Late Night Meanderings

I awakened to my phone ringing.  This is not unusual for me; I know people
in all the time zones, and I don't mind being awakened.  I started coughing
as soon as we hung up--I could barely talk as it was.  This cold has taken
a distinct liking to my chest--curtailing my talking most definitely.  I have
been sick to some degree or another since before I moved here.  I tried
to see my physician once.  They were just going live with a computer
system--and I couldn't see him.  This Doc is one of the few I trust to treat
me.  If I think my knowledge level is better than the doctor's, I  switch.
I want someone smarter than myself because I come with complications.
Multiple allergies, serious ones, and strange and not so strange auto-immune
diseases.  I only show up when absolutely necessary.  I finally got to see
his PA--she fell in the category of not as smart as me.  I took 2 rounds of
antibiotics and finally felt better--for about 3 weeks--then the sinus infection
returned.  I had to go to my doctor today to pick up my prescription for
pain pills--and the person at the desk was worried that I had been sick on
and off since June, and managed to get me an Oct 5th appointment.  The
previous appointment was for November.  But I will have to weather another
Urgent Care to get whatever I got treated at least until this coughing stops.

The hummingbirds are still here.  The one that was so skinny--well, she is
very plump now.  Looks like a miniature football!  So I would say it isn't
going to be long now till the females leave.

I talked with my sister today and she asked where the pictures of the house
were.  I was a little confused as to what she meant until I thought about
it.  She wanted the outside shots of the house, and there is still a lot to do
outside, so I didn't take any outside pics--except of the crepe myrtle
removal and the front porch. 

I will try to get some pictures of the front of the house tomorrow, but
the back still needs a lot of TLC.  So it will be a while.  The downstairs
screened in porch, due to all the wet weather we have had, has an attack
of mold--that is just something I really don't think people would want to see! 
My partner's mother and his brother are supposed to be coming up after the
first of October.  So I imagine he'll have the back porch and a few other
things spiffied up by then.

I have had some learning experiences with my Rhododendron. Not good
ones either.  After they bloom, you prune them.  But if you wait until after
they have sprouted shoots with buds on the end, and then you prune, well
you can kiss those pretty flowers goodbye.  I pruned some back like that,
but not all.  They need serious pruning back, but it can wait.  I am actually
hoping I can get into the master gardener program that starts in January.
This will be my second time.  The first time I learned that I knew nothing.
And I didn't even want to learn the bug end of things.  Owning a house
makes a huge difference.  I want to learn the good bugs from the bad,
even though my natural inclination is to kill all bugs/insects/spiders.  I am
trying to be more karmic about it.  For me, even thinking this is huge.
I am reminded that all the bugs provide  a very diet for the hummers
and the rest of the birds.

Speaking of birds again, not far from house is someone who has purple
martin houses, so maybe attracting them will not be so difficult.  And we
will have bat houses too.  But the first thing we are getting (Besides a new
kitchen spigot--ours has a leak--in the hot water of course, so that comes
first--as in tomorrow!) are worms.  Part red wrigglers and part European
nightcrawlers--this is for a happy garden and compost pile.  I plan to find
us some good old fashioned horse manure.  People raise horses near here;
I am sure they wouldn't mind if we mucked out a stable or two.  I haven't
done that in a very long time.  (Truthfully, I can only supervise the mucking
process now.)  My partner is building the worms new homes.

I priced throw pillows the other day--and said, "That's it; I will make my
own."  The price for one single pillow is $14.00 and up.  I have looked
at pillow patterns,but now I want to quilt them, both sides.  I know they
will look better than the purchased ones--unless they are hand made--and
I prefer my hands to be the ones to make them.

That is all for tonight.