Chemicals Needed, lots of them.

For YEARS everyone in the neighborhood has threatened to slip over during the darkness of night in super stealth mode and spray this yard. Not just spray, but SPRAY like there's no tomorrow. Regardless of how well we all weeded, or sprayed our yards (and many have it done professionally), we could not get rid of the dandelions. Can you see why? What a constant eye sore, on top of the additional work it caused the rest of us in the neighborhood....and let's talk allergies. ERRRRRRRRRRRRRRR

He would wait and wait to mow, then when the grass was about a foot tall, and his weeds and dandelions had blown all around the neighborhood; he'd give in and mow the tops off. He never sprayed, he never pulled a weed. The yard was either full of yellow dandelions, or the fuzzy seeds of the dandelions, or those purple weeds (can't remember what they're called.)

But, there's more. When he did decide it was time to mow, he mow at night and bagged it. Well generally only 2 strips could be done because the grass was so tall so it would take him forever to mow. Which meant everyone had to hear the mower for hours and hours during their quiet time. And because he hated to mow, he had the mower set to the lowest possible setting and the yard look scraped the next day or so. So pretty. Thankfully, we spend most of our time out back and not in the front.

Good news, after 20+ years, he put the house on the market and moved out. YIPPEE. However, the house has remained empty for almost 2 years. The only good part of this, he finally hired someone to cut it. Thus the above photograph. Big mower, he could do it quicker. At least we had less noise to deal with. Then after the house had been on the market for ages, someone convinced him he needed to do something about the yard. FINALLY, he sprayed it; but as you can imagine once was hardly enough. Now, we have our fingers crossed that if the house sells (he has it way over priced), we'll get more considerate neighbors that take care of it better than he did. Only time will tell. He's tried selling it himself with no luck; and just recently we've learned he's getting a Realtor. Fingers and toes are crossed.

Do you have bad neighbors like this?

The waiting is Painful!

Look at the patience! These pictures were taken 2 summers ago on my deck just about dinner time. My kitchen window looks out onto the deck, which I love. I'm able to look out as I prepare meals. I quickly got my camera. Initially took the a photo from inside; but wanting a better photo actually was able to step out onto the deck to get these photo's. Neither moved. They both were quite intent.


So, what do you think?
Want to see and read more about animals? Please visit my SIL's blog

Homemade Noddles!

This is my niece who helped me with making homemade noddles. Realized I never edited these pictures, there were in the wrong folder on my computer and are from Thanksgiving a few years back. We make homemade noddles...TONS of them, believe that year we made about 6 recipes worth. We are a huge bunch when we gather for the fest and everyone loves my homemade noddles. Then we had to make more so my little helper had some to take home. We made egg noddles for the meal and for her to take home, then we made tomato basil angel hair...bird nests for her to take home. She was a good worker, but tired at the end. It takes lots of time and energy...and all day project.
My daughter usually helps me, but wasn't getting home from Baltimore until late the night before Thanksgiving and so wasn't able to. She was teaching 5th and working on her Masters at the time, and they didn't get off early.

Walmart, why I don't shop there.

I don't shop at Walmart for a variety of reasons:

• They made a senior citizen a paraplegic
• They put good small businesses out of business

This came to mind because of the recent incident regarding a crying baby, a man slapping the baby at Walmart. I don't like the store on several levels; but several years ago vowed I would not shop there again.

A senior citizen had a battery in his pocket to be assured of getting the right replacement size. An over zealous security guard followed the man, beat him up when the senior tried to explain the situation. His injuries resulted in his being a paraplegic. This was in our local papers some time back and I just have never been able to get over it. I don't know if the guard lost his job, I certainly hope so.

They take over in small towns, putting wonderful family owned businesses out of business. You know the type where people know people and have served the community for a long time. I really dislike that. Vermont I believe from memory is one of the states that's been successful in keeping them out. From memory I don't know if that was the whole state or just a particular area.

So, I choice to spend my dollars elsewhere; just my personal statement. Certainly hasn't hurt them any; but somehow it makes me feel better not to support them.