Owl house up date

The sun was setting and I went out to check on the Owl house. We had quite a storm blow through here. It took down trees in the area so the wind was very strong. The Owl house was still bolted to the tree about thirty feet off the ground. All of the bees were back at the house and as you can see it is over flowing. The bees so far have not bothered anyone. I can walk around the yard and under the tree without any problem. I have mowed the grass and even used a chainsaw without incident. I will leave them be for now. If they become aggressive then I will have to do something about them. I wonder what happens to them in the winter? Do they stay put or do they die off like a wasp? I will have to do some Internet searches to find out. I had asked Melanie to go out and check out the Owl house. She said, "Why, do they have little honey bear bottles lined up for us?" Obviously she isn't as excited about the guests as I.

Vibrams fivefingers KSO

After reading all of the hype about these shoes, I got a pair for an early fathers day present. My family was tired of listening to me talk about how much I would like a pair but what if I don't like them. What if it they hurt my feet. I didn't want to spend $85 just to have them sit in my closet.

I use to wear Nike shoes and I absolutely love them. I heard how great New Balance shoes were so after much debating I broke down and bought a pair. $150. Ouch! I went out walking and they felt great at first but then my left foot started to hurt on the inside edge of my heel. I walked about 3.5 miles that day. I had to pull my shoes off when I got back to the car. The left foot had three blisters all around the heel. I was hurting for weeks. I healed up and then tried them out again. I ended up pulling them off and walking back in my socks. I told my self never again will I spend that much on a pair of walking shoes.

I still need to run my Vibrams through the paces to see how they will do for me. At first blush they are great. I walked about 3/4 of a mile on the sidewalk and then returned on the trail. The KSOs did well both on and off the walk way. This week I should get about 20 miles logged in the shoes. Stay tuned.

Owl House Guests

After what seems like forever I have guests living in the owl house. Hundreds, maybe thousands actually. I was in the back yard today looking at a tree that I cut up last weekend and just happened to look up at the owl house. It had been several weeks since I had looked at it. A picture says a thousand words but these pictures do not do the bees justice. The bees are very thick in the opening. I am not sure if that is honey comb that I see or just bees swarming to keep the inside cool. You can hear the hum of the wings beating back and forth. Very cool. I just hope they are not the African honey bees that will chase me around the yard when I mow the grass.

A Memory Fading

As you know if you have read my blog, I am a huge Famous Quote addict. I have a new quote delivered to the blog daily. They always provoke a moment of thought and reflection. The quote today is: Memory is the personal journalism of the soul.Richard Schickel

This got me thinking about my mother-in-law. She is in her fourth year with a diagnosis of Alzheimer's. We had to have her placed in a home that cares for patients with this devastating disease. She is more and more confused as the days go by. I can see changes each time I see her, which is about twice a month. Melanie sees her about four times a week.

I get to hear all about the interesting conversations. It is very sad to think that her personal journal is getting erased. Her memories are going away but her family will remember her as she was before. We will cherish the memories we have as she was and be thankful for them.

Alzheimer's sucks.

Your story

Every life is like a story. They all start the same and they all end the same. You are born and then you die. What happens in between is mostly up to you. In the early years, you are mainly directed, much like an actor in a play. Then you step up to the director position. You call the shots and set the scenes. What story will yours be. An action adventure. A love story. A comedy. A tragedy. You are the master of your world. You can choose to be villain or the hero. You can choose to be rescued or you can do the rescuing. It is all choices. Don't stay behind the curtian. Pick a part and play it. Mix it up. Only you can play your role. In interviewing elderly people and asking about what regrets stood out the most, it was not what they did but rather what they didn't do. Choose wisely and live well. What will your story tell?