A Mix of Stuff

First things first.  Now that all of you have thought less of me for what I posted Friday, I must say that it isn't what you were thinking.  That guy in the pic with me is Mustafa (we just called him Steve).  He was an Iraqi that worked as a translator for us.  He also got us "things" from outside the walls.  That is a hookah we are smoking....remember the caterpillar in Alice and Wonderland?  We were NOT smoking weed, green, trees, mary jane, hashish, or anything of the sort.  It was flavored tobacco.  Strawberry if my memory serves me correctly.  I wanted to bring one home, but they said customs wouldn't allow it.  Then, when we were in Kuwait they said we could...it was too late, then.  But we had fun on occasions while we were over there. 

We had quite a busy weekend.  We didn't go to the aution Saturday.  There was just too much going on.  I did meet my mom and sister with kids in tow for lunch at Zaxby's.  Then Mom came back to the house for me to wash her car.  She was gonna have it done professionally, but I offered it for free.  Mike was working on our kitchen cabinets, stripping the paint.  They are birch wood, so we decided to strip the white paint and lacquer the wood.  Looks pretty nice. 

We also had a successful rescue attempt on Saturday.  We used to have Becky, a Quaker Parrot.  She was quite noisy and drove Mike insane.  So he gave her to our neighbor.  However, our neighbor doesn't have the best track record for taking care of animals.  And sure enough, he grew bored with Becky and let her go outside about a week ago.  Since then we have either heard her talking and squawking, or seen her high in the trees.  Saturday she landed in a tree in the back yard, then the top of the chicken coop, then back to the tree, then on top of the other neighbor's shed right up next to the fence between our yards.  So I put a chair up by the fence and, wearing leather gloves cause she always would bite me, I called her.  She hopped onto my finger, and I grabbed her little talons with my thumb.  We put her in a 2nd stage brooder pen and I put in some water and chicken feed.  A week without those and she was ready for them.  She's okay now.  My dad is gonna get her now.  I just gotta find her a new cage.  She's doing good right now, though. 

Sunday was busier. I went shopping. And I did just what I complained about my mom doing. Though she was looking at clothes and shoes...ugh! I was shopping at Lowes! I was looking at the things I can't afford right now. And I was looking at the things I could afford, but had to choose this or the other. I almost bought a fig tree. I'd love to have a fig tree. Probably not this year, though. But I did buy seeds for the garden, plus a few started plants. I also bought some flower seeds to plant around the house, and some solar garden lights for the front of the house. Then I spent most the rest of Sunday afternoon planting the garden. I've got squash, watermelons, canteloupes, okra, bell peppers, egg plants, corn, jalapenos, mixed hot peppers, and Zinnias to sell as cut flowers. There's probably more, but I can't think of it all now.

Here's that motor cycle from Orange County Choppers that kept me so busy in March. (Don't know why blogger is squishing my pics all of a sudden.  They don't look good that way)

I was looking for some papers in an old shoe box, and I didn't put it away.  Stripey Cat decided to make a

bed out of the box!

Our Easter visitors.   Not sure if they were wild or not, but I'm guessing half wild. 

Here's our little chicks.  They're actually about a month old now, with feathers and all.  I don't have a recent pic.  The four on the right are RI Red (pea comb rooster) and black sex link hen.  The one on the left is full Black Australorp.

I got an award from Tracey last week (SEE I DIDN'T FORGET)  I haven't had a chance to post on it yet.  I gotta try to come up with things you don't know about me first!  I'll try later today or tomorrow.