The Tiverton Farm Report for July 13

We have... 

 

   

Dragon Fruit!   

 

I've been (seasonally) schlepping this beast of a plant in and out for at least 

8 years!  This is the first time fruit has developed!  I found 3 so far!

 
 

The Cat Chronicles - July 13: "The Box" edition.

 

Etta and Goldie 

Our Friday errands to BJ's Wholesale Club usually end with us bringing a box home for Etta.  Her "perfect" box is thin cardboard, tall walls with a front opening. 

They last a few weeks before going into the recycle bin for the Tuesday trash day.

The past several weeks, the pickings have been slim (we know her preference). The look of dejection on her face when we would come home empty handed was bordering on heartbreaking (she'll take it out on a Walmart bag).  

Saturday, we took a ride to Ikea and I found this:

I could not resist.  Brought it home, put it together, and she promptly high-tailed it out of the living room in terror... Until she realized that Goldie was too big to fit in the entrance.

 

This is MY domain!

All is right in the world again.

Missing Lilo; she was the property "supervisor" - good company. Always watching what we were up to, inspecting projects in progress (loved when contractors would be in working on the house).  Always right there.  Goldie is... trying.  When he first moved in, he stayed glued to the indoors.  Now he does his dawn patrol, and if I am doing something outside (weeding, gardening, etc.), he will follow me around.  

 

 

Usual position... 

 

Then he comes back in and sprawls.  He it learning to NOT get under my feet when I am working in the kitchen, understanding what the word "MOVE!" means. The two of them are getting along, though I have to feed them separately - she's picky, he's a front-end loader.  He'll buzz through his plate in about a minute then come looking for more.  I give Etta 10 minutes to pick through her plate before letting him have at it.  

Wednesday, the two of them are going to meet with a new vet who is located considerably closer to our home (12 minutes away as opposed to 45), and they offer vacation kenneling services (future consideration).      

Onward!

R 

 

RIP - Sam Neill

 

 

 

 

New Zealand actor Sam Neill, known for ‘Jurassic Park’ and ‘The Piano,’ dies at 78, his family says.

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — Sam Neill, a smoothly elegant and versatile actor whose career moved from art film to blockbuster as he dodged velociraptors in “Jurassic Park” to playing Holly Hunter’s husband in “The Piano,” has died. He was 78.

In 2023, Neill disclosed he had been diagnosed with angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma, a rare type of non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Neill died on Monday in Sydney, according to a statement posted to the actor’s social media page. 

I think of the roles he has played, and I cannot think of any other actor who could have played them.  Exceptional, and quite the loss.  

Rade 

 

Monday

 

 

Yup... it's Monday. 

Ding! Dong! One Bitch Is Dead!

Which old bitch, THIS OLD BITCH!

 

 

Lindsay Graham is Dead!  

 

 

 Any update on McConnell?

Sunday Morning Sip

Sunday... Sunday... Sunday...   

Oh... it looks like it smells and tastes great...! 

 

Now for the rest of the mornings posting...

Not braining well today.  Just putting these out there. 

 

I can so, fucking, relate. 

 

Old enough to remember seeing this 

the night it was broadcast!  

 Time to just... tune out with

some Shirley Bassey

 

 

“I’m scunnered”

Glasgowian for “I’m exhausted and tired” (thank you, Moving with Mitchell)

And I am.

It’s long weeks of very early mornings. By early evening, all I want is to have a light dinner, shower and turn in. But it was Friday meaning... errands.

I am going to make a statement, and I know it is going to annoy some followers of my blog, but… as I am growing older, I have come to realize that I really do not like dogs or their owners. 

I am very much over people ignoring the “Service dogs only” signs to parade around stores with their dogs, either leashed or in the shopping cart (usually sans blanket, meaning that any dog germs are now contaminating a cart meant for human food). I see it… everywhere. All the time. No longer a rare occurrence. 

I discovered last night that it has become a trigger to me. 

We went for our usual Friday night errands including a stop at local wholesale club last night. I was exhausted and tired by the time we got there (5^th of 5 stops on the round-robin of Friday night errands). BIG SIGN on the door “SERVICE DOGS ONLY”. Got in, got the cart loaded (a shopping list helped), got in line to the self service checkout kiosks. 

Not one, but two dogs. 

One puppy in a cart, the other, a young Golden Doodle, loose. The kiosk docent was all “What adorable puppies! [blah blah blah]” with the owners just oblivious that there was a line waiting for the kiosks. As I am scanning my cart, #2 dog owner let the dog loose to “play” with the docent. 

The dog promptly ran up to me. I glared, gritted my teeth and hear myself stating, “I do NOT like DOGS!” and… I began to shake. Almost uncontrollably. Did the owner retrieve his dog? No. All I heard was “Such a beautiful dog!” from the docent as she continued to play with the animal. I missed scanning a few objects in my cart; caught by the door staff as I went to exit. I was still shaking, “...they have dogs running around…” I mumbled. He just nodded. He guided me to the service desk to ring up the missed items, then the desk manager walked me past the line at the exit. 

I owned dogs; several in recent years. Enough to know I do not want another one. We made sure when doing ANYTHING with our dogs, that they only went into dog-accepting / dog-friendly environments, and we always made sure that they were under control at all times. I never, ever considered taking our dogs into a supermarket! If it was hot out (above 70f), the dogs stayed home and in the AC. I never see that courtesy with dog owners today.

The event last night really wiped me out; I was comatose for the ride home. 

From now on; just keep you damn dog away from me.

R 

Saturday Morning Sip

 Good Saturday, to you!  

I'll have the Stephenson with a splash of 

Marquis de Sade.

Make it a Grande!

 

 

...and they will do it so well. 

Thank you, Wiley. 

No doubt. 

Yes!  It certainly is! 

 

If I remove all the idiots from my path... hmmm? 

"Drink up, morons!  Drink up!" 

...and a lot of it!  

 

 

I feel like we're living in it. 

 

"Well, isn't everyone?" 

Right there with you, Ripley. 

 

But first... 

 It's Summer.

I need some Ricky.