Sudokuaholics Anonymous 11

A few quotes about kindness, have a nice day:
One kind word can change someone's entire day.
You will never regret being kind.
In a world where you can be anything, be kind.

I will be smoke free for 21 years next week!

Well done both of you,. I ceased cigarettes in 2011 when I had chemo but have regressed occasionally. Still feel like one every now and then but think it would probably blow my head off now. In 2015 when I had my transplant, I vowed to never slip again (broke that one too). Funny thing is I feel like one but don't like the smell of smokers.
Sorry about your pets Heidi.

I'm 'smoke free' since 1 January, 1980. Never looked back. I now hate going into town, because you just can't get away from the smell. I've also distanced from friends who smoke. Like Midge said 'don't like the smell'...

Heidi, Re: your Bad Boy mower. What was it that caused you to put it in the shop, last week?

Yes, I don't like the smell of smoke now either. That and the memory of the headspin you get when you haven't had a smoke for a while has stopped me in the few moments that I have been tempted.
Midge, i think if I could just have one occasionally I would, but it's like opening up a tap for me, have one and I won't ever stop again.

The spindle for the mower blades broke and had to be replaced. I probably hit a large rock while mowing. Fortunately it was under full warranty.

I still love the smell of tobacco. I just don't get the craving.

I just gave tranquilizers to all my dogs. They're about to start a massive fireworks show for the county. Next door. It should be getting dark in about 10-15 minutes. I put the horses behind the barn where they can't see it, and the cattle are back in the woods.

OK .... fireworks are over. The tranks helped the dogs, but the alpacas were terrified. They screamed for the first 10-15 minutes of the show, then went into the barn where they could get away from the sights and sounds a little better.

The broken spindle doesn't sound like any fun. I had a blade on a 5' bush hog break at the bolt hole one time. Fortunately, the blade went the other direction. Had to buy a set of blades and new pivot bolts. Relatively easy fix. Just had to wait for the parts to arrive...

Waiting for the parts to arrive, especially during this pandemic, was what took so long.

Got one of the raccoons today. A nursing female. I set the trap where they killed the turkey. I bet there was more than one raccoon involved.

Hello to Everyone!

Wonderful TOPP, CynB! Kindness is something lacking in too many people these days.

Happy Independence Day for U.S. Happy Birthday for Colin.

It looks like I haven't visited for a few days, or forgot to submit comment if I did.

Heidi, CynB, and Midge, congratulations on knocking smoking habits various numbers of years ago. That's an admirable anniversary to reach! Happy smoke-free clean lungs!

Heidi, I'm glad the fireworks are over. Those poor alpacas! I'm glad they were smart enough to go in the barn to avoid some of the sound and sights!

Thinking of everyone and sending positive thoughts, healing energy, prayers, , and prayers! Take care, Everyone!

In the last 24 hours, I've gotten 1 raccoon and 12 Opossums (1 adult amd 11 young). I need to reset the trap to catch more raccoons.

Col's back at work today. The Eye surgeon was pleased with every aspect of his eye when we saw him yesterday. It is healing really well, the artificial lens has settled securely in place, the corneal graft is still clear and progress on regaining his eyesight is going well, even if it seems frustratingly slow.

For a couple of days last week, Col and my daughter's partner were working on getting our garden back in order after being neglected for two and a half years. They had to stop when he got violently ill with no explanation at the time. It became patently clear the next day when I went to get out the 'gluten free' bread I had bought especially for him and found it wasn't gluten free. In the supermarket I was looking at the gluten free bread and deciding which brand was best and somehow my eye went up a shelf and I picked up the brand I wanted but it wasn't gluten-free. I made his sandwiches for lunch - 4 slices of bread, assured him I had taken extra special care not to contaminate his sandwich. He was so violently ill the following day. I am so embarrassed, I didn't mean to do it. But it happened.

Accidents can happen, CynB. Or some other person could have set a ''normal'' loaf in among the gluten-free ones. That sort of thing can easily happen.

I didn't get the trap reset last night. I started going out to set it and the sky opened up with a major downpour with thunder and lightning. So no more predators have been destroyed. It HAS neen reset now.

I just had a delightful surprise. My Bourke's Parakeets surprised me with 2 Rosy male babies leaving the nest box a little while ago! These are their first babies. The Rosy color is pink with black wings. My 2 adult males are Rosy and my females are the wild color, which is a blend of pinks, browns and blues. Bourke's are the only PARAKEET in the world that has no green in it's genetic makeup. They're also very quiet and peaceful birds. They're native to Australia, one of the Grass Parakeets.

Greetings to All!

Heidi, your trap certainly has been effective.

CynB, that's fantastic news about Col's eye! Very positive report from his eye doctor! So now, it's a matter of patience as his vision gets better. Is he glad to be able to get back to work? He must be doing well to get back to work in the garden!

CynB, Heidi is so right about the accidental use of non-gluten free bread. I have been known to reach for an item that was next to the item I intended to purchase. Plus, how people often pick up an item from the shelf and accidentally return it in the wrong place. It's unfortunate that it happened, but wasn't an intentional mistake.

Heidi, congratulations on the 2 Rosy Bourke's Parakeets male babies! How exciting!

I'm beginning to nod off, so I'll say Good Night. Thinking of Everyone and sending , healing energy, {{{{{HUGS}}}}}, positive thoughts, and prayers for Everyone! Take care and stay healthy!

2020 is getting even more ''interesting''. Chinese authorities have just announced that there are a couple of confirmed cases of Bubonic Plague in Mongolia.

Bubonic Plague?? Oh lordy!
And I read somewhere that Australia has cases of some flesh-eating disease.
What next? Maybe the planet itself is trying to decimate us before we destroy it!
I am so glad I'm old and don't have a huge life span ahead of me.

How lovely to get those parakeets Heidi - they remind me of a cross between a parrot and a budgerigar.
The dreaded flesh-eating bug has been found on the Mornington peninsula in Vic - spread by mosquitoes and some say possums.
Another 6 weeks of total lockdown - so much for our business - this will really hurt. It has been total ineptitude on the behalf of our leader and his party that has caused this widespread occurrence. But I am thankful I am not facing what the USA is - so sorry for your position. Hope you all keep well.

Oh, my! Bubonic plague is now rearing its head in Mongolia? Flesh-eating disease in Australia? This year is going to go into the record books as one heckuva strange year.

So sorry to hear about the state of things in your area, Midge. Sorry about the negative impact on your business. Sending positive vibes for things to improve. Hope you and your family stay well!

Thinking of everyone and sending healing energy, positive thoughts, prayers, {{{{{HUGS}}}}}, and

Right about now I wish I lived in New Zealand. They have a competent woman in charge. And they really do have the coronavirus under contol.

Busy afternoon coming up. We're moving the entire winter's hay supply today. Fortunately, due to stockpiling pastures intelligently last year, we didn't use up that much hay over the winter, so we still had 37 rolls left over. We will only need another 36 rolls to make it thru this winter, even if it's a bad one. Since we store all the hay indoors, it's good for years, and loses no quality. Hay loses nutritional quality quickly once it's rained on and left outdoors.

The Plague is not new. The media, seeing the opportunity, is trying to sensationalize it to sell NEWS...

Re: the Plague- From a paper issued by the World Health Organization -

From 2010 to 2015 there were 3248 cases reported worldwide, including 584 deaths.

https://www.who.int/en/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/plague

I didn't say anything about it being time to panic. It isn't, since we know how it's spread. It's spread by fleas on rodents, and with so many people home isolating, the rodent population has gotten bigger and bolder lately. That CAN be controlled.

The count is now 2 raccoons and 12 opossums.

We got all the hay moved and in the barn today. We're ready for the winter. I also used the chainsaw to cut back some trees that were making mowing difficult, and did a few other chores today. The temperature was in the mid-90's with high humidity. I came close to passing out a couple of times, despite chugging down drinks as fast as I could. At least I got all the hay in the barn before the brief thunderstorm hit. Tomorrow I have to mow the lawn again.

Time for me to head to bed. Sending healing energy, prayers, positive thoughts, {{{{{HUGS}}}}}, and for Everyone!

I just posted my thoughts on the media and the plague. And I found the WHO link informative.

So we're good, then, DOrA!!!

I'm about done in. I just finished mowing the lawn... about 40 minutes before the thunderstorm is due. It's horrible outside; a heat index over 100˚F with high humidity.

At least all the animals have access to fresh water and shade. I really pity the alpacas. They haven't been sheared yet. The people will be here in 3 days to shear them, then they'll be much more comfortable. They should have been done 2 months ago, but I had problems finding someone to do it because of the virus.

Didn't catch any more raccoons last night. The 2 I have gotten were a mature male and a mature nursing female. I have no idea if her babies were big enough to survive on their own, but I seriously doubt it.

Hi, Everyone! I think there are probably more differences of which plants/animals are thriving and which are not doing well as compared to pre-coronavirus times. Sometimes it's not particularly obvious about what changes can occur. I know we have been confined to the house much more than we would have been previously. I suspect eventually we'll discover a myriad of changes due to these unusual times. That doesn't mean there's much we can do to change things until the threat of contagion has passed. It seems like we just need to live with things the way they are for now.

Heidi, you have certainly accomplished a lot in the last couple of days! I suspect the alpacas will be happier in a few days after being sheared. We have certainly had more than the usual heat to deal with in the last few weeks!

DOrA, thanks for the link to the WHO. Definitely informative!

Thinking of everyone, whether we see you here frequently or not. (By the way, Broni posted a few pics of Abby, her basset hound, who has just turned 2, for those not on facebook.)

Sending warm {{{{{HUGS}}}}}, healing energy, , positive thoughts, and prayers to Everyone!

Take care & stay we'll!

Got another raccoon. A huge male.

I went out to the barn to check the trap this morning, and found my oldest grey female alpaca dead. Her name was Tempe. I'm heartbroken. I suspect it was the heat.

Heidi, Oh, that's sad about Tempe.
How much longer do they expect the heat to continue?

Queensland had their first 2 new Covid cases in weeks yesteday, but they were returning travellers who had been in quarantine anyway and not out amongst us.
Things are bad in Victoria and now NSW has a hot spot.
I'm self-isolating again.

Col got the results of his scan, no sign of any cancer.
He's cancer free! Yayy!

Fantastic news, CynB!!!

The heat wave is expected to continue for some time. The men are due here in ~19 hours to shear the alpacas. I hope they can make it that long.

First time trying Sudoku on my phone. I guess once I get the hang of it it will be okay.

Great news about Col.

Guess I won't complain about our 75 degree weather. It is hot for me however.

Sorry to hear about Tempe, Heidi...

The alpacas have been sheared! They're much happier now, and have been rolling in the grass and kicking up their heels. They look SO skinny now! They didn't enjoy being roped, bull-dogged and stretched with ropes, though. I did the roping part, and put halters on them. I got kicked hard by one of them as soon as I tied her up and tried to walk away. She was MAD!

Great news about Col- this is his year but not ours! Saw 6 people were fined for trying to cross the Qld border - think those policemen should be used on our border control at the airports - the lousy low fines the incomers get for smuggling food is ridiculous - the $4k fine would be apt there!
Sorry about Tempe Heidi, so disappointing she didn't last until the shearing. A shame your shearer couldn't come earlier. Did they spit on you too? One of the best things I have ever seen was a teenage boy teasing and acting stupidly towards some alpacas at the Melbourne Show - two of them just ambled over and slagged him. A while ago you said you had someone to take their wool - have you thought of spinning it yourself?
You have a lot of patience Dora to do Sudoku on your phone.
Cold and wet here last weekend so had the fire burning - two of my sons cleared our block of land of dead trees, cut them up and brought them home. Unfortunately a lot of the wood had borers and termites in it so burnt them off as quick as they could in the fireplace and drums outside. Even upstairs smells of smoke.
Hope you all keep safe

Howdy, Neighbors!

Heidi, you and your trap are certainly successful! Score 1 more for the trap!

I'm so sorry about your alpaca Tempe. How sad! I'm glad the shearers were finally able to come so that your other alpacas are more comfortable! Here's hoping there will be a break in the weather and temperatures will be more seasonably predictable!

CynB, such wonderful news for Col and you! Hooray! That's the kind of medical news we like to hear! Do you plan to celebrate?

DOrA, you're braver than I am, or at least have a lot more patience. I usually avoid using my phone for other than calling, texting, and phone calls.

Midge, it sounds like you and your family are continuing to get things done! It's a shame so much of the wood had borers and termites. Take care and hope all of your family stay well!

It's getting much too late, and I'm nodding off. Thinking of everyone and sending healing energy, prayers, positive thoughts, {{{{{HUGS}}}}}, and ! Good Night, Everyone!

BOPP

Another busy day. Got an enormous opossum in the trap, and the farrier was here and trimmed all the horses. And the day has barely started.