7 Random Things

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1. The whole community has been abuzz about rabies lately. A friend of ours was attacked by a rabid bobcat a few weeks ago when she got out of her car. It was horrible!  She's been fighting a really bad infection and has been in and out of the hospital for antibiotics. Then just last week, to scare everyone even worse, another person we know had a sick mountain lion jump into their backyard and attack their dog. The man threw a brick at the lion and it dropped the dog, but stayed in the yard. The Game and Fish Department ended up shooting the lion and warned it could be a second rabid animal attack.  Thankfully, we just found out that the rabies test was negative on the lion. Rabies isn't normally a problem in our area but everyone is holding their breath and vaccinating their animals before another attack occurs.  I know many people who carry a sidearm for protection while walking, hiking, or riding these days.  You just never know what you'll encounter on this mountain.

2. My girl just hit her very first Grand Slam HOME RUN to the fence last week with bases loaded! I, of course, was calm and collected as she hustled around those bases knocking in 4 runs. HA HA, who am I kidding? I was up out of my seat cheering wildly for my girl like an obnoxious crazy woman!!! I was so excited for her.  Her dad was coaching her big brother's game at the same time so he's heartbroken that he had to miss it.  She'll just have to do it again for him.

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3. At church last Sunday, the congregation stood as the pastor read from the book of Nehemiah 8:1-12.  Suddenly, in the middle of the reading, a little girl threw an absolute screaming tantrum. Her father picked her up and walked down the aisle and she was kicking and screaming the whole way. As soon as she walked to the door, as if on cue, the pastor paused momentarily with an embarrassed look and then continued to read, "BE QUIET, for this day is holy...." The whole congregation started laughing so hard that the pastor was red-faced and had to regain his composure for a minute. The timing of that reading was so perfect that it almost seemed divine! HA!  I think every parent in the place had sympathy for that poor dad.

4. The kids and I have been taking hikes and 5 mile bike rides around the lake every day.  I'm trying to build up their endurance for a huge Grand Canyon hike we're doing this fall.  It's 10 miles each way, and I don't think that my girls are ready for it yet. We've got to get into shape!

5. We've found a place to rent for the summer months as we begin our search for land. It hasn't been lived in for quite some time so we spent the weekend cutting down knee-high weeds and tilling up some land for a little garden.  Everyone said, "why bother planting a garden at a rental?" but we couldn't imagine not having fresh summer veggies. Besides, tending to the garden is a huge stress relief.

6. Every Mother's Day my family buys me flowers to plant in the beds around the house.  Since I knew we would be moving, I planted them all in containers that could be moved to the rental house.  The addition of several hanging baskets and lots of barrels of flowers should make the new house a little more inviting when we arrive.


7. I'm waging war on the stinkin' flies this week. I can't take it anymore. They've multiplied exponentially  overnight, and I intend to employ every means of assault that money can buy, including but not limited to traps, sprays, poisons, and the swatter. Die, Fly. Die.



Still avoiding packing... one blog post at a time,

Nell