Two days ago, I stepped out of the house at 7 AM. A bunny sat in my yard, not moving anything except it's beady little eye on the side of its head. It didn't move as I walked by, not intimidated by my large human self or my fierce rabbit hunting dog. Finally, it took off for no reason other than it was ready to leave.
I inspected the ground where it had been sitting and discovered that it had dug a hole, as if it were planning on staying awhile. I planted petunias, but few have flowered. The bunnies dead-head them before they have a chance to make heads. I would like to dead head a few bunnies. The first year that we lived here, I was convinced someone was pruning our burning bushes. But, it was just bunnies, stripping the bark and leaves in a way that left a nicely shaped bush.
Yesterday, I took matters into my own hands. I had recently procured a gallon container of a noxious substance known as liquid fence. Filled with rotten egg solids and garlic, it promises to keep both the evil bunnies and the wicked deer away from my petunias, carnations and dianthus.
No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't prime the pump that came with the smelly product. Not realizing the lid had a hole that was larger than the hose that went through it, I gave the container a shake, hoping that would help. It didn't help. It hurt. I shook liquid fence all over my hands, pants and feet.
I finally decided to pour it into another spray bottle that has a history or working. The opening from the larger container was larger than the opening from the smaller container, but I persevered, and only got a little more on my hands.
No bunnies came near me yesterday. None sat in the yard and gave me the evil eye as it boldly dug holes. No matter where I went yesterday, the bunnies stayed away.
I do hate bunnies.
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Oh, boy.
I've not been a good blogger. What will memaw do? I'm going to be grounded!
So, here's my new story. It's one that I hope Trevor doesn't read until it's no longer true.
Trevor can not tell a lie.
And by that, I mean when he tells a lie, I have no idea he tells a lie. Until I casually say, "oh, really?" like in '"oh, really?" I'm just chit-chatting with you' and not like '"oh, really?" you'd better tell me the truth, young man!'
It's happened more than once that we're talking, he casually tells me a lie, I have no idea, but in the course of normal conversation, he reveals that he's told me a lie. Yesterday, I asked him if he'd eaten all the lunch I had packed for him. You would be surprised to learn that Devin almost always finishes his lunch and Trevor very rarely finishes his lunch. I think it's because at Trevor's school, they combine lunch and recess. So, he wolfs down a few bites and then goes out to play.
Well, I asked him if he finished his lunch. I'd packed a chicken leg. Chicken legs were a huge hit when I first made them. But, by the second time I made them, not so much. But, I had a lot, and I was using them in their school lunches. So, mostly, I just wanted to know.
He said that he had eaten it. I said "oh, really?" then he admitted the truth. Apparently, the chicken leg was really popular with one of his classmates, and he traded it for something cake-like, covered in chocolate and filled with cream.
It's hard to punish him for lying when the lies are so short lived. So, we just told him we didn't care if he traded his food, but don't trade your main meal for dessert next time!
So, here's my new story. It's one that I hope Trevor doesn't read until it's no longer true.
Trevor can not tell a lie.
And by that, I mean when he tells a lie, I have no idea he tells a lie. Until I casually say, "oh, really?" like in '"oh, really?" I'm just chit-chatting with you' and not like '"oh, really?" you'd better tell me the truth, young man!'
It's happened more than once that we're talking, he casually tells me a lie, I have no idea, but in the course of normal conversation, he reveals that he's told me a lie. Yesterday, I asked him if he'd eaten all the lunch I had packed for him. You would be surprised to learn that Devin almost always finishes his lunch and Trevor very rarely finishes his lunch. I think it's because at Trevor's school, they combine lunch and recess. So, he wolfs down a few bites and then goes out to play.
Well, I asked him if he finished his lunch. I'd packed a chicken leg. Chicken legs were a huge hit when I first made them. But, by the second time I made them, not so much. But, I had a lot, and I was using them in their school lunches. So, mostly, I just wanted to know.
He said that he had eaten it. I said "oh, really?" then he admitted the truth. Apparently, the chicken leg was really popular with one of his classmates, and he traded it for something cake-like, covered in chocolate and filled with cream.
It's hard to punish him for lying when the lies are so short lived. So, we just told him we didn't care if he traded his food, but don't trade your main meal for dessert next time!
Friday, May 14, 2010
Trip to the zoo
Trevor went to the zoo today. The zoo in Pittsburgh. Two and half hours away. Without me, without John, without Devin. Just Trevor and his school and some parent chaperones who signed up on time. (Not that I signed up at all...truth is, I didn't want to go).
Well, I survived it. No worries. I was a little stressed. I had thought of all the points where things could wrong, and I had an idea when I would get calls if those things did go wrong. And, the day passed without any of those calls. Let me not go into where the worst case scenario engine took me. It's dark.
Trevor survived it, too. He had a great time! Except he was thirsty. We packed water for him in his backpack, but he couldn't find it. GAH! He told us several times that we needed to pack him extra water, and we actually did. And, we put it in some nice handy pockets in his backpack, and we even made a point to show him where the water bottles were packed. He's OK, though. Not so dehydrated that you'd notice.
Here's what I'm most proud of. We sent him with money for souvenirs. And, last time he went somewhere with money for souvenirs, he had to borrow money from a teacher so he could get something for Devin. And, that was very nice of Trevor to think of Devin and nice of the teacher to loan him money. But, this time, the school was very specific that there would be no loaning and borrowing of funds. So, we gave him money for a souvenir for both him and his brother. And, he spent all of the money as it was intended. He had to use some of his dinner money to pay taxes, but that's OK because I sent a little extra dinner money. I was a little worried about the amount we sent with him, and I was certain he would lose it or spend it in vending machines. It was his allowance money, so he could do with it what he wanted. And, I was worried he would spend Devin's allowance money on vending machines, too. But, he didn't. He got Devin a cheetah (which Devin asked for specifically) and he got himself a seal. I'm very, very pleased with him.
He took Devin's camera with him, and he got some pretty neat shots. Now, Devin told me that since the pictures were taken with his camera, he gets to control who sees them. I didn't agree to that. I specifically said, "no, it doesn't work that way." But, if you get a chance, say thanks to Devin for letting him see pictures from his camera, would you?
There's this one:
I need to figure out how he got into the tiger enclosure.
He said to me, "I accidentally took a picture of elephant poop." I said, really? He said, "no, I took it on purpose to make my friends laugh." Does it make you laugh?
pretty good picture of a primate
pachyderm
okapi?
it's a horrible camera for picture taking, so I'm impressed with this one.
Well, I survived it. No worries. I was a little stressed. I had thought of all the points where things could wrong, and I had an idea when I would get calls if those things did go wrong. And, the day passed without any of those calls. Let me not go into where the worst case scenario engine took me. It's dark.
Trevor survived it, too. He had a great time! Except he was thirsty. We packed water for him in his backpack, but he couldn't find it. GAH! He told us several times that we needed to pack him extra water, and we actually did. And, we put it in some nice handy pockets in his backpack, and we even made a point to show him where the water bottles were packed. He's OK, though. Not so dehydrated that you'd notice.
Here's what I'm most proud of. We sent him with money for souvenirs. And, last time he went somewhere with money for souvenirs, he had to borrow money from a teacher so he could get something for Devin. And, that was very nice of Trevor to think of Devin and nice of the teacher to loan him money. But, this time, the school was very specific that there would be no loaning and borrowing of funds. So, we gave him money for a souvenir for both him and his brother. And, he spent all of the money as it was intended. He had to use some of his dinner money to pay taxes, but that's OK because I sent a little extra dinner money. I was a little worried about the amount we sent with him, and I was certain he would lose it or spend it in vending machines. It was his allowance money, so he could do with it what he wanted. And, I was worried he would spend Devin's allowance money on vending machines, too. But, he didn't. He got Devin a cheetah (which Devin asked for specifically) and he got himself a seal. I'm very, very pleased with him.
He took Devin's camera with him, and he got some pretty neat shots. Now, Devin told me that since the pictures were taken with his camera, he gets to control who sees them. I didn't agree to that. I specifically said, "no, it doesn't work that way." But, if you get a chance, say thanks to Devin for letting him see pictures from his camera, would you?
There's this one:
I need to figure out how he got into the tiger enclosure.
He said to me, "I accidentally took a picture of elephant poop." I said, really? He said, "no, I took it on purpose to make my friends laugh." Does it make you laugh?
pretty good picture of a primate
pachyderm
okapi?
it's a horrible camera for picture taking, so I'm impressed with this one.
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