Yard Cleanup Time

Sometimes things work out and run smoothly and sometimes Murphy plays his dirty tricks. We missed most of the nice days in April to work in the yard because of this stomach flu we had. You just don’t feel like doing anything because a cold/flu leaves you tired, and this was a bad one.  I was weak and listless. Monday was a nice day outside, not overly warm, so my wife and I decided to tackle the dead willow branches that were littering the property, mainly under the trees on the perimeter of our property. We picked up the larger ones and raked the smaller branches. Then we transported them onto my garden for burning. There is a burning ban in effect right now because of the dry weather conditions, so we have to wait until that is lifted.

We only worked until about 1:00 o’clock, because it started raining in the afternoon, which was okay. We were tired and exhausted and couldn’t have done much more anyway.

Tuesday morning I decided to load all the bags that were filled with grass (we used them on our field to catch the snow in the winter) into my van. Another grueling job when you’re not feeling well.   I managed to load them into the van, all 75 of them, after taking a rest every ten minutes. Then I jumped into the van to take them to the dump for recycling. That was my intention. My plan didn’t work out. I turned the key but the van wouldn’t start.  I believe I flooded it. It is quite finicky these days. I didn’t drive it much last year for that reason. I was afraid to go anywhere with it, because it may not start again. It is an old van (1995). I keep it only as a convenient second vehicle to go fishing with and to take the odd trip to the dump. It needs a tune-up, but I don’t want to put any money into it because I’m planning to replace it with another vehicle.

Like I said, good old Murphy of Murphy’s Law played his hand again. I had lunch and tried again a couple of hours later. Lo and behold, the van started, but now I was afraid to shut if off. I drove to the dump and emptied the grass onto the recycling pile. I kept the van running all that time. It took me 45 minutes to open all the plastic bags and empty them. You can’t leave the plastic bags there, because they are not biodegradable. Then I was afraid I might run out of gas. Fortunately, everything worked out okay. In the afternoon, we still finished picking up the rest of the fallen branches, so the day wasn’t lost and Murphy didn’t win…this time.

Today I raked the grass and then cut and bagged the dead grass. It is always a messy job. It was dry and the dust was everywhere. I wear a mask and goggles. It is the only way to survive without getting coughing spells and tiny grass pieces into your eyes. I went through all those things over the years. The whole job took me six hours: two hours of raking and four hours of cutting and picking up the grass and bagging it. Yesterday I bought biodegradable paper bags from Costco. They cost about 50 cents per bag. The bags are large and I filled only 19 bags. It was difficult to empty the grass catchers into the paper bags, because the opening is not large enough to insert the catcher-bags from the lawn tractor into the paper bags. When I use plastic bags I can do that and emptying the grass into them is simpler. I managed to get the job done and now all I have to do is just throw the bags out of the van at the dump; a job that will take maybe ten minutes, if that. It will be worth the 10 bucks the bags cost me.

It was windy all day and hot. I believe it was around 25 Celsius. We are supposed to get some rain tonight and we need it. Everything is super dry. We’ve had a number of grass fires already, including a few houses that burnt down. This is a dangerous time of the year

Amazing how green the grass already is and the leaves are appearing on many trees. I also saw a few dandelion flowers already on the lawn. On Tuesday I spotted the odd little Lady bug hiding among the leaves on the ground.  The Robins, the juncos, and the Woodpeckers have moved on. Now we have only the usual birds in the feeders and on the lawn, those that stay loyal to us all summer. They are all welcome and we enjoy them, even the crows.

The Old Man in the Mirror

When I looked in the mirror this morning, I saw an imposter. Some old guy looking at me. He looked familiar, a little bit like me, a little bit like my dad, but that’s where the resemblance ended. His hair was dishevelled; he was in need of a haircut and a shave. His eyes didn’t have that sparkle that says I’m ready for the day; in fact he looked kind of tired.

I remember seeing a handsome younger man in the mirror. That wasn’t even that long ago. Seems like yesterday, actually. Darkish hair, a smile and bright eyes full of life. That’s why I’m saying that old man in the mirror was an imposter, somebody pretending to be me. When I told him to get the hell out of my mirror, he mocked me by mouthing the same words.

When I went into the bedroom I saw him again in the dresser mirror. He looked a little better, hair combed, shaved, not quite as tired and old, but still, he was a stranger. I have no problem if he wants to pretend he is me, but for heaven’s sake, why doesn’t he make himself a little younger looking? It is depressing to see such an old man in the mirror, following me around wherever I go. It is nice to have a friend, but does he have to be so old?

Perhaps that guy is only an optical illusion, some bending of light in the glass. After all, the mirrors in our house are not new anymore. Is it possible that it is my eyes? I’ve noticed that all my friends are beginning to look old and that can’t be. Maybe it’s all in my head? Some brain damage? The numbers on my driver’s license must be wrong. I think they made a mistake when they put in the date of my birthday. The numbers don’t add up. I can’t be that old.

Or can I be? It’s all the fault of the old man in the mirror. He’s taking over my mind and my soul. If I’m not careful he will be me. Maybe I should change all the mirrors in the house to get rid of him.

Is the bad weather finally over?

I fixed my cock today. I'm talking about the weathercock or weather-vane, as it is also called. During the last storm it was blown off the birdhouse where it is located. Today was finally a wind-still day and I didn't have to worry about getting blown off the ladder.

It wasn't as simple as just putting it back again. When I built it a few years ago, I used materials at hand. For the stem in the middle that lets the wind-indicator in the form of a rooster turn, I used a piece of pipe from an electric fixture. In fact, I used a lot of electrical hardware. Well, the threaded end of the pipe that held it in place at the bottom had broken off. Now the stem was wobbly. I had to replace it with another piece of pipe left over from that same electrical fixture. A good thing I don't throw things away. I managed to fix it and it will last for many years...I hope. Everything is quite solid now and should withstand winds of hurricane force, which I hope we never get.

The problem now was getting everything back on top of the bird house. That birdhouse is over ten feet above ground. I have only an eight foot ladder and that is to the top step that is not a step. I put the ladder on top of a couple of saw horses I actually built for that purpose when I was still working to make the ladder higher. It still wasn't high enough to make it safe. I'm not as agile as I used to be and a bit more afraid of heights now. I fell off the ladder too many times and I have an injured back to live with now. My wife held the ladder in place to steady it and I hung on for dear life to the post that supports the birdhouse. I managed to put the part with the pipe back on and screwed it in place while stretching my body to its limits.

The biggest problem was to slide that weathercock over the pipe. I couldn't reach it. But I finally used a two dollar gadget I bought a few years back at Dollarama. A grabber. It was long and strong enough to hold the rooster and I could lift it high enough to slide the larger pipe attached to the rooster over the thinner pipe at the bottom. Voila...job was done. The weather-vane is back in business letting me know from which the direction the wind blows.

Now I have to steady my wobbly legs, which will take me all evening to achieve. I'm sure glad I don't have to climb that ladder anymore, like I used to have to do every day sometimes. It is good to be retired.

Blow winds blow. I don't care right now.

Snow and more snow

Talk about  a shock. This morning there was actually a blanket of snow on the grass. And the wind was howling across the willow tops. It was minus 3 outside.

Listening to the radio, I was happy to be at home safely tucked into my bed this morning. Long lineups, accidents, cars in the ditch because of slippery road conditions, one road closed. Nothing but unpleasant news. Unfortunately, this afternoon I have to drive to Winnipeg to pick up my new glasses. Hopefully the roads will be better by then.

I was checking my logbook how conditions were last year; well, we had snow at this time of year. Same for 2013. So weatherwise it isn't much different this year. We were spoiled by the disappearance of the snow in early April. It is just too bad I missed all the good weather to work in the yard. It could be all cleaned up by now.

My cold is still hanging on. Still getting these coughing spells. Today, I feel so sluggish. I could spend the whole day in bed, but I'm fighting the impulse. I need to get that blood circulating through my body. That's why I will drive away this afternoon just to see something different aside from the inside of my house. We can't even sit in the sun-room because of the cold weather. It is depressing.

Strange, how our bodies and minds are so depending on the weather. When the sun shines our spirit just picks up. Even our bird is depressed these days.

What happened to Spring?

Woke up this morning, looked out of the window and wondered what happened. Instead of brown grass I saw white. And that white stuff was still coming down.

We didn't get much snow. Most of it has melted during the day, but there are still tiny flakes falling from the sky and it is quite windy today. Not a nice day to be outside. It isn't Spring yet. April loves to play games.

I used this lousy day to file my income tax. I've been using UFile for years now. It is so easy to use and makes life a lot easier. Now you don't even have to buy the program in the store anymore. I do it all on line. Can't be easier than that. When I was still in business, I used an Accountant and paid plenty of money to have it done. Now, of course, as a retired person my income tax filing is not as complicated as it used to be. Anyway, that is done for another year and filed away.

That cold or stomach flu I got a couple of weeks ago is as stubborn as a mule. Still hanging on. I'm still coughing once-in-a-while. Just when you think you have it licked, there comes another coughing spell. Annoying and not convenient at all. Whoever invented colds should be quartered, drawn and castrated, not necessarily in that order. A lot of people caught this cold/flu. I can only predict with this coldspell we're having there will be more colds coming up. People don't dress right. That idea that seems to be supported even by doctors that you don't get a cold when you get a chill is total bunk. It's like saying jumping off a building doesn't kill you. The chill you get is the catalyst that causes the cold-bacteria in your system to start running amok. It's as simple as that, but people are so ignorant sometimes. Even stupid. The problem is that the ones who are careful get infected by the ones who are not.

It's like those Ignoramuses who don't have their children immunized, because they falsely believe they will get autism from it. They are the ones who get sick and then infect the rest of the population. It happened with the measles, the mumps, and who knows how many other childhood diseases that were supposed to be eradicated.  Unfortunately, with all those immigrants from undeveloped countries many of these diseases are popping up again. That's why it is so important to have children immunized. To do otherwise is irresponsible and downright dangerous. There should be a fine for those parents. Just my opinion.

The cost of beer

Our government is sure greedy. That is the problem when someone has the monopoly on a product. Our government controls the sales of alcoholic beverages and that is not a good thing.

I picked up 12 bottles of beer today. I paid $26.50 for a case. That is totally outrages and makes me angry. I'm surprised people actually still buy beer. I hear at the MTS center they are even crazier. $10.00 for one bottle of beer! Of course, the last time we went out to a restaurant I paid $6.00 for one bottle. That is $72.00 for a dozen. And wine isn't much more reasonable, either.

I still have a few bottles of beer I made myself from a kit. I believe it is time I make some new stuff. The kits have also gone up in price, but it is still cheaper to make your own. And the manufactures have come a long way with their beer kits and one can make a descent tasting beer. Besides, homemade beer lasts for years, something that can't be said for bought beer.

I've made quite a few bottles of wine this past winter. Actually, I went a little overboard, but I'm good now for a while and don't have to make any wine for this year anymore. My shelves are full and now the wine is aging nicely. I find homemade wine tastes better than much of the bought stuff, especially the cheaper wines. I believe the quality of our well-water has a lot to do with it. Strange though, with every wine kit they tell you not to use well-water. I sure prefer our water to the water that comes out of the water taps in Winnipeg. All you taste is chlorine and who knows what else they treat the water with. No, thank you, I prefer our well-water. It is pure and clean with no additives. How much better can it get?

Will I ever be well again?

Awwhh! Will the awful feeling of not being well ever leave me? I went to the doctor for my arthritis evaluation and he told me nothing new, but he said my sick feeling in my stomach comes from a stomach virus that's been going around. My wife got it, too, by the way.

Wonderful timing by Mother Nature. The grass is beginning to get green, the leaves are opening up on the trees, my yard needs Spring cleaning and I'm lying around feeling like crap. Yesterday, I got my tractor started. I installed the battery, put in gas and then I moved the 50 bags filled with grass that we have spread all across our field to catch the snow in the winter. It was time I did that, because the grass under the bags was beginning to rot. Now I just have to take all the bags to the dump for composting. Nothing gets lost.

But my next job is to power rake the grass and pick up all the old grass. That is always a dirty, gruesome job, but it prepares the grass for the new year. That's why I'm so ticked off. It needs to be done, but I have no oomph inside me to do it. I just want to lie about and do nothing and that is not like me at all. Yesterday I was exhausted after picking up all the bags, but it's done and I'm happy. The day wasn't a complete waste.

We also have to pick up all the old fallen branches from our willows and pile them up in the garden and then burn them. Once that is done, I can till my garden and get it ready for planting and seeding beginning of June, or, if I'm lucky with the weather, already by the end of May. This year it might happen. Of course it won't happen unless I can clean up the old branches. I'm beginning to worry with my cold dragging and my painful hip.

Yesterday, a whole bunch of woodpeckers ran around in the yard. The Robins are still there, also. This happens every year and always a pleasure to see all those birds. A flock of Red-winged blackbirds is also hanging around for a few days. But more will be coming in the next little while. They always do.

#Robins

Like every year around this time, our yard is visited by the returning Robins. They hop around, stand quiet for a while, listen to whatever they listen to, and then they run on again. Sometimes they pick in the grass. I think they are eating bugs. Maybe worms. I'm not sure. I don't count them, because there are so many. In the evening, when he sun goes down, their red breasts seem to glow. What a beautiful sight. One year I counted over a hundred Robins. The were in the trees and in the grass.

They came this morning and they are still running around. I guess until the sunshine is gone. They only stay a day or two than they move on. I feel privileged that they chose our yard to congregate.

The red-winged blackbirds have also been here in a large crowd today, eating from the feeders. And one large woodpecker. They also come in droves sometimes. This year I've only seen the one so far.

My stomach was a little better today. I went to the doctor and he told me there are a couple of viruses going around. He's had many patients in the past two weeks complaining about the same symptoms.
Thank you so much, Fate, for giving me this present.

I also found out that I probably need new hips. Arthritis has decided to destroy mine. I've been in terrible pain for weeks now. Another gift from destiny. Retiring is not as great as younger people think it is. They only see that we don't have to go to work anymore and still get money from our pensions. The sad thing is that retiring means getting old with all the wonderful fringe benefits. It means trips to the doctor and it means endless pain sometimes.

I like what is says on our Senior's card the government gives us:
The Government of Canada requests that  this person be extended all possible privileges.
I guess that included also Arthritis, failing eyesight, loss of hearing, wrinkled skin, and anything else that comes with age. It's all part of the package.
I'm so grateful for that.

#And Time stood still.

They say time flies when you’re having fun. That is so true, but time seems to stand still when you’re not feeling good. Time stood still for me for the last few days. My wife and I we both got ourselves a cold, but this cold was worse than any I can remember. I probably had colds like this before, but fortunately, we forget about those.

Last Wednesday I developed a fever which lasted until yesterday and a bad cough, but the worst was the nausea I suffered for two days. I spent most of the night in the kitchen drinking fennel tea. Needless to say I was dead-tired in the morning. Yesterday, I ate a piece of toast and half a banana for breakfast and a small bowl of vegetable soup, but I had to work hard to even swallow it down. My appetite was gone. Then I was lying on the couch, trying to rest, but the nauseous feeling was so bad I couldn’t even do that. I felt like a zombie. When finally drifted off, my body was racked by a coughing spell. Not a great time I must say. I don't wish that even on my worst enemy.

For supper I had only a piece of toast. This nausea reminded me of the times when I was on a ship crossing the ocean, but that was a long time ago and my memory vague. The last time I suffered from nausea was when I went fishing with my friends, but when we set foot on land I felt better. This one was worse than that one and it didn’t stop.

I took spoonfuls of Diovol, drank fennel tea and peppermint tea. I also made myself some ginger tea, which was a bad idea. It was too spicy and burned my throat. I read on some website to nibble on a piece of ginger. Has anyone actually ever done that? Not advisable unless one loves the burning sensation of the hot ginger in the mouth. Well, whatever remedy I tried, nothing helped.

The worst thing is the loss of valuable time. The weather was beautiful these last few days and there is lots of work to be done in the yard, but I felt so exhausted and not at all like working outside. And yesterday I wasted the whole day dozing on the couch. What a waste of a beautiful day!

When you feel so sick and you can’t imagine anymore how it feels to be healthy, you would welcome it if a huge asteroid hit the Earth and ended it all. It wouldn’t matter. Anything would be better than feeling so lousy.

Today I’m feeling okay, the nausea is gone, but I’m terribly tired. I lost 5 pounds from not eating. Why is it that we never lose weight from those parts of our body that actually need to lose some weight?

While I’m writing this, my wife is watching the Price is Right. What’s wrong with these women coming up to bid on the prizes? Some of them scream like stuck pigs and they jump around like someone stung by a swarm of bees. I’ve never seen men do that. I don’t watch the show, but I sneak a peek once in a while, especially when I hear some crazy woman screaming. Don’t they have any self-control? Even my wife finds them annoying.

On a more pleasant note: It’s beautiful outside. The sun is shining and the weather is getting better. We’re getting lots of birds coming to the feeders right now, and not just sparrows. The Juncos are here. They usually hang around for a couple of weeks. And today I saw the first Red-wingedBlackbirds and a woodpecker in the feeder. There was also a Common Redpoll hanging around. I couldn’t get a picture of the large woodpecker hanging on the basket. Maybe next time. 

A Common Redpoll and a Junco

#Good Friday

Today is Good Friday. Shall we say ‘Happy Good Friday’ or ‘Sad Good Friday’? I have no idea why it is called Good Friday. After all, according to the Christian Faith, Jesus was crucified by the Romans on this day. So, my question is: What’s good about it?

I was raised in the Christian Faith. I remember on Good Friday we were not allowed to show happiness. No loud talking, no shouting, no singing, no working; in my case it meant no playing. As a kid, I found it boring. And we didn’t eat meat on Good Friday. If we had fish it was fish, if we didn’t it was something else, as long as it didn’t contain meat. I don’t know why eating fish instead of meat makes a difference.

Religion is a phenomenon. When did it start? Every primitive tribe since the beginning of the human race had some kind of mystical believe. The origins of those beliefs are lost in time. Obviously, it is all about power. People have always been superstitious and searched for the meaning of life. So, if somebody came along and said he/she has been in contact with some invisible spirit and has been enlightened by this powerful spirit, people listened. When they made up stories about a wonderful world, much better than the one everyone lived in now, people had hope that some day everything would be better. So they began worshiping these invisible deities and they believed in Heaven, a mystical world nobody has ever seen.

Religion is huge business. Religious leaders have respect; they have power over their flock. Followers will give away all their possession for a promise to get a special place in Heaven. It may be an empty promise, but it is something to look forward to. Over the centuries, religious groups have gained enormous power. To keep this power they made up rules, some of them backed by so-called ‘Holy Books’, stories and ‘God’s Laws’ written by men, who, according to their claim, received them from a divine Spiritual Being, a Holy  Spirit. This Holy Spirit has many names: God, Jehovah, Yahweh, Allah, The Great Spirit, Krishna, The Force, and who knows how many other names.

The different religious groups created their own laws and rules, rituals and traditions. Some rituals and practices became almost absurd and downright dangerous, like offering living sacrifices to appease the god or the gods. Some religions created more than one god. There were even times, when the religious leaders told their flock that regular people were allowed to pray, but they could not talk to God; only the clergy could. Women could never talk to God. Some religions punish the guilty if they criticize God or their faith. Death is the ultimate punishment for committing such sacrilege. What a wonderful way to keep the sheep in line and the power in the hands of the religious leaders. I cannot believe that a real, just god would ever demand such horrible practice.

Which religion is the right one? They all claim to be the true, the only religion. Their God is the only one and no other gods exists. Who told them that? The voices in their heads? Scary stuff. People are put into insane asylums these days if they admit to hearing invisible voices.

Even though I was raised in the Christian faith, I am not a churchgoer. I find all the commotion and the rituals silly. Like children playing games. Unfortunately, they are serious games. Not playing them in some religions can have serious, deadly consequences. Don’t ask questions, just obey the laws. After all, you were not chosen to be God’s voice and to receive his enlightenment.  You’re nothing but a sheep, a stupid sheep, and if you don’t behave you’ll be slaughtered.

Jesus Christ preached love, tolerance, and forgiveness. That was 2000 years ago and his teachings are still valid today. Even if people don’t believe he was the son of god, that’s okay. What he preached was and is the truth and we would all do well to follow that teaching. We don’t need to belong to a church or any religion; we don’t need to play the games, we don’t need to follow silly rituals to be a good person.  If we would only practice loving our neighbors and to be tolerant with people who are not of our faith, this world would be a better place.

Of course, even tolerance can be a two-edged sword. Should we tolerate a religion that teaches hatred and narrow-mindedness and urges, even commands, its followers to murder people who are not of their faith? Would we not be guilty of intolerance if we shunned those people?

I think any belief that promotes evil and creates havoc and turmoil cannot be tolerated. Obviously, we cannot let religious groups commit living sacrifices, we cannot accept cults that preach it is okay to have sex with children or animals, and we cannot allow people being murdered because they are not like us, for having a different faith. It is clear that there are limits to what can be tolerated in a society. We must promote anything that creates harmony and peace in our world. I consider that tolerance.

 No, I'm not a preacher. I'm just a person who is sad because of all the violence and hatred in our wonderful world. We don't have to wait until we die to get to Heaven; we could have it all right here, right now, if we would only practice more tolerance and love.

#Peace and Happiness to you.

Snow and more snow

What  a day again. The snow was gone twice  now. Early this morning the sun was shining and it looked like a beautiful day ahead. By 10 AM the sun was gone, clouds had moved in and it began snowing. The temperature dropped drastically and by noon it was minus 5 C. We were just inside the grocery store when it looked like a blizzard outside. Whiteout conditions. By the time we got home at around 1:30 PM the snow had stopped falling, but the temperature was down to minus 9 C. Will this winter ever end? Tonight minus 12 and tomorrow night supposed to go down to minus 14 C. Our barometer doesn't know what to do. Yesterday it dropped and I knew a snowstorm was coming, and this afternoon it rose drastically, indicating a cold-spell. That barometer is more accurate than any sophisticated electronic gadgets the weather people have. I can always rely on it.

Yesterday I saw a Common Redpoll by our feeder. The size of a sparrow but with a red breast and red coloring under its wings. Quite a beautiful bird, actually.

My pepper-seeds have all sprouted and the little seedlings are growing nicely. I need the weather to warm up so I can put them, at least during the day, into our sun-room. My fish are not happy with those mini grow-gardens on top of their aquarium. It filters out the light and makes the aquarium dark. It works quite well, though, as far as sprouting seeds and getting the plants to reach a certain height.

Tomorrow is Good Friday. Actually, it is 12:20 AM as I write this, and already Good Friday. We'll have smoked Whitefish for supper. Even though I'm not rigidly religious, I grew up with eating fish on Friday, especially on Good Friday, and I wouldn't feel right, eating meat on that day. Besides, we love fish and eating fish is healthy.