September 29, 2014 - Msg 99200: Good morning, porch. Or, actually, good afternoon. I was up very late, just puttering around, and therefore slept late this morning. I'm just a night owl, can't help it. Maybe that's why I like bats - I'm a nocturnal critter, just like they are.

Asa, I've probably told y'all this story before, but it fits here, so here goes. There's a bat cave in an old railroad tunnel near where my daughters live, in Fredericksburg, TX. http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/state-parks/old-tunnel/bat-viewing. It's under the control of the Parks and Wildlife department now, but for many years, it was just there, with no management. The only improvement was a small gravel parking lot. From there, you could walk to the rim of the tunnel, and look down onto the old train tracks.

One evening, we went just at dusk, and I stood on the lip of that tunnel, about a foot back from the edge, as the bats began to emerge. At first, it was just one or two at a time, but very quickly it was a swirling vortex of them, thousands of them, in a huge cloud. The estimate is that about 3 million bats live in this colony. I can tell you from experience that it takes quite a while for them all to get out of the tunnel. Anyway, as I stood there, they were swirling all around me. I could feel the wind from their wings, and hear their chirps, but even though they were flying within 3 or 4 inches of my face, I was never touched, not once. Bats have absolutely no interest in getting into anyone's hair.

Anyway, it was such a profound, exciting experience, that I talked Dale into returning just before dawn the next morning, in order to be there when the bats came home. I was standing in the same place when they started coming in. First just one or two, like falling leaves, then a swirling rush, as they circled around, waiting their turn to funnel into the cave. The same thing as the night before, in reverse. It was very exciting, exhilarating, nature on a basic level. Again, though I could feel the wind from their wings, and see them just inches from my face, I was never touched. Amazing little creatures.

As you said, Asa, how can someone witness the perfection of the design of this particular creature, let alone all the rest of the natural world around us, and still not believe in divine design? Frankly, to believe that all we see around us just happened because something that no one can identify, or prove even existed suddenly exploded, and it all fell into place over time - well, that just takes more faith than I can muster up. What exploded? Where did it come from? The fact that I can't answer that, and neither can anyone else, not even Dr. Hawking, tells me that there is a power beyond man's understanding. No one can explain any of this, yet there it is. I see my yard, the flowers, the birds and butterflies, the bushes bearing berries that help to feed the birds, and then little Toye Starr sitting here looking at me with love in her big brown eyes - this is all an accident? Nope, I can't buy that. Most of all, if I had been a doubter, the morning I looked into the eyes of my firstborn son, all doubt would have fled. There he was, a whole human being, with all the equipment to survive in life, and packed with the potential for love and loyalty and fun and dreams, and the natural instincts he would need for survival. No way was that all an accident. As I said, to believe otherwise would require more blind acceptance than I could ever possess.

Well, gotta run. There's a red hibiscus, about the size of a dinner plate, blooming out back and I want to get a picture of it. Blessings, friends! --Romeena
September 29, 2014 - Msg 99201: Oh, enjoy the clean porch. I dusted a couple of the rockers, too - the ones whose owners haven't been here in a while. I wish they'd come home! --Romeena
September 29, 2014 - Msg 99202: Yep, Romeena. I concur with everything you've said in your post, from the bats to creation. But about the bats, I have been "night riding" for more years than I can remember. Used to do it even more of it in my younger years. Seen a lot of bats as I was speeding around on my bike, and like you, seen some very close, but not once has one hit me; not even brushed me. Not saying it couldn't happen, but in my experience it never has and I would say the odds are against it. They are just very skilled at flying. And in the dark, no less.

Well, I've ordered Kai's Language Arts, Bible, and Art courses(in book form). I will wait until they get here to order the online stuff, since you have access to that immediately after you order it. Will see how this works out. I guess that is one of the good things about homeschooling; you can customize the curriculum to fit your child's way of learning.

Well, better get supper going.

-Sterling Holobyte
September 29, 2014 - Msg 99203: Good sweeping, by the way, Ro!

-SH
September 29, 2014 - Msg 99204: Ro, your description of the bats swirling out of the cave was wonderful..I could see it in my mind's eye and almost feel the wind from their wings. How I would have LOVED to have experienced that. I did see the bats come out of Carlsbad caverns when I was about 19 and that was something to remember.

I have been spending some time helping my mother in law since Erin is doing better. MIL has been having a debilitating pain in the left side of her head and can only lie down to get any relief. She spends all day lying on the sofa. She has a cat scan ordered for wed and I got home health ordered for her today. Sean and I went over there last night to clean her apartment and did some grocery shopping for her. She only has two daughters, one who wont have much to do with her and one who is a drug addict, so bruce and his brother (or me and Sean) are the only ones who help her with her needs. As I have mentioned in the past, she is a fairly toxic person and a troublemaker, so I have kept a lot of distance over the past year. I feel for her in the situation she is in right now and for the time being, she is behaving herself so I am helping out some.

Well, still doing laundry at 6pm and making sure dinner is ready. Woman's work is never done. :)

Keep up the good work, Sterling.

Boo
September 29, 2014 - Msg 99205: ITHINKIVEHEARDENOUGHABOUTBATS!

Asa
September 30, 2014 - Msg 99206:
BOO-was there any kind of final diagnosis with Erin? Glad she is better. I will be praying for your MIL
Did someone say BATS? Next think ya know you'll be asking me to go to the Remshaw place! No way! ha
Please keep my dad in your prayers. The enema helped, but he is still having
a lot of abdominal pain. I take him to the doc on Wed. Thanks
GF and Maudie, I have seen so many great pics of MD on FB, I wish for a Mayberry in heaven! :)
God bless all,
MDC

September 30, 2014 - Msg 99207: I'm still am keeping you Boo in my prayers, you have a lot on your plate. Good thing God makes bigger plates and Front Porch Friends!

MDC, Hope your Dad continues to improve and get relief when he sees the Doc on Wednesday.

Maude, I am sorry with M/D's being so busy I wanted to get a picture made of you guys at the statue, it is my only request when my Mayberry friends go to Mt. Airy, that they do that, so I have it for my "Mayberry friend hall of fame" in my photo album. (If you guys did take a picture I'd love a copy for my album).

Romeena, That link puts a whole new meaning to the term..."To the bat cave Robin"...And that's all I'll say about that! Ok Asa?

I had a great experience @ M/D's I was sitting at a picnic table at the Andy Griffith Playhouse drinking some sweet tea, and guess who sits down with me? Our own Jim Lindsey James Best! We got to talk about 15 mins. while he waited for his wife to pick him up. We talked a lot about the new movie he did "The Sweeter Side of Life" that he did for the Hallmark channel. Mr. Best told me his daughter wrote the script for it, she is married to the soap opera star Michael Dameon.
When I called him "Mr. Best" he said: "Just call me Jimmy".. So "Jimmy"....and I had a good talk..
He is a very interesting man who has done a lot of things in his career. Yep, a good highlight to the weekend.
My buddy who went with me to M/D's was AMAZED by the friendliness of Mayberry folk, I told him "they are the best in the world" and I happen to believe that to be true.....

Also, Keep Mrs. G-F in prayers, she has the shingles, and that is not good for someone who has MS. They started out small but are now getting worse.(she does not make a good patient) haha....So send one up for Goob too....

G-F....
September 30, 2014 - Msg 99208: Thanks for those prayers, G-F. Now Sean is sick with what appears to be flu. I am praying the rest of us don't get it, especially Erin. She has already missed too much school. Please remember us in your prayers today. I really need for both of my kids to get well and stay that way.

Glad you had a great time at mayberry days, G-F. So neat about James Best. I will have to watch for that movie to come out on hallmark.

Praying for Mrs. G-F (and you). Those shingles are a real pain. I didn't know she had MS. Bless her heart.

MDC, Erin has her follow up appointment with the urologist this morning so maybe we will get a name for her ailment. :) Prayers for your dad. May he find relief from his abdominal pain.

Boo
September 30, 2014 - Msg 99209: Good morning, porch! G-F, I didn't know either - that your wife has MS. That's a big challenge, for both of you. And now shingles, too? I'm so sorry. Shingles can be so painful. I'll pray for both of you, for sure!

How cool that you got to visit with James Best! Were you able to get a picture? I'll definitely be watching for that movie. I love the Hallmark movies anyway. I'm so glad they're doing that Holiday Season thing again this year. Starting at the end of October, they'll run holiday movies until after Christmas. I just park my TV on their channel and pretty much leave it there! The movies are sweet and gentle, feel-good movies, and I love 'em. Maybe they're not "Gone With the Wind", but they're pleasant and fun, and many of them are really very good. I'm not a big fan of movies on TV usually (I lose interest quickly), but I do really enjoy the Hallmark movies.

It's so pretty here today. At 9:45, the temp is 78°, so probably won't get too warm, upper 80s or very low 90s, I'm guessing. My surprise lilies are popping up all over the yard, and they're so pretty. The crape myrtles are still blooming, two rosebushes seem to think it's spring, and have put on a big flush of blooms, and one hibiscus is putting on a final show. I love this time of year.

Well, better run. I have a home health visit to make, and some errands to run. Boo, I hope Erin gets some answers and a clean bill of health. MDC, I pray all is well with your dad. Blessings, friends! --Romeena
September 30, 2014 - Msg 99210: Prayers for all that are ailing. Wow, there are a lot of them today. But God can handle it.

G-F, that is so cool that James Best just sat down at the table with you. That's the kind of thing you just dream of happening.
I recall seeing some adverts for that "sweeter side of life" movie a few weeks ago. I forgot about it and so didn't get to watch it. But I will watch for it to come around again.

Ok Asa, you don't want any more talk about bats, well how about mothers-in-law?
Friends, I am a little miffed. I think I told you about how my MIL was trying to take over Kai's life, and how she was telling my wife how "I" was "crushing Kai's spirit" by homeschooling her.
Well, she told my wife she wanted to take Kai to the movies for the matinee today. I figured if my wife was ok with Kai taking time off from schoolwork to do that then it was fine with me, but it also started to irk me.
I mean, my MIL badmouths homeschooling any chance she gets, and she badmouths me for homeschooling Kai, yet she wants to take advantage of the flexibility that homeschooling offers so she can take Kai to a hollywood movie. Is that hypocrisy or what?!
I really wish that woman would never have moved here. Maybe she can move next to one of her hundreds of Facebook "friends" that she touts up so much and disparages Kai so much for the lack of a quantity of "friendships" in her life.

Well, have to get back to Kai's schoolwork. Have a great day!

-Sterling Holobyte
September 30, 2014 - Msg 99211: Romeena, No picture, I would have liked to have gotten a picture but thought it tacky for the moment, just enjoyed the talk with him. (I have my picture made with him from other events).

Busy week, Retirement party for a co-worker, calling hours & funeral for my good friend's Dad, and 2 doctors appointments...Busy week! And they say retired folk don't have anything to do....

I'm still recovering from the week-end I did ALOT of walking from event to event. Usually I park the car in the morning and walk the rest of the day. The different venues and events are not that far from each other, but better than trying to find places to park...Amen Maude?

G-F....
September 30, 2014 - Msg 99212: Oh Baby! I think MIL discussion could be more dangerous than going into a cave with bats. Good luck with that!...Prayers for MIL common sense to prevail...G-F again
September 30, 2014 - Msg 99213: Hello Front Porch: Allow me to introduce myself, my name is Medwin Bill Medwin.
September 30, 2014 - Msg 99214: Good evening, porch, and a Mayberry "hello" to you, Medwin Bill Medwin. Visitors are always welcome on the porch, and if all goes well, perhaps you'll stake a claim on one of the rockers and become a regular in our little cybertown. Do you wish to go by all three names? If so, be aware that we'll probably shorten it in some way, as we get to know you better.

G-F, I agree, it would have been a bit presumptuous to get a picture, but tempting, nevertheless. Besides, since you already have one, I think you were right to refrain. What fun, to have him just come right up and sit down and converse. He must be a really nice guy.

Oh my! MIL discussions! That's a topic about which I know very little. My own MIL (Dale's stepmother) was a sweet lady, who never, ever, gave me cause to complain. His own mother passed when he was fourteen. My own mom was a second mother to him, and he loved her very much. I have tried to avoid being the stereotypical MIL myself, and am careful to keep my mouth shut except to express a positive thought. It's not hard, because all my "in-laws" are wonderful. My sons both married lovely girls, sweet and kind, and they love my sons. What more could I ask? My daughters are both married to fine, loving and considerate men, who are very good to me. One of them, whose own mother has passed, asked me if he could call me "mom." Of course, I was honored, and told him so. The other, whose mother is living, just uses my name, and that's fine too. If they all have no more complaints about me than I have about them, then we're doing just fine, because I have none at all. God is good.

Sterling, I know you have a problem there. I remember some of the previous encounters. The only thought I have on the subject is simple. Take the high road, always, for as long as you can. Keep that principle in mind. Obnoxious or not, the woman is your wife's mother, and there is a loyalty there, or there should be. Don't put your wife in the middle, if you can possibly avoid it. Remember my mom's favorite response to argument or unwanted advice or criticism - "Well, you could be right." Then change the subject. You did not actually agree, you just acknowledged that she "could" be right. And she could be, at least from her point of view. Above all, don't argue. She will do some things that hit your last nerve, but stay in control of your feelings. Remember, you have Kai many, many more hours than she does, so an afternoon now and then is not likely to ruin what you've built up. Just smile, agree if you can, acknowledge her feelings, and kill her with kindness. The day will come when you'll be glad you did. And now, if you answer me with "You could be right", I'll put a tack in your rocker.

Blessings, friends! --Romeena
September 30, 2014 - Msg 99215: You could be right, Ro. JUST KIDDING! :)

Well, took Erin to the doc, they did a pelvic sono and discovered the problem. Now, without going into enough detail to send the porch men running and screaming, I will simply say that her birth canal is closed off and blood has been collecting in there. That is what was causing the urinary retention and putting pressure on the bladder. They are doing outpt surgery first thing in the morning to correct the problem and prevent complications. If it had gone undetected, she could have ended up with scarred fallopian tubes (infertility) or worse. Thank God we found it when we did. OK, hope that didn't make anyone too nervous or nauseous. Please say a prayer for her because she is pretty anxious after all she has already been through, and my nerves are kind of shot, too. Also, it is getting to be a financial burden paying our portion of all the bills not covered by insur@nce. Thanks in advance. :)

Better get a shower and some rest. We have to be back at the hospital by 5:30 in the morning.

Boo
September 30, 2014 - Msg 99216: You could be *****....But as Barney say's... Might not! lol You know, folks that stop by must think we are all quite a study.. (especially that G-F guy)... But you never know what you will learn here on the porch it's as good as Google especially when PH gets cranked up on his knowledge. I told him yesterday I needed a PH app on my phone (that is IF I had one of those fancy "smart" phones). I still have a flip phone, it's gonna be worth something some day at the antique store so I'm holding on to it!

G-F...
September 30, 2014 - Msg 99217: Thank you Romeena for the warm welcome. I just love The Andy Griffith Show. I watch it throughout the day currently on channel 26.4 in Chicago and on You Tube on my smartphone. I have been watching the Andy Griffith Show since the 1960's. What a great show. I watch it and for about a half hour I feel like I live in Mayberry. It makes my heart feel good. There is just so much Love in thT town. All for now. Medwin Bill Medwin
October 01, 2014 - Msg 99218: Prayers for Erin. Glad the problem has been discovered and hopefully before very serious damage occurred. Let us know how the surgery goes,Boo. Hang in there! Praying for Sean too.

Hope Mrs. G- F feels better soon. She sure doesn't need shingles on top of MS-bless her heart!

Welcome to Medwin Bill Mediwin- always nice to have new folks join us here!

Goodnight, Mayberry..

*******************
possum under a rock
October 01, 2014 - Msg 99219: Shakedown! (:
October 01, 2014 - Msg 99220: Haha. Shakedown. What a great episode. Thank you possum under a rock for the warm welcome. Medwin Bill Medwin.
October 01, 2014 - Msg 99221:
Boo, I'm so glad to learn they have found a cause to Erin's medical problem. Prayers for a successful outpatient surgery. And sorry to learn about the financial burden this medical incident has had on your family.

G-F, so sorry to learn that your wife is suffering from both MS and the shingles. There was a commercial on television the other day advertising a vaccine to prevent shingles. They also claimed that 1 in 3 Canadians will get shingles in their lifetime. Those are high odds that are making me seriously consider getting that vaccine.
Glad I remembered about Floyd's Barbership Chat last monday. I was hoping to chat with Millie about something she is involved in. But it was good to see you there. After I picked up my wife, I returned for about the last 5 minutes of Floyd's presentation on Mayberry Days. I will have to watch the rerun once Floyd posts it since I would like to see the photos of what I missed.
Maybe next year, I might attend Mayberry Days. You posted that you like to park your car and walk the rest of the day. Do you think if I brought a bicycle to get around, that would be better? Did you see anyone else using bicycles?

Sterling Holobyte, why not have casual conversations with your MIL where you drop hints informing her about the advantages of home-schooling compared to attending school? And be sure to include Kai's opinions and performance, especially if they are positive.
In my case, I have never met nor have I spoke with my own MIL. She speaks a language I don't speak and lives half way around the world from us. Her health is not good so she can't visit us. And we can't visit her because our state department does not recommend it.

Welcome to newcomer Medwin Bill Medwin. Tell us a little about yourself including why you chose that username. I spent most of my life in the USA (near Chicago) and currently live in Canada (near Toronto). If you want to learn about how my username relates to the The Andy Griffith Show (TAGS), just watch the less than two minute video from the Opie's Charity episode at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gGrL5C4uS1s.
So you watch TAGS on WCIU? I miss watching that channel since I moved to Canada. I loved many of the classic TV shows they air as well as Svengoolie hosting old horror movies and The Three Stooges. Although Jeff Kos is the current Svengoolie, I remember the original Svengoolie who was played by Jerry G. Bishop.

from Poor Horatio
October 01, 2014 - Msg 99222:
Oops, Jeff Kos? That's the name of a former co-worker of mine. I meant to say Rich Koz.
Berwyn?

from Poor Horatio
October 01, 2014 - Msg 99223: I grew up on a farm and saw a few bats in my day. The only problem I ever had was the day we were putting up hay. We had an elevator running bales up to the haymow through an open window. I was at the window, pulling the bales off, when a bat suddenly took a couple laps around the haymow, then flew out the window. The tip of its wing just barely grazed my ear. 40 years on, I think my scream is still echoing through the hills.

Billy Ray the Postman
October 01, 2014 - Msg 99224: Good Morning porch, hope everyone is good today.

welcome to Medwin Bill Medwin. good to have you. you will never find a nice bunch of folks or a nice place to visit than our big ole wrap around porch.

G-F; sorry your wife is struggling. will remember her on our prayers. Mr.Maude and I enjoyed meeting you on Saturday.I will try and get a picture of us at the statues to you. It was fun to meet the other Big Maude as well.

Boo: hope all goes well with Erin this morning. keep us posted on her recovery.

lunch menu will be: roast beef sanwhiches, SLAW,
french fried potatoes. apple or cherry pie for dessert. tea or lemonade to drink.

Prayers and blessings to all.
Big Maude
October 01, 2014 - Msg 99225: I love this porch! Wish I could stay and visit, but I've got an ESL class to teach in an hour, up at the church, and I'm not even dressed yet. Later, taters. --Romeena
October 01, 2014 - Msg 99226: Sitting in the surgical waiting room and it is taking longer than they thought it would. Getting nervous. Its just hard to wait and wonder what is going on in there.

Boo
October 01, 2014 - Msg 99227: PH, It would be great if you came to M/D's but I think bringing a bike may be a good idea in theory, but the crowds may make it difficult to get around, sorta like the problem Malcolm Merryweather had. The police use bikes there it works for them so maybe so? By the way you mentioned Svengoolie, Retro TV shows him on I think Saturday nights, we grew up in the 60's with Ghoulardi who was out of Cleveland and did the late night "B" horror movies.. It was nice to see you on the pod-cast they are a fun group, I have been able to meet most of them in person, Yep the "other" Big Maude is a hoot, glad the two got to meet each other.

Welcome Medwin Bill Medwin how about we just call you "MBM" for short? haha There are great folk here, and we talk about ALOT of different things. But all we ask is that you "Act like somebody"....

Maude, I would appreciate that picture, it would be a pleasure to add you guys to my Mayberry Friends Hall of Fame.. I'll put you right beside "other Maude" haha Gonna have to get you two shirts that say: Maude 1 and Maude 2 like Dr. Seuss's Thing 1 and Thing 2...lol

Boo, Hope everything goes well with Erin's surgery today...

G-F...
October 01, 2014 - Msg 99228: PH, Here is a "Ghoulardi" clip for you...http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e52cXCrmauc
October 01, 2014 - Msg 99229: Good morning all. Been busier than a cows tail in fly season.

First, Prayers for Erin and that all goes well with her procedure this morning Boo. I'm sure she will do just fine.

Prayers for Mrs. GF. I didn't know your wife had M.S. So does mine. Terrible disease. And because she has another problem, she cannot take the typical M.S. drugs. So her condition is deteriorating quickly. I feel for you and her G.F. and pray she will bounce back from th shingles.

Welcome to Medwin Bill Medwin. Yes, this is a dandy porch full of good people. Hope you enjoy it.

Like Romeena said, I wish I could stay and chat, but gotta get back to work.

And that e-mail you sent me Romeena, about the two funerals, it speaks for itself loud and clear.

Asa
October 01, 2014 - Msg 99230: Welcome Bill Medwin. Mayberry is a great place. I think all of us would want to live there if we could.

Romeena, I always try to be diplomatic when dealing with the MIL. I know if I were to say something against her, in the wrong way, that it might make my wife feel she has to defend her mom. And since my wife and I are seeing eye to eye these days on who the parents of Kai are and who gets to say how she is raised, I have just been letting my wife deal with her and her outbursts of disapproval. My wife told me just recently that her mom again was telling her that Kai "needs" to be in public school, and my wife reminded her that she is not Kai's parent and that the homeschooling thing is a done deal.

There Romeena, no tack on my chair. ;-)

Thanks for your response as well, Poor Horatio. As I stated above, I try to keep out of conversations with my MIL, but if we are together again in the same room for any length of time(oh boy, Christmas ought to be fun this year - maybe I will be sick with walking pneumonia again and not have to go over there) and she starts in on "why Kai should be in public school, blah, blah, blah...", I will, diplomatically and plainly, tell her of some of the advantages I have noticed about homeschooling Kai this year.
Btw, G-F is correct, Svengoolie is on MeTV(don't know if that is different from Retrotv, but it is on Metv where I live) on Saturdays nights around 9 pm central. I know, because I try to watch it. Didn't know we have so many Svengoolie fans on the porch!

Yes, Billy Ray the Postman, you probably don't want to be blocking the only path of escape for a bat in a room. I am still surprised he clipped you though. On a good note, there probably wasn't very many mosquitoes in there with him around.
Sorry Asa, I'll quit talking about bats.

Boo, prayers for Erin. Hope everything is going ok.

-Sterling Holobyte
October 01, 2014 - Msg 99231:
G-F, thanks for that link to watch Ghoulardi in action. I had never heard of him. But when I researched him on the internet, I'm surprised to learn just how entertaining and influential he was to his Cleveland audience. Even the Cleveland Police gave credit to his show for the reduction in juvenile crimes when his program aired.

G-F and Sterling Holobyte, Chicago's original Svengoolie aired from 1970 through 1973. You can view him at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5NnSN-yMNWc . Then six years after the original disappeared, Son of Svengoolie appeared. He changed his name to Svengoolie a few years later, and is still on the air after 35 years! You can view his first episode at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NilTvuuj8U4
And as for MEtv, both it and WCIU (channel 26) are owned by Weigel Broadcasting in Chicago. I used to work with the son of the founder of Weigel Broadcasting. Chicago television has had a significant influence on my own life up until the time I retired.

from Poor Horatio
October 01, 2014 - Msg 99232: Good afternoon, porch. Boo, any word yet on Erin? Praying for that child!

Sterling, it's great that your wife is picking up the ball when it comes to confrontations with your MIL. The more she deals with her, the less you will have to, and that's a very, very good thing. However, if MIL pins you down, just gently suggest that she go and park her car in front of the local high school as classes are dismissed for the day. Tell her to open her car windows and just sit there and listen, and decide if she really wants Kai in close association with what she hears. Home schooling is hard. It's a big commitment, it's a big responsibility and it's amazing how many parents are doing it. I think there must be a reason.

Billy Ray, I too am surprised that the bat touched you. They usually don't. He was probably more scared than you were. I had a startling encounter with a bat once, on a tour through one of the big caverns. I think it was Marvel Cave, at Silver Dollar City in Missouri. Anyway, at one point the path became pretty narrow, and we had to walk quite close to the wall. I was following Dale, who was exactly a foot taller than I. He had to duck just a bit to get under an overhanging rock ledge, and he whispered to me to "stay quiet, and look directly above your head." I did, and there was a little bat, clinging to that ledge. He was looking at me with big round eyes, his wings wrapped around himself, and hanging onto that rock for dear life. He was about three inches above the bottom of the ledge, so no one was going to hit him. In fact, most people would never have seen him, his coloring blended in perfectly with the rock, but his position was at Dale's eye-level before he ducked down, so Dale saw him. I just looked at him for a minute, and passed on beneath him. I guess no one else saw him, because there were no screams from the people behind us. I can't imagine why such a shy little creature chose that particular place to roost, but he did.

Billy Ray, how do you pronounce "haymow"? Does it rhyme with "low" or "cow"? I looked it up, and both pronunciations are given. It appears to be a local-choice sort of thing. Just curious....

I see one of my tree-lizard friends on the sycamore outside my window. He's aligned himself perfectly with the bark on the tree, so he's very hard to see, and he's just soaking up the sunshine. I like having him around, because he eats bugs. This one is about eight inches long, but there's a much bigger one out there, well over a foot long. Looks like a little dragon! Then of course, there are the baby lizards who find their way into the house from time to time. If they scurry under furniture and get caught in a fuzzbunny (yes, I have them) they can't get away, and they starve. That makes me sad, so I catch them if I see them and take them back outside. Sugarplum used to try to play with them, and of course would injure them because they're so fragile, but Toye Starr just looks at them and walks away. Not interested at all.

Well, guess I'll go rustle up some lunch. I think I'll make some tuna salad, and maybe start a slow cooker of lentils for dinner. I love lentils, with lots of onion and either chunks of sausage or some of those frozen Swedish meatballs cooked into it. Then a few shakes of vinegar pepper sauce added to a bowlful when I'm ready to eat it - good stuff! Sometimes I cook a can of tomatoes into it as well. Sort of brightens up the flavor.

Have a great afternoon, everyone. --Romeena
October 01, 2014 - Msg 99233: Asa, Seems we have more in common than just our occupations. Yes, it can be challenging at times, but I keep being reminded of the advice Col. Potter gave to Klinger: "Son, Women can be difficult at times, but you can do only 2 things, stop loving them, or love 'em a whole lot more!! Col. Potter was a wise man... These days it's hard to find people who are committed to the long haul.. Amen?

Romeena, Not to butt in, but we say "hay mown" in my parts, I guess it's short for "hay mound" I suppose...

Oh, and Sterling, I think Rommeena's advice about sitting outside the school with windows down is a good idea!.. Trust her, She's a Mother.... She may have got that advice from Floyd...He's a Barber..lol

PH, glad you researched Ghoulardi, he sure was a character, and ahead of the times. The station was always on pins & needles on things he said on air, it being a live show. I think that is why he had to leave. He will say it's because Tim Conway got him work in LA, but I think that may have been just a coincidence. TOM may be able to back that up, him being in Cleveland at the time.

G-F....
October 01, 2014 - Msg 99234: Sorry it took so long to get back with a report. Soon after I last posted, the doc finally came and told us she was ok. What was only supposed to be 45 minutes, total, in the OR turned into 2 hours, so we were understandable stressed. The surgeon said that they drained 500cc of fluid and it took awhile to do it. No signs of infection (although they did send cultures in case), and no sign of further anomalies. She recovered without a hitch and was home in no time. Right now she is napping. Thank you for your prayers.

Boo
October 01, 2014 - Msg 99235: Thank God she's ok, Boo.

-Sterling Holobyte
October 01, 2014 - Msg 99236: Odna walla.

- Ms Lubly Holt
October 01, 2014 - Msg 99237: Yes, thank you Sterling. I know you remember what its like to be in that waiting room while your child is in the OR.

Boo
October 01, 2014 - Msg 99238: Very unnerving to wait on a beloved child having surgery-so relieved to know Erin came through it all fine. Thank God for that. Hope you both get some rest tonight,Boo. Love you.

*******************
possum under a rock
October 01, 2014 - Msg 99239: Thanks, Possum. Love you, too!

Boo
October 01, 2014 - Msg 99240: Great news about Erin Boo. So glad she is doing well and hopefully it's all behind her now. Is Sean doing ok?

Sterling, I do feel for your situation. I was blessed with a MIL who never involved herself in our families doings. And for that I am grateful because I would have not put up with it for very long. She'd have had a leg a lamb heaved at her early on. :) Maybe she sensed that. I really don't know, but I think you have heard some good advice from others. Probably best to leave the lamb in the freezer. I do know I try to be as well behaved with my adult kids now. I only give advice when they ask, and always with the idea that I'm not an expert. Again I have been blessed with kids who are good parents, responsible and who have married good spouses. Now that I think about it, I really have been greatly blessed in that area. So good luck in your situation buddy.

GF, Amen sir! And I forgot to say how cool that was that you got to jaw with James Best. I always liked him. Too bad his character wasn't in more episodes.

So do any of you have permanent bridges in your mouth? I have a front tooth that was capped years ago that is loose again. The last time my dentist looked at it he said the root was cracked and would eventually have to be removed. I was thinking an implant, but he suggested a permanent bridge. Just curious if anyone has one and if they have any insight they could share. And no GF, I ain't gonna have him just stick a gold one right in the middle. :)

Well gonna get a shower and crawl into bed and watch some TAGS or something.

Prayers for all.

Asa


October 01, 2014 - Msg 99241: Good evening, porch. Good news about Erin, Boo. I'm so glad she did well and got to go home. I hope this solves the problem.

Billy Ray, I meant to respond to your "rat" stories, and got sidetracked. Very funny! I can just imagine your brother's horror when the thing ran up his arm! That reminds me of something that happened to my son a couple of weeks ago. He helps Jerry (his father-in-law) as often as he can, with a/c installs and repairs. Jerry is 75, has back troubles and a hernia, and he needs all the help he can get, especially with those heavy units. Anyway, they had gone to a home to see why the air handler had quit running. The unit was in a closet at the end of a long, narrow hallway. David was in the lead, had opened the closet and taken the cover off the unit, exposing the squirrel-cage fan. He leaned into the closet, and could see that several of the fins (slats?) in the fan were broken out, and below the fan, he could saw the big round rear end of a huge rat, just sitting there. Now David is 6'5" and 280 lbs. Jerry, who was directly behind David, is 6'1" and about 200 lbs. The homeowner is about David's size, and is right behind Jerry. All three of them, lined up in that narrow hallway. When David realized he was looking at a rat's big rear end, he said, "Gentlemen, that is a rat right there, a very big one. It's not moving, so it may be dead. However, be aware that if it does move at any point, I am coming out of here, very quickly, and I really don't care if someone is in my way. Just so you know." Can you just imagine? Those three big guys, practically killing each other trying to get out of that hallway? Well, as it turned out, the rat was dead. Apparently, it had been wriggling underneath the fan, when the unit kicked on, and the blades of that squirrel cage fan hit it in the head, breaking some of the blades out, and definitely killing the rat. After poking it with a stick and making sure it was dead, David pulled it out by the tail and dropped it in a trash bag. Eeewwww!

Now, maybe we should talk about hummingbirds and butterflies for a while. (heehee)

Blessings, friends. --Romeena
October 01, 2014 - Msg 99242: "he could saw"? Of all things! "He could see", of course. --Romeena
October 01, 2014 - Msg 99243: Haymow rhymes with Hey now. I don't know that I've ever heard of anyone else being touched by a bat and know several people who have been among huge swarms of them as several here have described and not been touched. I suppose it's possible I jumped into its path. I had no sense it was trying to touch me.

Billy Ray the Postman
October 02, 2014 - Msg 99244:
HI ALL, long day today with dad to the doctor. He goes by a wheelchair transport. He's just constipated, but please keep up the prayers, as we need to
get things moving again!
Ebola in Dallas! Very scary situation. Think of
all he has come in contact with.
BOO--glad Erin is OK and recovering.
I watched the Bailey's Bad Boy tonight on ME-TV.
I havent seen the ending in a while. Good moral!
Prayers for Mrs GF and Mrs ASA!
God bless,
MDC
October 02, 2014 - Msg 99245: Glad you mentioned that MDC. I was thinking about Bailey's Bad Boy last night. And didn't even need a bucket on my head to do it. I'm curious. What exactly was Andy doing when he ignored Opie's over the top tantrum? Was he for once focused on his work? Just using the parental tactic of ignoring a meltdown? Something else? It's a strange scene. I mean, tell a kid it's a good idea to hold your breath?

Billy Ray the Postman
October 02, 2014 - Msg 99246: Boo, That is good news about Erin, as other said, hope this takes care of the problem.

Billy Ray, I think that was Andy's way of telling Opie he was not co-signing his tantrum. Personally I thought it was a funny scene. (Just don't get your pants dirty)..lol

Where is TOM? Is he getting hunkered down for the cool weather already? Check in buddy we miss ya!

G-F....
October 02, 2014 - Msg 99247: Good Friday morning porch. O.K., I know it's only Thursday but I have got to burn a vacation day or lose it. So I am off tomorrow. And today I have to go to Mt. Pilot to buy some parts I need. Will stop somewhere along the way and grab some lunch, so all in all it should be a fun day.

Well Billy Ray, I have to go along with GF about Andy's seemingly disinterest in Opie's tantrum. It showed Opie real quick that those tactics were not going to get him very far.

Prayers for you Dad for sure MDC. For sure things need to keep moving right along. Thanks for the prayers for my Mrs.

Good story about the rat Romeena. Three big fellers like that. I can imagine the scene had it still been alive. One of the funniest parts of the movie "Home Alone" is when Kevin drops that spider on the face of one of the bad guys and the high pitched screaming that results in. Us fellers ain't so tough sometimes.

Well I pray everyone has a safe and sane day in an unsafe and insane world. Boy do we ever need His blessings.

Asa
October 02, 2014 - Msg 99248: Good morning, porch! It's a beautiful day here today, and my surprise lilies are popping up all over the place. Those things multiply, and their growth habit makes them so much fun. Because everything disappears for a time, just bare ground left, you tend to forget where they were growing, until suddenly there's a whole clump of them just blooming away. No foliage, just a tall, skinny stem with a firecracker-like explosion of small flowers on top. Very fun plant. When the flowers finish and fade away, the stem falls over, and then the foliage pokes out of the ground and makes a little green mound that lasts through the winter. The following summer, that foliage wilts away in the heat and disappears, leaving nothing visible, until the stems once again rise out of the dirt in the early fall, and it all starts over again.

As for Andy's response to Opie's tantrum, I think he reacted like any calm, experienced dad should react. The whole point of Opie's behavior was to get attention, thereby manipulating Andy, and the whole plan fell apart when Andy didn't get all upset. Opie's exasperated, shoulder-slumping reaction proved how well Andy's tactic worked. The spoiled kid said it all, when he was advising Opie to hold his breath. "Boy, do they get scared!" - or something like that. Trust me, there is no danger of damage from a kid holding his breath during a tantrum. Nature takes care of that. He'll breathe again, and in the highly unlikely event that he can hold it long enough to make himself pass out, he'll breathe immediately when that happens, because he no longer has conscious control of his breathing and it will become automatic again. It will also scare the bejabbers out of the fit-thrower, and he probably won't do it again. I used to laugh at my daughter, and the way she handled her little drama king. When he was around two, he'd pitch little tantrums to try to get his way, and she would just look at him and say, "I know you're angry and that's okay, but please pick up your little fit and take it into your bedroom, and have it there. We don't care to see you. When you're done, you can come back in here." He would get up off the floor, crying the whole time, stomp off into his bedroom and squall in there for a minute or two. Then very soon, he'd reappear, all smiles with tears still on his cheeks, and quietly sit down to play or watch TV. All done! Incidentally, he's our stage actor and singer today, and a great guy!

Well, better get moving. I hear Eddie's lawnmower, and I'm sitting here in front of my big old window, and still in my jammies. I'm decent, but still.... Ooops! He just mowed past the window, grinned at me and waved, and moved on. He's a nice guy. Been taking care of my yard for at least fifteen years, and does such a nice job of it. OK, I'm gone. Blessings, friends. --Romeena
October 02, 2014 - Msg 99249: Romeena, I am going to have to try that on my little 3 year old tantrum-thrower. Usually though, we actually have to PUT HIM in his little time-out chair. He's a handful.

Asa, thank you for your MIL story and well-wishes. Glad you had a good one.

Well, we just got back from a homeschool co-op meeting today. I am not sure if we will be joining this one or not. There doesn't seem to be many kids Kai's age in it, and that's one of the things we are looking for. But we'll see.

Yes MDC, the ebola thing is a bit disturbing. As I understand it this is the first time ebola has been in the U.S.? And the politicians and most of the media are like, "nothing to see here." Isn't that how those world-ending epidemic movies always start out?.
Yes, they found this guy who is infected and quarantined him, after he had been here a couple weeks, though I wonder how many others are here that they don't know about. Especially when they are doing nothing to stop people from coming over from countries where ebola is rampant. And I don't even want to think about what is coming across our open borders. I heard Texas Governor Rick Perry say that if the government won't do anything to protect the border, the people of Texas will. I hope that is true. Because I don't see the President or his minions doing anything about it anytime soon.

-Sterling Holobyte

October 02, 2014 - Msg 99250: It is absolutely inconceivable to me that the government has let the border situation get so bad. Dear Leader's refusal to enforce federal immigration laws is a flagrant violation of his oath to uphold the constitution and the laws of the country, and he goes his merry way, unchallenged. He has surrounded himself with a thick shell of loyal functionaries, czars and judges, and has effectively silenced the press, unless they're praising him, and therefore, no one can touch him. How have we let this happen? As for Gov. Perry, he's just enough of a maverick, a loose cannon, that he just might blow the lid off the whole thing. The liberals are trying mightily to discredit him, and have indicted him on a very shaky charge. He pushed a district attorney, Rosemary Lehmberg, to resign after she made a total jacka$$ of herself on camera during a drunk driving arrest, and the liberals are calling it an abuse of power. The fact that the liberals have gone this far is a strong indicator that they're worried about what he might do with regard to the immigration crisis. They're trying to get him out of office and preferably put away for good. Politics - a very dirty business.

Good observation about the spider scene in "Home Alone", Asa. You know how big David is, and his brother, my older son who lives in Florida, is about 6'3" and weighs around 200 lbs, so they're both big boys, and they both absolutely hate and dread spiders. In fact, when one appears, they call their wives to come and kill it! Now their dad (my Dale) would kill a spider, but he would visibly shiver for about five minutes afterward. My older son was in his swimming pool one night, and saw a spider on top of the water just a few feet away. As he described the scene: "Mom, I shot straight up and I think I ran on the surface of the water until I reached the steps." He said it had a big "ugly ball thing on its back end" which he took to be an egg case, so he knew he had to get it out of the pool before there were hundreds of spiderlings running everywhere. His wife wasn't home, so he got the pool net, which has an 8-ft handle, attached a 4-ft extension to it, and managed to lift the spider out of the pool. He took it outside and parked the net on top of a flat stepping stone, with it folded over so the spider was trapped. He got a can of bug spray and just saturated spider, egg case and all, then dropped a brick on top of the whole thing. As I recall, the whole mess, net, spider and all, then went in the trash. The only thing he kept was the handle. I think we can conclude that he doesn't like spiders.

I think this is not unusual, among men. Does anyone besides me read the comics in the newspaper? One of my favorite strips is "Rose is Rose." Cute little strip about Rose and her husband Jimbo, and their little boy, Pasquale. Jimbo is portrayed as having a deathly hatred of spiders, and Rose is often required to deal with them. I think the whole "men hate spiders" thing is hilarious, and the funniest part for me is the fact that my big old sons make no apology, they freely acknowledge that they will call their wives to kill the things, and are not embarrassed by that at all. Too funny! Then there is my granddaughter, who declares that the little black jumping spiders are "cute", and will capture them and take them outside rather than killing them. Now that's weird!

People are sure funny! --Romeena
October 02, 2014 - Msg 99251: Sterling, the baby is 3?? My goodness,the time sure flies! How old is Kai now? Hard to believe Erin is a teenager & Laci is right behind her at 11! Our Porch kids are really growing up!

"I don't like spiders & snakes,and that ain't what it takes to love me-you fool,you fool!"

Y'all remember that song? All this talk of bats,rats,spiders,and so on caused it to poo right into my lil' possum noggin!

Hope things get moving with Daddy MDC soon!

Hey, the county fair is in town & I might go tonight- maybe I'll win a ceramic pelican!

*******************
possum under a rock
October 02, 2014 - Msg 99252: LOL @ " poo right into my lil' possum noggin"!!

I don't want THAT happening!

I meant "POP"- oh my word! ha ha

possum again