Friday, November 21, 2025

SkyWatch Friday 11/21/25

I couldn't decide which one I liked better, seeing as how I took the pics approximately 1/2 second apart.

It's my favorite tree, but normally I see it in the early morning light - this was around 9:30 am when I took these. 


 linked up at SkyWatch Friday




 

Thursday, November 20, 2025

Trying not to "woe is me"

Have you ever had one of those days / weeks / months where it just seems like everything is out to get you?  

First of all, the day before Halloween, they let one of my coworkers go from work.  So now there's only 2 of us in my department.  Doing the work of 3 people.  It's insane.  And a lot of the work we do (the 3rd person did this) should be done by operations, not billing!  But they whined to the Ops Officer so we have to keep doing their jobs.  Because "that's the way it's always been" wah wah wah.
Then - Monday 11/10 we had our first snow around here and of course the Spawn hit a patch of black ice on her way taking the grandkids to school and slammed into the back of another vehicle and was in turn hit from behind.  Thankfully they're all mostly OK, however her car was demolished.   The kids were fine, the Spawn was checked out in the ER because the airbag hit her hand / wrist and it was swollen and bruising fast.  It isn't broken, but she'll be wearing a brace for a while.   

So now... I was getting up early, working from home for a couple hours, taking the grandson to school and the Spawn & granddaughter to the daycare (Spawn works there), then going into the office.  I can't even work late to make up any extra time, since I have to be home to get the grandson off the bus.  So then I ~might~ have about 20 minutes when I get home from work to relax alone.  Then I have to head out again around 5:30 to go get the Spawn from her work.  

I'm tired.  I don't want to have my life revolving around being an Uber driver for the kids.   The Spouse has been helping where he can, especially since Monday I started having trouble with some programs on my work laptop and the IT guy is dinking around about getting it fixed.  

Then last weekend - Spawn sprung it on me Friday night that she had a CPR class Saturday morning.  It was already planned that the granddaughter was staying Saturday night with Sis1 (she's an awesome auntie that gives the kids coupons for one-on-one time with her for their birthdays - they love it!)  I met her halfway to make the child exchange.  

Sunday morning, I heard my phone ringing early - it was Sis1, crying & hysterical.  They'd gone out to the barn to feed the horses their breakfast & one of them had died overnight!  He was the youngest of the 3, too!  So I had to pack up Spawn & grandson to go out there and console her and be there when the neighbor came by with his backhoe to get the horse out of the stall and dig the grave (since we didn't let Sis1 be out there)  As sad as this was, it was also morbidly fascinating, since rigor had already set in. I won't go into details about that (you're welcome!)  But anyway.  The kids were a good distraction for her, plus she'd just adopted a new puppy.   She had to bring her 3rd horse home from the trainer's so he can keep the retired old lady horse company. 

Ugh. Then I had stuff from the VFW that had to be done - I'm the chairpeep for the Voice of Democracy / Patriot's Pen programs for the post and that involved making sure all the entries were done correctly & coordinating with other people to get together for judging, etc.  

OK.  I try to keep my posts positive, but sometimes everything just weighs on one's heart and starts to get to be too much.  There have been times recently when I randomly thought I was going to cry.

Moving on. 
It's so fun when my pictures load in random order instead of date order like I selected them!
The Spouse & I at my VFW post's 80th anniversary celebration.

Damn TSC.
Tractor Supply had entirely too many cool critter skeletons for Halloween this year.  At first, I was against their life-sized horse since they had it listed for $600, which is insane!  I got my other one from Home Depot at couple years ago for $200.  But then it went on sale. And more sale.  With 10% for picking it up in store and their veteran discount, I got it for $225. 
However, if I would have waited a bit longer, they put everything for 90% off - I could have gotten it for $60!!! 
  😢 
But I don't know if I would have actually gotten it before Halloween, tho. 
Real squirrel hanging out with the squirrel skeletons, nomming on the pumpkins. 
These pumpkins didn't even make it until Halloween.
The granddaughter turned 4 in mid-October. 
Trunk or Treat at daycare. 
Grandson was Link from Legend of Zelda and Granddaughter was Chase from Paw Patrol. 
Top Lights Trunk or Treat with a whole lotta first responders. 
We didn't plan decorations for the car very well, so the caution tape, orange nylon webbing and magnetic emergency lights came in handy!   It was appropriate, tho. 
I've had this on my Kindle forever and I just can't get past the style of writing.  
I've read the first couple pages a bunch of times and just had to stop.  
So ~ HERE ~ is the rest of my Halloween display.
This pic above was taken Sunday afternoon.  It was 35* when we got up Sunday so we waited until noon before taking stuff down.
Which - btw, there are still skeletons in my backyard!
We haven't gotten them put away yet. 

I mentioned TSC having too many cool skeletons?
Storage is definitely now a problem.
At least the horses break down into pieces but I have some that don't.   
And now going in the other direction....
I couldn't pass up the Tim Horton's Christmas ornament when I saw them in the drivethru! 
You have to grab them when you can, or you won't get them! 
I think the jack o lanterns are going in the yard waste this week.  
They've gotten scattered all over the front yard.

So, what do I have to look forward to?  Hmm, we're meeting up with the family this weekend to go see an "interactive light show" at some park - you walk the trail and look at lights.  Sounds fun to me!  I'm sure dinner will happen afterwards, and we'll plan the Thanksgiving potluck.  I'll have to check with the sisters, but I think there's a trip to Ohio to see our brother sometime soon, too.   

Signing off for now!

Thursday, November 13, 2025

SkyWatch Friday 11/14/25

Whew, it's been crazy around here!  
But that's for another post. 

I took these at the nearby park on a beautiful clear, sunny day. 
I love these trees!


Thursday, October 9, 2025

SkyWatch Friday 10/9/25

 Last weekend was a very warm, but beautiful weekend in lower Michigan! 

I was camping, but not in the normal way!


Just to be warned, some parts might be a bit gross / graphic but for the most part it's not.
Trees are starting to change color a little bit.


Check out more fantastic scenery here....

Wednesday, October 8, 2025

Catching up!

Aw man, it's getting crazy BUSY around here! 

 Besides the obvious - Halloween.  This is my jam.  Putting my cemetery up in my yard isn't a quick thing (and the grandkids add a HUGE degree of difficulty).  I just had K9-One's Halloween Camp last weekend.  There's all sorts of other displays I want to go see. And go to an orchard, too.  There are more than a few events I'd like to go to but are happening on the same days as other things I want to do!

BTW - the Halloween Camp post is a long one and parts *could* be considered graphic / not for weenies, I guess. Just an FYI

The Spouse & I are going to one of his buddy's wedding this Sunday. We're both taking PTO on Monday so we don't have to rush home.   Weekend after that is the granddaughter's 4th birthday.  Weekend after THAT is an all day class for Search & Rescue Initial Actions / SARIA and the Trunk or Treat with all the first responders (on the same day, of course)

I also am on the planning committee for my VFW's 80th anniversary celebration for next month and also I'm the chair dealing with scholarships, that are due 10/31, and respective judging, etc AND I'm just starting to get submissions for the post's November & December newsletter!

Ugh. October just needs to be longer. 
This kid has an imagination!
She was standing under the back end of my horse skeleton, saying it pooped on her. 
Last month was a recognition / awards ceremony for the Sheriff's department. 
Volunteer groups like us (SAR), Victim Services, the reservists, etc all got recognized. 
We all got one of those cool thin blue line flag plaques and a coffee mug and a key chain with the sheriff's logo on one side and "you found me!" on the back 😄
My pics are jumping all around!
When we were getting H'ween stuff out of the various hidey-holes, the grandson decided he didn't like this cat skeleton that yowls, so the granddaughter chased him all over the yard, while swinging a ballcap around and yelling "YEE HAW!"
She still keeps asking to chase him with that cat again. 
I cannot keep an air plant live for anything, but I really love the jack o lantern guy!
This was my yard a couple days ago - I'd say I was less than halfway done here.  
There's more out there now, but still not done. 
Blowmolds! 
One of my helpers bringing fence posts to the front yard. 
She apparently doesn't have enough hands....
Also, shoes are overrated. 
Chuck & his buddy Maurice with a Bronner's catalog - GASP!

I'll have to do a SkyWatch post this week - I have lots of pictures to choose from!

And I have to rethink my "Weigh In Wednesday" posts since my Weight Watcher's workshop no longer does evening meetings (enter expletives here) and I've been going to Saturday morning meetings, which SUCK badly since I'm not a huge fan of the coach and it's just a lousy day to go when there's stuff going on! 



 

Tuesday, September 16, 2025

It's almost fall!

I actually was going to post this on September 1 and had a lovely picture with something about it being meteorological fall but apparently, I uploaded some pics and that was it.  

So scrap that meme and enjoy this one instead!
I confess that pumpkin spice isn't my favorite flavor of anything, but I feel like I have to have some things - coffee, donuts, etc - this time of year. 
Daisy says hi. 
She's still getting used to being the only cat in our house so laying on the throne of the Spouse's pillows is still kinda new to her. 

The grandkids and I were getting Halloween stuff out of the shed last night. 
I love this sign that is the first thing to go in the front yard.

Last night - these guys (named Ralph & Earl) joined it. 
I got some looks pushing the cart around Meijers with them in the seat!
 The Spouse & I had planned on going ~somewhere~ on vacation the last week in August (aka my birthday week), just to spend some time together and enjoy some quiet time. But the week before it was supposed to happen, the Spawn got into a car accident and was without a car.  Luckily, they were all OK.  Except for her car that sat at the impound lot for a week before her & the Spouse went to check it out.  It's ugly but it's drivable. We got a quarter panel and headlight from the junk yard, and she has a friend who is trying to find her a front bumper.  

So yeah - vacation didn't happen.  
I have a lot of PTO to use so I'm going to have to just take days here & there!

I got birthday cards from the grandkids. 
Granddaughter says this is me being silly. 
Grandson says this is me with a present. 

Their drawings are getting better - at Easter I was mad/sad and had a mustache!
T-shirt that my manager at work gave to me for my birthday.
Love it!!

The grandson started kindergarten. 
He's loving it! 
They can be so sweet to each other, but then they can also be monsters, too! 
"Meet the Teacher" the evening before school started. 
This is such a great idea, since he got to see the school and explore his classroom so when he went to school, it wasn't scary! 

My search & rescue team attended a "touch a truck" event recently.  There were all sorts of police & fire trucks, the sheriff's dept dive team, drone team, their armored personnel carrier, tow trucks and we had our team trailer there.   We got to watch some of our K9s go out on a boat for the first time but mostly sat around in the shade and visited. 
One of our loveable K9s visiting with me.
The sheriff dept's old school car that's always neat to check out. 

Random selfie - this makes 2 pictures of me in one post that I don't hate!

The grandson started peewee baseball!  Football was NOT his thing - he didn't like that at all.  But he does pretty well with baseball.  And this season, the coach is throwing the ball to them instead of using the tee.  
He looks so grown up here! 

Speaking of getting H'ween stuff out of the shed last night, I also disturbed some inhabitants!
I saw a large gray booty with a long tail scoot under some headstones, but didn't expect to see anything else -other than giant spiders 💀 Then I tipped the big wood spool to brush dirt off it (we also have asshole groundhogs that dig holes in the shed and throw dirt everywhere)
And found these little cuties! 

I usually see mice every year, and they're pretty quick - but these guys were babies and didn't look like they'd had their eyes open very long.  So I showed them to the kids and put them back in the shed where they'd be safe.  

It's always an adventure to get Halloween stuff out.  In 2021 I found a squirrel nest and had to move one of their babies, too!  It had fallen onto the ground and I didn't want it to get squished. 
This video is from 2018...
Not the same shed, but the add-on across the back of our garage.
This incident was the inspiration to install new doors and clean up inside.
I'd already cleaned up vast amounts of pinecones that had been stashed inside my yard decorations. 

Anyhooo.  That's all that's going on right now. 
The only things I have planned in the foreseeable future are getting the rest of the cemetery/skeletons out and setting up should happen soon!