This is a first

We were talking to the tenant yesterday afternoon. We had her come up to the house to pick some herbs and figs. So she brought her two dogs over to play with our three. After she filled a bag with herbs and picked a few figs, she walked back towards her house. Her dogs weren't on a leash. The younger one spotted the chickens, ran into the chicken yard and caused all kinds of havoc with the birds. The dog chased the birds out into the woods. Julie, the tenant and I chased the dogs and chickens through the woods. I saw the dog carrying one of the hens in his mouth. We thought he killed the bird, but we found her in the woods, pretty chewed up. She had two large, deep gashes across her back. We brought the hen back to the house. I got some hydrogen peroxide and began pouring the solution into the wounds. It was obvious, the wounds would have to be stitched or lose the hen. I got out the sewing kit and a spool of dental floss, while Julie held the hen, I sewed the bird up. I only stitched the flesh, I didn't get into the meat. ( It was a very deep cut) It took 8 stitches to close up the big cut and 5 to close up the small one. We poured more peroxide on the stitches and smeared anti-biotic cream over the area.

If she doesn't get infected, she might survive the ordeal. Probably without any feathers on her back.

But that was a first for me. I've never sewn up a live (or dead) chicken.

And the forecast for Georgia - a chance of WET!!!

Check out these photos uploaded to weather.com and you can see a soggy Georgia :-)

http://www.weather.com/outlook/photo/keywords?keywords=kennesaw

http://www.weather.com/outlook/photo/keywords?keywords=marietta

http://www.weather.com/outlook/photo/keywords?keywords=atlanta

http://www.weather.com/outlook/photo/keywords?keywords=575

http://www.weather.com/outlook/photo/keywords?keywords=92

Night visitor

Julie and I had finished watching a movie this evening. I got up from my recliner and went into the kitchen and I heard Julie smacking one of her flip flops on the floor. I came to see what the commotion was all about, she asked me to turn on the overhead light and there was a scorpion flattened to the floor. Right under where my feet were moments earlier. The bug below that is a mud dauber, about the same size as an ordinary wasp, which had died of assumably natural causes in a candle in the window.

That was kind of creepy, good night, sleep tight, don't let the bed bugs bite.

Fall is in the air - BIG TIME

Well the temperature is dropping every day and especially at night. 'Bout time to drag out the long johns, ayeh!! Even the leaves have started to turn color.
By any chance did anyone see the Space Lab and the unattached US Spaceship Discovery on Wednesday night? I had heard on the weather report at 6PM that it would be visible in a SW to NE trip across the sky from 8:06 to 8:11pm. Dad (Grandpa) and I (Grandma) went up to the 'uppah' deck to watch for it and WOW they weren't kidding in five minutes, it moved fast, come and gone. When it was directly overhead you could barely see the space ship but it was quite a sight.
Kathy, Tom, Mike, Jim do you remember going to California that time with Nana and Papa to see Uncle Jim and stopping outside a tunnel one night? We stretched out on the car, in the car and on that rail around the rest area? We watched the tumbling spaceship, can't remember the name but there it was, tumbling like a very drunk person wobbling his way down the street. Also listening to the tooting of the trucks and cars as they drove through the tunnel. When we pulled into the rest stop the cars already there started to roll up their windows thinking we were gypsies. That was some trip, eight of us in Papa's little sedan, squeezed in like sardines in a can.
We had a great time with Mike and Mary Ann while they were here in Maine last month, they arrived on Friday Aug 21st and Mike put in a beautiful new sliding door off the livingroom. It is such a clear door it doesn't look like there is any glass in it. Tom arrived on Wednesday the 26th and we had a terrific time while everyone was here. As you have read before we went to York Wild Animal Kingdom and had a great time there. That is the most activity that we have had all in the span of 9 days for a while but it was really fun to see every one.
Dad (Gpa) and I (Gma) had a Lighthouse tour on Thursday the 24th (Dad does the tower tour and I do the walking tour) and Mike, Mary Ann and Tom went with us to the island. We saw deer and had a great afternoon. Dad had to stay for the second tour to do the tower and the rest of us went back to the mainland and drove around Biddeford Pool until his boat came back. Mike and Tom spent a while skipping rocks when we got back to Vines Landing where the Lightrunner, our transportation to the island. They were both able to do 10 skips, Mike made his on the second turn and Tom in a few more.
I saw my cardiologist on the 4th and he said everything looked good for a person 77 years old and he would see me in 75 years, wanted to make sure he could catch any that may be a problem before I was 77.
Dad is still working off our house taxes with the Senior Tax Credit Program here in Saco. He enjoys the work. He did the taping of the City Council meetings and RSU School Committee meetings, that has now gone back to the students at Thornton Academy. Now he, and a partner who is also working off house taxes, is overseeing the Soccer fields at the Parks & Rec fields at the landfill. He opens the gate and makes sure it is locked when everyone leaves and that no one trys to bring stuff to the transfer bins after the land fill closes. VERY RESPONSIBLE JOB. They tell people that they are there to shoot rats. Since it is a transfer station there is no garbage, therefore no rats. Only larger critters like skunks, etc.
I haven't downloaded all of my pictures yet so I shall do that and send the pictures later. Not too much later though.
Everyone have a great weekend. Dad and I will probably be doing at least one lighthouse tour and tower tour tomorrow for Open Lighthouse Day. Just hopes the weather stays good. We have had some windy days and there is to be sprinkles tomorrow but not necessarily a lot of rain.
Take care everyone we love you and hope you enjoy the coming week.
Mom and Dad, Grandma and Grandpa, Greatgrandma and Greatgrandpa Wheewww

Tuscaloosa

Julie and I went to visit Bethany and Robb in Tuscaloosa this past weekend. I had a bunch of projects at home that needed to be attended but we haven't been to Alabama in a while, so at the last minute, we tossed some clothes in a bag, asked Andrew to watch over the animals and left on Saturday. Bethany and Robb invited us to see the Crimson Tide season opener against Virginia Tech. The restaurant was packed and we had the good fortune to sit with a group of Virginia Tech fans, who were woefully outnumbered. There is nothing as exciting as college football in the south on a Saturday. Oh, yeah, Bama finished on top after a sloppy first half. It's going to be a great season.

Sunday, Bethany and Robb took us for a walk around Northport, Alabama, which has a really quaint downtown area. There is a wooden trestle train bridge outside the downtown. After we walked through the downtown and bridge area, we went to the dam over the Black Warrior River.

On the way home from Tuscaloosa, Julie and I stopped at a sporting goods store and bought two kayaks. We dropped in the river near our house later in the afternoon. We have a lot to learn about where to put in and take out in Ellijay, the rapids change from Class I ( flatwater) to Class III and if you aren't prepared, you'll wind up going for an unscheduled swim.

We hope everyone had a great long weekend. It was great to see Amy and Cameron, Kathy and Mel, Mom and Dad earlier this month.