Oh No! Not Again!

Why, why why? Once again a nasty wasp had it's way with me. This time I was trying to mow the lawn, and apparently disturbed one.....
After going right inside and taking Benedryl and putting ice on it I waited a few minutes to see if anything else was going to happen.....soon enough I started to get itchy and red all over (and
not in a good way) and decided to go visit the local emergency room where I got some Epinephrine and other stuff to lessen the itchiness and swelling. They also gave me a prescription in case of future attacks.

It was a pretty itchy and sleep deprived night. I spent most of today alternately soaking the foot/keeping it up and watching golf. Tomorrow I guess I'll go visit my Dr. to get something so that I may wear shoes again sometime soon. Right now, only the slipper fits. Did I say I don't like this very much? I meant to.

Just Doing My Part

For many years now I've admired the dedication and devotion that S.P.A.W (Society for the Preservation of Artificial Wildlife) has exhibited - specifically at Exit 19 off of Rt. 93. I've long wanted to contribute to their efforts in my own small way, but always had the steadfast belief that artificial wildlife should always be either given to you as a gift, or stolen from another's lawn....In fact I had been admiring a beautifully cast cement Flamingo that one of my neighbors have, but I feared they would perhaps not share my conviction or see the humor in finding it relocated to my yard.

This morning as I approached my desk at work I spotted the package there addressed to me.....What's this? I haven't ordered anything....? No, I hadn't indeed.....it was a gift!

You may well imagine my joy and amusement at finding these two fine fellows carefully packaged and safely delivered by the USPS.

So now....I have a start (Thank you Chris Daley!) and am looking forward to many happy years with these and any others that may find their happiness in my gardens.

Really Bad Minton

Hannah came down for her father's 50th birthday party this weekend and the birthday festivities went happily without a hitch, except for me - during a semi-serious game of Badminton I managed to injure my shoulder all while giving the opposing team critical points. It's a little hard to pick up a coffee cup.....but I managed that ever critical task too....

Yesterday morning, her friend Eric came down to pick her up at my house. So, while I was benched they were able to start a new Badminton game in the street before I made them come back in the yard. They put up a pioneer style net and played there after.

During the photodocumentation process I noticed that my Blackberry has a Sepia photo mode, so some of the rest of the pictures of the weekend show how food was prepared in the pioneer days. Back then you had to make neutral faces, or frown so as not to get too tired during the very long exposure, so I asked both of them to do just that. They both look remarkably angry with me.....no?

Hannah was very pleased that the Foxglove and Peonies bloomed this year. She also braved some weeding....very brave in that there was a rather large blackberry (not the phone) that was taking over one side of the walkway. Luckily she had her welding gloves in the car and yanked it up without injury to herself or others, but determined sadly - the gloves were nearly useless when playing frisby. Who knew? Another entry in the annals of scientific discovery.

Hannah glove-testing

A Garden Shot

A Gloved Porch Shot