Wednesday, March 3, 2021

I had other good things to report on but the grumbling took up too much space


I got all the plants out of the house and garage Saturday and gave everything a good watering which I'm sure they were glad of. There is so much to do out in the yard, so much dead foliage to trim off. It's depressing looking at it. I'd rather see nothing. On Sunday I cut back boston ferns, katie ruellia, easter lilies, some of the leatherleaf ferns, cut the damaged leaves off the aspidistra working on the west side of the house and across the front and 3 1/2 hours later I ran out of steam. It was 80˚ and really humid out there. The yard is littered with all the debris, big and little, that I've cut off during the week. I should really get all that picked up before I cut anything else.

Then this happened. I had the door to the little backyard open as I do when the weather is neither cold or hot and no screen and as usually happens, a wren will come in, check things out and then leave. So I could hear them outside and then a little female flew in (and I know it was a female because of what happened) and flew to the far side of the room and then perched on the chain of the temple bell. I told her she didn't want to make a nest in here and then another wren flew in and also perched on the chain. Next thing I know, the second wren is mounting her (it was really quick and I can't believe I got the picture) and then he flew out and then she followed.


So of course Monday turned overcast, cold, and wet. Grumble grumble. Then at lunch I got a call from the dentist's office that I needed to come in for a new impression for my permanent crowns. What? Why? Grumble grumble. But you know what I did the rest of the day? I worked on my drawing (not a tracing which I do when I'm feeling lazy) of the angel trumpet flower and I've transferred it to my sketchbook for a colored drawing. 


Then it was time to go to yoga and Pam pulled up in the driveway just as the predicted rain started sprinkling, I got in, grumble grumble, and we made it to the highway crossover and we looked down towards the oncoming traffic and it was wet and rainy and dim and cold and I said it's not too late to change our minds. I could do that she says. Good. Let's not go so we turned around and came home. Then I texted Abby to let her know so she wouldn't worry about us not showing up since we come from Wharton and the class is in El Campo. Because we always show up. 

Yesterday morning, cold and overcast, and I arrived for my dental appointment for the new impression only it wasn't just an impression. When they sent the crowns back to darken the color the lab guys decided that the crowns were too thin on the backside because of my bad overbite and therefore too fragile and more material needed to be removed from the stubs that remained of three of my front teeth. So more grinding I asked? Yes, he says, more grinding. The first new impression was setting up too fast. He took another one but he didn't position the tray right at first so I'm not sure how that one came out so then he just took some of the 'stuff' and mashed it on and around my stubs so who the fuck knows how these new crowns are going to fit plus my gums were sore from all the trauma.

After lunch I went to check on my bird heads to see if the ants had done their job and I could only find the titmouse skull of which I could now see the back was crushed so I guess when it froze and fell, it landed on the back of it's head and crushed it's little skull. And the robin head/skull was nowhere to be found so I guess some creature...squirrel, possum, or raccoon perhaps got it. So that was a wash. Grumble grumble.

And now yesterday our dumbass republican governor in a bid to distract from the near total failure of our 'private' unregulated power grid and all the damage and the astronomical bills people are getting for a few days of power and the criticism raining down on his head has announced the end of the statewide mask mandate leaving it to the 'common sense' of Texans, individuals and businesses, to decide for themselves if masks are appropriate as well as allowing businesses to open up to 100% capacity. In other words, Abbott has decided that the pandemic is over even though all the major covid strains have been identified in Houston and only a small portion of the population has been vaccinated and Texas is still #2 in infections and #3 in deaths and yesterday there were more new infections and new deaths than there were the day he imposed the mask mandate and limited crowd size last July which he had to do because both those things surged after an  earlier attempt to open up. Oh, counties can still require masks but no penalty for non-compliance. Couldn't even give Biden his 100 days and just plain doesn't give a shit about the health of people in this state. He's beholden only to his big business donors. Yesterday wasn't turning out any better than Monday. The only good thing is that by afternoon the sky had completely cleared and it was warming up.

I was going to post about some of the promising stuff in the yard but this is already long, so next time.



16 comments:

  1. You did make me smile when you spoke about the "common sense" of Texans! The common sense citizens (like yourself) have to get more media coverage because the goofs keep making the news! No wonder you are feeling grumbly!
    Hope things improve for you soon and your garden bounces back to reward your hard work!

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  2. I love the mating wren story and photographs. Ah the promise of spring!
    Bummer about the dental work and the pain. I hope when you do get the new crowns, they will be perfect.
    I was BLOWN AWAY by the Texas Governor's announcement. What a stupid outrageous thoughtless dangerous plan. He is endangering so many people it is truly mind-blowing. Just when I think things won't get worse, they do. When is this guy's term up? He's got to go!

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  3. Texans are independent people. But that governor is so sad and so bad. If you can't kill your voters by freezing them, throw herd immunity at them. I am so sorry! Our governor has been bipartisan thus far, although starting to raise his political side this week.

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  4. Those precious wrens! I LOVE that you got those shots.
    The main thing wrong with your governor's decree is that "common sense" is the least common thing there is. Good luck with that one. WTF, people? Florida's about in the same boat although we do seem to be vaccinating a lot of people.
    Poor you and your teeth. Is there ANYTHING about getting older that's truly great? Well, I'm sure there are a few things but they don't spring to mind.
    I've been very grumbly lately too. Is the moon in discontented?

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  5. Birds good, Gov. bad! sorry about the carcasses not adding to your collection. Seems to be the way things are going- not as planned. "oh well" moments all over the place. That governor, I hope will be slapped silly with votes against him next election.

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  6. Gov. Abbott is an idiot cast in the same vein as the South Dakota governor. They've all lost their minds, it's hard to understand how they get to work in the morning.

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  7. Wren sex, that's a first for me. Anything with teeth and dental work makes me fall to my knees in tears. I hope your new crowns will work a treat so much you won't feel a thing.

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  8. I love the x-rated bird pix! Bird mating is lightning swift, good you caught it.

    Commiserations on your gov trying to distract from one disaster by creating another. Gah.

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  9. I think your temple bell is truly sanctified. The first time I saw birds mating, outside my boss's office window, I thought they were fighting. "I think not," he replied.

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  10. My wrens are back, after the cold! I'm so thrilled. They're the cutest things, and you're the luckiest woman in the world to have witnessed such an intimate moment. I saw some mallards engaged in some light flirting today, but when mallards get down to business, there's nothing delicate about it. At least once a year I break up the action when a male's gotten over-eager and has a female down on a parking lot. No class, those mallards.

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  11. I thought the timing of Abbot's announcement was suspect, coming on the heels of Biden saying everyone could be vaccinated by May. I think the Republicans do not want Biden's admin to get covid under control, because that will show how utterly they fucked up under Trump. The people be damned. The Republican party is not about serving the people in any way. It is all about power for self. I am sorry about your dental odyssey, may it be over soon, with a nice new unproblemmatic crown.

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  12. I did hear about the governor essentially throwing in the towel on Covid. I think Rosemarie is right, above, that the Republicans would rather see this pandemic grind along than have it addressed effectively under the Biden administration. That wren photo is amazing! I hope that's not a sign that they want that spot for a nest?! You may need to keep your door closed. (Or not!)

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  13. I love that you witnessed the wrens - the ultimate spring behavior :)

    I thought of you immediately when I read that about your governor. Ugh. Idiot. So sorry.

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  14. And in the midst of all that you drew a beautiful angel trumpet flower! As always, I'm impressed on many levels.

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  15. You sure do get a lot of exercise as you do your yard maintenance... good for you. Yes, I can't understand those governors who are lifting the mask mandate. Really, they seem to lack common sense. I go for my first vaccine shot today. I am so happy to be getting it.

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I opened my big mouth, now it's your turn.