Canticle of the Sun

My friend A... is in the second photo from the top holding my Strawberry Daiquiri so I can take photos!

Mass was beautiful, comfortable, peaceful, calm, sonorous, jubilant this fine Sunday. I had never heard the Canticle of the Sun and I liked it very much. The lyrics show an appreciation of God's perfection in nature - no real mention of the imperfection of mankind! Returned home to the 1937 Ford looking magnificent parked in the driveway while Daytona Puppy, Oldest Kiddo and P&D's Pop where lounging on the back porch. And to top it off Connecticut Kiddo Facetimed me and we took turns at Brain Quest 7.  Just a bit after noon and my day runneth over.

Tomorrow or Tuesday or both days Middle Child will be here for the first time as she has work to do in Baton Rouge. We're so glad that she'll be here and mayhap the next work related visit our Kiddo will be able to fly down with her and stay with us while she works. Such good ideas coming to fruition. Making me smile a whole heck of a lot.

The birthday party yesterday was at another fantabulous park, this one in Zachary. I spent most of my time walking around the beautiful grounds and stopping by to watch a Little League game. I've never seen parks as well kept as the parks in Louisiana. These kids can even play under the lights!  And Friday's trip to Ponchatula for the Strawberry Festival was an eye opener. My friend A... and I ate lunch at Paul's Cafe and it was another superior meal - onion rings and a catfish sandwich with unsweetened iced tea. We drank our Strawberry Daiquiris for desert besides adding in some stuffed beignets and a huge strawberry on a thick bed of dark chocolate filled with a custard. It was so big I needed the little spoon to eat it properly!  I'll put up some of the photos I took because the colours at the festival were, dare I use the ubiquitous word, awesome.

 How could I almost forget - P&D's Pop and my friend A...'s husband electrified The Shed!  Whoopee! Time to get in some exercise and start cookin'.


Quote:  Memory is the treasure-house of the mind wherein the monuments thereof are kept and preserved.   ____Fuller

And an Apple is still causing a downfall . . .

Our company in feasting mode

Yup, after all the work yesterday with Maggie, my Apple supervisor, when I turned the iPad on this morning we were back to No Service. Poopies. I emailed her right away because she wanted to know how it was working out. She called back at 8:07 and explained that the engineers have still not worked out a fix for the iPad 2. The last IOS download is the problem but other than taking the SIM card out and restoring it there is no permanent fix so I'm not going to turn mine off until Maggie lets me know they've rectified their mistake. See, another day in Paradise Lost. Those damn apples.

Waiting for a friend to pick me up while P&D's Pop works on the wiring for The Shed. She and I will be going to the Ponchatoula Strawberry Festival. I don't feel like bringing my camera but I will because there should be some superior colours there. I love the sounds of the names of so many of the parishes and towns in Louisiana. There's a scent of poetry in the air, well, as long as you stay clear of the fetid ditches; clean ditches are okay though!

Looking forward to another birthday party for a step great grandchild. He's a handsome fella and it should be fun although P&D's Pop will have to be home working with our friend Dwayne to wire The Shed.

Quote:  Each particle of matter is an immensity; each leaf a world; each insect an inexplicable compendium.  _____Lavater

Another beautiful crazy day . . .

Certainly not the best photo but still proof that the hummers are here!

Decided to go for my walk a bit early this fine morning and as I got to Juban I saw a Great Egret land in the drainage ditch. I didn't even get concerned  that I didn't have my camera because I figured that he was going to take some time to eat his breakfast. I completed my walk, went back home to retrieve my camera, stopped to take some very poor photos of Bluebirds on the telephone lines and got back to the corner at Juban and there was my Egret. I got quite a few photos and video but I haven't downloaded them yet. After he left the corner I walked back home only to see him or another Egret feasting in the ditch across from where we live. Bien sûr I took more photos and videos.

On my return home the phone was ringing and it was Apple calling to help me get the iPad back into proper working order. We spent almost two hours connected on the phone and with screen sharing to maybe have fixed the iPad 2. But a lot of my stuff has not been downloaded yet because Apple wants me to work with it for a few days to see if we really have solved the problem. If it still acts up I'll have to send it in because it will be a hardware problem. Oh well, I couldn't talk Maggie into a new iPad because I'm such a long time customer! Hope I'm all set. P&D's Pop and I will be going to Arkansas for a flying contest in a couple of weeks and I want the 3G working!

Found the bushes I'd like to put in the yard yesterday at Stine's but decided to wait some more. I figure it'll cost me at least $40 a bush and I'll also need to get some good soil and mulch. I'm going to go to Clegg's in Denham Springs to see what they have before I make my selection. I really do want the biggest plants I can get!

Quote:  It is heaven upon earth to have a man's mind move in charity, rest in providence, and turn upon the poles of truth.  ___Bacon

Already way too much done this morning . . .

P&D's Pop tidying up after flying in Walker

It's only 11 am and we've already been to get my regular fasting blood work done in Zachary; had a fantastic crispy pecan waffle and extra crispy bacon with coffee at Waffle House; almost caught in a traffic mess on Pride Port Hudson Road because a tractor trailer truck driver tried to back into a driveway on a curve and couldn't make it. He had the front end part way down the bank on the right and the back end partly down down the ditch on the left completely blocking the road. We could see the police car's blue lights flashing through the underside of the truck. We lucked out and were able to turn around and go back into Zachary where we took 64 East to MacHost so we could get to Bayou Park.

 A few days back P&D's Pop lost a battery while flying there but when we stopped yesterday there was a golfer in the field where he had been flying that day so we went back this morning. We turned the area into a grid and looked carefully but no luck. I was getting into the truck when I saw Grampa look into the big garbage barrel near the parking area and he pulled out the battery! That surprised the heck out of both of us. Pretty cool doings.

Not sure what possessed me, perhaps the fact that it's cloudy, but I decided to get the old Black & Decker light weight weed whacker ready for a workout. The best part is that Grampa revved up the new push mower and mowed near the fence and the ditch while I did the trim. First time we've gotten everything all spiffed up - looks good too. When  we finished that I had to do a dark wash because we were a mess. I do dress properly and wear a hat and glasses when I use my lawn neater upper.

  Still have some thinking to do about putting a couple of flowering plants in the back yard. Can't figure it out yet. I think camellias are a winter flowering plant and  azaleas bloom in Spring so I may have to choose one or the other or be brave and go with a couple of each. I may have to buy some good sized plants because I want them to bloom in fecundity this year!

Quote:  Habit, if not resisted, soon becomes necessity.   ___Augustine

Maybe it's a charm . . .

Killdeer in the backyard

This is the third time today that I try to get to my blog. First time P&D's Pop asked me if I wanted to go to Doyle's Bayou Park so he could fly and I could walk. Can't say no to an invitation like that. Of course I forgot my hat and it was very sunny but I tried to stay in the shade as much as possible. I've got to find a really good skin protection because we're out in the sun a lot. I've never been too concerned about that but down here I think I've got to be careful. Right now the days are absolutely perfect but I'm certain the humidity and temperature will be rising to the point we'll have to turn on the air and even stay in the house! I think I may do some weed whacking tomorrow. It's not bad yet but I should probably try to keep the yard in nice shape. If we don't get any rain I guess we'll be all set for a while.

The second time I tried to blog I noticed that my iPad had gone back to not working in 3G once again. I wrote to my Apple contact but haven't had a response. I did get en email from Apple trying to sell me a new one! They've got a lot of nerve. We'll see if they ever straighten out this mess.

P&D's Pop, the Big Kiddo and I just finished supper outside and they are back at work putting in a wall between the workshop and the El Camino. It looks like it's coming along quite well. This morning Grampa and I went to a new store to buy the wood he needed for the shed. Stine's is in Walker and it is a fantastic place. We drove right into the building, picked out what we wanted, put it in the truck and paid on the way out of the building. I've never seen a store like that. They seem to be a few notches above Home Depot or Lowe's. I was also impressed with all of the garden stuff which I didn't get a chance to check out but we did get some more bird food. I think I'll be going back on my own just to look around. Think I'll go sit on the back porch with my camera and see if any wild life wants to be photographed.

Quote:  Fame - a few words upon a tombstone, and the truth of those not to be depended on.   ______Bovee

Somewhat busy . . .

Rising out of the ditch

Well the iPad problem is still with me but I'm not going to get too upset, after all it's just a thing. It's annoying to be paying a monthly fee for something you can't use but I imagine they'll get it right one of these days.

Spent a very good Saturday afternoon at a party for a three year old. I think she slept through about half of it! The food was outrageously good but the best part was that I had a chance to relearn how to eat craw fish. Not sure why that tickles me but it does. They were perfectly spiced for me so I was able to eat quite a few. I don't suck out the heads which is where the really spicy part is, so I'm told. I only eat the tails. These craw fish were huge, almost looked like baby lobsters and I won't eat lobsters although I do like to prepare them for others!

When we returned home after an iHop breakfast yesterday P&D's Pop noticed a white head popping up in a drainage ditch. I grabbed my camera and got a few out of focus shots of a Great Egret having his breakfast. It is so odd for me to be able to just go outside and see Mother Nature at work in such a different way than in Connecticut. It's much more open here. I suppose that the flat terrain makes it easier to see whatever is happening. There are no hills at all. It's odd how you can see see full sunrises and sunsets just standing on your back or front porch.

Off for one last doctor's appointment and a stop to visit our daughter-in-law. I'll finally be done with the change overs to new medical people. I'm pretty darned impressed with how smoothly this has gone. I'm feeling well and confident. Middle child should be in Baton Rouge next week for her job and we'll get a chance to see her. Can't wait for that. Yes, I certainly do miss some people!

Quote:  Marriage is of a date prior to sin itself - the only relic of paradise that is left us - a smile of God on the world's innocence, lingering and playing still upon it . . . ____Horace Bushnell (What a strange and wonderful quote.  I didn't use it all because then it's not as sweet!)

Still having Apple Problems . . .

So beautiful

Started out the day going to Baton Rouge for a kidney x-Ray. Must admit I got there so fast it was unnerving. I left at 7:45 so I could be there for 8:45 and I ended up getting there at 8:07! Wow, I didn't hit one red light or traffic jam. I was out of the building before the start time of my second appointment with the Doctor to go over the results of the x-rays.  She was very pleased and I don't have to see her again until October for a regular checkup.

I have actually been away from my blog because as I was working on the iPad it dawned on me that the 3G wasn't working again! Since last Friday I've had a devil of a time getting it to work properly. I downloaded the latest iOS version and it killed the 3G. I was online with a live AT&T person Monday afternoon for a few hours trying to get it straightened out but it didn't work so the young man made an appointment for me to go to their store in Denham Springs. P&D's Pop brought me there and in two shakes of a lamb's tail the tech fixed it. Yay!

 Next day it was down again; no 3G, so I called the AT&T store and went back for another fix. This time I had to hang around quite a while but eventually a different tech put in a new SIM card and it still didn't work so he said it was an Apple problem. I called the Big Kiddo and he looked it up online. It seems that Apple's latest download to improve the iPad backfired. That meant I didn't need to buy a new one, Big Kiddo's wife would bring me to the Apple Store in Baton Rouge the next day.

Next day was a lot of fun; made a few stops, a western clothing store ( I like those shirts!) Victoria's Secret where I was trying on a t-shirt when my older brother called me on the phone! the Apple Store where after a short wait a lady tech fixed the iPad and then the pièce de résistance the Movie Tavern where we watch London Has Fallen while we ate a pretty darned good lunch!

 But, I digress. So . . . when I realized that the iPad was still not right I called Apple and was told I should go online because my wait time for help was going to be awful. I refused to hang up and told the robot to turn off the music while I waited. After quite some time Kye came on the phone and we went to work on the computer to get iTunes working properly so she could fix the 3G. After a couple of hours of Kye sharing the computer screen with me and getting nowhere she transferred me to her supervisor, Maggie. Maggie and I talked a bit and I explained that the phone number used to connect my iPad to the 3G no longer shows up in the stats. She called a tech at AT&T and we had a three way heart to heart. Then I was asked to remove the new SIM card from the device. I got P&D's Pop from his workshop to help me out. He removed it more easily than I did the first time. Then we waited 10 seconds and popped it back in. Like magic the 3G is now working again. Maggie sent me her email address and her phone number just in case it acts up again. Can't believe how much time I've spent on this tech problem and it wasn't even something I caused to happen. Seems to me Apple owes me a brand spanking new iPad that will never need any fixes. The bottom line is the telephone number now shows up in the statistics column. Lower case, yay.

Quote:  Accustom yourself to that which you bear ill, and you will bear it well. ----Seneca (Really?  I don't think so.)