The Beretta is at Work

By now, you must have given up on me.  My only possible explanation is simply getting too many things going on at once.  The most difficult has been an on-going battle with ducks on the pond.  Finally, yesterday we shot a couple of shots from my new Beretta 20 gauge shotgun Luke found for me online.  And a round of firecrackers I got from the shop on north highway 25.  The owner told me Harold Lumley used to buy them to get rid of Canadian geese.  It's something that has about 20 shots in a block so one fuse lighting sets of a round.  This caring for a family farm gets complicated sometimes and seems to take an awful lot of concentrated effort when new challenges arise! ……For now, all is calm and I can enjoy my yoga class  at 10 and then packing away the few Christmas items I have displayed. …..Gus went home yesterday when Susan and I met in Commerce. A great time to be at Chico's there for the after-Christmas sale!…..The 70-degree weather has lulled me into the joy of hammock time and I've had three different hour-long sun-baths these past few days.  But, I hear the cold is coming so now we are preparing for what may be power-outages.  Fortunately Frank has some propane heaters and a camp cookstove so we will be safe here even if the power does go out. …..Oh!  The ducks flew away after one shot!  So, we'll see if we can simply discourage them and not injure them.  That's the intention, anyway.

Me and Guns and Ducks

I got up early this morning to enjoy the most beautiful weather we have enjoyed in a very long time.  I know it can't last much longer so I want to get a full day of it today. …..We are battling a crew of four ducks that have been coming almost daily.  About a week ago I discovered they are definitely fish eaters, which I had already figured out by watching them dive repeatedly,….. and we needed to get rid of them.  Well, being who I am, I don't want to kill them, just harass them enough for them to stay away from the teenincey bream - 1,000 of them - which I paid big money for to stock the pond and 20 carp at $9 a piece to keep it clean……...  So far the best I have been able to do is find the grandkids air rifles to shoot at them.  The BB's don't reach them on the other side of the pond, but do seem to disturb them - but not enough to stay away.  They were back this morning, flying away when I walked outside.  The venture did inspire me to clean some of the rust from the guns, which I am doing in the photo……The result of all of this, yesterday Frank and I went gun "looking."  I decided I will satisfy a long-time dream and learn to shoot a gun - specifically skeet shooting with the kids when they visit at Thanksgiving.  My best choice so far is a Franchi 20-guage shotgun that really felt like it fitted.   Hunter's Headquarters in Greenwood is a magical store filled with everything anyone could ever think of related to guns and bows and arrows, etc.  It's a wild experience just visiting the store and the people who work there!  One customer we met drives from Laurens "just to look" as a fun thing to do.  Of course, the store would be a great place for a single woman to pick up a man, too!  Lots of guys just wandering around looking lost.

Christmas 60 Years Ago

This is one of eight ornaments remaining from the dozen I bought the first year of marriage for our Christmas tree in California.  The box indicates they came from Poland.  What a treasure!  For sixty years she has appeared on our trees in California, Oregon, New Mexico, Maryland, Iowa, Alabama, and South Carolina.

Christmas is Coming

I have just today gotten into my Christmas boxes and must share this with you - a nativity scene  created by Mother in her ceramic shop.  I think she borrowed the molds but then created her own sets in her kilns.  Anyway, they have been with me for many years and always bring to me the beauty of this story.  She provided her church, Immanuel Lutheran, with a much larger set which they display each Christmas season.  A lovely ceramic tree is also in my collection of her work, but didn't yet get to that box.  What a joy it is to have such beautiful memories.

Thanksgiving at The Pond

I've been distracted from writing for too long.  I miss it.  So, this morning I'm reclaiming that part of my life.  It's easy today.  Yesterday I spent two hours at Urgent Care, mostly waiting for my turn, to discover my voice box is inflamed - hence the localized pain when coughing.  So, now I'm on a cough syrup containing codeine and prednisone to heal.  How, I don't know, but that's what doctors are for.  The best part is I slept very well -coughing is mostly controlled now.  ……Enough of that.  Thanksgiving was delightful.  With the two houses we have plenty of room for families of both sons.  Once again we ate at one table - all eleven of us (including my man friend, Frank.)  Todd, has left us for South Dakota, so we missed having him with us…..For the first time, Tate saw me do yoga when I led a yoga session for his entire family!  Kelsey and Sydney requested it.…..Fish have been planted in the Pond - 1,000 bream and 20 carp.  Next spring bass will be added.  Four diving ducks, which I have not yet been able to identify, have arrived and appear to be filling their guts with the tiny fish!!!!  Surely they won't eat all of them? …….Somehow Luke's family didn't get into my camera's eye except for Luke at his honored position of carving the two turkeys and the ham he cooked.  One more shot that must be seen is Kelsey shooting skeet - I think her clothing somehow explains that she is multi-talented.  Actually she connected with several of the clays despite her unconventional stance.