Dairy Daze...and Now Beyond

Ellen has taken a notion to love fishing.  She wanted to go again, so yesterday Gary got the whim, loaded us up and off we went to a friend's very large pond. Here are the photos from that trip. In one of those pictures is the reason we didn't take any of the fish home to eat.  I leave it to your perspicacity to figure it out.  haha (Blessing; I am thankful for Ellen learning to enjoy an outdoor activity.  Thankful for friends w/ stocked ponds.)

Today started off as a productive day; a little yard work, a little repair work up at my mom's place...you know.  Then a bit of random house work planned.  Well, in the middle of the house work, as I was piddling around in the kitchen, Ellen wants to take Bella for a bit of a walk and then bring her in the house. I figure; sure, we hadn't played with her yet today.  Why not? So in Bella came: Every dog needs a set of bee antenna; right? So Ellen played a bit with her, I made some laundry soap....etc. Then. I noticed something: I looked closer.  On the floor, which I hadn't swept or mopped yet due to the coming and going, red smears.  Red smears of blood. Gross. I inspected the dog's paws.  They were fine. Then I looked closer AGAIN at the floor. Huh?  There were little black seeds all over the floor.  Hundreds of little black seeds all over the floor. I got the broom and started sweeping them up.  But...

OR: 50 Reflections on Five Decades of Life 1:  Even after 50 years of life, I still intensely dislike gelatin; Jell-o or any brand.  If it's disguised, like in a poke cake, or one of those fluff salads, it's OK, but alone it's nasty.  My mom, when she still had her memory, said that even when I was a tiny kid she couldn't get me to eat it.  Said she would let the kids drink it sometimes, before it would gel.  But I wouldn't have anything to do with that mess either.  2. I am a so-so gardener.  I love to garden, but now there are a couple of things that have taken the wind out of my gardening sails, as it were. For one thing, my time is so fractured between different pursuits, it's hard to devote the time I'd like to.  Second, every thing I do seems to turn into some sort of disaster, it's hard to stay positive about it.  But, at this moment in April, I have about 20 teensy pepper plants sprouting.  And there are sweet taters coming o...