Ah, simulated wood...my dream
Jane, good point. Hardie Plank is something that I was introduced to down in Florida one year. If I ever live long enough for my dream of building another home, it will be wood/cement siding. How clever of you. Expensive, yes.
Can't believe these woodpeckers. They are after foam insulation. Big b*ggers too...the redheaded woodpeckers one sees in Disney movies...humungous.
Rosey
WOODPECKERS
ROSEY, the woodpeckers are pecking because there is something to eat in the wood; to wit: bugs of some kind. If I were you I'd get a pest control service to check. We had a Northern Flicker pecking at the
siding on our pine sided house (and
defecating down the side too) and it turned out that the Flicker was after the carpenter bee larvae. So, yes, they must get some satisfaction from
whatever they are eating. Carpenter bees bore perfectly circular holes in the wood and lay eggs in there. That's one reason why I have cement simulated wood siding on this house Looks just the same but is fire proof and bug proof and, of course, more expensive.
Jane
A Dumb question
Do woodpeckers taste through their beaks when they peck away at someone's home and whose window they are now about to dislodge from it's socket in the front of that person's house?
Seriously, do any of you know if woodpeckers can taste what they are pecking? I'm putting hot mustard mixed with cayenne pepper in a paste on the framework that they've now eaten away on the front window.
Sara, it's hard to even contemplate a mother dying let alone moving to the head of the line. Jane's right...you've been lucky to have had a mother all these years. It's not easy watching someone approach the end. Sending you a prayer of energy.
Rosey
This 'n That
Sara, you are fortunate to have had your
DM for so long but the end always comes and it doesn't get any easier. When our
DF died 11 years after
DM my brother and I shared with each other the feeling of now being orphans. That sensation took me by surprise as it did him. There was no one left to provide the love and
guidance that was always forthcoming from our parents. Now I'm that elder of the family and don't feel quite adequate to the job. Oh well,
nobody's asking for advice and I'm doing my best not to offer it.
Rosey, it looks like you've got a Marley there. That came to mind at
Wal-Mart yesterday when I walked by a huge bin full of DVDs on sale for $5. Marley was right on top. I've read it and enjoyed it as it could have been about my Molly (the dog of my heart as you said about the late great pooch whose name I can't spell of yours when you used that phrase). Marley and Molly were from the same mold except luckily Molly was not phobic about storms. You old timers on the board have read many a tale about Molly's adventures. Back to the DVD; the younger of my two step grands whom I really don't know personally, isn't much of a reader like her older sister and I thought of her immediately and picked said DVD up. DD has responded that while they have seen Marley in a theater, they don't have the DVD and she thinks the 11 year old Lauren would love it. Now I may have to go back and buy another for me. Perhaps I'll send along my copy of the book and she might one day read it and learn what her older sister learned when I sent her Mary Poppins unabridged with the original illustrations. After reading that the family re-watched the DVD they had and Sarah was quite vocally critical of the spots where the movie deviated from the original. She's a pleasure to shop for. She asked for Oliver Twist for Christmas and before I could get it on the list, she'd already read it in it's original form. No wonder she is in a gifted program at school. When DD told me to scratch O.T. I responded that it is fortunate that Mr. Dickens was such a prolific author. This child is, by the way, just 13. I was much more like Lauren; just wasn't interested. I know now that I have something of a disability when it comes to reading making hard work of it. I read more now than I ever did before except law school.
By the way; to all insomniacs! If you can't sleep just get a copy of the Internal Revenue Code and cuddle up with that. Cures insomnia without fail. My sleep specialist says the medicare
guidelines on
CPAP use and Obama care do the same thing for her.
Things to do.
TTFNJane
waiting for the other shoe to drop . . .
October in Fla. seems to be like June in other areas. It has been hot (or cold) for so many months that we just go and "do" all the things that we have not done due to the terrible weather. DH & I finally signed paperwork on the Jax. beach condo, which is in the process of being gutted. Driving out there this afternoon to meet with a friend who has good decorating ideas and the contractor, etc.
My Mom is not doing well. If she lives a few more weeks I'll be really amazed. Just decided to not attend the niece's wedding in N. C. in 2 weeks as DH has booked a kayaking trip the 4 days before with his best friends from college. It is their 41st anniversary, and we have been celebrating together for several years. In the middle of Fla, then his 45th H. S. reunion in south Fla. Just too much driving around the countryside. I keep thinking of the Beach Boys song--Round, round, get around, I get around".
Some sleep at night would be nice-waking up thinking about Mom, life, etc. Then I start crying, and the nose fills up and I can't breathe. Good golly miss Molly.
Did get to go out to dinner with 4 GF's last night for my birthday dinner. It was a sweet time.
Just 2 more years to see about collecting all the social security $ that I paid in since first job at 16. (If there is any-but that's another story)
Did sign up for the Quilt University class on Faces, and have finished the first 2 lessons. Thanks Kathi for the info. Have to work more on 3rd lesson this week.
More coffee and a shower is needed for the brain to function.
Sara in Fla.
Sunday evening
Time passes. Annie, 9 mos., in her crate. She's a hooligan; a wild child. She's not crated for long...for her supper because she'd eat everyone else's but her own; when she needs time out or there are too many people in the house coming and going...she's safer in her crate but otherwise, she's growing like a weed.
J. has felt the impact of the accident in his lower back. His facial scar, sewn up by an intern, you'd hardly notice now and he had about 11 or 12 stitches in it. His black eyes have all but gone. It was a close call. We drove out to the glider club for a picnic lunch today and I had a good look at the aircraft. One section of the front plexiglass window screen blew in and we feel this is what caused the wound just above his right eye. His glasses likely saved him from any further damage to his eye.
Grace, it's a long winter ahead. I hope you have quilt projects lined up and that John's tests allow some answers for you both.
Doris, you are a tall, elegant woman of a certain age. In my next life I'm putting in for over 5'8".
First frost of autumn last night, not enough to damage the stronger plants and the impatiens were under cover of the porch roof but this week will see the rest of the flower beds put to bed for the winter ahead. Geraniums to be potted and brought inside. Problem is where to put them. Annie has a habit of stripping any plants in sight.
Rosey
