Chickens On Ice

 I'm happy to report I'm feeling much better tonight.  Not great by any means but I think the leak has sealed up and I am mostly headache free.  I've even been able to bathe and walk outside briefly!  I think I came very close to Dr. Nabors making me come back to UAB for a blood patch but thankfully, if this continues, I won't have to. It's kinda odd to me that I was SO sick from that because the spinal tap itself was one of the easiest things I've ever been through.  Honestly, I did not even know when he had put the needle in my spine.  Of course he had numbed my spine a little in that spot and I felt him touch my back but I was just sitting there chatting away when he said, 'OK, not much longer, I've almost got enough fluid'...  Wha???  I never felt the needle go in or anything.  Ha! I guess I paid for that later.  I bleed very easy though and I think the puncture just would not clot up.  When I had that tooth pulled a year or so ago I wasn't sure that thing was ever going to stop bleeding!  But anyway, I hope it's over now.  He did the spinal tap to test for a few kinds of meningitis (I didn't know there was more than 1 kind!) and for MS.  A couple of the first tests came back quickly and my white blood cell count is up just a little, but that's all I know for now.

So...in the meantime....you all know what that means!!!  Yes!!  More chicken pictures!!!  This time it's chickens in the snow.  This all occurred in the week before I had the spinal tap.  We survived the Snowpocolypse just fine, having only received about 1 1/2 inches.  The chickens were not very happy about the whole ordeal though and would not come out of the coop.  Zuzu did come out when I tempted her with scratch, because she is so greedy or tough, I'm not sure which.  I have to give her credit though, she was about the only one even willing to come out and scratch around for the first 2 days.

 Even the Easter Eggers, which are supposed to be a cold weather breed, said the heck with that!  They would not come out at all!  Maybe that's how they survive well in cold weather....they won't go out in it!!

 Poor little PeePee looked so miserable.  I know she was dreaming of warm summer days and green grass.  I let her sit in my lap several times so she could warm her little feets up.  She really liked that.

It was not a very heavy snow, even by our southern standards, but it was pretty.

The garden is snugly tucked away in it's slumber.  There are no greens of any kind left for the chickens now, even the cabbage I had stored in the pump house for them has been eaten up.  I pulled up the brussel sprouts for them and they scarfed those down in no time also. 

After about 2 days they finally relinquished and came out into the yard and into the snow.  If you look closely you can see they are doing their flamingo impersonations.  I guess it let them warm one foot at a time.

Or, they found anything to stand on besides snow while they scrounged around for eats.  Don't worry, we threw them scratch and they always have layer rations in their house and they get any scraps from the kitchen that we think they might like.

I can't remember what day but sometime during this we also set a record low around here of -2 F. (-19 C.) Alabama record books say we have gotten much colder than that in the distant past but I have never seen minus temps in my life here.  We have a little heater in the chicken coop so everybody made it through fine but I think everybody is ready for spring.  I know I am!

Wrack My Brain

I can so relate.

Well, before we even got home Friday the doctor had gotten my MRI and reviewed it and sent me an email to tell me that my brain looks great!!  No lesions or tumors and it was nice and full.  Of bullshit probably. haha!  Those last words are mine by the way, not his.  So, that's great and I'm thankful but it does leave me scratching my head still about what's wrong.  I'm not sure what to do next, if there is anything to even do or try.  You know, nobody wants to have something wrong with them,  but as bad as I feel at times it's kinda hard to believe there's not something outta whack somewhere.

So, I just wanted to leave a quick post to let ya'll know what the results were.  I'm especially glad my noggin is healthy because I never want to go through one of those test again.  I had the MRI of my neck you know, and it was no problem, but something about this one was very different.  It was all I could do to lay still and not freak out.  I was happy to build the structures for those machines way back but that's as close as I ever want to get to one again.

When It Rains It Pours

Our annual winter rains began earlier in the week and hopefully, will end soon.  Just as I hope my run of personal misfortune ends soon.  I would have sworn to you that this rains only occur in the spring, March, April etc. but after checking back through the blog I see that it is actually right on schedule.  And exactly in line with Alabama weather, we are expecting snow tomorrow!  As I heard someone say once, Welcome to Alabama! Bring your whole wardrobe!

I must say the whole blog thing is handy for checking your memory if nothing else and I find more often than not that my memory is the one that is faulty.  There have been several times over the years here that I would have sworn to you that such and such happened but after going back and reading the actual account.......well, okay, so it wasn't quite the way I remembered it.  I have read numerous studies over time about just how faulty the human memory is and so influenced by our own personal beliefs and this blog has proven that to me more than once!

I've been a little worried that the chickens would get a little too close to this flowing water and be swept away but so far they are okay.  Well, safe from the water anyway.  I heard an awful screaming going on today and ran outside to see a hawk pinning one of my babies down on the ground.  I screamed profanities at him and ran out in the yard in my sock feet.  He finally flew away and I was astounded to see the chicken jump up and run towards me, diving under the deck for cover.  I was sure she was already dead.  She did suffer some serious cuts and tears but she was alive, albeit missing a good percentage of her butt feathers.

They refuse to stay out of this rainy weather but do hide under my truck during the worst of the downpours.  I am anxious to see what they think of the snow!
Oh, to JMD, yes, we are getting a fair number of eggs right now; around 8-10 a day.  Some of them are still kinda small but they are getting bigger.

And in keeping with all the wet, miserable gloom I have now developed a nice case of the shingles to go along with all the other crap of this new year. I don't think I would wish shingles on my worst enemy.  It is very painful.  But, I guess on the bright side, my rash is fairly small and only on my shoulder area.

Only poor Scooter looked as miserable as I feel.  Not much is sadder looking than a soaking wet chicken with a gapped up head.

Well, I suppose I have vented enough for this post.  Maybe I'll be back tomorrow or the next day with some pretty snow pictures!!  Or maybe I'll just hide in bed for the next week.  It's a toss up!

Here And There

Well, I finally got a little time to scratch out a post for ya'll.  Things have been so hectic.  They have cut out our over-time at work but I have had a few other errands to do after work and my connection is still crappy here.  Jack is working on that so maybe it will get better.  Right now I am at a local bookstore where I can get a decent connection.  Weekends are no time to rest either as I have to play catch up when I get home.  One of the stores that carries my pottery has placed a fairly large order for Christmas so I've been working on that in amongst the usual house chores.  The bit I got planted in the garden is doing well at least.  Each weekend I get a little more of the garden cleaned up and such.
However, Jack and I have made time for some fun here and there.  This past Saturday we went to a play and then out to a very nice, cozy meal at a very cool restaurant in Birmingham.  It was fun.
Speaking of food; Jack harvested 4 of the roosters.  Mainly the white Leghorns.  They were not real plump but one of them made a real nice pot of soup that you see here and I see dumplings in the future for another. It was very tasty.  Jack is still coming to terms with and sharpening his skills at dressing chickens but he has done well I think.
Not a lot else to report, just busy, busy, busy and to top it all off, the one other welder that might have helped me some at work was involved in a equine accident over the weekend and is so broken up I don't believe he'll be back any time soon.  It looks like I'm going to get stuck with all this steel no matter what.  They have at least assigned a carpenter to me full time to help me in whatever way I need.  He is a real nice guy too and willing to do whatever to help out.
So, I'll try to be back soon and maybe with some better pictures.  I haven't even had time to take any and the fall colors will most likely be gone by the time I get home again.

Going Down Slow

Hey Folks! I'm writing this from Santa Fe, NM tonight. Wasn't sure for a while if Blogger was going to let me but it finally went through and let me load these photos. After we left Big Bend we headed up towards Carlsbad Caverns. Kinda just a giant hole in the ground that you can't see the bottom of. It was quite a hike, took a little over an hour but was way cool. . Then, once you reach the bottom you hike for another hour or so to see the rest of the caves. There were not too many people there, which was nice.

This is another place that these photos just don't do justice. We also had a nice chat with a couple of the Rangers here. This photo was taken down in the cave a bit but where you can still see out. This is also the entrance where the bats fly out in the evenings. And you can tell by the smell.

This is way down in the caverns. We spent most of the day here just tooling around and then had lunch above ground and browsed through the bookstore and photography exhibit of Ansel Adams' work.

The rain we picked up in the Chisos followed us up to Carslbad and when we came out of the cave it was raining again.We made it out of the park okay but really got into some rough stuff in Carlsbad proper. Apparently, they don't build storm drainage systems into the city streets like we do back home and it makes for some interesting driving. There was a couple of times that so much water washed over the windshield that we were completely blind. Fortunately, everybody was going pretty slow and no one stopped, which could have caused us all to stall in the water.

We eventually made it out of town and out of the storm. One of my first good sights in New Mexico was this full, double rainbow. You could see the entire thing stretched across the valley. It was quite a sight. There was a smaller, double part on this end but it may not show up on the photo and I could never get the whole rainbow in one shot.

We stopped overnight in Roswell, NM and puttered around there a little this morning taking in some alien sights. It was fun. Roswell is a much larger city than what most people imagine.

So, we are going to spend a couple of days in the Santa Fe area and then head for Flagstaff, I think. I'm kinda confused about itinerary at this point and what day it is. The 7,000 feet elevation is also interesting. It is making us a little tired but the extremely low humidity here feels wonderful. We are still having a blast and enjoying each others company. Oh, and I saw a bunch of antelope by the highway on the way here. We also saw several of those God-forsaken cattle feed lots too. I am going to try very hard to change my beef consumption after seeing that. I knew what they were like but it's disgusting to see in real life.

*Eric Clapton

Come Again

I basically finished the weathervane today so I just have to get it ready for transport tomorrow. Just a few things left to do so I don't have to be present when the vane is actually set and then I can use Thursday to get ready for the trip. One of the last things is to add a new ball bearing to the bottom of the main pole, so I stopped by an industrial supply on the way home today to purchase said piece. It took them a while to correctly size it but I believe I got something that will work.

Thanks for all the suggestions of things to see in Texas and Arizona. I will definitely check them all out and see if I can get them in our route. If anyone knows of any other great places please let me know. I am planning on hitting San Antonio, Big Bend National Park, Carlsbad Caverns, Sedona, Flagstaff, maybe Taos, Winslow, the Grand Canyon but the trip home is still up for grabs. If I am passing near to your location and you want to meet a half-crazed female construction worker, just drop me a line and maybe we can do lunch, as they say.

Head Above Water

I have been trying for some time to get a good photo of these cows down the road from me. They have been seeking any relief they can from the heat lately and this little pond is one of their favorite tricks. It has taken me so long because I either don't have my camera with me on the days they are in or they are not there when I do have it. One other time we did sync but they jumped out about the time I got close. I think today they said the hell with it, we're staying put. Now, before anybody freaks, I've seen the little ones get in before and they always get back out okay. This is not as good a shot as what I see in my mind but it will do.

I've been thinking about that post I wrote a couple of days ago about finances and I had a few more things to say about that. First, I always feel kinda stupid writing stuff like that and here's why: I know I have several major advantages that lots of other folks would have trouble employing to build their own house and so I feel kinda silly saying, 'yeah, do this like I did!' First, I work in an industry where free material is easy to come by for us. Secondly, I am fortunate enough to be thought highly enough of by many men in higher positions so I also come by free stuff that way. The men are very generous to me. And before anybody gets all smarmy, no, I do not sleep with any of them to get it. Well, I used to sleep with Allen but that was a long time ago. Heh. Anyway, there have actually been a couple I really would have liked to have paid back that way but they really were just being nice. Thirdly, I was born with a strength advantage over many women; I know I am much stronger than a lot and this helps me build things by myself. Fourthly, I don't have the kids to pay for and this is a major thing. I can spend my money and time on whatever I want. And lastly, I just seem to have good mojo; things work out for me. One friend told me once that I was 'magic'. For instance, things just worked out that I got another acre of land that I had been wanting for $14 and I didn't even have to ask for it really. There are many more examples but for privacy reasons I can't really say, just take my word for it. I keep hoping this 'magic' will bring me a male partner (notice I did not say husband necessarily) but I think my mojo is broke in that area. Everything works out except for that! Oh well.
Anyway, I don't go around telling people how they need to live or conduct their lives but a lot of people ask me how I manage to do these things, so I will tell them in that case because I realize also that a lot of the things I have accomplished have been through sheer hard work and determination and that is something anyone can do. However, a lot of people don't want to hear that. I pains me to see how that living on borrowed money had become so ingrained in our society that the vast majority of people truly believe there is no other way. You must borrow money or you won't have anything. Now, please believe I do not look down on anyone who has a mortgage. There is nothing wrong with that if it is within your means and that's the way you want to do that. But we must relearn the fact that there is ALWAYS another way to do something. You do not have to keep doing what everyone else does. I wonder what has happened to that American spirit of enterprise and flat out gumption. A construction worker knows, there is ALWAYS a way. To be honest, a lot of it for me is this: I work way too hard for my money to give a big part of it to some filthy rich banker or corporation that wouldn't piss on my head if I were on fire. I work for Annie. That blood running down my arms some days is spilt for me and I am going to keep all of that paycheck I can to spend on things I want. Not make a payment on some CEO's Mercedes.

I also feel stupid babbling on and on about shunning some material possessions in order to focus on people and relationships. Yeah, for all the good that's done me I think sometimes I should have just been blowing my money on wine, men and song, so to speak. I've got nothing to show for all these years of trying very hard to appreciate a good partner. Hell, it's a major event if I go out on a date. I guess if nothing else I can be a warning beacon for those who are fortunate enough to have a mate. Do I sound kinda bitter? Well, sometimes I am, dammit, to be perfectly honest. I am a hell of a good woman and would treat a good man well. It kinda reminds me of the couple that most of us know. You know, the loving young couple that would make wonderful parents but by some sucking twist of fate, can't have kids. While around the corner, folks that literally should be sterilized can breed like rats. You know you've seen people like that and thought the same way. And I don't begrudge good people that have found happiness with someone, honestly I don't. I am very happy for them. I just really wonder sometimes what is wrong with me.

So, I guess that is why I don't write a lot of posts like that. I feel like a fraud on some things. I honestly believe in these things I preach but I realize nothing in my life works like most other people's do, so I wonder if I can really have anything to offer someone else, even advice.

World Of Hurt

I have to laugh sometimes when I think about some of the comments you guys leave, complimenting me on my carpenter abilities and such. My ability to construct all these things by my little self. Now, I'm not making fun or mocking anything you say and it's not that I don't truly appreciate such kind words; I really do. What I mean is, ya'll just can't see what a complete goober I am sometimes. If any of you could ever be here while I'm working.....you might end up thinking, 'lord, it's a wonder that woman can walk and talk at the same time' or 'how did she ever do this without cutting her head off!?' Well, actually, if you've been reading my blog for any amount of time, I'm sure you are quite aware of what a freakin' goober I am!
Let me explain what I mean. I was up on the clerestory section yesterday doing a little caulking where I had run that siding. Now, on that end I have had trouble with wasps wanting to build in the wall. I have killed literally hundreds of wasps over the months there but I believed I had gotten them all. So, I'm up there caulking away, and mind you, I have to stand right on the edge of the roof to get to that side, when I feel something scurry down my neck. Now, in my flurry of activity, I had forgotten that i had tucked my carpenter's pencil up in my ball cap and that might be what had slipped down and I now felt on my neck. No, all I could remember is that the wasps might not be gone, in fact, I had seen a couple, so that is what I instantly determined was on my neck. I'm not sure what exactly happened next. All I remember is terror, ducking and slapping and a sudden pain across the bridge of my nose! What had I done!? I looked down and caulk and blood were going everywhere and in that same instance the phone started ringing. Well, the hell with that, I wasn't going to try to answer it, I had to find out why I was bleeding! I finally got the caulk stopped and eventually determined that I had hit myself in the face with the caulking gun, cutting myself across the bridge of my nose. As if my face doesn't look bad enough, I have to keep bashing myself there! I was greatly relieved when I woke up this morning and did not have a black eye from it. Now, I just have to think up some good story to tell the guys when they inevitably ask why a have this cut across my snozz. What do you think? grizzly bear? bar fight?

On a good note though I harvested some raspberries!!! It was just a few but I've never been able to get them to grow before, much less make fruit! They were SO good! I have 4 plants in right now and thought I would plant grapes the rest of the way across the back of the garden but I may have to buy some more raspberries! Yummmm!

And my blueberries are making fruit too!! They are actually doing better than the raspberries. I only have two of these. I cleaned up in the garden some and did some major mulching on what little I have planted.
I continued to work on the clerestory area, putting the soffit material up on the side overhangs that never got put up and the other set of corner boards. That's been pretty easy, other than being super hot up there. So, maybe it won't be too long before I will be completely finished with the siding.
Yea, and I still hear ya'll snickering about my nose!.... I know! I was making mad, passionate love to some good-looking man when he suddenly lost his footing......

*Drive By Truckers

It's Only Life

This weekend I managed to rip off a piece of my lower lip, break a tooth, get attacked by birds and Fred ran off to Ecuador....
Oh, and none of these incidences were related. In case you're wondering.

So how was your weekend? Better than mine I hope.


*Kate Voegele

Funny The Way It Is

A little while back I went out to dinner with a man that was missing one leg. He had lost it to cancer back when a teenager.
Just a couple of days later, the neighbor's dogs chase and down a sizable deer on my property, not far from the house. Since it was clearly in a bad way, I relieved it of it's misery and upon further investigation, found that it too, was missing one leg. Isn't that kinda funny? What do you suppose the symbolism is in that!? ;D (a joke!)
Since I have been laid off for so long, having a freezer full of deer meat has been quite a blessing; sent just in time.
The man I have not seen since; he never called again. I have the oddest life sometimes.


*Dave Mathews Band

Someone Out There

Lately I've been musing over the process of how we go about trying to meet people these days and I've noticed a stark difference between now and my younger days. Perhaps I was very starry-eyed in my youth but there seemed a certain mystique to courtship back then. I guess that is just the way we chose, or more likely were taught, to view it. Now, at my age, it seems the process is something not entirely unlike purchasing a horse. Is his back still holding up? Does he kick or bite? Has he been gelded and does all his, umm, 'equipment' still function? Not that there's no romance to it now, but I think practicality has become a much higher priority and considering my circumstances are a little different than most women, I find myself scrutinizing men over the craziest things. Does he give me ample reason to believe he can outwork me? Did he gaze too longingly at my welding machine? The hell with him looking at other women, he better not get it in his head he's going to hog Big Red. That's my machine buddy!

Have I been alone too long and had to do for myself so much that now, any man that comes to sway my heart must complete a series of labors that would make Hercules sink to his knees in despair? No mythical beast slaying here, just help me split that cord of firewood, make yourself presentable enough to attend some hoity-toity art gallery event, all the while assuring me that my art is surely better than anything else like it you see. Oh, and keep your damn boots off the coffee table.








*Cowboy Junkies

Keeps Gettin' Better

You know how that old saying goes, "when it rains, it pours"? Well, that is what I'm referring to. I was working on siding today, after I took my truck into the shop to have the transmission serviced, and my sister calls me. It's kinda unusual for her to call during the week like that, but anyway she says, "have you talked to Mama today?" I told her no, was something up? She says well, Mama just called her from the emergency room and asked her to come over there. Seems Mama was feeding the horses and one of them bit her finger off! I almost fell off the pick board! I said "what??!" Rosemary said the horse bit the end of Mama's finger off and then she asked Mama if she got the finger and took it to the hospital, thinking maybe it could be put back on. Mama said she tried but the horse wouldn't give it back! He ate it! My family is like some kind of circus! So, Mama bandaged her hand up and drove herself to the hospital. She is 70.
My truck is still in the shop so Rosemary is going to take Mama to a specialist in Birmingham tomorrow. I talked to Mama on the phone after she got home and you know, it's not funny really but she was laughing and then I was laughing. Sometimes it's just all so absurd or surreal. The thing is, this kind of stuff is actually kinda normal for us. It's like the time our cousins collided head-on during a family football game or when Daddy shot Uncle Bill that Thanksgiving. You just never know what's next.

*Christina Aguilera

Killing Me Softly

I mentioned in a previous post that I have been making a renewed effort to get out and meet some people and all that. Trying to socialize and go out with some new men. I do not want to sit at home and stagnate or seem as though I'm stuck on someone from the past. I am an intelligent, rational woman. I can meet someone new. There are scads of good men out there, you know?
So, a man sees my profile on Facebook (we have a mutual friend) and asked to meet me. I have to admit I kinda put him off at first, even though he seemed nice enough, I just didn't feel we had much in common. He asked again a week or so later, so I said, what the heck? We emailed each other a little and I said, why didn't we just meet for coffee or lunch? Now, this is unusual for me because normally, I won't meet a man unless I have spoken on the phone with him a couple of times but my friend said he was a nice guy, so I thought, why not? He agreed and asked if I would meet him for dinner. I said okay and we went out last night. Now, I'm getting to the point of this so ya'll just bear with me. And by the way, I don't give out personal info (phone # etc.) until I know someone more.
So, we are in this restaurant, chatting away about stuff and I'm enjoying getting out and trying something new. I'm feeling like I can expand my circle of male acquaintances and meet some totally different people. He lives over an hour from me, no family in this area and he's a judge, so we are not anywhere near the same spectrum in our occupations. And then somehow, from somewhere, the subject of trains comes up. Over 75 years ago, my company got it's start building for the railroad.
He jumps on this subject; his eyes light up! Just so happens his father worked for the railroad all his life.
Did I happen to know where ****** yard was? well, as a matter of fact, that was where we built that job. Oh, his father was assigned there!
Did I know what a yard conductor was? well, yes, I did. (that is what the Switchman is.) Oh, his father was a yard conductor; he stayed there and built the trains up!
So, he goes on and on about all the jobs his father did; conductor, union boss etc. etc.; all the exact same jobs the Switchman held and after comparing the time lines and such, I concluded that it is very possible that the Switchman was a cub under this man's father and probably replaced him after he retired.
He even commented that it was kinda funny that I would have worked out there where his father had spent so much of his life. He seemed happy to have had the opportunity to talk about his Dad and remember those things. I, on the other hand, didn't think banging my head on the table was appropriate and so didn't let on to any further information.
You know, when you are working in a rail yard, the locomotives move very slow and are astoundingly quiet. You wouldn't think something like that could slip up on you, but they can. You'll just be working along, your mind on other things and then slowly, you realize you hear a slight rumbling and turn around to see this thing sliding up beside you with a tall, handsome man smiling down at you.


* I always loved Roberta Flack's original but The Fugees do a killer remake.

Southern Nights

If you look closely, some of you may recognize this building. In person it is instantly recognizable but then, you get a better view. The little 'town' is so small it's actually hard to get a good shot of anything. All southerners would know this place as the Whistle Stop Cafe' from Fried Green Tomatoes.
I went to visit Cat Daddy over the weekend and he took me by here on Sunday. It's very close to the job site actually. We had a nice time just driving around the area and stopping in a few shops and state parks.
Much of the movie was filmed right in this area. And wouldn't you know, damn train tracks running everywhere. This scenario was made complete by the fact that Cat Daddy drives the exact same color, etc. truck as a certain someone, even down to same type and color umbrella that they both keep behind the headrest of the passenger side seat. I joked to Cat Daddy that he was going to have to hide the umbrella at least but I just try to laugh about the whole thing. Like Ninny Threadgoode says in the movie, "a heart can be broken but it keeps beating just the same".
The big barbecue pit that they show in the movie is actually out back of the building and I thought I could get a shot of the whole thing but it didn't come out well. We went in the restaurant but did not eat any fried green tomatoes. $7.50 just seemed a little high for a few green tomato slices. It's a shame that the movie and book are set in Alabama but the movie was not filmed here.

I also got to visit with a few of our other carpenters as we all met up one night at a bar in a larger town. We avoided any fights as we all conceded we are all too beat up as it is to get into stuff like that any more. One of the boys broke his back a few years ago in a fall on the job. Cat Daddy has had back surgery and I have torn a ligament in one foot so it's hard for me to run very well. So, we just shot some pool and threw back a few. They told me about an unfortunate rod buster on the job that had two fingers pulled/pinched off by a crane's outriggers this past week. He's actually lucky that it wasn't more. I feel so for these men having to work this type of job. Rough way to make a living.
So, we had a nice visit and I saw a part of the country that I had not seen before. Despite the fact that I am completely self-sufficient, the warmth of a man's arms does much to improve my mood and I'm not at all ashamed of that fact. So, maybe I can get a lot more done this week and have some new stuff to show ya'll soon.

*Glen Campbell

The Closest Thing To Crazy

Okay, some of you may be getting tired of reading this ol' story but dammit, this has really just got me flabbergasted. I don't know what to think. You know I mentioned a few posts back, how that I had run into the Switchman a few times lately on the interstate and that I had literally started going in a little later to avoid seeing him. That may be silly but it just bums me out sometimes. Well, hell, if I'm not running into him now, here in my little town where I live! It seems that every time I try to avoid him in one area, he pops up somewhere else. I came to our downtown to buy gas, something I don't normally do, and go to the bank, and as I was pulling out of the gas station, he drives by! So, he signals me and pulls over into an empty parking lot and we talk for a while (about work). I asked him, "what in the world are you doing over here?"
"Oh, I've had to come over here several times lately to buy lumber."
Seems the lumber yard nearest to his house doesn't carry the length boards he needs for a project he's doing, but the lumber yard over in my town does. !@$#!
At least this time, as I stood there and talked to him, I don't think I acted like a complete idiot.

For some reason this old joke keeps coming to mind and has for some time now: these two good ol' boys, Zeb and Joe, decide to go bear hunting. So they get out in the woods and actually find a bear but it chases Joe up a tree. The bear shimmies right up behind him, with Joe climbing as fast as he can. But they eventually reach the top of the tree and then the awfullest hollering and growling and shaking commences with the two of them going 'round and 'round in the top of that tree. So, Joe yells down to Zeb and says, " Shoot it, Zeb! Help me!"
"But I'm afraid that I'll hit you Joe! Ya'll are rolling around so, I can't see which is which!"
" Dammit Zeb, just shoot up amongst us, one of us has got to have some relief!"

Oh, I forgot! Also, when I saw him, I was wearing both the T-shirt that my company gave us for the railroad job and the baseball cap that the Switchman had given me. That was the first time I had worn that hat in over a year.


*Katie Melua/ I also just happen to stumble onto this song, which is quiet lovely and you can listen to it here. I was not familiar with this song and, once again, somewhat flabbergasted when I read the lyrics.

Ever Present Past

Okay, if ya'll are getting sick of seeing my artwork just let me know but this one has a story behind it. Seems that since Dale and I parted I have had a spat of calls, about a variety of things, from a couple of 'ex's'. Now, I take pride in that I am still friends with the vast majority of my 'men' but I thought the timing on this one was interesting. Ya'll know how I like "meaningful coincidences" and that sort of thing.
So, many years ago, right after I divorced, I dated a man that had a daughter of about 13. Sweet girl, very smart and she barrel-raced, so I did this portrait of one of her horses for, I believe, her birthday. I have only seen this man a few times over the years and the last time I spoke to him was probably 3 or 4 years ago. Well, he and I have a good mutual friend, the superintendent (Daddy Rabbit) that I went and worked for, just a week or so ago, who needed a welder. While working with Daddy Rabbit, I asked him how said man and his daughter were doing (something I usually don't do) and the usual pleasantries. He said they were fine and he believed the daughter was graduating from college that week actually. Now, I know Daddy Rabbit never mentioned anything to the man, but lo and behold, who calls that next week but this man? Seems his daughter did graduate and her request for a graduation gift from him, was for him to find me and ask if I would do a second, matching portrait of another horse of hers that was, unfortunately, struck and killed by lightning. I hated to hear about her horse but was glad to accept to do another portrait for her. Just for information, this portrait is done in ink.


*Paul McCartney

Burn My Heart To Stone

First off, thanks to all for the well wishes and offers of help and support from you local bloggers, Karen and Linda and everybody. I'm doing better and I think everything is OK. I had to have a stress test done on Wednesday and it came out fine. I really never got a definite answer from the doctor about the EKG that showed a heart attack. They actually ran it twice and compared it to the one I had last year. It was different and consistent with a MI. So, after the stress test the Doc said he felt everything was OK (no blockage, no damage) but couldn't be sure that I did not have one. I feel much better now but still have some spells of my heart skipping, which for me is normal.
This past year I have been finding these heart shaped rocks all over the place, so I finally started keeping them. I think it's kinda funny that I can find these when I think most of ya'll know my frustration at never being able to spot 4-leaf clovers, arrowheads or anything of that nature. Maybe it's a sign to me. If only my heart were as hard as these stones, my life might be easier. Maybe it wouldn't be easily upset.
My brother and sister called after Mama blabbed about what happened and wanted to know what is going on. I don't say much to them because I feel it is kinda pointless. The older I get, the less I feel I have in common with them and the more our lives become different. They both have families with children and live very active consumer-type lifestyles. I'm always afraid I'm going to offend them with my joking around and any talk of what I do is just boring to them. They do not like what I do for a living and have even suggested that I do not reveal that info in order to meet a suitable man. Of course, I'm not going to mislead anyone about myself. I mean, when do you stop? I'm proud of who I am.

I did go back to work on Friday and that was OK. They had gotten another welder with the company to come do some of my job so that will give me an easier time next week. All my welding should now be on the ground and not up in the structure of the building. A funny thing happened Friday also. They had one of our backhoe operators come out and do some digging for us and we were chatting at the end of the day, before we got tools up. Out of the blue he just mentioned something about "that man from the railroad you were so crazy about" and we laughed and joked about that for a minute. The Switchman had actually crossed my mind earlier because this other welder drives a truck just like his and I kinda laughed when I saw it sitting by the connex.


*Adele

Always Something There To Remind Me

At the risk of being boring, I am wanting to elaborate on or explain some of my recent postings. So, if you're just looking for stuff about the house you might want to skip this post. I don't know how successful I'm going to be at this so ya'll just bear with me.
I have been unsure of the past few posts I've made (and deleted some of them) for 2 reasons:
Now, I know some of you may scoff at this but just listen to me. As someone who works in an industry somewhat ostracized by "polite" society, I am unsure what things regular people talk about. See, construction is sort of a society unto itself. We have our own social order etc. and we are often reminded by 'regular' people that we should stay to ourselves. We are told by our bosses to stay away from the white-collar people we must sometimes work around. Don't talk to them; mind your own business. Most construction workers are a very outspoken, candid bunch. Say what's on your mind and get it over with. But I know this doesn't always go in the social world; you're supposed to be more tactful than that. To me, the story of the Switchman is just an honest account of how life is sometimes very crappy and bittersweet, with a few funny stories thrown in. But some people might view it as offensive, which leads to my second reason.
I don't want anyone to think badly of the Switchman. When I left the railroad it kinda hit us that we cared for one another and we both expressed some of that. But we agreed then that there would be no contact between us. No calls, no dropping by 'just to see how you're doing' or anything as that would just not be appropriate. Only the promise that if he ever found himself single, he would find me. And so we've been running from each other ever since and that is what makes these coincidental (or not) episodes all the more frustrating. If it can't be then just let me forget the man, you know?
And I've tried. I have tried very hard to meet someone else. The funny thing is that I normally don't have much trouble with that. I mean, not that I'm all that, I just work around tons of men. The law of averages is just going to let you meet at least one every now and then. And I have met a couple of guys that seemed very interested and I thought, "hey, we might could get together" and then he just disappears or I get transferred to another job. Two other guys I know and have been friends with for some time have called and want to go out. I have been open to this and told them to drop by the house sometimes and we could talk but every time one of them starts to come by to visit or wants to go out, something comes up to stop them. I'm starting to feel like I've got the mark of Cain on me or something!
So, ya'll know that I got sent back over to Red Diamond a couple of weeks ago. The job that takes me very near to his house. This is also the job that they keep having cosmetic issues with and so they feel that, because of my art training, I'm the only one that can repair these problems. Can't send another carpenter, it's got to be Annie, so I can't refuse to go and my other boss can't refuse to let me. So, the building is essentially done and the people have moved in and are working. Most of them are very nice and actually want to chat with the four of us, which is a little unusual. One especially cold morning this slightly, older than middle age woman comes up to me and is making conversation about the weather etc. I remarked that I was just glad to be working in a warm building, as I usually have to work outside. Oh, she knew how that was! Her husband has to work out in the weather also and she really felt for him that morning as he bundled up for work. "Well", she continued, "he is a conductor on the railroad, he works for (same RR) out of the (same) yard so I really sympathize with all of you that work in the weather". I cannot express the terror that I felt at that moment. She seemed a little too old to be his wife but the way things have been going, I couldn't be sure of anything. I just thought to myself, "oh, no, no, nonono!" I somehow managed to squeak out, "oh, really" and prayed that my facial expressions were not revealing my panic. "Yeah, Joe just hates it when it is so cold." Oh, thank God! the Switchman's name is not Joe. I tried to contain my relief long enough to make it down the stairs where she went off to the cafeteria and I ran to find Steve, who some of you might remember, worked with me over at the RR. I told him what just happened and we were practically rolling in the floor laughing. I tell you, I was about sick.
The thing is, I can pass off the occasional sighting of the Switchman on the highway as just chance. I mean, we both live north of the same large, metro area and therefore must travel the same major highway. I can pass off every job I've been on since having a train connected to it. We build industrial and heavy commercial buildings after all, and they often use trains. I can even pass off our company having to go back to the same railroad job. Accidents do happen. But getting sent back to this job, having to drive down his road, parking beside Steve every day, who drives the exact same model and color truck as the Switchman, hearing that damn train blast it's whistle off every, freaking time we come out of the building and now, listening to this sweet lady who just loves to talk about her dear husband and his job as railroad conductor (and who knows all those other conductors over there, as she says), is just a little much. Whether it means anything or not. It's just these constant, persistant reminders. The guys are starting to take bets on when I'm going to run into him again. I feel like beating my head against the wall. I have laughed about it as often as I've cried I guess. What else can you do?
So, only time will tell. Maybe it will all make for a good story one day. A story that has a happy ending.

*Lou Johnson

A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Tool Shed

I have been promising a story or two from work for a while now so since I don't have any new photos from the house downloaded, I thought this would be a good time. Most of my long time readers (if I have any besides Pablo) know that my real job is heavy commercial construction. I am a journeyman carpenter for a large company and we are building a service center for a railroad company right now. This is right in the middle of a busy rail yard so there are locomotives running back and forth all day around us as we work. Several other bloggers, including Woody and FC have had funny stories lately about crazy things they have done so I thought I would throw my hat in the ring, or my hardhat. Not to try to outdo but to say, at least ya'lls were in the privacy of your own home or car, whereas I insist on making a fool of myself in public!
Ok, here is the scenario: I am the only female working with 20-25 male carpenters, electricians etc. on this job. Then you have all the male train conductors, engineers etc. Well, shortly after coming on this job, I just happen to notice this one conductor, I guess that is what his is; he rides the front of the locomotive and he switches the tracks to move the locomotives from one track to another. Anyway, this means he is on the ground near us some and walking around so we can sometimes talk a little to these guys. Just general pleasantries as most of them are friendly and curious about what we are doing. Well, this particular guy is honestly, one of the most handsome men I have seen in some time. I know I just gawked the first time I saw him coming down the track and he looked down at me and smiled so that didn't help. He is a big man, tall and broad shouldered and dresses much neater than the others. So, despite being around men so much I am the biggest dork when I get near a man like this. I am clumsy enough as it is and I just lose all composure. Well, on the rare occasion that we are close enough to speak, he would make small talk about this and that but we could never talk more than a few seconds and never get within 20 feet of each other since we are both working, so it was not really possible to "break the ice", you know. In fact, we don't even know his name, so he has just become known to all of us as the Switchman.
Now, a little history on the other side. My guys on the crew look out for me and are really sweet so I try to make cookies or pies for them sometimes and pamper them a little and make them feel good. Well, this summer I grew a bunch of Moon and Stars watermelons and I brought 2 or 3 to work to share with the guys. Now, part of the crew eats in the office trailer, as I do, and the rest eat under a little shelter by the tool shed. So, one day I cut part of a large watermelon for the guys and was taking the majority of it out to the men by the tool shed. Well, one of the guys suggested that I cover the melon up with a bag because it might get dusty before I could get it out there. So, I did and headed out the door carrying my prize to them. As I got halfway, I saw that they were running the trains across the road and had it blocked so I would have to walk around the locomotives to get to the guys and, lo and behold, who was on the track but the Switchman. And when he saw me coming he started walking towards the area where I would have to cross over the track. It occurred to me then that I would finally be within a couple of feet of him and get to see him up close. I thought to myself, OK, don't say something stupid. Just remain calm. Breathe deep. So, sure enough, we meet on the tracks and he smiled and made a little joke about blocking the road and I laughed coyly and joked back. Ha, ha... He seemed even more manly up close but I restrained myself from throwing the watermelon down and grabbing him. Now, after 14 years of working construction, I can't hear worth a damn especially with trains around. And I had completely forgotten that I had covered that stupid watermelon and he probably couldn't even tell what I was carrying. So, as I passed by him and I heard him say something about something looking nice and being in my usual mental fog intensified by him, I just assumed that he was talking about the watermelon. Not wanting him to think that I was impolite, I turned and sweetly asked him, "Well, would you like some?"..................... the look on that man's face when I said that should have been a clue to me that we were not talking about the same thing. He recovered quickly though, stepped towards me and said so sincerely, "Lord, honey, I wish I could". It still did not occur to me what I had done, so I just said, "OK!" and wandered off to the guys. I did think that was a kind of odd response but just thought, boy, he must really like watermelon. Later in the day as I was driving home, my mind was slowly meandering over the day's events, I started thinking about things and finally, it hit me what had transpired. Oh. My. God.... I just offered this beautiful man, who I don't even know by name, wanton sex on the railroad tracks. Mortified is not the word.
I had to fix this, so the next day I enlisted the help of one of my guys who drives the backhoe. They were not going to get any more brownies or fried pies until the Switchman understood that there had been a horrible glitch in communications! After all, I was taking that watermelon to them and that had started the whole thing. So, Steve, being a major sweetie, finally gets where he can talk to the Switchman and tells him that there was a terrible misunderstanding over some watermelon and that I needed to explain something to him. Well, a few hours pass and I saw out of the corner of my eye, a train approaching. The Switchman was on board and as we both looked up, our eyes locked on each other at the same time but fear suddenly griped me. God, this man thinks I am a complete idiot or worse! But then I saw a big smile spread across his face and he breaks out in the deepest laugh that I could hear over the locomotive. He came by later and we talked for a moment and he assured me that he was not offended and understood the confusion.
Of course, amongst my crew, I will never, ever, ever live this down. It has become known as the Watermelon Incident. They tell me that I have single handedly set all women construction workers back 30- 40 years and am the kind that gives us all such a bad reputation. Well, at least I give them something to laugh about.

Too Close For Comfort

I don't have anything worked up on my house right now so I thought I'd post a little about the Big House that we are still working on. The restoration is nearing completion but we will still be there through January probably. This photo is from when they were putting down the new flat roofing. It is big sheets of rubbery, tar-like stuff that is kind of melted down with torches. There is always a slight chance of something going wrong when you have an open flame on a really old structure so we were on fire watch the whole time. This means you sit up on the roof for hours in the freezing cold (or blazing heat, it's always one or the other, never a nice, mild day) and watch these guys work and make sure nothing catches on fire. Not very exciting but I did see our resident hawks cruising around. There is a pair of mated hawks that live somewhere nearby and they like to come out and just hang over us when we are on the roof as if to scrutinze what we are doing. I have no idea what species of hawk they are or anything but everyone loves to watch them when they are out riding the currents.
Those of you that read my blog often know that I have posted several things about the bizarre history and goings on at this house and have expressed alot of interest so I have another story for you. This happened just the other day and the guys at work said I really needed to post about this. We have been working on the window hardware lately, cleaning and polishing it etc, getting it all in working order and so this means going inside the house alot. There are 255 windows in this house I believe, so that is alot of hardware to work on! Anyway, I just happened to be working on the windows in the room that the woman was murdered in and had gone in and out several times and the other carpenters were in and out too. Now, in most of the rooms there are those monstrous, velvety drapes that you typically see in monstrous, ominous houses in the movies, you know. Scarlet could whip any numbers of outfits out of these drapes, tassels and all! And they are all held up by these monstrously heavy, iron curtain rods which, of course, hang over the windows we are working on. Being typical construction workers, we like to play a few jokes on each other and we'll try to scare the crap out of any unsuspecting person that is in the house because most everybody knows about all the stuff that has happened in this place. So, we were joking around about working in this particular room and nobody wanted to be in there by themselves etc. and then I walked back into the room and proceeded towards the window. I got about 1 step from the window when the curtain rod and curtains just dropped off the wall and plummeted towards my head. It came so close to me that I felt the wind of it on my face and had to jump back to keep it from hitting my feet. We are required to always wear a hard hat on the job and I do but even with that protection if this thing had hit me it would have done some serious damage. When we put it back up (very securely I might add) it took me and another carpenter to lift the rod and curtains together so it is pretty hefty. Now, all the guys are saying that the ghost has it out for me since I have been the one to hear all the other bizarre stuff too. The next day when we were talking about it and laughing, all the lights in the house started flickering on and off. What really scared me about the whole thing is when I realized that the room where this happened is now the kid's bedroom and where they play alot. If one of those kids had pulled on those curtains, as kids often do, and it had fallen on them, it could have killed them. I think I'll be glad when this job is over.