Evil Monster Yard

There is a lot of this stuff hiding in my yard. It's poison-oak. I was just trying to yank up a few weeds yesterday, knowing that stuff was in there somewhere, when I pulled one up and my hand drifted back and brushed against some of it. Ack! I put my handful of weeds into the compost bin and went inside to wash wash wash wash wash wash endlessly wash with Tecnu. Ack! Did I touch that with oaky fingers? I don't think anything but the back of my hand was affected, but what if I'm wrong? Worry worry worry. Clean everything off with alcohol. HH and DLD were waiting waiting waiting, because I was waiting for them when I was distracted by the weeds. I should have stood idley by the auto. HH says he'll pour gasoline on the poisonous monsters. Clever Neighbor says "use crossbow" which sounds a lot saner than using gasoline to me. Gotta use something, though, because it can't be pulled or burned. It keeps it's poisonous effects for ages after it's dead...a year or two. I will have to look it up. Clever Neighbor pointed out another big batch of it I hadn't seen yet, because it was in with several other things that had similarly shaped leaves. We have a lot of volunteer oaks, Hawthorns and blackberries. I will have to show DLD the new batch. Ugh! .....worse than Ugh!

Interior Decorating

Here's what I call decorating. I put the red vines in the glass and set the glass on the sideboard. Spiffy. I was inspired by Mrs. Staggs.

I'm pretty pleased that I took a picture and got it into the computer, but now I don't know how to detatch the camera. I'm sure DLD will be able to clue me in when she gets home from school.

Did I Say?

I never saw one of these before. It was just one of the many bikes at the OVM yearly show at Benton County Fairgrounds last Sunday. This bike didn't go on the Saturday ride, but there were over 50 interesting old motorcycles from all over the world that did. They went well over 100 miles, and no one broke down. Yaaaa! Most of the Ducati's and Vincent's took off ahead of the main bunch. Sunday HH was happy to bring home an honorable mention.

Happy Birthday, Loquacious One

As the Girl on the Swing in Ragtime would say, "Wheee!" It's a party. Happy Birthday Darling Girl. I hope you enjoy your day.

Pianos Tuned, Check

Whoopee! The pianos are now both tuned, and I have met the delightful Mr. Stainthorpe. The hammers on the old baby grand are hardened, so it sounds like a honky tonk piano. He played a bit of a rag time ditty on it, which was very entertaining. Such pizzaz! He is a violinist, and played in the Sacramento Symphony, until they put him on viola, which he didn't think was fun. Anyway, he wanted to see Mom's old violin, so I got it out for him, but when he went to play it, he found it was strung as a viola. Oh, right. Loquacious Daughter was practicing viola before she had one by restringing the violin. It all makes sense, but Mr. Stainthorpe and I were dissapointed, because we wanted to hear a violin.

He told me many fine and entertaining stories, but I have already forgotten the details. One was about a guy he gives overflow work to who made a custom organ for Toyota. He had to give up his organ making because the organ making shop where he worked closed because the man who owned it retired. Alas!

My hammers are hard. Did I mention that yet? On the baby grand piano. He says it is very expensive to replace the hammers. He says for a short-lived fix, I could poke holes in them all to let a little air in. That doesn't sound like anything I'm going to do. Hard hammers sound kind of rinky tinky. Anyway, it is sure a lot nicer than it was. Maybe I will add photos later.

Whatever

Played trombone last night. People danced. The guys look so cute in the cummerbunds and bow ties. I get to follow these and mostly other motorcycles around old roads on a club ride next Saturday. I'll be driving the pickup car. Hope I don't have to pick anyone up.

Dr. Not Who drives the Ducati. I've got a story about him, that I've been putting off telling. He's a retired chemist, and he told HH that his wife doesn't listen to him, trust him, or believe him when he says burning candles is carcinogenic. That's my story. I don't like it.

He says Google Earth is free, and now I can find an old photo of my house on the map. HH showed it to me this morning. He said look at this, and the computer screen had a tiny planet earth in the middle. He said push this button (with the mouse) and the earth zoomed closer, and closer until you could see my house.

I went to Garland Nursery yesterday to buy a hanging Begonia basket for MIL for today. Found just the right one. It is fun to go to Garland. I see lots of lovely things I can't afford there. I hope. Then I went to the antique mall to pick up finds for a birthday package. I hope I get it mailed. The mall is fun because there are lots of very pretty things I can afford, and there's a black cat curled up on a pillow, and one of the owners was helping me and cracking wise the whole time. They had a shoe store stool for sale by the front door. Remember those?

Today we're all going to Ragtime. DD will be playing in the pit. They have been having sound system problems, so I hope those are worked out. The sound guy fixes my shoes when he's not doing sound. Maybe I can get the low down on what happened if I get a new pair of shoes for him to fix.

Ragtime

Tonight is opening night for Ragtime. DD is playing for most of the shows, or that's her plan. MIL and I are going Sunday to see her. OK, we may hear her. We're going to see the show. Fluffy Cat is wanting my attention, so I have to go now and give her attention. No one else is home. HH is off getting advice for his map from a guy with GPS on his Ducati. No DD, no HH, just me and Fluff Ball.

The Nighthawk was sold to make room for the Moto Guzzi. I don't know how other people do this. It doesn't work for me. I like these bike pictures, though. I'm coming, Cat.