BOO~~

"There are three things I have learned never to discuss with people: religion, politics and the Great Pumpkin."

- Linus Van Pelt
Young Skydogwalker

What's your car dressed up as?

BE SAFE !!!!

heehe my costume today

50 Feet From Where I Sleep Challenge

I finally got to Scotts 50ft from where you sleep challenge.

I'm afraid it isn't too creative or lovely, but it's been a rough week.

About 30ft

The only two things outside my door I haven't killed....

Yet

And the one thing that I did kill.. but

it still looks kinda cool~

About 20ft

God it smells good in my room right now

Test Pecan Pie for Thanksgiving...

I am going to be popular at work Monday....

5ft....I love to listen to my chimes when I am in bed2ft My companions

To the left....Annie

To the right....Snowshoe

Taking their half out of the middle...Squash and Cassity

Zero feet~~~~2 feet!

I'm so Proud~~~~

To Be A Duck!!!!

Oregon 24 USC 17

Can the National Title be in our sites??

Damned Straight Skippy!!!

Trojans can kiss my feathered ass!

Time Out this Coach Pete Carroll

Public Service~ Help your Mailman

Hammer mentioned something on his post that gave me an idea~

Yes me thinking... Scary!

I thought I would post a few suggestions to help you make your mailman's job a little easier and help you have better service all around!

A little back ground....

I have been a postal employee for almost 25 years... I love my job and I try to be as efficient and helpful as I can.

But... I can be the carrier from hell if you continually cross me. I have a job to do and I want to do it well but if you don't co-operate I turn into a stubborn mule... you then may call me Sal!

Please do not park your car within 10 feet of the mailbox! I have over 800 houses to deliver to and if EVERYONE made me get out I would NEVER get done! This also goes for children's toys, bikes and especially trashcans. I have to handle so may trashcans on pickup day that I have to now keep antibacterial gel and wipes in my truck. This is especially annoying during summer days. I have actually almost wretch at the smell. I do not get paid to move your trash cans!

I will skip you if this becomes a habit....

Please keep your box in good repair... I have scars from rusted, chipped and broken boxes. Gloves are not an option... I can not handle the mail well in gloves. Go ahead... run out and check your box. If the handle on the lid is chipped sand it or cover it with a little duct tape. Or... replace it. Mailboxes are not the most expensive item you will ever have to purchase. I see them for under 10 bucks at most hardware stores. It also helps if your box is waterproof. You wouldn't believe how much wet outgoing mail I pick up.

Please please PLEASE... if you have an insect infestation in your box... take care of it. Ants are a huge woe and caterpillars are just rampant in spring. But the worst is bees nests and spiders. Spider bites next to dog bites land more carriers in the ER more than you know.

Speaking of dogs. I WUBBA my dogs on my route but~~~

Until I get to know them and they know me, please keep them restrained. I am a threat to them I am the enemy until they know I am not there to hurt you. You and your insurance company will thank me for this info. Do not utter these words to your carrier..." Oh he is so friendly he would NEVER bite you". A year and a half of plastic surgery on my leg says differently.

Two other sentences you do not want to speak to your postal employee~~

#1 "My tax dollars pay your wage!"

Sorry but your tax dollars have not touched my job since 1976. We are a private company that is regulated by the government. Like the air traffic controllers. Our wages are paid for by stamp sales etc. I have not had a raise in 2 years. Most often the rate hikes go to pay for the increased price in doing business. Gas has been the largest cost as has been doing business with airlines.

#2 "Don't go postal on us."

People~~~Please do not say this to us. We lost co-workers and friends to these tragedies. It is not cute nor funny.

PLEASE ASK YOUR CHILDREN TO NOT RACE UP TO THE TRUCK. IT SCARES THE SHIT OUT OF ME AND IS A HUGE DANGER.

Along those lines.... this is why we ask you not to park near the boxes. Backing is not an option. The powers that be have deemed that to be too dangerous. Children have been backed over. We can be dismissed if caught backing our vehicles in certain circumstances.

I love wee ones but their place is BEHIND their mailboxes until I leave.

This time of year is one of our busiest. Between the catalogs for Christmas shopping and all the political mailings, it takes us more time to prepare the mail for delivery. Please be patient... We will get there!

Lastly, if you belong to a book club or are an EBayer....Please get a larger mailbox. I have 15 HUGE EBay users on my route. It takes a lot of time to get out and go to the door for these customers. I love the revenue, don't get me wrong, but it would be helpful if you did this.

I thank you for taking these ideas into consideration!

Hugs

Smurfette Mail Lady

PS ~~ Funniest comment made to me, after work while shopping for groceries [out of uniform]....

"Oh I know where I know you from! You're my mailady! I didn't recognize you in clothes!"

Pic O' the Day~~

Even the animals are getting into Halloween...have you got your costume?

How to eat pussy...

Restricted to people

with a sense of humor.....

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Stage 2~~ sigh***

We got the results today... It's stage 2...

I was so hoping for stage I but I will be thankful that she

has a better chance than if it was stage 3.

The tumor showed a large margin so I have to be very

diligent about checking for future tumors.

Hum~~ doggie massage daily...what a life!

Seems they will be keeping her on the anti-histamines

and pepcid AC for life. It helps keep the cells from the tumor

from causing gastric distress. I can live with that!

Best of all SHE can live with that.

So she still has cancer and the tumors may reappear but for now

she is safe and healing and happy.

I am happy I can keep her in my life

for awhile longer.

I'm a greedy wench that way.

Now.... to tell the kids...

At least it isn't the worst news.

Now I can sigh I huge breath of air...

It was the pits... the unknown.

Thanks everyone...You all helped me

throught this last week..

There are no words~~

These are links my vet recommended

Dog owners should read these and check their puppies regularly

one

two

three

Can't Sleep~ Can't play the Piano

Try as I may I can't sleep. I keep waking up every hour or so thinking Ann needs to go out.

I have cleaned my carpet so many times in the last week, that I think my inner scared child thinks she will pee again and

I will have to drag out the Hoover!

Annie had her drains removed today but the test results are STILL

not in.

This is wearing on me~

the not knowing what the next step should be.

She is doing well but I'm afraid her Mommers isn't.

I have yet to tell the children, I am

waiting until I know more. Thankfully I have SF to vent to

and all of you kids....

Thank you so much for your support and your blogs...

I get to escape this puzzle even if it is only for awhile.

I sure hope I have some answers soon so I can

maybe ask one of my sons to come stay the

weekend so I can get more than 2-3 hours of sleep.

I wonder if I can use FMLA for Annie's care?

Hell the bills should qualify her as a dependant!

Wordless Wenesday

Wordless Wenesday

Still Waiting~~

Pathology won't be back till Thursday~~

Annie is doing well and goes back to have drains removed Thursday morning and stitches out hopefully next week.

Thank you all so much for your kind comments and emails...

Hugs!

Annie

Snowshoe

and The Cheese

Let's Celebrate!

So he did it.

Gore got the prize!

I think I'll celebrate by burning a pile of tires....

[400th post I had to do a funny]

Mastocytoma is a 4 Letter Word

Crap the dreaded C has struck my family again.

This time it has wrapped it's claws into my beloved Annie Fanny.

She was having a woe with an abscess weeks back that I had taken care of but it returned and so yesterday she paid another visit to the vet. After shaving her hind haunch to drain the abscess they found "the" lump.

Last night my sweet Annie had surgery to remove the tumor. She has cancer and I am going to try and make her life as calm and sweet as I can. She has been there for me through thick and thin and I will do my best to help her through this.

Mastocytoma: [Mast cell tumors] this type of cancer has one of the best outcomes of any canine cancer. I will not know for a few days what stage she has so I will have to wait till the test results come back.

Please forgive me if I become somewhat AWOL for the next week or two. The medication dosing is quite intense and I will have to be getting up in the middle of the night to treat her. I'm thinking some sleep deprivation may cause me to not have the focus to be blogging OR reading...

Her doofus brother is keeping watch and tells me if she is having issues...

Good boyyyyyyy

Please keep my pretty girl in your thoughts.

Autumn Rendezvous

Watching you-watch me
Slowly removing the barriers
Clothing
Snap-zip-gone
Like leaves off the trees
Watching me-watch you
As your manhood grows
With impatience
Feeling you-feel me
Wet
Like an ocean
As you enter
Tenderly
Touch me-touching you
Thrusting deep
In-out-up-down
Intense
Souls exposed
Losing consciousness
This is paradise
Hear me-hearing you
Calling to the heavens
The stars and the moon
As we dance the ballet of lovers
Bodies dissolve as two becomes one
Hypnotic pinnacle
Orgasmic overload
Pleasing you-pleases me
As we sleep
Satisfied love…

OMG 37??

Ode To J

Happy birthday wishes I send to my oldest son J.

[he caught so much shit from me over this shirt,,,gack]

He is somewhat reserved and quiet until you get to know him. Some might say 'easy going', a better term would be 'easily excitable'. He is a pretty humble guy in most scenarios, though his friends may disagree. He tends to mumble or curse uncontrollably when confused or uncertain and enjoys a good 'fidget' session... shiny objects are preferred.

Somebody once told me that he is an open-minded person with a touch of sarcasm. That said if in fact true, would have to be attributed to the fact that he was a 'brown bagger' in school. Looking back I can now honestly say, "You DID have the BETTER lunch!" (did that make sense? does it matter?).

[sorry inside joke]

His passions lie in art and the creating of... This tends to dictate a rather awkward schedule and lack of sleep more often than not. There will be time for sleep later. Much later, hopefully. His chosen, yet shunned trade to the masses for financial gain is carpentry. He is a builder and has his contractor’s license. Someday he will find his niche' and these two sides will harmonize. Until then his search will continue.

[Some of his work]

[Painting he did of his Dad after he passed]

He likes to walk about quiet places with his camera, sketchbook, or whatever. This could be anywhere. Six steps out his back door or some old abandoned building in the middle of nowhere. Give him a beach & some waves and he'll play all day. He will sell paintings and sculptures and not have to work a 9-2-5... eventually.

He needs special attention. Local ordinances have changed in regards to 'shopping' at the dump...one of his favorite hot spots. But I know for a fact... that has NOT stopped him. Someday I know he will be the one I will have to bail out of jail.He is a wonderful father and I appreciate that fact every day. He was one of the biggest helps with the younger brothers and sisters after loosing his Papa. Divorce has meant that he had to move away to be close to his little ladies. I can only bless that decision as he needs to be near his children. I miss them all.Tickle Me Elmo is not on his agenda. Cartoons are always appropriate, as is food in bed. He is a joy to me and I wish him the most peaceful of years ahead... he deserves a break.
Just when in the hell did you get so sexy??

Beasts of Beauty~Yellowstone 3

Yellowstone Lake is the largest body of water in Yellowstone National Park. The lake is 7,732 feet above sea level and covers 136 square miles with 110 miles of shoreline. This was the area of the park that we camped at and also where I got to see some of the parks true beauties... the animals.

Chipmunks and squirrels were EVERYWHERE. One funny morning campfire coffee moment
that I did not capture on film was a squirrel busy
gathering all sorts of fodder and scurrying back and forth through
our campsite. It one point he came slowly through hauling something as big as himself. It took a few moments of trying to focus my morning eyes
but low and behold it was a HUGE mushroom... What a hunter and gatherer he was!
~

Speaking of morning sightings, I heard a sound outside of my tent
and peaked out. I was greeted with the sight of these lovely ladies helping themselves to a breakfast of our campsites' grasses.
[yes I sleep with my camera!]



At the lakes edges if you sit quietly and for long enough spans of time you get a thrilling treat.....


Buffalo!!!!I don't think this fella liked having his picture taken.
I wonder what secrets these two were sharing?
I named this guy Shaft....
A baaaaaddd mutha (shut yo' mouth)
This was a truly awesome sighting!

Mother and child.

This is one of my favorite moments~

I adored coming upon herds like this...

It was a peaceful event

I ran across this Stud on my way back from the mud pots.

He was non-plused at the sounds my camera made.

I must have looked awfully silly standing behind a tree and darting out to take pictures!

Bull Elk are known for their lack of friendliness....

I didn't overstay my welcome~~

One evening as I was driving back to my camp sight I caught sight of an animal out by the water from a bridge I was crossing into the campground... I parked the car and ran back to have a look see....

This lady was a vision. All alone and just grazing by the waters edge.

I can't tell you how spiritual a moment it was. I lingered till almost dark and just sat and watched her.

You may notice the large number of snags among the trees in the background. There was a huge forest fire in 1988? that devastated the park. They let nature take its own healing course and the new forest is all self planted. It was wonderful to see the new forests but also so sad to wonder what the forest WOULD have looked like if they had not been burned.

Herds of buffalo were abundant. This one had traffic stopped for some time so we parked the SUV and got out to take it in.

I caught these two having a bit of a disagreement....

Ok... Question.....

What would you do if while you were quietly riding your bike in an amazingly beautiful park and a buffalo crossed your path????


My answer would have either been....

Shit my pants or...

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Whip out my camera... like this guy!

Pause 4 Station Identification

I was in a cooking mood today... taking a break from the vacation posts...

An extra day off this week called for

COMFORT FOOD

I took the day off from my semi-normal good eating habits...

Biscuits and Gravy

MM MMMM MMMMMMMMMM

Ruff chop one large onion or 2 smaller ones into a small dice

Saute in a bit of butter~ don't forget to lightly salt as they cook..

It causes them to sweat and have a milder taste.

Remove when they are slightly browned and limp...Add 2 packages of your favorite sausage and brown [break up the meat as it cooks into small pieces]

Hopefully you will also have a wonderful Supervisor...This is Snowshoe's favorite place. He is NOT allowed in the kitchen but he always stays right at the end of the linoleum!
After the meat has browned remove to a bowl and add one stick of butter to what little grease is in the pan... don't worry if a little bit of the meat is still there.
BTW~

There are absolutely NO calories in this dish

[I'm afraid my ass says different though]

Add about one heaping tablespoon of dry broth.. I prefer Knorr's and I like the one found in the Mexican cooking aisle best!~chicken or pork

stir

Add about 1/2 cup Bisquick..stir well and let simmer for a little while till it starts to take on a little color.

This will cook out any "powdery" taste.

Add one cup of water and stir until a semi-paste forms

[this is called a rue]

Add back the meat and onions and stir well

Add 2 cups of milk....wait a bit till it thickens and

then add little sloshes of milk

until you get the thickness of gravy YOU prefer.

At this point cover and let the mixture cure and allow the flavors to blend on low.

Today I made Bisquick rolls.. sometimes I use frozen and sometimes I made from scratch.

Split and top with gravy... salt and pepper to taste.
There... I feel better...

Now back to the vacation tales~

Pass the Oxygen~Yellowstone 2

This post contains ALOT of pictures... I had one hell of a time picking my favorites. Please excuse my enthusiasm or similar shots...sorry I weeded out MANY!

I did not know until speaking with one of my customers before leaving for the trip that Yellowstone had what they call a "Grand Canyon". It was top on the list of sites that I HAD to see.

We drove into this area of the park and kept looking at each other... where could it be? We followed this classic into the parking area.


After stopping in at the visitors center for this site, we took the rim drive and parked. My first glimpse over the edge made my tummy roll and took my breath away. It reminded me of the feeling I had the first time I locked my eyes onto Crater Lake. I was in awe.

This tree was a real survivor!
View of the lower falls from the north rim

After getting my sea legs back and taking about 50 pictures [hehehe] BIL and I decided to drive to the other side of the canyon and hike down the south rim to view both the upper and lower falls.

I was in for a real workout!

After securing the SUV in the small parking area we headed down to the rivers edge. There we started down the trail and just enjoyed the wonderful day and the calming sound of the water.

This little tree caught my eye..

A trooper out on that rock.

As we came upon the top of the upper falls you could feel the ground rumble. Nature's power was oozing its way up through the soles of my shoes.
The quiet river was now dropping into a vast canyon of amazing colors. I wondered often if any unsuspecting pioneer canoers ever got the "oh shit we are doomed" looks on their faces when they were faced with this fall....


We continued down the trail and as I looked back I just had to pause for awhile....

As I rounded the corner I beheld even more beauty.

And then the fun began.....

This is where I could see the end of my life as I know it!

328 stairs down... I was feeling a little vertigo but I plodded on!

What I won't do to get a picture....

I made it!

But...

What goes down... must go up~

Shit....

At this point I told BIL... just call 911 and

have me Med-evac'd out

It took a lot of time and a lot of stopping and resting but dammit!!!

I did it!

It was going to get dark soon so we strolled along the top

of the rim on the road back to the car...It was sooooo calm and quiet...

I loved this mountain meadow.

I slept like a rock that night.... It was a glorious day!

Yellowstone 1~ Spitting Earth

The drive to Yellowstone wasn't a long one... maybe 45 miles. It was a lovely day and we plotted out our plan of attack on the map and decided to camp at the south entrance...Grant Village. Yellowstone is a huge park with a road system shaped like a figure 8.

We drove the bottom loop to see the geysers and mud pots first.

Seeings how Old Faithful goes off about every hour-hour and a half that was our first stop then we could take our time exploring the rest of the loop.

Although I found Old Faithful amazing, the hot pools and their colors impressed me more.

I walked around the geyser to find just the right spot for viewing and waited......My wait was about 20 minutes... then the show began.




I got my first glimpse of a buffalo as we left the parking lot.
He was sitting in a field... swishing his tail and looking quite peaceful in this little flower patch. I dubbed him Fuzzy Wuzzy.

The hiking in and around the mud pots and steam vents was a tad bit hazardous.


Yet is was breathtaking, in more ways than one
[Who farted?]

This one was called Dragon's Mouth. It was eerie.. it rumbled the ground and roared when it spit...I could imagine a dragon living in this hell cave.
Nature as art~

I kept looking at EVERY waterway for a moose...

no such luck here but it drew me in.

Gourmet supper tonight!!
Next? MEDI-VAC ME OUT!!