BIG STINKERS!

In nature it's always something. My eyes deceive me once again as I glance outside at the glass table on the deck. The object was bright red, not a paint stain because it was moving. I scrambled for a pair of glasses and sure enough it was moving. Are those legs I see? For this I need a magnifying glass. I scrambled for the magnifying glass and go in for a close look. Eww, a curious group of tiny red-shelled spiders huddled together and when one moved they all moved as if it were one spider instead of 100 or so.

My skin wasn't crawling too badly at this point because I thought "awww, they must be baby ladybugs how.... cute?" But wait a minute, don't ladybugs come from butter flies or cocoons or something? So I took a photo and planned a Google investigation for later.

Then there was the pesky hard-shelled triangle shaped bug sitting on the same table only it was dead. I recognized this guy as the kind of bug I thought ate one of my favorite potted plants last week. The plant was fine when I checked it that afternoon, the next morning it was a shadow of it's former self. I photographed him for a Google later too.

It didn't take long to find out that the triangle shaped guy is a "Stink Bug". Notorious for eating fruit and veg in the garden. Plenty of writings about them on line, but because they're apparently difficult to control everyone wants to sell you the big secret to obliterating them.

I scrolled a little further and low and behold, there was a photo of the tiny red group of bugs. Turns out they're not ladybugs but baby stink bugs. Now my skin is crawling and I can't wait to get back to the table with as much poison as I can find around here and kill every one of these buggers. YUK!

And just to drive home the fact that creatures, critters and crawlers have us humans out numbered, we found a copperhead snake cooling it's jets under the chestnut tree last week.
This exact spot is where my dogs lay every single day. They love to eat the chestnuts and they love to sleep in the shade of that tree. Now and forever more my skin is crawling. This is no place for sissies, that's the truth.

WE SAY TOMATO!

Some wonderful person has taken pity on us. When they heard about our pitiful attempts at growing tomatoes last spring, this local shero pulled out all the stops by providing us with starter tomato plants in ten, count-um ten different varieties. We wasted no time getting them into their dirty new homes, and determined to get it right this time, spent two days lugging huge bags of dirt and manure around the half mowed yard last weekend. After all, now our reputation is at stake (no pun intended).

Yes, I said half mowed lawn because once again the old goat of a lawn tractor failed to cooperate and finish what it started the first time out. The tiny generator that can only be plugged into an auto cigarette lighter did the trick and inflated the flat tires we were concerned about. Which reminds me, I noticed the front tires on that thing are two different sizes. If you didn't believe spit and glue was a literal term for life out here, that should help to convince you.

So on the very first mow of the season with the yard half done, a horrible sound emerged from it's lower front section and it stopped working immediately. Once again, we were lucky to return it to it's resting place in the garage until further notice. Geez, what an exasperating pain in the ass that mower is, but I digress.

Our garden is now officially on it's way to glory with a number of herbs, cucumbers, bell pepper, jalapeno and of course, tomatoes in 10 varieties. I'm making a practice of lighting candles every night until I see proof that something is thriving out there.

We won't be composting this year. We decided that the delicate balance of wet and dry materials, proper container, time and attention composting requires is just too much. About the time maggots showed up on the outside of the container last year, we decided we're not cut out for that particular endeavor. If we ever try it again, we absolutely must have a proper composting system to work with. Winging it with compost is just not a good idea.

Next post, I'll share with you more photos of tomato plants in progress along with variety names, etc. Until then my friends, don't forget to leave a comment here. By now you know how grumpy it makes me when I don't get any. More later.

PLEASE FORGIVE THE SCREWY SPACING ON THIS AND FUTURE POSTS. IT'S A PROBLEM THAT NO ONE SEEMS TO BE ABLE TO FIX, AND IT'S MAKING ME CRAZY!

SPRING WONDERS PART II

This edition of Spring Wonders is dedicated to the memory of Uncle Doug! Anyone who knew him (and you know who you are) will appreciate the way in which this photo captures his true essence. Anyone who didn't know him won't "get it"... For that I apologize. Even though my pleasing personality is still on hiatus, I'll continue my report on the wonders of spring at Spit and Glue. A day doesn't go by between late March and mid October when I don’t have at least one fly in my house. To me flies are the most offensive of all creepy fliers, and a few days ago I swatted a big one sitting on the window frame in my bedroom.

That night while lying in bed, out of the corner of my eye I saw something move. It was the fly I stymied earlier which wasn't completely dead and crawling across my sheets. Nice. Fortunately, finding half dead flies in my bed is not a common occurrence, just a bonus reminder that spring is here. Why do I have flies in my house you ask? Because of the doggy door, that’s why….

And since flies bring fleas, it’s time to call Pet Meds and order flea/tick medication for the dogs. What a racket! These vultures reach way down deep into my empty pockets for more than $100.00 every 3 months for less than one ounce of special killing sauce. If there wasn’t a good chance the ticks would be all over me, I’d let the dogs rough it for a few months.

This time of year Sis takes one or two mini-vacations which means I’ll be staying on the property alone. I’m not bothered by her absence, but every time she leaves, something strange and out of the ordinary seems to happen.

One time my toilet exploded in the middle of the night. Another time Mija (the cat) tripped the main house alarm (some 75 yards away from me). Naturally it too was in the middle of the night, but I wasn’t about to venture out of the cottage to investigate. Instead I waited for the Sheriff to show up and give it the all clear. I hadn't occurred to me that they'd be all over the property with flashlights drawn in the pitch dark, only to find me standing there, boobs flapping in the wind under my night shirt. They thought I was a burglar and started pitching the third degree.

Then there was the time strangers in an unfamiliar car pulled up and parked on the empty lot across from my front door. For 15 minutes they sat with their headlights shining into my living room. Just long enough for me to wet my pants, say a few prayers and call the Sheriff again.

Since it’s inevitable that spring will give way to summer, there are other ungodly things to anticipate, such as my newly diagnosed heat urlicha (allergy to perspiration). No I’m not kidding, these days every time I start to break a sweat, my entire body breaks out into the worse kind of itchy rash for several hours. More cruel and unusual punishment.

Thanks for visiting SAG... If you read this and don't leave a comment, it's going to make me very grumpy!

SPRING WONDERS!

You hardly need to hear it from me, but the many joys of spring have arrived once again and while the orchestra of birds and buzzing of bees are sweetly familiar, so was that little tickle I felt around my knee cap about an hour ago when I discovered a tick had somehow made it's way up under my pant leg.

You want to see an old lady move like a Olympian sprinter? Just put a tick somewhere near her body. I haven't taken off a pair of britches that fast since grade school when I sat on an ant hill.

And speaking of ant hills, already there are plenty of them in various places on the lawn. They're the smallest ants I think I've ever seen in my life, but they make the biggest, dirtiest hills which are a real pain in the butt!

The wonders of spring time are obvious, so I hope you don't mind my adding some of the more off color and pesky things about this time of year to the mix....... leave it to me, and I'll find a way to complain about stuff.

And speaking of the lawn, it's time to start mowing again. We've discussed fixing the flat tire on the mower several times already, so one or two more conversations about it and we'll be out there to fix it with the teeny tiny little emergency generator Sis bought last year. Without exaggeration, it can fit in my purse.

So far I've used it to put air in the tires of my car and inflate the wheels on the dolly. But it's a bit tricky since the only power source you can plug it into is the cigarette lighter in Sis' car. The fact that the cord on it is only about 5 feet long should make getting the mower close enough to the car with that flat lots of fun.... LOL

Late March and Early April is HIGH pollen season and just like clock work, pollen has begun to make a holy mess of every surface around, indoors and out. This means all the decks will have to be power washed again and that always makes for a terrific couple of weekends.

I'm usually the one whose not afraid to climb to the upper rungs of the ladder and get those hard-to-reach spots, so while I'm up there with the power wand I may as well clean the gutters too. It's probably not good to let them go long enough for plant life to take root in them, you think?, and that's about where we're at with the gutter situation.

In the interest of time, I will make this my first installment for Spring... but not to worry, there will be plenty more to discuss, so it won't be but a hiccup until I'm back for part two. Sorry, no photos this time. My camera finally died, and it looks like it's going to be a while before I have a new one.

Until next time, friends. Keri

LOST & FOUND & LOST AGAIN!

An article I read a few years ago that said if you want to filter through your minds minutia and get to the core of your hearts true desires, stop examining your every thought or action, and "turn off" for a while.

It suggested that one method for doing so is to find a quiet, comfortable place, put your feet up and relax with a magazine, slowly perusing the pictures on each page, letting what you see kind of wash over you. When something on the page speaks to you or causes you to experience a positive emotion, cut the photo out and paste it onto a large board.

The end result would show where your deepest passions lie, and serve as a guide for moving forward with life. My end result was a poster board full of photos of expensive "stuff" I'd like to buy but can't afford. Perhaps I chose the wrong magazine, not sure.

When my Sister came to visit over Christmas, she brought me several magazines, so before drifting off to sleep the other night I half heartedly tried the exercise again. The next morning I leafed through the small pile of clipped photos on my night stand, but nothing made sense to me so I tossed them with the morning trash.

Then a few days later, while taking a walk, I spotted a little white and brown dog scurrying across the busy road outside the park. It struck me that the dog looked familiar. Several days later it occurred to me that one of the magazine photos I had clipped and tossed was of a dog that looked so remarkably similar to him/her that I commented to a friend about it being eerie.

Fast-forward to last Sunday when I saw the dog again on my walk. Only this time she was in the park. I stopped and held out my hand. She came over to me and I could see she'd been starved to the point of her rib cage protruding. Deciding to scoop her up and take her home if I saw her once more before leaving the park, I continued my walk.

With no sign of her upon finishing my last lap, I got into my car and headed home. But seconds later there she was, crossing the road once more right in front of me. Shortly after that she was in my passenger seat on her way to the good life. Or so I thought.

We fell in love with her, we comforted her and fed her, we named her and rigged a leash and collar for her. Within hours she'd come to know her way around Spit and Glue and was running and playing and having the time of her little life. It was sweet.

Next morning Sis went to work and posted photos of her around the office and sent emails to anyone she knew who might be willing to adopt a puppy. Meanwhile I took her to the Vet, had her scanned for a chip and examined by the Doc.

Just about that time two people came to Sis' office willing and ready to adopt. Before Sis could call or text to let me know, the results of the Parvovirus test came back showing positive. She was one very sick puppy. The Vet recommended highly that she be put down as the 12 minute Parvo test was already showing positive within the first 3 minutes.

Needless to say, we're both heartbroken, but take small comfort in knowing we tried to save her. Take a look at that face and tell me you wouldn't have been compelled to do the same.

This is the reason we should ALWAYS spay/neuter pets, even if we don't plan to keep them. There are far too many similarly sad puppy and kitten stories to be told. We have to do what we can to control the population of unwanted pets out there. DO IT!

SELL THIS HOUSE!

With the new year upon us, the subject of putting SpitnGlue back on the market arises again. Once weather conditions are a little more friendly, that's the plan. The house will be listed and with any luck, someone will come along with a decent offer to purchase. In case it's been a while since you've visited this blog, here are a few facts about the property that you may have missed. SpitnGlue was hand-built in the 1800's. We guesstimate that the main house is about 125 years old. It sits on two acres in rural Georgia, but it's only about a 30 minute drive to downtown Atlanta. About 20 minutes to Hartsfield Jackson airport.

Some design challenges come with the house, like the tiny but functional kitchen, the jack and jill bathroom, the original front door that now opens into the second bedroom, the teensy side room with absolutely no function, the other teensy side room that now serves as a laundry room and kitchen storage area. I'm just getting started. Yes, whom ever buys this place will not fall in love with it's floor plan or fancy kitchen. The way we see it, that person/people must be willing to overlook these design challenges and see the bigger picture.

Two private acres, gigantic pecan, oak, apple and pear trees, screened porch, patio deck, humongous finished workshop, three car garage, detached 2 bedroom cottage (income property) and among other things, it's great location.

SpitnGlue would be the perfect starter home for a young family or a first time buyer. The detached 2 bedroom cottage rents for as much as $600.00 per month, which in some cases could cover the mortgage.

On the other hand, the property would be great to build on. Tear down what's here now start from scracth. One could live in the cottage whilst building their dream house. What do you think?

PARENT TRAINING PAYS OFF!

This is J & D...... 3.5 year old twins in Florida. Seasoned travelers who come to visit often, and that's pretty wonderful.

As a rule, they bring their parents along, who make sure to pack the SUV chuck-full of favored toys and other amenities conducive to travel.

Keeping their keen eyes peeled for "golden arches" along the way, the twins can see first hand how the virtues of long and difficult parent training have paid off.

Both Mother and Dad know better than to pass up an opportunity for chicken nuggets and fries. Having learned this lesson the hard way, both will quickly attest to just how unpleasant travel can be.

Take note of the extreme difference in young J's expressions. This can happen quicker than you can say Big Mac. The trick is knowing how much you can get away with before his handsome face goes from happy, triumphant boy to salty, pouting boy. Make no mistake about it, if it comes to this, there will be consequences.

It's been a few months since J & D have come North, and since they'll be turning FOUR in May, I think I should be seaching for airfare to Miami instead of blogging. Seeya!

THE FIRST OF THE WORST!

Here I am already with the first of the worst ideas for 2011!

If only I'd had the insight to keep a list of bad ideas from previous years. For example in 2009 when Sis and I had the brilliant idea for one of us to stand holding a bucket at the end of the rain gutter in front of Sis' house while the other stood high on a ladder holding the business end of a power washer. The one holding the bucket was supposed to catch the debris as it came shooting off the gutters end. LOL we're still laughing about that one.

I'm sorry to say that not enough time has passed for the first of the worse ideas of 2011 to be funny in any way. On the contrary, I'm still reeling from the stupidity and the mess of it. Here it is:

Snow fell for hours while Georgia slept one Sunday night recently. What a beautiful sight to wake to on Monday morning. A rare winter white-out causing havoc and closing schools, business' and roads all over the region.

Over the week that followed, temps never got above freezing so the snow turned to ice. Slippery, freezing, torturous to walk on, we couldn't even get across the yard without taking a spill. I'm not exaggerating, a pair of ice skates would have been the best way to get from Sis' place to mine (about 75 yards).

Using the last of the Kosher salt, one of us (I'm not saying who) tried her best to make things safer by sprinkling it atop the huge ice cubes now covering the walk way. The salt didn't put a dent in the problem, and we both held our breath as we watched my dogs practically sliding on their bellies to reach their favorite pooping place. All I could see were huge Vet bills on the horizon.

When the salt didn't work, one of us (I'm not saying who) decided to try kitty litter. Lots and lots of kitty litter, and for about 12 hours it provided an inkling of traction. Then the ice began to melt, turning the litter to a wet, smelly, dirty, gritty puddy-like pasty clay that sticks to everything and leaves tracks EVERYWHERE on everything. DOY!!!! Using kitty litter on ice is a stupid frikin idea.

The second worst idea was for the other of us (I'm not sayin which one) to get up this morning, still in her pajamas and slippers, retrieve a garden hose from it's winter holding place, attach it to a faucet in front of the house and try to wash this SHIT off the walk way.

After FORTY FIVE MINUTES, wet, with frozen fingers, frozen toes and a huge chunk of flesh torn from her bleeding knuckle (don't ask), she managed wash most of the litter from the walk, all the while growling obscenities into the freezing wind. How about you? You have any stupid ideas to report this early in the year? I'd love to hear them.

SEEING RED!

Mom always wanted a bright, red front door. So in 97 when construction finished on her cottage, an important finishing touch was "the painting of the door". Knowing Mother, she drove to the paint store and bought herself a can of red. Brought it home and proceeded to paint her door, only to discover that the paint label read something like "Maroon Red".

No surprise since she had a long history of buying items without thoroughly checking labels. It wasn't unusual for her to come home from the store with things like bubble gum flavored toothpaste, or African American hair products. Soo funny!

Even funnier was her long history (as far back as I can remember), of using the term "Chinese Red" to describe any orangish red, redish orange, or other shade of red that wasn't fire-engine. This became a long-running family joke, which you may have had to be there to appreciate. But I digress.

Anyway, Mom's single coat of maroon red turned out to be more the color of eggplant, fading over time to a dull purple, eventually wearing off completely in some spots, and looking pretty shoddy. Then last week the anniversary of Moms passing came around once again. I needed some cheering up and thought it might be cool to paint the door in her honor. I drove to the paint store and bought myself the brightest, semi-gloss can of Red paint I could find. Brought it home and proceeded to paint the door, only to find that the color is really more an orangish red............

These photos are deceiving since to me they show a true RED. But in person, and after applying the second coat it started looking Orangish. Checking my work, I stood back a few paces and looked at the door. It suddenly hit me, the door is "Chinese Red", and I had nothing what so ever to do with it.

IF IT'S SO HOT, WHY THEY CALL IT CHILE?

This years chile run to New Mexico yielded what I would term a "boat-load" of freshly roasted, flash-frozen, good-sized chiles. Sis had to buy an extra suitcase for the flight home to accommodate the precious cargo, and she smelled a little earthy when she came thru the door from the airport. But on the heels of another great visit with G&M, the chile was just icing on the cake.

Chile can be found almost every where, but nowhere else on the planet except in the high deserts of New Mexico can you find these particular chiles. .. We use them in everything. Cornbread, soups, beans, eggs, potatoes... and any where a special bite of fresh will pay compliment to a dish.

Most especially, of course is to eat the chile as close to it's natural state as you can get it. Hence the Rellanos pictured here. Each chile is stuffed with cheese, then bathed in egg, rolled in breadcrumbs/meal (for these we used plain soda crackers, ground) then fried to perfection on the stove top. Yikes. Sis planned her trip right at harvest time. This meant she had the distinct pleasure of actually watching her selection of hot, medium hot, and mild chiles be fire roasted, right in the chile vendors parking lot. Once the chiles have cooled from the roasting process, they're counted out and frozen for use through out the year. AWESOME!These were packaged groups without regard to their level of HOT. Therefore, it was any bodies guess as to which of them would smoke your scalp. Nothing like living on the edge!

Unless you're a professional, and these chiles are in your blood line, this daring method of packaging your chile is not recommended.

Took these on a short walk this morning. Mushrooms Flower Half dog, half flower! Couldn't get this shot again if life depended on it. An abandoned, rusted out trailer hitch. Probably from Gone With The Wind!
This weedy flower is almost neon, very strange and beautiful, no?

BOX TURTLE BOOGIE

Yes, It's a turtle! Specifically, a "Box Turtle" or Terrapena. Dusty found him in the yard yesterday morning which drew me to the conclusion that now I may have seen all there is to see at Spit and Glue. This had me shaking my head in amazement for several hours.

Not very social or friendly, this guy tucked in both legs and his head when I picked him up to get a look at the underside of his shell. I got a few shots of him and went back into the house for a few minutes. When I came back out he was l o n g gone. Which tells me he was in a hurry to get where ever he was going.

Apparently the Box Turtle is pretty common around these parts, and I've been reading that they're almost extinct because they keep getting run over by cars. So sad, and it begs the question, why did the turtle cross the road?

Pen`o Pops!!

Pen`o Pops

$40.00 GIFT CARD GIVEAWAY!

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JULY

My worst fear is lurking.... I think my camera is beginning to produce sub-standard photos. In spite of that however, here are photos to paint a picture of what we've been up to lately.

Company always means good food. Our hopes that the tomatoes would be ripe by now dashed, we managed to pull out all stops and grind on some pretty nice and special items over our visit. Steak and Lobster, Collard Greens, Fresh Sashimi with Inari, Open face chiabata sandwiches just out of the broiler, Good Champagne, Fresh Blueberries, Mango, Home grown Pineapple, Fresh Herbs and somebody stop me.
Some play time with the hose and some sidewalk chalk made for some great photo opps. The weather has been hotter than it should be for human consumption, but we managed anyway. More photos to come of our trip to the dinosaur museum in Atlanta and some good old fashioned family time. Stay Cool!