that statement these days.

                Crack, Snap, Pop would be a better title for this wonderful posting. I have photos that will provide most of the information. This posting is about the broken tree limb that was hanging from the tree at the Ford’s Homestead. 

First, we review the photo of the limb hanging from the tree.              

  

The limb was too high to reach with my pole saw, so I added 30 inches to the handle. The extra length did allow me to get to the needed height but I could not get to the broken portion due to other limbs in the way.

                I then decided to attempt to get a rope into the branches of the broken limb and see if I could pull it down. Using a large crescent wrench tied to a rope I would toss the wrench into the branches in hopes it would get tangled. I was successful several times using the rope but after a couple hours of pulling I became tired and I took a break. About an hour later I again approached the task with renewed energy. 

                At one point the limb seemed very loose, I then, holding on to the rope began walking in large circles. This caused the limb to twist at the break and the limb finally fell!

                 Click to enlarge!

Snap, Crappel, Pop it is down! (Crappel is a new word, it means more than one crap)

Patience, hard work and inventiveness will get you there!

May your day not be filled with Crappel!  

Don Ford

A Penny for your thoughts 05.02.17

                During my morning meditative stroll, I had many good thoughts about family and friends. I even thought of a biblical statement to send to a good friend.

                I was in the zone for the first three laps of the morning stroll, then during the last lap I became aware of things around me.

                During the last lap I found a penny laying on the road and it was heads up, although it was rather difficult to determine heads from tails. In the photo that follows, we see said penny and we are viewing the heads side.

 

I wonder how long this penny had been laying there, and how many times it has been run over. I may have walked over this coin hundreds of times during my morning strolls. Why did I find it today?

                My first wife and I, have since we were first married, received good luck each time we found a heads up penny. If you want to call that superstitious, it is ok with us!

                If one looks into this good luck after finding a penny phenomenon, they may find that it is in fact positive actions on the part of the finder. In short, if you believe something will happen, then you will probably act to cause those things to happen. If you like to call that good luck, it is ok with us.

                I am not sure what good luck this penny will bring us. I wonder if you only get one good luck award with one penny, or can you get several good lucks from one penny. I can think of several good lucks that would be nice. Should I make a list of the good lucks we need (privately) and then prioritize them? That way if we get more than one good luck award on a single penny, we would get the most needed first!

May your day be filled with good luck!

Don Ford

               

Friday not the 13th 05.01.17

                It is Friday again and I am preparing to manicure the Ford Homestead property. As I sit here in the control center of the Homestead property, I again noticed something that I wrote about earlier this week. I will insert a photo from one of the Ford Homestead’s cameras that again shows that X marks the spot. I may need to dig into that X and see if there is some treasure hiding there.

 

                Click to enlarge, you can see the X and there is nothing above that X to create that X. Yes you can see the flash in the center of the photo, if you look close you can see it is camera #5 and the M indicates that motion is detected.

                I am happy to report that the grass is dry so I can start earlier and hopefully finish by noon o’clock.

                I completed the manicuring project before noon and it was decided that I should attempt to remove the pollen from my senior body. With all good intent, I hopped into the shower, grabbed the soap and began to lather up my face. That is when the problem began. I either rubbed my eyes to hard or, there was something on my hand or eye lids that cause me to scratch my eye, and the soap went into my eyes. The soap burned my scratched eye, I could not get the soap rinsed out quick enough! When I got out of the shower, mucus was filling my injured eye and my nose was running like Niagara Falls.

                It took more than 30 minutes for the pain to reside, but my poor eye continued to create mucus for at least 3 hours. After sleeping a while that night, I awoke and my eye was matted shut.

                Things are better today (Saturday), but I have trouble remembering to not, rub my eye.

                On Sunday I checked the black berries and find them getting ready to turn black, photo to follow. Do not click on the photo in an attempt to see if there is and almost nude female, laying in the sun. 

 

Be gentle when washing one’s eyes!

Don Ford  

Survey 04.28.17

                As I sat in my old recliner looking out the front door, I observed a strange pickup drive down our avenue. I immediately jumped to my feet and sprinted to the door. There were two strange persons sitting in the pickup, possibly deciding what they wanted to do. Were they there to look at the home, it is for sale, or were they there to break in to a house, that is empty?

                I continued to observe these two persons. Then it happened, they exited the pickup and walked to the house. They began to measure the house, which seemed a little odd to me but…

                The two returned to the pickup and retrieved some equipment. The older person walked to the far corner of the front yard and using a metal detector began to look for a metal rod. They were there to survey the property.

                I, being a social person and somewhat nosey, I watched until they came to the corner of my yard. I then walked out to greet them. The older fellow was again using his metal detector to find the stake that marks the corner of both properties. I said, 9.5 feet from the curb and he looked at me. That is correct, he said. He found the stake. I noted that the property went to the other side of the drainage ditch. The surveyor replied, no the stake is at the back of the fence on this side of the ditch.

                I said, you may be correct, but my property goes to the other side of the ditch. The surveyor said he would check his paper work. I gave him a little time and then I went to the back yard. I noticed that he was heading for the ditch, so I proceeded to the same area. He was measuring from the stake at the back of the fence. I asked him, do you need another 30 feet?  He said he needed 28.5 feet. I pointed across the ditch and said the stake use to be there.

                He found it right where I said it would be. Why don’t they come to me first, it would save them time.

                I thanked him for surveying my property line which verified that my fence was on the line.

                I saw our resident turtle who was sitting very still under the water. I did not get a photo.

                During the same time I reviewed the Ford’s black berry patch. A couple of the berries were red and the birds had eaten part of the red berries. Then I saw it! A baby bird, no feathers, on the ground! I carefully picked it up and placed it back in the nest. The nest was damaged and the baby began to fall out. I removed it from the nest and attempted a small repair. I then replaced the baby into the nest. I decided to get some string and attempt to secure the nest. During the repair work one of the parents was watching and commenting on my being there. Hopefully the nest will hold.

Ask me first, it will save time!

Don Ford

Chips 04.27.17 continued from 04.24.17

            Your government has now provided the safest method of using the credit system. Even if someone gets your chip code, they will not be able to use it because it must match with your face. Did your government finally do something right?

                The next step in this security process, provided by your government is, “Recall all money, and go to an all credit system”. Citizens are given one year to turn in all money. That includes coins and paper money. When you turn in your money, your government credits your account. The government requires all banks and companies that handle money including investment companies to send that information to them. From that point on, if you sell an investment or access your bank account, the transactions go through your government credit system helping you keep your credits safe.

                Your government helps you again by requiring your employer to send your pay to them. They credit your account, taking the necessary deductions from each pay period. You no longer have to go to the bank saving you time.

                Another outstanding part of your governments credit system is, you no longer have to fill out income tax forms. Your government’s computers review your credit account monthly, making any needed adjustment to your taxes and deductions. One less thing to worry about!

                Another excellent benefit of your government’s credit system, there is no more problems with immigrants. No one wants to come to your government’s country. Your government allows you to freely travel to other countries, but they will not allow you to convert your credits into foreign currency. The foreign country may send a billing request to your government, and the government will decide whether to pay it or not.

                At some point you decide that the government is not your government, but it is too late, you and all citizens should have taken a stand some time ago. 

                The government still provides food stamp credits, welfare credits and free medical care for the less fortunate. Each quarter the government reviews the cost of these giveaways and decides on a percentage needed to deduct from all credit accounts to cover the expenses. This is considered fair because they take the same percentage from everyone’s accounts. If they need half a percent to cover these expenses, they will deduct it from everyone’s account. That way a middle class person pays the same percentage as a rich person.

                All the government unions are now united into one! That one union is, “The Unified Government”!

                The Unified Government took charge of all the Government functions removing the need for elections. The Unified Government Union leader, took the place of The President. Union personnel were placed in positions such as, the Senate and House of Representatives.

                All these things occur because people did not want to get involved!

Get involved!

Don Ford

Nothing to write about 04.26.17

                What does one do when they are sitting at their computer and have nothing to write about? I guess we will see what happens as this is the situation for me right now. I just don’t have anything to write about today, it is sprinkling rain outside so I can’t go for a walk, we all know that sugar will melt in the rain, and we all know how sweet I am so I would probably melt in the rain.

                Now that I think about it, my mother would not let me go outside when it was raining. I must have been so sweet as a child, that she was afraid that I would melt, if I went out in the rain. What a mom!

                I don’t have any projects for today, I did get all the limbs that were on the ground yesterday, cut up and placed on the trailer. I guess I could talk about being tired from working those limbs for the last two days but that is old news.

                My neighbor, who has been hit hard with allergies for quite a while, came over yesterday afternoon. He said he isn’t going back to the doctors anymore, as they have not helped him. We were able to sit outside for a while and enjoy a beverage, even though the pollen was floating around.

                Talking about allergies, I have a mask on right now. The mask helps keep me from breathing in the pollen, and when I don’t breathe in the allergens, my eyes do not itch. Early morning is one of the worst times for pollens, I don’t wear the mask all day.

                I could jump in the Ford’s Chevy and go to the coffee shop and get a cup of coffee. The problem with that would be, I would probably get a breakfast sandwich which tastes good, but I do not need the extra calories. NO, I can’t resist, if I go I get the sandwich, do not judge me! 

                I am back and the coffee is good. As one might expect there was a line at the drive through all around the coffee shop, but it went amazingly fast. They either had enough help or, everyone was ordering just a cup of coffee.

                How many of you have driven through a big city during rush hour? Well I live in Hewitt, not a big city, not even a big town, but we have more traffic during the rush hours than major cities. It seems as if everyone must drive through Hewitt to get to where they are going and that is just part of the problem.

                The Midway school system is another major part of the traffic. The Midway school system has built many schools in various areas of Hewitt and Woodway. I believe they did this so they would not have to provide bus service to the children in the area. They have a rule that is something like this, if you live within a mile of the school you will not get bus service. I believe the schools are strategically located to reduce the need for busses. When you have literally thousands of parents trying to take, or pick up, their children from the schools you also have traffic that rivals downtown New York City.  

                I would like to have a digital tire pressure gage but I hate to spend the money. I have two old manual air gages, one works good but one I have learned is way off. Why do they have to charge so much, when we all know that they mark everything up two to three hundred percent minimum.

                As I stated earlier, I have nothing to write about so, I will not write anything.

Have nothing to do, then rest all day!

Don Ford

X again 04.25.17

                For that one reader who remembers the photo of an X in the sky (signs in the sky), which I posted 09.16.14, I have observed another X. I can only assume it means one of two things, there is a fortune buried where the X is, or that the Ford’s Homestead is a holy site. Possibly the second is most likely.

 

                In the photo one can see the shadows on the ground, but would you believe, there was nothing above to make the shadows? Please ignore the white hose, as it has nothing to do with the X.

                On a different subject, as I was walking this morning, attempting to loosen my senior muscles from the work I had completed yesterday, and preparing myself for the work I will do today, there were several birds on the wire across the street where the white line has been established. I, being very observant, carefully negotiated the area of the white line, in an effort to not become part of the white line. I believe these birds were waiting on me to walk through this area. There have been several ineffective attempts, from some flying birds, to drop a bomb on my person as I walk. I have been lucky and have avoided these attempts.

                Unfortunately, there is the body of a new born baby bird lying on the pavement near the white line. I looked up to see where this baby had fallen from, but there was no limbs above its resting spot. I have no idea how this unfortunate chick arrive at this spot.

                Yesterday I attempted to remove a broken and hanging limb from a tree in the back yard, but I could not reach it with my 8 foot ladder and 16 foot pole saw.  I have been able to pull on the limb, but to no avail (that means it would not fall). Photo to follow, click to enlarge.

 

Since I could not get the broken limb down, I took my frustrations out on a couple other large limbs, and I unfortunately damaged the fence as one of the limbs fell onto it. I was able to butcher half of the limbs and place them on the trailer yesterday, (that is why my senior body is tired and hurting today), and I will attempt to make this senior body finish the second half of the limbs today. 

                                         

I hope I can get to the old rocking chair this afternoon,

with my diet coke!

Don Ford              

       

Tree limb hanging 04.24.17

                We are supposed to have good weather here today, so I need to get outside and act like I am working. There is a tree limb that is broken and hanging down, but I haven’t been able to get it down to the ground yet. It is very high in the tree.

                The black berries are starting to turn, one was red yesterday. I have the feeling they will all turn at about the same time.

                The mockingbird has babies in the nest located in the black berry vines, and it will be difficult to pick the berries without disturbing the birds.

  

Hope you have a safe and fun day!

Don Ford