ODDS AND ENDS...MAYBE MIDDLES

         I’m sitting here at the computer trying to think of something to write about that won’t sound whiny or negative or insane and not having a lot of luck. I really want to whine about simply EVERYTHING!!! Are you feeling that way too? Are you becoming concerned for your sanity yet?

          That’s not going to happen though. Who needs to read whiny or negative stuff when all you have to do is turn on the news, head to the internet, or open a newspaper. It’s all there, just waiting for you to dive in. So, I guess I’ll just write about stuff my fingers tap out on the keyboard.

          I did get up this morning and do my physical therapy. I also walked with my neighbor. We kept our distance, not exactly six feet, but no touching, no coughing, no spitting. I wasn’t sure I’d be able to make the whole hour after having an entire week off, but I actually did. Good for me, good for us. We’re going to do it again tomorrow.

          Last week, I wrote about the rat(s) that have taken to coming and getting the chicken’s food. I have since found one dead one, but there’s another one that’s out there practically all day long. He even chases the squirrels away. I would have thought the squirrel would chase the rat. I’m putting out less food. Periodically, Mabel, the chicken will go over and sit by her food to keep the rat away, but as soon as she meanders off to do something else, the rat is right back. Now there’s a crow back there…why doesn’t he take after the rat.

          A friend called last week and talked to me about the rat problem. I had put some poison down the rat/mole holes, but after my friend explained just how the rats die from the poison, I don’t feel good about eliminating them that way. I also don’t want my resident owls to find a poisoned one and have it for dinner. So, I called AJ to see if he could remember what we did with all the rat traps John had gathered over time. He still has a couple of them, but he’s going to come over tomorrow morning and shoot that rat. I wonder if another one will take its place?

          The dogs were just released into the back yard with me saying, “Crow, crow.” They ran out there and chased away the crow. The vet calls them rat terriers, but they must have lost some of that DNA along the way. Rat terriers were used in the early 1900s to protect homes and farms from rodents. The White House was suffering from a rat infestation when President Theodore Roosevelt and his family moved in. The rats had learned to avoid traps and poison that had been set out to get rid of them. President Roosevelt brought in rat terriers and they solved the problem. If my doggies’ DNA held true, there wouldn’t be any moles or rats in the back yard…they’d get rid of them. Instead, they ignore everything but the squirrels and the crows. Those they bark at and chase.

          I’ve let the dogs back in and am waiting to see how long it takes before the rat returns. While the dogs don’t chase it, they do run right by the food, so the rat stays away. Right now there’s some small birds pecking away at the seed. It took a while for the rat to return, so a couple of squirrels, some little birds and Mabel all got a chance to eat. Mabel would have anyway because she won’t let the rat get close. I think I said I’m putting less food out, but maybe I need to restrict it further.

          I think we all love to see the sun shining. It would be good to go outside and work in the garden, but the wind is blowing very hard and it’s very very cold. Not only that, but the ground in my garden is sodden. It’s easy to weed when the ground is wet, but when it’s soaked as badly as mine is, I have to either put too much mud into the yard waste or shake the weed really hard to keep the mud in the garden. And, now, the sun has surrendered to the clouds and it’s raining. Bah!!!

          Supposedly, the remainder of this week is going to be wet and windy. I looked ahead through 4/13 just a couple of days ago and it showed temperatures in the 60s. Today, it shows rain, more rain and more rain with the best high at 54 degrees. Where or where is spring? The rodent indicated we’d have an early spring, but I’m beginning to think he was wrong.

          Choices, I have many choices as to what I can now do with my time. I can go clean the bathroom, vacuum, dust, watch television, read, sew or continue trying to catalog the remainder of the stuff in John’s room. None of these have any sort of appeal. I’ve been reading a lot on my new I-pad, as well as playing a game I used to play until my old I-pad wouldn’t sustain it any longer. What a time-waster that is.

          Well, I don’t think I’ve dwelled on anything that’s too horribly negative. I also think I haven’t exactly whined. I do have to admit, however, that being alone as we all mostly are even if we have spouses and/or kids, there’s not a lot to write about when you cannot get out and about. Obviously, I wrote this just so I’d have something to post for day 91. Hopefully, I’ve entertained you just a bit so you’ll keep coming back. I’m sure I’ll find my muse or something more interesting to write about…especially if I get up off my ass and do something…anything!!! Until tomorrow, stay safe, stay healthy and stay sane.