Category Archives: Uncategorized

Uncategorized

They’re just screwing with me now.

July 14, 2020 Rivergirl 22 Comments

The woodchucks.

Adorable, but hungry.

And there’s no rhyme or reason to what they’ll eat.

This echinacea?

Stripped to a stalk the same day I planted it.

They devoured it before I could even get a picture, and if you know me? You know that’s fast.

This candy cane Dianthus? Nope. They left it alone.

The exact same plant on the other side of the garden bed?

A mere shadow of itself.

WTF?

So when it came time to replant the bed I had removed the woodchuck chewed mallow from, I went to the experts and got a list.

A list of woodchuck proof flowers they were guaranteed not to eat.

Blanket flower? Check!

Planted two, they haven’t touched them.

(Please note dianthus is on the list and we all know how that turned out.)

Foxglove? Check!

They literally took one bite and ran.

Good thing since it’s the source of digitalis.

Last on the list? Yarrow.

If you’ve ever had deer nibble your gardens to a nub, you know they hate yarrow.

Every critter hates yarrow…. so I planted yarrow.

IMG_4417 (2)

So…..

Yeah.

The little buggers are screwing with me.

There’s no other explanation.

And look at that belly…

They’re getting fat doing it!

Uncategorized

Because some things are strange enough for a second look.

July 13, 2020 Rivergirl 25 Comments

This popped up in my Facebook memories today and since I wasn’t blogging here 5 years ago?

I have to share.

As seen in Goodwill, a rubber chicken.

It was a dog toy, but a more wrong rubber chicken you’re not apt to find.

I suppose you could say they were singing…. but I’m afraid my mind went elsewhere.

And for a further chuckle?

Read the detailed description that came with them.

I dare you not to laugh.

“This rubber chicken is not any ordinary chicken, when you squeeze him he makes a loud screaming sound, it can help you relaxing your pressure and bringing you good mood. This squeaky rubber chicken will make a comical addition to your dog’s toy chest! Screaming sound when you squeeze it “Squeeze me when you are happy. I will make you and your friend laugh” “Squeeze me when you are not happy. I will help you relax” “My shrilling scream will let you have unexpected fun and entertainment, relax and release stress.” Once you have this funny scream chicken you can lose your press and became more smooth.”

So go on….. squeeze your chicken.

Hear him scream.

Uncategorized

Day 4… deck project.

July 13, 2020 Rivergirl 19 Comments

Four days in and we were finally ready to start adding the balustrades.

This involved a large amount of math, which as we have previously discussed… is not our strong suit.

Measuring was required. So much measuring. The fractions, the division…

Oh! The horror.

I carefully calculated the spacing of 8 rails for each section. I checked and rechecked to make sure it was accurate.

Which meant 7 of them fit perfectly.

Am I good or what?

Okay, so there were seven instead of 8.

It still looked good and things were flowing smoothly.

Until the screw heads starting popping off.

Once they were in the railing.

Which made me cringe…. and the husband grab his all purpose fix it tool.

Have hammer, will travel.

Thankfully no harm was done and we finished 3 out of the 4 sections before calling it a day.

One more section here..

Then we’ll move on to the other side.

Hopefully the heat wave will be over by then.

Hot flashing menopausal Maine women with broken toes do not fare well in temperatures over 90.

Uncategorized

Enough with the substitutes.

July 12, 2020 Rivergirl 37 Comments

In the last three months I’ve seen pasta fly off the grocery store shelves.

Pandemic shopping fever has wiped them clean at times and all that was left were substitutes.

Kale linguini?

Not if my life depended on it.

Squash angel hair?

Thank you, no.

So imagine my horror when I saw this in the refrigerated section this morning.

Tofu fettuccine and spaghetti.

What fresh Hell is this!

I picked up a package and it felt like slimy rubber…. which is probably what it tastes like it as well.

Uncategorized

And we’re working…

July 12, 2020 Rivergirl 16 Comments

Broken toe and all I was assisting…. to which my lovely flip flop tan lines can attest.

I was staining. And photographing the husband sanding over the two planks he just had me stain.

He has a very organized work plan.

Not.

Am I organized?

Screws and washers laid out, paired and waiting to be used.

So yes, damn it…. I am.

But a railing was installed.

And measuring was done.

I would say not enough measuring by the looks of the piece of wood he replaced when I was in the house.

He tried to tell me it was always like that, but what really happened was this – he removed a section of rotted beam, didn’t have one to replace it… but did have a small 2×4 he thought would do just as well when turned sideways.

Did it match? No.

Was it long enough? No.

But he graduated from the school of I’m Not Going To The Store To Buy A New Piece When I Have An Old Piece Under The Barn.

His defense rests.

He promised to “stick a little piece in later” but I doubt that will be an improvement.

*Please note there is a bright yellow 21rst century tool on the deck in the fifth picture. I placed it there hoping the husband would put it to use, but I’m sure you know how that turned out. *

Uncategorized

Peeping… chucks?

July 11, 2020 Rivergirl 21 Comments

I don’t care how cute you are….

You can’t come in!

Well… maybe if the husband wasn’t home.

Uncategorized

Another scorcher.

July 11, 2020 Rivergirl 21 Comments

Temperatures and humidity rose to an unbearable level but the deck railing project moved on.

Slowly.

And with copious amounts of sweat.

Rotted wood here.

Rotted wood there.

And then my husband decided to add the piece of J channel that he was supposed to add 16 years ago when he enlarged the deck.

(No judgement on the dirty siding please, we have yet to buy a new pressure washer.)

The existing piece only ran halfway and the task of replacing it has been on my honey do list for almost two decades.

So off to the store he went, coming back with white J channel, while the old piece is beige.

This was a problem.

That he knew he could solve.

Hours were spent on this tiny annoying detail.

The old piece wouldn’t come out without tearing off the siding, and the siding had been caulked around the door and corner post so that was more hassle than it was worth.

He tried to slide it over, then under, and then up around the old piece but nothing worked.

Hot and frustrated, he ended up cutting a section of the old piece out and we were left with this.

A gap which will probably fill with water when it rains, but hey… it matches.

And if you’re wondering what I was doing during this time?

I was breaking the little toe on my right foot which isn’t so little anymore.

Ever the helpful wife, that’s me.

For something so small, it’s amazing how much that sucker can swell and hurt.

The result of my injury?

Husband had to do my job of staining the new wood.

In what little bit of shade he could find.

An entire day, and only we accomplished 3 things.

Yay us.

Uncategorized

Flowers, flags and foolishness.

July 10, 2020 Rivergirl 17 Comments

Flowers –

For a pure burst of summer color?

You can’t beat peonies.

They’re bright, lush and smell heavenly.

Flags –

Or as my husband calls them…

Guest towels from the spare bathroom you nail into a long piece of wood when your wife isn’t looking.

Foolishness –

The gift a friend gives you because she knows you’re allergic to horsefly bites.

With a name like the Bug Bite Thing, you don’t expect it to work.

And no surprise, it didn’t. A horsefly bit me, I suctioned my arm as directed and still swelled up like a politician at a pay by the plate fundraising dinner.

More foolishness –