Homer'sWorld

The leak detector guy wandered around with his sensing equipment and located the leak- the toilet overflow thingy in the guest house toilet. If I had been smart enough to lift the lid I could have saved myself $310. But at least I know nothing else is leaking.

Ohmigod he was attractive but had the foulest breath. Afterward, I could smell it lingering. My mother says I have a sensitive nose.
























Joey was pleased I stayed home and occasionally patted her.

I will be poor the next month or so, paying for things. I am hoping nothing else breaks down.

How I spent my paycheck:

- water bill, $310
- new weed eater, $45
- new car battery, $85
- water leak detection, $310
- plumbers, ????

This always happens when I am close to paying my credit card completely off.

I was feeling a rant coming on, for various assorted reasons, but then I came across Bunny hiding under a bush and I felt better. I hadn't seen Bunny in a long time, so I was really pleased she was still around. She was pleased when I took her a handful of lettuce and carrots.

At work the hawk came and sat on the fence near my window and looked at me when I waved my hand. I alerted my co-worker, who sits mere feet away from me but through a wall, and she got to see it as well.
























Nice yellow legs!

I came home and opened the mail and the water bill said: $310.41. Last month it was $181. This is three times the normal usage of water, and it included an entire week when I wasn't here and it rained so hard that no watering was needed. I went out to check the water meter and there was the neighbor across the street looking at his water meter. He also had an enormous water bill. Obviously something is wrong.

I went to Michigan for a week to visit family. I actually flew into Chicago and drove north, but I spent the night at Doug's house. He made me a birthday supper and invited his friend Michael over. We disagreed about certain aspects of the Catholic Church. In the morning, Doug took me to a fen and I enjoyed seeing the rare plants.




















A pretty yellow flower.

Friday I drove north, seven hours, and arrived. I discovered my sister's new kitten had peed on the chair I was sitting on. That was unpleasant. The next day we drove down and picked my Amish brother up. We visited the cemetery where my namesake is buried.
























For some reason Blogger will not allow me to post this picture correctly.

Later we drove past the house I lived in from 1974 to 1979.



















It looked nothing like this when I lived there.

On Sunday I drove my mother, sister, and nephew south to see my aunt, uncle, cousin, and two of cousins once removed.



















Elizabeth, Homer, and Katie.

It was nice to catch up after all these years.

The next day a truck brought my sister a new horse.























Midnight and Susan.

It had pneumonia and she has to give it pills mixed into molasses. My Amish brother is raising eggs to sell. I liked his chickens.




















There are 104 hens and one rooster.

My mother wanted to see the millsite where my great great grandfather Elijah ground grain back in the 1870s. We ended up going the long way and she was so tired when we got there she couldn't enjoy seeing the remnants.

























Susan and Mummy at the damn dam site.

I spent some hours photographing tombstones in the old cemetery in Traverse City. I will be posting them to the Find-A-Grave website over the winter. On the way to town I passed by these Longhorn cattle every day.




















The bull has just smelled that cow's behind.

I drove back to Chicago and spent the night with Paul, who I dated back in 1989. It was nice seeing him and catching up.

Mummy comes out in seven weeks for the winter. She is looking forward to the fun she has at my place.

Begin 47.

Horace is Patrick and Brady's new doggy. He showed up as a stray in their neighborhood and now he has a new home.



















Horace, Patrick, and Alex.

That little mutt is going to be spoiled rotten.

I stepped right over this rattlesnake on the way to work. I did not see it until Bryce called out.
























Curled up (click on picture to see every scale).

This morning I traveled to Saguaro Park West to help plan soil testing at an old mine site. The second rattler was up ahead a short distance.

























It is shaking its tail to make it rattle.

I climbed the hill and turned to look out west.



















Your government dollars at work.

This is one of the reason I don't mind paying taxes. Saguaro Park is only 15 minutes away from my front door.

A number of mine shafts are present, open, deep.




















Warning sign or gay bar?

I was scared to peek over the fences that surround them.



















I could not see the bottom of this deep shaft.

Afterward I wandered around the flat area next to the hill. The desert is really lush right now from the monsoon rains.

























Prickly pear.

























Barrel-hook cactus.

Despite the long history of the mine, there are only a few small piles of trash from the miners visible.
























1940s tin cans.

The pack horses arrived to bring in water and other supplies for the environmental team testing the area for contamination.

























Horse!

On the mile-long hike out I realized I had bruised the bottom of my left foot- not used to walking over rocks. At home it is soooo painful. I have applied an ice pack to help reduce the pain.

























Afternoon clouds.

My Grandpa F. would have been 106 today. Grandma F. would have been 100 a few days ago.
























Bub, Grandpa F., and Homer, circa 1966.

They lived next door when I was a kid, I have a lot of happy memories of them.
























Elizabeth, Grandma F., and Susan.

I tried to make nectarine jam. I sterilized the lids, rings, and jars.



















Rings and lids.




















Jars.

I dipped the nectarines into boiling water, then cold water. The skins slid off and then sliced up the nectarines. I cooked them with sugar, pectin, and lemon juice. As it cooked down the nectarines gave off a lot of juice. The pectin is supposed to make the mixture into jam.




















Nectarine jam.

Unfortunately, the jam didn't set up like it should, it is pretty runny.
























Nectarine jam-syrup.

Not sure why it didn't work, I think I will try with less sugar.