MID~WEST for Sat. Aug.20

[bloominguy]

Good Morning,  Since Carol is off having a life I'll get this started.  We have 66* and overcast this morning.  Lots of storms forecast for yesterday and overnight but not much to report on or empty out of the rain gauge.  I didn't do hardly anything.  I was busy all day doing something I have been dreading for a couple years.  Yesterday when I was starting to post a picture my screen went blue with a message saying something about an error # followed by what looked like a seizure of the right hand.  Then in large letters said it was closing to protect my files.  Nothing about a virus and in seconds the screen went black.  I worked the rest of the morning trying to get it to wake up.  Nothing worked.  All I kept getting is a bunch of script in MS dos, that old computer code.  Mid afternoon I called a geek and made an appointment to take the tower in.   He warned me there most likely won't be a fix and I would end up with some CD's of my files.  He says that is the way Vista operating system dies.  He guessed it would cost me $500 - $600 if it goes well.  With that news I got online with my lap top and bought a new tower for a third the price.  They will transfer my old files over to it for a small fee.  So I am taking my old tower in this morning.  I don't know how long it will take for this all to happen but will find out when I get there.  

Well, my eyes are shot for right now so I will have to rest them and come back in a while.  You all have a good day, later 

[backhoewife]

Hi , the 20th of August already - August almost over, isn't time going fast?  My Mom always said it's because one is getting older.  Maybe that's true!!  Sorry for your troubles Bloominguy,sounds like you know something about computers.  I can type on one (sometimes not so good!) and that's about it.  It is cooler today but very overcast which the mosquitos seem to love.  Will be complaining on how cold it is soon but hasn't this heat gone on forever!!  Wishing everyone a good weekend.

Janet

[caden]

good morning Lair and Janet; well the rain found us last nite or early this a.m. almost an inch in rain guage, I heard it heavy pouring down rain. Lair it must have been the day for computer troubles, mine wouldn't send emails or get emails the rest worked so called the telephone company we have internet with and they came out it was locked up and asked me if I shut it down much which I do at night...my son told to just leave it run all the time. so that's my story for today. take care and have a good weekend all.

[hopscotch]

Good morning.  We got rain last night, also.  Not sure how much.  And it is a lot cooler.

Got the plates for the car Thursday, and paid the sales tax on it.  A third of the price for another car, it seems.  My lock controller thing went off during the night, and wouldn't stop.  I even opened the door to the garage to make sure the car wasn't doing something.  It wasn't, so put the key ring in the closet under some clothes so I couldn't hear it.  It's not doing it now.  Another call to the service department today to find out what caused it to do that.  The guy will be sorry he gave me his card!

I worked 18 hours this week, and next week will be 24.  That's about the most they can give me, but it will probably be like that most of the way through Christmas, I think.  Far cry from the 9 and 10 hours I was getting earlier in the summer.

The Autumn Palette Amaranthus is sure pretty this year.  It got pretty beat down with the hail in May, but there are lots of bloom spikes on it now.  I'll have to keep it, I think.  Got the seeds from Charlene a few years back.

Not sure what I will be doing today.  Maybe pulling some crab grass, and trimming the apple tree suckers.  Strike while it's cool.
Have a good day.

Leroy

[bwatcher]

Hi All, Yesterday was a rainy do nothing day and that's exactly what I did until 5 p.m. when we went up to eat sweetcorn. The coming rain cancelled the parade and most of the outdoor activity. They moved the supper up to the fairgrounds pavilion. They had a huge crowd. You got a pork sandwich, 2 ears of corn, chips, and a drink for $5. You could get a second sandwich for $5. The ears were really nice size this year. In dry years they tend to run on the small side; one year they even had to get corn from outside the area. I don't know if all the stuff that was scheduled for today cancelled or not. There were a lot of things scheduled for down in the park. Most of those events could be held at the fairgrounds. There is to be a classic car show; I doubt anyone wants to drag their vintage car out into the pouring rain. Most of the stuff is listed as starting at 10 a.m. and going to 2-3:p.m. There was supposed to be a free 5K run/walk but I'm thinking that didn't happen either. 

I had a major wake up this morning. I came downstairs and my first thing to do is look out the bathroom window to see what birds are out there. What caught my eye was not the birds; it was a fox! I was watching the birds and caught a glimpse of something orange that looked like a wet cat run between the sheds. We do have orange and peach feral colored cats around here. I stood there watching and I saw what went through again. I knew for sure that it was a fox the second time. Okay, parent and a kid? I kept watching and it went through again. Apparently it was circling the building thinking it had chased something underneath the shed. The third time, when it was between the sheds, it stopped and tried to stick its nose under the side of my small shed. I never saw it leave, so it must have gone back out through the backyards behind all of our houses. Right after I saw it the first time I saw a squirrel cross the street at the top of the block. Maybe the fox had followed or chased the squirrel and lost sight of it and was just following the scent. Definitely not gonna lower the squirrel population. Maybe there was a rabbit under the shed. It was too wet and muddy to get down and look. I only saw one faint print from claws in the mud behind my shed and that was it. I would have thought there would be more.

We had 1" of rain yesterday/last night and it's raining right now. My birdbath was near empty and now has 3" in it, so we've had 2.5" in the last few days. Not what you need when you want to get cement work done. DH has checked his shed and it's still leaking in the front doors, and is not a happy camper. The guy said they have never had a shed do this. I find that hard to believe because our BIL's shed leaked the same way; they supposedly fixed it. Ours faces west and his faced south. 

Carol, I hope you aren't getting this wet on your day out.

Lair, I hope they can save your files.

Janet, Glad you checked in. 

Grace, I only shut my computer off during bad weather or when updates come through.

Leroy, I have never heard of that happening; maybe the battery in the fob is/went dead. 

Well, I'm assuming we will go down for breakfast, but not until it quits raining.  

[tealbird]

 Just one post today. Need to be at house soon. But I'm here aand will post more later. Hi and Goodbye!

[plantdoctor]

Hello everyone!  I just had to stop in and say how happy I am to see Alma posting!  Good for you, Alma!  Do you like this picture for your avatar? 

Mary...about the Des Moines Botanical gardens...I've never been there, but it is on my bucket list.  Have you ever been to the one in Dubuque?  It isn't as big, but still very lovely.  Charlene

[Angela]

Good morning! Have a good day, Carol & enjoy your time away. Lair did a great job starting things this morning.😊

Lair, those darn computers can be a pain. Mind you, yours being Vista has had a long life. Hopefully you'll get all your files moved over to the new tower without issue. It seems these days it's just cheaper to replace rather than fix a broken item. Now, have a day not filled with computer issues. Go do something you enjoy.

Hi Janet & Grace. Wish you were having perfect weather so you could get out to do the things you love. Seems like what we get to do some days is always dictated by the weather! You are right, Janet, we'll soon be crabbing about the cold! ❄️☃

Good to have your car all set to go legally, Leroy. Now, to figure out what was going on with the key fob! Had to have been annoying during the night. As for what to do today, I am sure you will be productive as always.

Mary, that is too bad that events had to be cancelled or changed because of rain. I guess it's always good to have a plan B! Nice that you got to see a fox this morning.

Hi Alma. Have a good day at the house. Don't work too hard.

Not much going on here. Certainly no plans as yet. Looks like it will be warmer than yesterday & we'll spend time outdoors. Yesterday's 60° with a N. Wind was justified too chilly. Much nicer at mid 70°'s today. Off to getbsome breakfast & likely another coffee. See you all around the neighbourhood!

[bwatcher]

We went for breakfast and it was crazy; the cafe was full. We talked to Sandy and she said most of the stuff last night was cancelled. I saw signs that a lot of the kid's stuff was moved up to the Wellness Center. The car show was still on but there wasn't much there. There was a group of ladies sitting at the big table that looked like drown rats. I don't know if they actually did the 5K run or just got wet waiting for it. They all had running shoes on. 

Charlene, I went to the Arboretum and Botanical Garden in Dubuque many years ago. I checked their website and they opened in 1980. I think I've been there twice. I don't think it had been open very long, maybe a couple years, when I was there the first time. I'm thinking my oldest sister, Bobbi, took me. She's like a 12 min. drive away; 2.7 miles. I think my second time I might have been there with my girlfriend. I remember buying some pansies that ended up being snail food. They didn't come back the following year like they said they would. I guess I should go visit it again. 

I remember the first trip because there was an elderly gentleman out picking the Japanese beetles off the roses in the rose garden. He said they love roses. That was true because they weren't on anything else. I don't think they had the traps back then that they do now. 

I've had two people now ask me about my coneflowers in the past 3 days. They said if I ever thinned them out, they'd like some. I told them they should have been here this spring when I pulled out half the flower bed and just pitched them. I was also just thinking I could eliminate all the ones on the front side of the bed, and then plant shorter flowers. CRAP!!! I just remembered that I pitched all my old plastic flower pots when the recycle guy said he would take them so long as they didn't have dirt in them. Moments like this is why you SAVE them. Nobody ever said they wanted any before. Well, I think I have a small stash still sitting outside since the garage was torn down. There might be enough in that bunch.  

Can you transplant coneflowers in August or is it better to wait until spring? I bet I could take out at least 25 CLUMPS of them in the front part. I originally had like a couple plants and just kept pitching the seeds across the bed by hand. I also had help from the goldfinches. I moved a whole bunch years ago and put them around my bird feeding area. The goldfinches loved that and keep reseeding that area.

Angela, I don't mind the fox, but the school kids will be walking through here starting on Tuesday. That concerns me the most. That fox can have all the rabbits and mice it wants.

Alma, Glad to see you made it here. Are you still trying to empty out your house? 

Well, I guess I'll go find something to do between rain showers and the sunshine.

I went to the Dubuque Arboretum website and it looks like the place had at least double in size or maybe tripled since I was there. Another trip might be in the making. Here's the site if you want to look:

Dubuque Arboretum  

[snow]

Good afternoon all a beautiful day here high will be 75 and low humidity and guess what tonight down to 47 they say going to be a nice night for a fire.  Love fall weather just love it.  No rain but that alright I guess.  Well I mad it out camping this weekend so the dogs and I are doing great nobody bothering me at all and I can't see alltheweeds at home the garden that needs to be picked and dug and so forth so just relaxing for the day, of course I have to cook but that's ok.  

Lair sorry about your computer problems hope they can save your stuff and you will enjoy the new one.  I only have an iPad  and my smart phone anymore no other computer..  I don't miss the big thing anymore and my pictures I send to another location or they are on my camera disk.  How is Tim doing?  My aunt is doing good so far hasn't lost any weight and still eating good.

leroy great you have your car all legal now enjoy your it. 

mary we have foxes run threw our area of town all the time. You can either move them in the fall early September or spring.  

Angelea hope you have a good day what ever you decide to do

janet I hate those pesky buggers

Grace I hope you need the rain that you are getting did you get that garden all canned.

Alma are you liking your new place I hope so 

carol what ever you are doing today I hope your having fun 

Charlene hi you can join us anytime. 

Have a a great day everyone and may God Bless







 

[snow]

---

Jade relaxing at camping

[tealbird]

yes - it was at produce in the park. DD was there and we were having a great time.

[tealbird]

yes - it was at produce in the park. DD was there and we were having a great time.

[maryinmichigan]

Good evening folks, Been holding off posting here until the evening news cast as there was a tornado in our area this afternoon and it touched down in a couple of areas north of where I live and between here and Carol's home. I did not want to alarm everyone. It hit in the Grand Rapics area so I am assuming all is ok at her house. I know they went to Lansing today to the horse show.

Trees down in places but as far as I know right now no homes were damaged.
We got a lot of rain here and the warning siren a quarter of a mile from here sounded for a long time.
Daughter and son in law had just finished mowing my lawn when it started to pour and we did go to the basement for a while. Just daughter , myself and our dogs. Son in law stayed up here.
I was concerned for Carol and some relatives that I have up in the Newago area and Carol Johnson who lives near Hardy Dam. You all remember Carol? They lived in a stone farm house but just recently moved but not far away.
Lair I hope you computer problems will be behind you quickly.

All for this time. Hi to all that posted, new and old. Mary

[carross]

Good evening!! Boy I'm tired!! Got up early. Lots of storms. Will tell you more tomorrow!!