Times are Tough!

You can't even proclaim that this economy is for the birds. Apparently, the feathered community is dealing with hard times like the rest of us.

"A seagull in Marinette, WI has developed the habit of stealing Doritos from a neighborhood convenience store.

The seagull waits until the Manager isn't looking, and then walks into the store and grabs a snack-size bag of cheese Doritos.

Once outside, the bag gets ripped open and shared by other birds.

The seagull's shoplifting started early this month when he first swooped into the store in Marinette, WI, and helped himself to a bag of Doritos.. Since then, he's become a regular. He always takes the same type of chips.

The Manager thinks it's great because people are coming to watch the feathered thief make the daily grab and run, and that's good for business, and especially since customers have begun paying for the seagull's stolen bags of Doritos because they think it's so funny. However, the Manager did say, 'This is Wisconsin, and if that seagull starts to grab a 6-pac to go along with the Doritos, I may have to put a stop to it.' "

Free Toothpicks

This summer, Northern Virginia has had some crazy unusual weather and natural occurrences...from tornadoes, severe storms, cool weather in July, and even a earthquake. Should we blame Global warming? Or maybe it's the End of Times? Either way...sure makes for some interesting photo opportunities.

Yesterday, we had another severe storm pass through my neighborhood. They don't last very long, but they sure make a mess of the yard with tree limbs, and leaves blown all over the place. This particular storm brought on some harsh lightning, and one of the trees in the front got struck. Sounded like a shotgun, and I was shocked to see the tree still standing...but the battle scars were left. The force of the lightning blew off a 5 in wide strip of bark from the very top branch, down to the tree's roots. Splinters of bark were all over the place like it had exploded out. I found some pieces of bark as far as 20 feet from the tree, and some strips of bark as long as four feet like the tree had been peeled. It made for an interesting Sunday afternoon, so wanted to share with anyone curious.



Toothpicks, Anyone?

WTF?!? Time to Vent!!!

NOTHING is safe...

Between the hours of 12:00 am and 8:00 am, my yard was severely vandalized in a manor that most would only read about in a Martha Sterwart horror story. One, innocently glowing gazing ball was brutally abducted without care or concern for those to whom it belonged. That's right! Some inconsiderate FUCKER decided to help himself to my recently purchased, solar powered, light up at night, changing in three colors of blue, red and green, totally awesome gazing ball last night....TAKEN right out of my flower bed! I was so excited to finally receive it on Monday. Placed it in my flower bed Monday night, and by Wednesday morning, it's gone! I'm pissed!! Who steals a fucking garden ornament!?! I am cruising my neighborhood tonight, and the first gazing ball I see that resembles MY gazing ball, I'm taking it! I might even steal a gnome, a bird bath or two. Dammit, people!! Stay the fuck out of my yard!

**Okay...I apologize for the language. I feel better now, and I am searching at this very moment for a chocolate chip cookie to make it all right with the world again.**



IN LOVING MEMORY... you are missed.

Chased by a Rainbow

I've heard the expression..."chase the rainbow", but this particular one was chasing me down Interstate 66 during rush hour traffic.

I was Momma Grackle for a Day

Memorial weekend 2008....as I was strolling through the field where I walk my dogs on a daily basis, I almost stepped on this little tuft of gray matter hidden in the grass. As I look closer, it popped it's little bald head up and squawked, FEED ME!




It was this little guy. A Grackle nestling that had fallen from his/her (never could figure it out) nest about 15 feet straight up, so I couldn't put it back in the nest. Being the huge animal lover that I am, there was no way I could just leave the poor little baby there all alone in the grass. She was already having a bad hair day, so falling out of the nest did not make the day any better.





No wildlife re-habilitators called me back since it was a holiday weekend, and I knew the poor baby wouldn't last the night alone. So... Seymour (what I called her because I was reminded of that flower in "Little Shop of Horrors" crying Feed Me!) came home with me, and I became Momma Grackle for a day. I found myself a little box, stuffed in some toilet paper (Charmin, of course), and Wallah! The perfect little nest.





Seymour was very alert and quite the little chatterbox. Every time I would walk near the box, she would assume I was momma returned with a nice juicy regurgitated worm or some other nasty stuff. I was NOT about to chew up some worms! No worries, though. Come to find out, I read online that I could feed her wet, softened bits of dog food kibble, and THAT I had plenty of. Seymour gobbled it up like it was the best meal a Grackle could have, and I felt very proud to accomplished my momma bird skills with such success. Seymour was content till morning when the rehabilitator finally gave me a call telling me to bring my baby on over. She would take care of her until she was able to be set back out in the world. It felt good to not turn my head and think...Oh, it's nature's way. Screw that! I believe we as human beings should help out anyone or anything that needs it when their lives cross paths with ours. Maybe there was a reason for us being there at the right time to help. Either way, Seymour is happy and healthy, and moving on. Who knows...maybe one day she will be come back and visit with all the other squawking neighborhood Grackles who eat up all the seeds in my bird feeders. *wink*




A face only a mother could love. Check out the feet on this little one! Talk about "growing into". Kinda reminds me of "Salad Fingers".....Helloooo! *laughs*

Just shoot Me!

What is the deal!?! I'm beginning to wonder if turning mid-30's is a starting point to all the "aches" and "pains" that come with growing older? Little annoyances keep occurring with my body lately, and I'm not liking it very much at all! Besides the fact that my left ankle is STILL swelling from a fall that occurred over two months ago (see previous LifeCall? blog posted), I woke up this morning with a painful knot on my left wrist....right where you can find the pulse. WTF?!? Did I fight ninjas in my dream last night? Is this the start of Carpal Tunnel from ten years of working at a computer? Or am I just falling apart and need to be taken out back and shot like a losing show pony!? Fortunately, I do have the luxury of working with doctors, so I asked one today to give me his diagnosis on this mysterious knot. He proceeds to tell me that it could be a Ganglion Cyst (a.k.a. a Bible Bump) which results from "performing repetitive and strenuous activity with the wrist". Now if I was a left-handed man, this could possibly be an embarassing moment, but I am right-handed and female. I have no idea what stenuous activity I have been performing. The doctor then proceeded to tell me that the best way to take care of this without surgery is to whack it with a huge heavy book. Excuse me?! Is this medicine at it's best? This explains why it is also known as the Bible Bump. For most households, back in the day, the heaviest book in the home was the family Bible. Therefore, it was being used most often to rid the suffering sinner of their tumor with one heavenly blow. I think I will take my chances and just deal with the pain before allowing myself to be "whacked" in the name of the Lord.



My Wrist :(




Internet example of the Bible Bump

In Case You Were Wondering....

A new and creative way to peel that pesky banana.

Oh Boy...am I Hungry!

Like Spanky....I LOVE me some Chocklate Clake!

Optical Dal-lusion

My dal, Odysey....She's the Master of Disguise.

Fortuitous Photo-Op Part 4

waking moment.....