Lobsters are greenish brown when alive and scurrying around on the bottom of the ocean. Though every once in a while a fisherman will haul up a genetic mutation cotton candy blue, a yellow or an orange.
Those are rare, 1 in 10 million to 1 in 30 million.
But the other day?
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Now that’s rare.
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And wonderfully bizarre.
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People have been bitching about high gas prices for months, but in Maine…. where most houses have oil furnaces? We’re going to start bitching about heating oil now. Last year it was $3.42 a gallon…. today? It’s almost $6.
Our house uses roughly 200 gallons a month in the dead of winter … December through the end of March… and that’s set to a median temperature of 69 degrees, not the 73 my always cold husband would prefer. At today’s price of $5.96?
That’s $1,192.
A month.
Can we afford it? Yes. But it still hurts. And how about all the Mainers who can’t?
Something’s got to give.
Heat shouldn’t be a luxury.
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The hummingbirds are gone and these silly sparrows have taken over the feeders I need to bring in. Sorry guys, you’re too big.
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Since no one has ever said my weekly useless news posts “highlight crucial nuances”? I’m guessing the bots have started commenting.
There was a cancellation on the hospital schedule and my partial knee replacement surgery has been moved up to next week.
While I’m glad to get it over with a few weeks sooner, it’s also forced me to swing into hyperdrive. Mad cleaning of the house, laundry, fresh sheets, mop floors etc and a big grocery shop to stock up. I’m going to make and freeze a lasagna as well as some soup. Will cook a big pot of gumbo the night before so we can have leftovers after. Probably some apple bread as well.
And now to the pre surgery prep.
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For five days before I have to shower with this nasty antibacterial soap. It stinks, has no lather and you’re not supposed to shave. Sorry doc, but that’s not happening. I know they’re worried about cuts but I’ll be extra careful. I also have to put a weird antibiotic gel up my nose twice a day. It’s slimy and makes my nose run so I have to blow… which defeats the purpose if you ask me.
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The night before and morning of surgery I have to drink this awful stuff. 50 carbs? Damn. What is it pure sugar?
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Nope. Just pure chemicals.
Yum.
After surgery? They gave me these.
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I’m not a pill popper and will try my damndest not to take more than a few Tramadol and forget the heavy stuff.
How heavy is it?
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I hate opiates. Didn’t take them after my hysterectomy and am hoping I can get by without them this time around as well , but we’ll see.
The thing that really ticked me off? When I asked if there was a non opioid pain killer I could use they said yes, but most insurance won’t pay for it. I told them I didn’t care, I’d private pay and they said no, they were required to prescribe these… but if they didn’t work I could request an alternative later.
That’s BS. Will they work? I’m sure they will, probably too well.
But as I was standing on the back deck taking pictures, I noticed something to the left.
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In front of the woodshed.
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We have a few morning skunks nibbling under the bird feeders now and then and they often scurry into the shed if they spot me.
But this one wasn’t scurrying.
😰
I’m going to issue a warning now.
This poor little guy was dead, and since we love our backyard visitors like family … and I’ve never been close enough to touch a skunk…. I did that morning. I also took pictures, which might be disturbing.
So again, here’s my warning.
Dead animal photos to follow.
Please leave now if you find it distressing.
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Skunks don’t live very long in the wild. On average only two to four years. And since we didn’t see any signs of injury, we’re guessing it was just this sweet little fellow’s time.
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He looked very peaceful. As if he simply laid down and went to sleep.
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I like to think the beautiful sunrise helped him on his way.