Oh Brother - I did it this time.

It has been a week since my loyal mower was hauled off to be fixed. Remember, after 15 years the gear box was growling loudly and I got scared. Almost bought a new one but decided to fix this one since there are really only a few parts. The first time I called this business, the lady answering the phone referred me to Gerald.

So I called today and asked for Gerald. She said he was not in. I said I guess I will call back. She asked about what. I told her I was just checking on the status of my mower (it has been 2 weeks since I mowed). She got pretty mad and said she was in charge of parts and that some had been ordered and some were in already and she was the one knew what was going on..................

She wanted my phone number, took it down, said Gerald would call and then she hung up.

I guess she was pissed off since she figured I only wanted to speak with a man. Dumb her. I be just was following the protocol she initiated with my first call. Once my beloved mower is fixed I may explain to Ms. Cranky what I think about this.

Not really........ All I want to do is mow......... Maybe I will call Gerald .......hehehe...

The green 548's are getting bigger. Most of the variegated ones are much smaller. 

Golly, there was another orchid hidden in that corner. At least it is not lavender. 

Found a couple of orchid flowers in a corner of the research house today. 

Some rooted pothos cuttings waiting to go into hanging baskets. 

After 15 years of service my loyal mower goes in for a transplant. We spent many great/long hours together, and I hope for more to come. Good luck old friend. 

Hi... I am going home to have dinner with Mosaic Mom tonight... 

Aaahhhhhhhhh... Now that is a nice flower. 

Allamanda has always been one of my favorite plants. 

The new brake lines, bushings, tie rods, ball joints, springs and shocks have been successfully added to the 'Big O'.  

Should have stayed home where the fishing is better. 

Fishing and the Big O.

Went to check the surf Friday in hopes of finding dinner. Only found the dirtiest water I have ever seen. Sea was truly the color of mud. Disgusting.... Hurricane Ophelia really muddied the waters.

Fishine is hopeless, so on Saturday switched hobbies back to car repair and (thanks to Scott and Mel) finished installing the new suspension for the Big-O. Got my first experience at bleeding brakes. The "O" is road worthy again, lowered at least 1" and now has a suspension that is better than new. Maybe the motor is next, but we are resting now.

Another view of the new hanging wonders. 

Moving on Up.....

Too many plants in the research house so we have started moving them up to the ceiling. This includes the Pothos and Heartleaf Philodendron that can be grown as hanging baskets (photo below). This is a first for us. Next we will go for the floor.
Just too hard to toss stuff you know.

Hope to go surf fishing Friday. That is a maybe depending on weather and how dirty or rough the water is. Will get to try the chum bombs again and my new cart wheels anyway. Can't beat that even in no fishys in the box. Want to check the condition of beach after recent hurricane waves and test if any sand fleas left. The fall mullet run could start soon so must make a test trip before then to see if I remember the way.

New hanging baskets in research house. 

Chum's the Word.

Can't fish since it is either too hot or the ocean is too rough, so I have devoted my time to studying chum. Never have really chummed before but now it is my new obsession. In the last month I have bought ready to dispense fish chum, gallons of fish oil, 50 lbs of fish food pellets, 10 lbs of cat litter, special plastic containers to hold it all and created my special chum torpedoes for use in the surf. I have enough potential chum to draw every fish in the county plus those within a mile of the beach.

Of course I have not gone fishing, but who needs too. Chum is where it's at. This weekend will be spent making the final special blends for both salt and fresh water. This will require measuring and recording each component, comparing dispersal flows (may have to use the swimming pool for this work) and making the final packaging. Did you know there are floating and sinking forms of fish food.

Of course keeping the smells out of mosaic mom's olfactory range will be critical. Looks like this is work for the Z shop. Next I will have to buy fragrance dispensers for all the Z cars.

Finally there will be the actual fishing test. Who knows when that will happen. May have to put that off due to fears that all the chumming may not work. Then what. I guess all the leftover chum should at least help the garden grow. I hope........

I've Been thinking.

Since Katrina left I have been quiet for over a week. The hot weather, the hurrican threat, and now the gas shorage takes the fun from everything. Although it is awful, disasters like this have been happening to mankind forever. The active disaster forms may be floods, storms, war, diseaes, etc.. In the end people go on and survive. Unfortunatley, as populations explode the number of affected people does likewise.

It is kind of like we (the USA) are a big strong football linebacker who likes to think he is invincible. Then he blows a knee and takes a year to recover. However, will he be the same after the recovery. I think this is similar to New Orleans. They will recover but may never be the same. What is striking is how the fallout has spread to so many places around the world. We all are connected by different threads no matter where we live in the world.

Humanity is hymanity. We are what we are. May only the best survive.