My Wallet Just Got Thinner...

Yep! I just got gas. Our local Sheetz store is $2.79.9 a gallon for regular and Choice is $2.99.9. Guess where everyone was getting gas? It was like 1974 all over again. Backed up and heads shaking. I don't know about you; but I've got to cut something. No adventure rides; and maybe I'll have to stop buying my favorite creamer. Lay low and no fun. I guess its no different than any other day in my life lately. No money coming in; but a helleva lot going out. Damn I'm down today.
Today's is my son's 31st birthday. Maybe that's why I'm down. I called and left a message and even sent an E-mail. No response; even to his card. I wonder what I did now? New wife, new life! I'm just the mom.
Then to boot, I had to schedule dad's knee surgery. His heart specialist gave the ok for knee replacement. Which is to take place on the 20th, in Johnstown, PA. He's overjoyed; I'm not. Caretaker mode approaching. Havoc in the homefront; already.

Pass The Tissues; Please

The lover and I have been hit with a late summer cold. Tissues are flying. Box, nose, garbage repeat every two minutes. At night my head throbs when I lay down; so not much sleep for me. The lover on the other hand can sleep with or without the cold. He just snores louder! And the weather around here doesn't help. What happened to the 80's? This damp and dreary stuff doesn't help my mood. Only thing new around here is: White Cloud makes Ultra Soft three-ply tissues. Get a box and try them. They're better than Puffs. Gotta blow....see ya

Good Morning start. 

This years fawn eating apples. 

Question?

How many bloggers price match at Wal-Mart? I myself do on occasion. Others ahead of me seem to do it all the time. Some with ads in hand; others just tell the associates and they take the customers word for it. This I do commend Wal-Mart on. But the great Wal-Mart will not price match their own stores. With in a twenty mile radius of my home there are 3 Wal-Marts and in each my addiction (French Vanilla Creamer) cost: $4.12, $4.18 and $4.27 for a half gallon. Another example is Wal-Marts own bread: $. 72, .88 and .92. Clothing prices differ too. So Wal-Mart your slogan: Always Low Prices, Always..Should read: Always Low Prices, Almost Always!! That's my rant for tonight..

Take a guess... 

This is a mushroom that looks like a nipple on a breast; am I wrong? 

Another weird mushroom. What does it look like to you? 

Odd mushroom. 

I can still do it. Much to my amazement; I can still walk the rail. Even at my age. Growing up we had a railroad track in the back yard. That was in Idamar, PA. Stone throws from Dixonville, PA. My girlfriend and I played and practiced the balancing act for hours when we were young. Plus, since both of our dads were coalminers they would bring us chalk so we could write on the rails, the rail bridge and whatever we could find along the tracks. Sorry, I'm having flashbacks from my childhood. 

Ok, after the excitement of the bear, we went to explore a railroad cut in Diamondville, PA. About 5 miles from home. All my life I never ventured down to the tracks. But, today was the day that I became the troll. Look closely at the pic. I'm on the tracks. You know the routine...click tthe pic to enlarge. 

You have to click the pic. Go ahead I'll wait. Can you make it out?
Its a black bear.
Yep, he was out for a morning walk around 10:45am today.
By the time the camera was located he had walked to the bushes.
I in my jammies and the lover in his slippers ventured out back
for a closer look. No luck. The bear wondered off deeper into the bushes.
Just think; the bear missed me in my jammies.

I Got 8 Comments!!!!

All you bloggers know the feeling when you see that someone left a comment on your blog. You just can't wait to hit the comment section. You want to see who is reading and what they have to say. Good or bad. You can take it. You hit the comments and you find SPAM! Damn! All that anticipation just turned into another let down. But there's hope; Blogger did come out with a fix for automated comments. Check it out. Now if by chance you comment on this blog you have to enter a thinkie (forgot what its called). So you real commentors please stop by and give me what you got. DLaine

Click the pic to enlarge. We spent the afternoon watching trains run the rail in a little town called Cassandra; which is close to Portage, PA. Portage was a big coal mining town at one time. 

East Bound Train. 

West bound train. 

Big Boy Toys. 

This is the back yard that I mow. Click the pic and you'll see two deer. 

My aching head and back...

What I wouldn't give to have the perfect lawn. The kind you see in "Home and Garden" or the lush green, perfectly flat lawn pictured on the bag of Scott's. No, not I. I have the kind of lawn that jars your guts, old stone drains back from the late 1800"s that are shifting and causing indents; some deep. What you think is flat, soon becomes a sink hole. Then when the mower deck hits the side you take the sod off. Which you can't replace because the mower chewed it up into hunks. Then down by the pond the undermined trench of a Muskrat. This pesky little rodent, will not live long if I see it sunning itself on the banks. The front wheel of the tractor became stuck, and you know you have to rock it to get it out. Being a foot and a half from the ponds edge and pointed towards water I gently went forward, slammed the brake. Then gunned it in reverse. Still stuck. Shit, now I'm cussin the Muskrat. OK one more try. This time inching closer to the edge of the pond (praying that I don't go over) I slam the brake again. Saying a few Hail Marys and gripping the steering wheel I gun it. I'm out. I finish mowing around the pond and head over to the apple trees. Today is not my day folks. Did you ever get hit in the head by a falling apple? Well, once I can understand, not three times! So I finish chopping the apples with the mower (for the deer) and head inside for a shower. I grab a fresh cup of coffee and head to the back porch to admire my handiwork. Only to be greeted with thunder and lightening. Not fifteen minutes ago the sun was shining. I guess my Hail Marys were said in the wrong tone of voice. Saying a few more Hail Marys I head for the couch and pout. My head hurts and so does my back..Damn...What a day!

I'm Back

We returned on Wednesday from our trip to Canada. Below are some pics from the fast trip. Most were taken on the fly. Meaning in the vehicle; no place to pull over, or no time to pull over. Enjoy all...

I just love train stations. This one is in Dubois,Pa. Refurbished into offices. 

Back of the rail station in Dubois, Pa. 

It's my first sighting of a Smart Car. With the price of gas in Canada being $1.00 a liter or in US funds a whooping $3.50 a gallon this person was "smart" getting this dinky car. Its smaller than a Cooper. As always; click the pic to enlarge. 

A trip to Canada for me is seeing the freighters in the Welland Canal. This is the Quebecous going under the Glendale lift bridge. 

On the interstate near Buffalo, NY you can see the city's mascots grazing along the road.  

Click the pic to enlarge. While on the return trip from Canada we were stuck behind this monster rig hauling who knows what, too don't know where? We caught up to it coming up the mountain (just outside of Lantz Corners, PA 30 miles or so to Bradford,PA) it finally pulled off at the intersection in Lantz Corners. I was behind this for six miles, our max. speed 10 miles per hour. The line of traffic backed over 13 miles.

Another toad on the back porch after a rain. 

This Is What I Got...

After the end of my thirty year marriage this is what I got: The truck and the payments, my car (which I just sold) why keep two vehicles, the mortgage for the next six years, if I can keep up with payments. The old truck and a ATV that he won't sign his part of the title over so I can dispose of them. Plus alot of bitterness and insecurity about my future. I've got to get on track again soon or else. Time is wasting and I'm not getting any younger. Oh well; we learn by our mistakes. Too bad it took me thirty years to find this out.....

My 2001 Ford Ranger XLT. 

I Have Brakes again

Amen my brakes are fixed. Apparently the back brakes had frozen or the auto adjuster wasn't working and my brakes were worn down to the rivets on the drivers back right. So with the brakes replaced and state inspection done again for another year; I'm good to go. (cost $100, including: oil change, brakes, labor and inspection) So were off to Canada at the beginning of the week for a few days. Time again for doctor appointments(Lover), visiting the canal and some gambling.(ME) Also time for the lover to see his family, which I'm or never will be a part of. Feelings of being invisible always surface before we leave. I'm perfect when were alone, but I'm a nothing when we hit Canada. I've come to accept this to a certain level. Old habits are hard to break for me. When things need done call me, I do it. But when things are great, no one knows me. Oh well; this is my life...and it sucks!

A Day With Old Friends..Priceless

Yesterday I got to spent yet another day with my friend from Colorado and her family. I being a gas ass drove to the big town of Chicora, PA (90 miles from me) near Butler, PA which isn't too far from Pittsburgh, PA for a day of relaxing around the pool and remincsing about our younger days and being thankful that we have survived being in our late forties. I knew the day had to come to an end and I had to make the trek home. So with good-byes and kisses all around I head back home feeling good and sunburned from spending 4 hours in the pool. Now this is the part of the day I hate! I own a 2001 Ford Ranger XLT (really the bank owns it; I'm just renting) While on my drive home the brakes start acting up. I mean grabbing and then the shimmies. Damn, it almost dark, no place open and I being a women wasn't about to pull over on Rt 422 so guess what I do? Yep I drive home being extra careful as to having to brake. I calculate when to leave off the gas and ever so gingerly pump the brakes when I have to stop or turn. And I also cursed every driver that pulled out in front of me; plus the ones that tailgated me all the way home. I make it home; my neck muscles were so tight that I couldn't turn my head and my sunburn hurt like hell. But I made it home.. so today I called the nearest garage and they couldn't take me until tomorrow to look at it. I just hope I didn't ruin the hub. So for the priceless day with friends yesterday this will probably turn into a very costly day tomorrow for me. But I made it home...

Katydid 

Toad I saw in Butler, PA today.  

What big eyes I have.