TURNED OUT TO BE A TELEVISION DAY

It was about 4:45 a.m. when I first heard it & knew our Pine porch post project would not be a go this morning.  Rain on the roof!!  Rain quit about 5:15 but figured it was probably too wet for Les to come over.  It was.

CACTUS WREN

Wasn’t until after 10 when I saw the first rays of sunshine landing in our front yard that I felt like venturing outside.  Venturing outside dressed warmly that is.  Temps were in the lower 40’s & with the recent rain it felt damp.  Ontario weather.  Moved all our outside stuff that I had moved inside yesterday back outside.  Worked on a little shelving project for my bathroom & it was back in the house again when heavy clouds returned to the area totally blocking out any sunshine.  And with those clouds came more rain.  Weatherman is calling for better days ahead starting Saturday.  Not a single cloud in tonight’s starry sky so I am optimistic.

Turned out to be an afternoon of television which was Ok for a change.  But not so good for coming up with a whole lot stuff to write about tonight.  I guess these kinds of days are to be expected now & then.

In a comment question  regarding a photo in Thursday night’s post Flowergirl asks, “Does the bird nest hole hurt that big cactus”?  Well, I have often wondered that too & I would think if over a period of time enough Woodpeckers made their nests in a single Saguaro it would definitely weaken the plant.  It is a fairly big nest they hollow out inside the Cactus.  When Woodpeckers abandon a nest it becomes home for other birds like Cactus Wrens & House Sparrows, etc.

And thanks to commenters for identifying the plants Kelly brought home as Agaves.  I had a feeling they were but had not made the distinction between a Cactus & an Agave.  Kind of thought anything with stickers & barbs on it was a Cactus in these parts.  Ed from the THE PEREGRINATING GRAYBEARD once again came through in a detailed manner setting the record straight for me.  Ed explained it this way………..

Agave:
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Monocots
Order: Asparagales
Family: Asparagaceae
Subfamily: Agavoideae

Cactus:
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Order: Caryophyllales
Family: Cactaceae

I know my head is much clearer now…..how about yours.  Ed’s always tuned into the politics of the day & you will find his writings & opinions enlightening & challenging.  Ed’s post resides at the very bottom of my ‘Fellow Bloggers’ list & despite many efforts I have never been able to get his posts to post currently in my Blogger’s list.  Box keeps coming up saying, ‘Could not detect a feed for this URL’.  Anybody have any ideas how I can get Ed’s current posts onto my Fellow Bloggers list??  You can read about the day we met Ed back in 2010…TODAY WE MET ED FREY & ON CHRISTMAS EVE SOMETHING CREEPY OUR WAY DID COME.

I THINK I’M FEEDING THESE GUYS TOO MUCH

Every night I am herded to the supper table whether it be here in Congress or back home in Bayfield.  No matter where I am or what I am doing Pheebs comes & gets me for supper.  When Kelly has things on the table she simply says to Pheebs, “Go get Dad” & with those 3 simple words she excitedly & somewhat ecstatically races off to round me up for supper.  And I use the words ‘round-up’ & ‘herd’ because that is exactly what she does.  She barks to get me moving faster & is right on my heels.  Not in front of or beside me.  No, directly behind me.  She rounds me up & herds me right to the table.  Works for breakfast or lunch too.  What a great little Pheebs she is:))

<<< CURVE BILL THRASHER

I especially liked Nan’s post over at TRIPPIN WITH THE TALLEYS tonight.  One of those posts I can easily relate to as Nan writes about the other side of all the usual Christmas hype.  Entitled ‘Sad People’ she strikes a reality chord in many of us.  I have great respect for, & enjoy reading posts from people who are courageous enough to be honest with their feelings. 

GROANER’S CORNER:((  Christmas Downsizing:

Today's global challenges require the North Pole to continue to look for better, more competitive steps. Effective immediately, the following economy measures are to take place in the "Twelve Days of Christmas" subsidiary:

The partridge will be retained, but the pear tree never turned out to be the cash crop forecasted. It will be replaced by a plastic hanging plant, providing considerable savings in maintenance.

The two turtle doves represent a redundancy that is simply not cost effective. In addition, their romance during working hours could not be condoned. The positions are therefore eliminated.

The three French hens will remain intact. After all, everyone loves the French.

The four calling birds were replaced by an automated voice mail system, with a call waiting option. An analysis is underway to determine who the birds have been calling, how often and how long they talked.

The five golden rings have been put on hold by the Board of Directors. Maintaining a portfolio based on one commodity could have negative implications for institutional investors. Diversification into other precious metals as well as a mix of T-Bills and high technology stocks appear to be in order.

The six geese-a-laying constitutes a luxury which can no longer be afforded. It has long been felt that the production rate of one egg per goose per day is an example of the decline in productivity. Three geese will be let go, and an upgrading in the selection procedure by personnel will assure management that from now on every goose it gets will be a good one.

The seven swans-a-swimming is obviously a number chosen in better times. Their function is primarily decorative. Mechanical swans are on order. The current swans will be retrained to learn some new strokes and therefore enhance their outplacement.

As you know, the eight maids-a-milking concept has been under heavy scrutiny by the EEOC. A male/female balance in the workforce is being sought. The more militant maids consider this a dead-end job with no upward mobility. Automation of the process may permit the maids to try a-mending, a-mentoring or a-mulching.

Nine ladies dancing has always been an odd number. This function will be phased out as these individuals grow older and can no longer do the steps.

Ten Lords-a-leaping is overkill. The high cost of Lords plus the expense of international air travel prompted the Compensation Committee to suggest replacing this group with ten out-of-work congressmen. While leaping ability may be somewhat sacrificed, the savings are significant because we expect an oversupply of unemployed congressmen this year.

Eleven pipers piping and twelve drummers drumming is a simple case of the band getting too big. A substitution with a string quartet, a cut back on new music and no uniforms will produce savings which will drop right down to the bottom line.

We can expect a substantial reduction in assorted people, fowl, animals and other expenses. Though incomplete, studies indicate that stretching deliveries over twelve days is inefficient. If we can drop ship in one day, service levels will be improved.

Regarding the lawsuit filed by the attorney's association seeking expansion to include the legal profession ("thirteen lawyers-a-suing"), action is pending.

Lastly, it is not beyond consideration that deeper cuts may be necessary in the future to stay competitive. Should that happen, the Board will request management to scrutinize the Snow White Division to see if seven dwarfs is the right number.

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- Tourists see the world, travelers experience it.
- Home is where your pet is:))
- "If having a soul means being able to feel
love and loyalty and gratitude, then animals
are better off than a lot of humans."
(James Herriot)
- The pessimist complains about the wind; the optimist expects it to change; the realist adjusts the sails -William Arthur Ward
- The only thing better than right now will someday be the memories of right now...AL.
- It is not so much having nothing to do as it is not having the interest to do something....AL.