Oakie Dokie

I'm still at it.  Allergies, that is.

 

I went in to work Monday morning, but I left about 10:15 or so.  I hardly slept Sunday night, I was tired already from the general allergy symptoms and Oak makes me sleepy anyway.  Not being able to sleep Sunday night did not help a bit!  I stopped by the post office to drop some mail off for work, then I stopped by Otter's store to let her know I was heading home and would not need her to stop at the store for me after all.  I got home fairly quickly, got my pj's on and my robe then parked myself in the corner of the couch where I spent late February/early March.  I stayed there until sometime yesterday evening, when I dragged myself off to bed.

 

I woke up still tired this morning but better since I did actually manage to get some sleep last night.  I had no choice as far as going in today, Younger Boss is on vacation starting today until several days from now (I forget when he comes back) and is out of state.  That means that I am the Teenager's transportation, babysitter (sometimes!) and main source of conversation for the next several days.  He wasn't ready to come in until lunchtime, and he spent most of the afternoon finding reasons to come out to my desk and talk to me.  While telling me that I was talking too much and needed to give my voice a rest since he could tell my throat was sore from how I sounded - then he'd ask me something else!  If Younger Boss had been there, I would probably have headed home about 1:00 or so.  It might be like that every day for the near future, until Younger Boss gets back.

 

It's probably not a bad thing that the oak tree we planted a few years back didn't make it.

 

I am exhausted!

 

Froggy, I texted you a picture of a certain beaglebrat today.  Every time anybody even seems to head in the general direction of the stove are of the kitchen, MaggieMoo runs in there and sits in front of the stove or cabinet next to it.  Then she waits.  Until something gets dropped on the floor!  I was standing in the kitchen talking to Bill while dinner (mac & cheese with ham) was cooking and that's when MaggieMoo was suddenly in there.  She was attempting to sit on her somewhat round behind (Otter calls her Bowling Ball Butt) and at the same time, he back legs were sliding out from underneath her so she was sprawled out in the floor.  She kept looking up at me, then looking at the floor.  Back at me, back at the floor, repeat, repeat, repeat.  She didn't get anything, by the way.

 

It looks like it's going to be another bad year as far as stingy bugs are concerned.  I think it was Friday, Otter was going out the back door and opened it to find a hornet in the doorway - same place we've seen two recently.  Each time, Bill's managed to get it out of the doorway since they weren't in a good spot to try to kill them.  She closed the door and decided to go outside via the kitchen to the garage door and then out the side door from the garage.  When she opened the kitchen door, there was another one.  At that point, she gave up on going outside and called me.  She also blocked the dogs inside, since bugs have come in the flaps before.  When Billyboy got home, he couldn't find the one in the garage nor could he find a nest.  The back door bug was also gone, so he thought maybe it was just looking for a place to get inside like they do.  Yesterday, he found the beginning of a nest inside the back door frame near the top.  He knocked it down immediately.  Today, Otter and I noticed a yellow jacket building a nest on the front of the house underneath the roof overhang.  When Bill got home, Otter showed him where it was and they found a second one starting.  Both are gone now.  Then I opened the back door to let the dogs out for a bit.  And found another hornet nest starting, in the same spot.  I walked around the house and looked, I didn't find anymore yet but we're going to have to be very vigilant.  There is a small yellow jacket nest starting at work, I found it today but didn't attempt to get rid of it because the Teenager was there by that point and he usually tries to go after them with a broom.  Which is a recipe for major disaster!  I'll get it in the morning, before the Teenager gets there.

 

We had a nice rain yesterday, which we needed badly.  The rain barrels are full again.  We were trying to empty the new one out or at least get it down to a level where we could move it.  Guess we'll have to wait a while on leveling it.  The honeysuckle all seem to be doing good.  We've decided to stick with honeysuckle and not get trumpet vines after all.  I think we need 4 more honeysuckle plants, I'll get them in the next few days.  Trumpet vines attract hummingbirds, but I put out feeders for them so I think I'll still have a few of them visiting.  Honeysuckle is a big draw for honeybees, and we want to help them as much as we can.  We don't worry about honeybees, they aren't aggressive unless they are threatened.  We may have bumblebees, too.  They are not exactly aggressive, but they are not quite as passive as honeybees.  But they at least let you know that they think you are in their space and give you warning before they decide to get aggressive.  Bumblebees usually fly right at your face or bump you, which means that it's time to move out of their way.  Also, hummingbirds will go to honeysuckle blooms.