Here's the bald faced hornet nest as of a few minutes ago. If you look really closely, you can see some of the hornets. Yikes!!
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Thursday, July 30, 2009 - After I called Uncle Ron to alert him to the TORNADO WARNING in McHenry County that was just announced about 15-20minutes ago, I went outside and took this picture of the hornet's nest.

The weather people on the radio keep mispronouncing Capron. Hey, I used to live there, can you get it right?? It's not Cap-ron, it's Cape-run. Thank you. Regardless of that minor detail, I'm listening to the accounts from a trained weather spotter (I guess that's like a trained seal), who actually SAW the tornado west of Woodstock.

At least, Ron is on the weather watch. He can also check his radar. Haven't heard of any damage or anything like that....yet.

CHANGE OF SUBJECT: This afternoon, I went into Elburn to water the flowers at the boys' grave, then I went to the grocery store, and finally I had to stop at the gas station to get gas for Juanita Querida. You'd think that would be a simple non-event since I've done it numerous times in the past....without any incidents.

Oh boy! I pulled up to the gas pump and sat there for a minute and looked the open bed of the truck in front of me. What in the world were all those bugs flying around on there -- lots of bugs? Creepy. Then, I slowly came to the realization that they were not bugs, they were BEES.

Then, horror of horrors, I read the bumper sticker on the back of the truck (possibly actually holding it all together), "Walt's World of Bees" and another one, "The Whole World Loves Honey." ay carumba!!! As I continued to sit in my car and scan the situation, I realized that Walt had a bee hive house on the back of his truck and bees were happily flying in and out.

They were also flying near my car, near my door, near ME. I didn't really want to get bit by a honey bee today, so I thought that if I just sat there, he'd be gone soon. WRONG!! After he came out of the station, he had two yellow bottles of motor oil in his hands. Not surprising given the condition of his bee-hicle. haha

I decided to pull my car over to the parking spaces and walk over and get my gas on the farthest pump. Okay, so by that time, he had pulled his truck up a bit but it was still too close for comfort as far as I was concerned. So, I got my gas and by the time I got it into the trunk, a train had come through, stopping traffic so I could get out there with no hassle.

It was one of the weirdest things I've ever seen at the gas station. gotta go. see ya later, djb

This is a picture of the HUGE bunch of lilies in the Andrew and Jarrett pond garden. I noticed that the sun was shining through the flowers and it looked awesome - so I had to take a picture.
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Monday, July 27, 2009 - Since I haven't written in here for quite a while, I just wanted to pop in a picture and say hi. My eye is driving me crazy so I'm just barely able to function. It is annoying beyond belief. When will this ever end??????????

Must be time to put the eye patch on since that helps with the pokiness. see ya later, djb

After I finished with the other blogger blog, I went upstairs and I heard RAIN. What? It was coming down like crazy. Plus, the wind was blowing. WOW. This was taken at 5:11 p.m.
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Thursday, July 16, 2009 - Sure, they said we were going to have "scattered" showers but I didn't think that they would scatter right on top of us!!! After I snapped a few pictures, I saw the weather person on Channel 5 showing the viewers (that would include me) a big blob right over Elburn -- DeKalb also had a blob over them.

Of course, no one else had rain coming down like crazy. It only lasted about 15 minutes and we got 1/4 inch of rain -- so that figures out to an inch-an-hour type of rain. Glad it didn't last that long. WOW!!

I noticed when I was looking for a picture to put in here, that this one ALSO has the boys' basketball hoop in it. That's sweet.

Hope it's hot and DRY where you are. I've just about had it with all of this rain!! see ya, djb

Here's a picture of a Bald-Faced Hornet's nest that I saw in the crab apple tree in the front yard this afternoon. Boy! Was I ever shocked. You just never know what I'm going to find next in our yard!!!
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Sunday, 12, 2009 - Late this afternoon, I was looking out the garage window and I saw THIS nest in the tree out front. First, I thought it was a mud dauber's nest but after reading about those nasty guys, it just didn't sound like them. Then, I remembered that when we got our trees pruned a couple of years ago, there was a similar nest in one of the maple trees and the guys refused to touch the tree because they said, "those are hornets."

So, I went on a search and seek mission and found a really interesting website that informed me that my first reaction to spray the nest with toxins was not a good one. In fact, if you read the article, it says that these hornets kill spiders. woo hoo! That sounds good to me.

Here's the article: http://www.naturealmanac.com/natural_events/h/hornet_nest.html

Earlier in the day, I was out in the front yard and they didn't bother me at all, so I'm just going to go about my business as usual and pretend they're not there.

Gotta go put some drops in my eye. Too bad about the space shuttle and the bad weather. bummer. see ya later, djb

Upper right behind the black-eyed Susans are RED monarda flowers (aka bee balm, aka firecracker plant) which have grown taller and are redder this year than they ever have been before in the history of Elburn.
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Saturday, July 11, 2009 - When I was outside a little while ago, cutting down the daisies that have been whacked by the weather. I was standing behind the fence that is near the pool. Right near the entrance that the foxes use in the winter time.

There are dozens of bright red monarda out there. Tall and gorgeous. Yes, I should go out and take a picture of them. In fact, they are quite noticeable wherever they are in the yard. Usually, they look short and puny.

So, as I cut the spent daisy plants, I lamented their demise, and entered into a Zen-like state that one does while gardening. All of sudden (out of the clear BLUE sky) I saw something moving -- it was a hummingbird -- and it was initially about 3 feet away from me. At the closest, it was about 2 feet away from me.

That little birdie moved from flower to flower doing his nectar-gathering business without being afraid of me or acknowledging my presence. It was SO bizarre.

Usually, you see a hummingbird for about 5 seconds and they're gone in a flash. This time, I was standing there for about three minutes when I slowly backed away and he continued with his mission.

So, totally cool. So totally awesome. And not even a picture.....except for the one burned into my brain. sigh.....It made my day. bye bye, birdie, djb

The view of the backyard this morning - it's kind of hazy out there. You can see where I mowed yesterday because I go around and around that elm tree out back - kind of like a labyrinth. It's very soothing to the brain.
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Friday, July 10, 2009 - Maybe you've noticed that I haven't mentioned my eye problems lately. For almost a month, it wasn't bothering me. On June 8th (Irene's birthday), it felt different and it was a good thing for almost a month. However, on July 7th, I felt the pokiness again. Oh no, here we go on the wacky roller coaster....

That's why I didn't mention it -- because I didn't want to jinx myself. Of course, we all know that's silly....(fingers crossed). So, I had to take the prednisone drops every two hours on Tuesday, which did help. But on Wednesday, my eye was blurry. Yesterday, it was REALLY blurry which might mean high pressure. So, I took the magic anti-pressure pills.

Finally, this morning, I'm somewhat less bad. Can't say ever say I'm better because better means good....and my eye hasn't been good since before March 2008. Yeah, back on the Whine Train. woo hoo.... This is all so very extremely annoying!!!!

Must. go. get. coffee. now. Did you hear that lots of coffee is allegedly a good deterrent for Alzheimer's? Also, did you hear about the return of El Nino??? Yikes! and Double Yikes!! It may just be time to move to Hawaii -- which would be nice except for those crazy NK's. djb

Krissy and Tim standing by the truck which holds our former BIG screen TV. It's now moving on to Tim's house.
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Tuesday, July 7, 2009 - Krissy and Tim just left a little while ago with our BIG screen TV in the back of the truck. We couldn't get it to work. I should say Bob couldn't get it to work because I NEVER was able to get it to do anything other than make loud screeching noises.

Anywho, I am completely and totally in awe of the job that Krissy and Tim did getting that huge piece of electronics out of our house -- the lower level to boot!!!! They had to get it up the 7 steps to the middle level -- the great room area (kitchen, dining room, etc.) then it had to go through the back door and onto the bed of the truck.

OMG!!! Those two performed an unbelievable feat of strength, cleverness and sheer will. Yes, we're going to get it out of here and onto the truck. Sure, we are. And they did!

I'm just still shaking my head in amazement.

Then, after they got it on the truck (I did help a "little bit"), it became apparent that it wouldn't clear the garage door. So, they had to lay it down on its side. WOW!!! What a sight to see.

Now, after all these months, Bob will be able to get his NEW TV. He's been using the TV that Andrew won at the golf tournament many years ago. It's color but the screen is small. Hopefully, he won't get as big a screen as we just got rid of....because what do you do with televisions that don't work right and need to see the TV Doc?? Buy a new one, right.

Better go. I'm still amazed and thrilled at being a witness to such an event. Plus, it was good to see Krissy and Tim. And, Bob bought them lunch -- even though he wasn't here. That's a "Donna Joke." hahahaaa see ya later alligators, djb

This is what the front yard looked like this morning when I went out to get the newspapers. You can see Jarrett's white pine tree on the right side of the picture. Thankfully, I saw NO skunks.
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Sunday, July 5, 2009 - Happy Fourth of July Plus One. We did NOT have very good weather yesterday for the Fourth of July festivities. It rained all day - from 8 a.m. until some time around 5 or 6 p.m. We only got 1/4 inch of precipitation for the entire day which totally managed to put a "damper" on feelings of happy fourthness.

Although, it did finally let up so the towns that were exploding their fireworks last night were able to do so. However, who would want to sit on WET grass??? Make that wet and COLD.

This morning, we have sun as you can see in the above photo taken at 7:07 a.m. CDT. Good news is that the weather for the coming week is going to be normal. How can that be?? I even heard that it might be close to 90 on Thursday BUT then, we'll be getting thunderstorms. Will this horrible weather ever end??!!!

Better go put out my flag -- couldn't do it yesterday which really bummed me out. We're having our 4th party today because who would want to sit around the pool in the rain with the temperature in the 60's? No one I know. haha

Happy Fifth of July. later, djb