puppets

Hard to venture from the hollow in this beautiful weather, but i took a morning walk to the river and i ended the day hiking thru the pine woods to the blue house to visit DD. And in the middle of the day I saw a puppet show, Galapagos George, at the Lyric - wonderfully imaginative puppets and a fine environmental message (Galapagos George is the last tortoise on one of the 13 Galapagos islands as a concequence of men visiting stealing eggs and leaving a pair of goats!). I loved the blue footed booby and kept thinking how much Joni Pienkowski would have been tickled! How much fun puppets are; i remember my mother making puppets.

more on flu

This morning in letter from my teacher, Paul Herscu who has studied epidemics for years, there is good evidence that this swine flu in Mexico will NOT become a pandemic: hot weather helps curb spread and that although this hybrid flu strain is scary, it appears that the lethel aspect of the virus has not remained stable. It did seem worrisome to me that the reported deaths in Mexico were of healthy 20-40 yr olds, and from my homeopathic studies, I figured that it was because of the strong reaction to the virus by the individual - tooo strong a reaction.

River Day

Excavated an inlet for precious one at the beach - DD loves splashing water on her face and loves being held in the water so she can jump up and down (johnny jump up in the water!). Watching her play, i remember hours at the river with her baba and uncle Ez. Baba would nap under the bushes, which are no more.
Listening to public radio talking about the swine flu in Mexico and now in America; looking for symptoms which might give clue to homeopathic remedy. So far mentioning only the familiar flu issues: high fever, muscle aches, cough, head pain, can have nausea and/or diarrhea. At early onset could take Oscillococcinum. If too late for Oscillococcinum (or if not helped by it) and bones aches terribly, Eupatorium perfoliatum may be called for (head pain in back of head), sleepy with fever, shivering, better for sweating. Rhus tocicodendron is another good remedy for flu with fever alternating with chills, when one sweats at the least exertion (and is worse for motion), needs to pee often, aching in legs, joints and may feel as though hot water running thru the blood vessels. And there are other remedies...hope the flu fails to spread further.

spring picture

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seriously intense blooming redbuds this year, full of bumble bees and other buzzers
scores of blooms yet to burst from the wisteria, which has only bloomed once in its 10 years of being here
lilac out today, amazing spring

Went into burg to meet Pat for movie at Lyric,"The Class," memories of school board and of teaching. Fault of expulsions; limits of respect - when the boundaries of class rooms are violated by society's obvious lack of respect for the teaching profession. This French movie could easily have been filmed in America. Interesting discussion: can education alone help raise a student out of poverty? Only if the student can manage the education academic system in place. Too many students have little respect for the system available; they want money and things...what does an education garner when the drug dealer has better clothes than the teachers? wisdom from the mouths of rappers.

awkward cats

a
I was harvesting a full tray of worm castings talking to John home from golfing, when plunk: Griffin cat fell off the deck! What a hoot. It wasn't more than a two foot drop; humiliated, he slunk off under the deck to continue his nap on the ground. We have "snow" hen back, as she proved to be an escape artist in Baldwin's hen yard, who favored scratching in their flowers. She's definitely laying because of the 8 eggs today, one and only one was snow white. Beautiful day for Baldwin's birthday who exclaimed that the precious DD in his arms is the best of birthday presents - indeed she is. She's wearing her new beret from Uncle Ez and Aunt Jen from their trip to Paris. It is the most SPring lovely of days , shiny black crow stalking worms in the yard - dog wood flowers like little pink cups - and the red bud are just about to be prime.

Easter dinner

What a wonderful Easter/birthday dinner as you can imagine from photograph. i may be getting older, but life is more fun. Our special bunny was an animated conversationalist and she enjoyed our delicious food (roasted sweet potatoes, quinoa, chicken mesala, avocado salad - and carrot cake!).

To Slaughters, Church of God's green thumb

what a treat: fish and flower trip to Floyd with Pearl and her people! A tray of flowers and, boc choi, tomatoes and peppers. i have set the choi in the garden, mulching my seedlings in nests of pine needles i raided from the pine forest. The tomato and pepper seedlings I'll transplant in larger containers with my new potting soil and keep them in the green house til May. More Pansies to plant in pots about the house in time for Web 6 out next Sunday.

April

gold finch in their color
in branches of red bud

bear scat

PROOF! two piles in the yard: here's a pic of the largest! full of sun flower seeds. bear was back last night and up turned another garbage can with trash - trash scattered, but no food. i doubt bear will be back now that we've secured the bird seeds and removed the one feeder over night.

last night must have been a bear on our deck
raided the sunflower seeds, leaving the bag down by the creek
a bird feeder mangled (which had been hung too high for deer)

John sd, "must have been why George was barking."
i slept thru it all

big wind, snow flurries whirling in the sun, cold
lunch with Riner bad girls here
raised spirits and took the mind from fret
over possible frost
contemplating bundling up to walk
we didn't finish our talk of whom to back for Governor
in the Democratic primary
must it be: "who can beat the Republican..."
implying money, i suppose
and centralist leanings?
I would so love a candidate who espoused gun control
and choice and end to capital punishment
but this is Virginia!

this is what makes a rainy gray day bright! well this and oatmeal cookies and visitors in the hollar, like Joni and Pearl!