Saturday, August 20, 2011


UPDATE: It's a cicada!!! He's the bug that was flying around in the garage last night. Hard to get a really good picture.
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Saturday, August 20, 2011 - While I was chatting with Granny last night, I heard a very loud, crazy bug flying around inside the garage. I kept opening the door so he could fly out, but after a while the crazy thumping stopped so I figured he left.

Well, he didn't. This morning, I found his lifeless carcass on the floor... he landed in front of the dryer on the carpet in the garage. Sure glad he didn't get in the house.

Bugs and critters. Oh my, djb

Saturday, August 13, 2011


Here's what the sky looked like toward the northwest at 12:51 p.m. this afternoon.
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Saturday, August 13, 2011 - FULL STURGEON MOON.

It seems as though it often rains when there's a full moon. Not sure why that happens. There must be some mystical explanation.

I've been tracking the storms since I got home from Elburn, and they seem to be going north of us. They were headed right here and apparently made a left turn. Whew. That's good.

Now the sun is shining just a little bit. see ya later, djb


Andrew is obviously fishing for sturgeon in the canal at Grandma and Grandpa's house in Port Charlotte.
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Aug. 13, 2:57 p.m. EDT – Full Sturgeon Moon: When this large fish of the Great Lakes and other major bodies of water like Lake Champlain is most readily caught. A few tribes knew it as the Full Red Moon because when the moon rises it looks reddish through sultry haze, or the Green Corn Moon or Grain Moon.

The occurrence of this full moon on this particular date is rather poor timing for those who enjoy the annual performance of the Perseid meteor shower; this display will peak on this very same day and the brilliant light of the moon will likely wash out all but the very brightest of these swift streaks of light.
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Now, you know WHEN the full moon will occur. later, djb

Wednesday, August 10, 2011


On Monday, August 8th, at 10:08 a.m., I saw the Elburn fire truck outside the computer room window.


After I took the first photo, a few minutes later, I took this one after the ambulance arrived at our neighbor's house. (note: He's okay now.)
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Wednesday, August 10, 2011 - Okay, so on Sunday, the ambulance was on the west side of our house and Monday it was on the east side of our house. Yikes!!

I was afraid that our house would be NEXT. In fact, the way my blood pressure felt yesterday, I'm lucky that I didn't have to take a ride in an ambulance!

In the afternoon, I spent 5 and a half hours in the driveway cutting evergreens, moving pine needles out of the way, cutting flowers and more flowers, pulling flowers/weeds/grass, trimming the lilac bush and that other weird one that the June bugs like to eat.

All of this because I'm having the driveway seal coated on Friday... IF it doesn't rain. At least, I'm in the queue.

The entire time I was working in the driveway, I felt kind of woozy and weak. My legs felt really weird but I knew I HAD to get this done because the driveway sealer guys wait for no man.

All of sudden around 5:30, I realized that I might be feeling weird because of my blood pressure. Yeah, okay. When I checked it, it was 90 over 54. THAT was after working outside for five and a half hours? Seemed a bit low.

So, I drank some Gatorade - okay, so I gulped a bottle of it. Then, I ate most of a hamburger for dinner with LOTS of salt on it. Since I got the abscessed tooth business last week, I've been afraid to eat real food because of the pain. Apparently, I needed some sustenance, as in REAL food.

This morning, my blood pressure is 92 over 52. That's normal for me after sleeping. Now, I have to go out and mow the lawn because the lawn guy put weed and feed on it last week, then it rained and now it's cool -- so the grass is growing like crazy!!

And if the driveway is sealed on Friday, I won't be able to get out Juanita Querida on Saturday because it has to rest for a few days and who wants to get tar on their tires? Although a person could walk on it after 24 hours.

Note to self: go buy some Gatorade. right. see ya later --- I hope --- unless I drop dead. bye, djb

Sunday, August 07, 2011


This is what I saw out of the west window this morning at 4:50 a.m. -- it's a fire truck or maybe it's the ambulance.
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Sunday, August 7, 2011 - A little bit after 4:30 a.m., this morning, I heard the wind outside. Yikes!

The storm was coming earlier than I thought. I had to get all of the plants out of harm's way....which I did. Then, I took some Advil and decided at exactly 5 a.m., to start putting my three different eye drops into my right eye (Azopt, Timolol and Lotemax).

Now, it's 5:48 a.m., so I figured it was probably a good time to actually FINISH the page I started for Aunt Helen since I'm awake and I just made some more coffee.

Oh, and the other thing that happened about 4:45 a.m. was that I saw a flashing RED light toward the west (pictured above). Lo and behold....there was a fire truck, an ambulance and two fire dept. cars at our neighbor's house down near the lake.

So, I tried to take pictures through the wind and rain but it's really hard to get anything in the dark, through the window. They left at 5:10 a.m., with no flashing lights or sirens. Hope whoever it was is going to be all right. Not a great way to start your day. Understatement.

My abscessed tooth, jaw, etc. is less bad this morning. I believe the doxycycline is finally working its magic. Hope it continues!!!! have a nice day, djb

Thursday, August 04, 2011


Here's me this morning around 6 a.m. with an Icy-Hot pain patch on my cheek. Hey, there's Jarrett's helmet in the picture seemingly floating in the air!
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Thursday, August 4, 2011 - Yesterday was a day from hell. Today is less horrible, although I'm still in pain from time to time.

I woke up at 2 a.m. (8/3) in SEVERE, EXCRUCIATING pain in my left lower jaw so I took a bunch of Advil and put some Anbesol on my gum. Tried to go back to sleep.

When I got up a little before 6 a.m., I couldn't wait to take some more Advil. Plus, there was the garbage to take out to the street. At least, it wasn't raining any more.

Oh yeah, we had that really bad thunderstorm Tuesday night with winds that were around 70 mph. Lots of sticks in the yard and the pool. Just what I didn't need!!

After I went hysterically berserk from the unrelenting, crushing pain, I decided to take my shower and go into Elburn and see Duke. His son was friends with Jarrett. Anyway, his receptionist told me that he could see me tomorrow unless they had a cancellation. That was fine.

Thank God, someone cancelled and I got in to see the doctor at 2:40 in the afternoon. I have an abscessed tooth and gum and LOTS of trouble in my mouth. Thankfully, he shot me with novacaine so at least the pain was finally gone for a while.

I have to take antibiotics for 10 days and also he gave me some very nice pain killers -- they make me sleepy so I don't care.

Right now, I feel like I was run over by a small truck. And it's very hard to eat anything. Gotta love those soft pretzels!!

Okie. Time to go. I do have to find something to eat. later, djb