Coffee

[baymule]

On second cup of coffee. I’ll put on some already dirty clothes to go out and do morning chores. Feeding the bottle lambs their milk is a lesson on taking a mud bath. I sit on a milk crate and they climb all over me. Little muddy hungry monsters. There’s 3, so I clamp one bottle between my knees and hold the other 2 bottles.

I’ll change clothes so I can go to Lufkin. I need 4-5 gallons of milk for making formula for bottle lambs and 5-6 100 pound bales of alfalfa for the ewes with babies. The road is passable but another hard storm coming in tomorrow will flood my road again. I don’t have a 4WD so I don’t challenge the flooded road in my diesel truck with that heavy engine that would make it sink in the mud. Neighbors have a 4WD and can pick me up in the morning to go to church.

 

[digitS']

no rhubarb around anywhere at the moment

Rhu•barb from the Barbarians.

The farmers' markets are beginning to open. I had 5 plants when there was a need for them. Reduced that to 2 later and becoming convinced that many is only necessary if we take in boarders.

Betty Crocker has the recipe & the flour mix LINK. It is one of the reasons for us to buy that mix. With oil and eggs always on hand (& milk, usually), I go for the original mix and add ingredients to make pancakes and waffles. Simple Dimple.

Supposed to be close to "room temperature" this afternoon so I'd better start on it soon while the oven heat will be appreciated.

Steve

 

[Rhodie Ranch]

Was it @ducks4you who mentioned within the last year about the phone calls from the Medicare Advantage provider who wanted to do the annual phone call/video call? Hubs and I did them two times in the last two years, and are being bombarded now for a new call for this calendar year.

My experience with Wellcare by Healthnet (my advantage program) is that the person had no idea of my health history, who my PPO provider was, and was only asking me questions. She wouldn't even make a suggestion when I asked her three times about a womans' annual health exam.

Now hubs comes in with the phone on his ear; he's being asked questions he can't remember anymore; they didn't know our PA's office address; and more. They woulnd't talk to me so I told him to hang up.

Thoughts?

 

[flowerbug]

all the advantage and gap plans are there to get people to buy more services because that is where they make their money. this past six to eight months was loaded with all sorts of companies advertizing their plans and since Mom is happy with her current one we didn't make any change, but what all this advertizing effort told me was that it was a huge money maker for them because they probably spent billions of dollars on stamps, writers and printing for all the stuff we threw away.

 

[Marie2020]

Was it @ducks4you who mentioned within the last year about the phone calls from the Medicare Advantage provider who wanted to do the annual phone call/video call? Hubs and I did them two times in the last two years, and are being bombarded now for a new call for this calendar year.

My experience with Wellcare by Healthnet (my advantage program) is that the person had no idea of my health history, who my PPO provider was, and was only asking me questions. She wouldn't even make a suggestion when I asked her three times about a womans' annual health exam.

Now hubs comes in with the phone on his ear; he's being asked questions he can't remember anymore; they didn't know our PA's office address; and more. They woulnd't talk to me so I told him to hang up.

Thoughts?

I'd block that number

 

[baymule]

Coffee is ready. It’s going to hit 91F today and humidity is 96%. It’s hazy and Smokey due to Mexico burning off sugarcane fields. Sugarcane has to be burned to get rid of the foliage and leave the stalk, to be processed for sugar.
I’m not real motivated to play outside today.

 

[digitS']

High Humidity and Smoke!? Good goobly goop!

Our immediate neighborhood is smokey but it is the neighbor and his smoker. Dang, he is directly SW kittycorner and the direction of the prevailing breeze. Retired and moved here from Hawaii (!?) about 5 years ago and has a real penchant for running that smoker.

I had moved the tomato plants into the carport after their 3rd day out in mostly shade. It is 37⁰f right now and I didn't anticipate that cold (63f [17C] yesterday afternoon) but it continues to drop into the 30's every morning (below 4⁰C). We will chase you a little towards the heat, @baymule . The thermometer is supposed to rise above 80f (27C) this weekend.

Chasing the sprinklers around the yard today.

Steve

 

[digitS']

Blueberries and banana in the Cheerios and Post Honeycomb this morning. Strawberries in the pancakes for a second breakfast — no choice. DW bought two boxes a couple of days ago and that is one too many for the rhubarb/strawberry pie ... Whenever it cools off!

I figure Monday morning that it will be safe to heat up the house and open windows with enough cool down time. Don't want to suffer in the afternoon from the heat and it's crazy to have the AC on. Shucks, are we halfway through Spring yet? Here, we are in the middle of 3 days with 80 degree f afternoons (high 20's C).

Hardening-off tomatoes had just begun. The peppers & eggplant were out and zinnias & marigolds. I see that the beets are emerging and, maybe, if I get down on my knees, I might see some carrot seedlings. Eighties, I had better do some lawn mowing this AM so that I can turn some water back on for the veggies before they burn up.

Steve

 

[Gardening with Rabbits]

I only drink 1 cup of coffee now in the morning. DD and i are trying out different teas to drink later in the day. I have been busy working in the garden. I put some lettuce in and some shallot and onion sets. I planted some sunflower seeds. My tomatoes and peppers and a few other things are just about ready to go in the ground. I think I will wait about Tuesday when back in the 70s. I went to different stores today and I bought a 6 pack of corn plants and some cantaloupe starts. I also bought 4 strawberry plants just to have some. I am getting stronger and I pulled all the weeds in the old herb garden that only has flowers left and I cut out all the dead from the roses. I am not sure what is going on with them. It probably was not enough water last year, but roses in the front and back both are not looking good. I am going to try to keep up better this year.

DD was out in her yard for 10 hours yesterday. She is so happy when it is warm and the sun shinning. She was out late last night watching the Northern Lights. I could see green and gray streaks with just my eyes, but like other people we could see the pink and red with the camera.

The weather just seems odd to me this year. I started my plants early thinking we would have an early spring, but we did not have what I was thinking we would have, but this warm May is wonderful.

 

[baymule]

Coffee is ready! More rain in the forecast for today and tomorrow. I really need to mow the back field but it’s so wet, I don’t want to rut up the field. Phooey.