Wishing all those with health issues/upcoming tests, including Spd & Phil's wife, the very best.
Without a doubt this Spring weather is bringing on the yard work. Raked another thousand walnuts, limb, sticks, etc. out of the yard yesterday that the snow had brought down. Also raked all the gravel back into the drive that I had plowed/shoveled onto the grass. Real nice being able to work in a t-shirt.
The early bulbed flowers are coming on strong. Leaves from daffodils are already 6" high and the foliage from the "naked ladies" (Belladonna Lily, Amaryllis family) are 2" high. Interesting, and beautiful flowers, that are growing everywhere around here. Strap shaped leaves grow into the bushy green mass that resembles daffodil leaves. Then in a couple months it yellows and dies back. I cut it down and mow over it. A month or two later the flowers on the 2-3' tall stem pop up out of nowhere. The ones here are all pink colored.
I always tend to gripe about the insects/bugs that come with the warm weather. Most have some kind of purpose but it's hard to figure out what it is with the biting insects.
A few years ago a friend sent me some beautiful photos of transparent winged butterflies. They are actually a "Glasswing Butterfly". Thought I'd share some photos that are still available on the web.
Thanks for sharing those pics Uni, they are absolutely stunning!
Phil, I hope the tests go smoothly today and you get the results you and your wife are looking for. 
We are working on our jungle of a backyard this weekend... hoping to start the transformation to tropical paradise. I think I need to start with a machete rather than the tiny garden shovel, lol.
I hope you all have a nice weekend! It's finally supposed to be in the 70's here all weekend... we have had rain every weekend for the last month!
Thank you for those gorgeous butterfly images, Uni, and thanks, all, for your thoughts and prayers. Well....it worked because my wife's turned out OK. Just cysts....no cancer. In the old days they would drain them but they don't do that anymore....just leave them.
In my case....well my problem is incurable. Fatal case of lousy personality.
Seriously, this time. I will have to live with my COPD and pulmonary fibrosis for the rest of my life. My lung capacity keeps gradually reducing.....thanks to all the smokers I was around during my college and working years. I'll be ok unless I were to contract another severe case of pneumonia. Haven't had that for two years now so things are looking up. Also...good old Arthur Itis has returned from his vacation and has set up shop in my right shoulder again. Wish he had stayed wherever it was that he went. I've been depending on aspirin and/or ibuprofin. Helps some. Dr. wants me to try vicodin but I'm going to stay away from that addictive stuff as long as I can put up with the pain. Thank goodness I don't seem to have any physical problems with large doses of Anacin and/or Excedrin. But I may have to consider purchase of a lawn mower with electric start. Pulling that starter cord just ain't no fun with this shoulder. It's been nearly 18 1/2 years since my cardiac artery bypass surgery. So far so good with the heart trouble.
Now we just need to get SPD straightened around and back on track.
It's hell to get old.....but better than the alternative.
randyl wrote:
so we can call this 123 thread now ?
Only if you fill this out and alter it for here. 
If not we will make it Weekly Off Topic Threat #122.5
Randy....what ever gave you the idea that I could spell?
Sorry. Just a typo that I didn't catch until you pointed it out.
You guys/gals are welcome for the pics. I thought these transparent winged butterflies were truly amazing and didn't even know they existed until I was sent the photos. They're native to Central America (Mexico to Panama) and eat poisonous types of plants such as nightshade. So in addition to having the ultimate camouflage (transparent) they are also nasty tasting. Both of these attributes help protect them from predators.
The U. of Kansas Jayhawks are Big 12 tournament champions. Just finished off Kansas State U. Now it's on to the NCAA tournament.
Must be our week for U-verse problems. We were enjoying a late movie tonight.....one of the Starz HD VOD. Angels and Demons. Got to within about 15 or 20 minutes of the end and it stopped....tried to start again.....stopped again....and a blue message popped up: "Unable to play this video". I tried again. Same thing. Now it is about 30 minutes later and I just tried again. But no luck. Otherwise everything is working ok. I called it in but, of course, nothing could be done because the problem is on UV's end....not ours...so guess we'll have to try and watch the end tomorrow to find out what happened.
Got my clocks set ahead one hour. Now it's after 3 AM and I'm not sleepy. Guess my evening nap, after the Big 12 tournament championship basketball game, was too long. Even Alfie is asleep....stretched out next to me in my recliner.
There was a story on Fox a little while ago about two big owls swooping down and grabbing two little dogs out of their owner's back yard. One dog got away...injured but still alive. But the other one is still missing....probably the owls' dinner by now. I don't remember the location.
Years ago we used to have two little dogs.....Chauncy, our first Westie, and Bitsy, our 4 1/2 lb. Yorkshire Terrier. Used to take the dogs to the farm with us and let them run free while we walked. But I would have repetitive nightmares about a hawk swooping down and grabbing the Yorkie then flying off with her. From then on I kept a leash on her...even out there at the farm. Crazy. Huh?
Funny/cute cat video Ox, thanks. Believe I have Steve Miller's albums buried around it somewhere.
Have been following Ohio State in the Big Ten basketball tournament and they sure like close games. They won that Friday game with the 40' shot by Evan Turner that's been shown a hundred times. Then last night beat Illinois in double overtime.
Phil, good friend of mine has a Jack Russell Terrier and we'd always ride ATV's on his 100 acre farm/woods. He has lots of big Red-tailed Hawks, Great Horned Owls and Coyotes. We would always keep a close eye on his dog, the best you could, so one of these predators didn't go after him.
Great Horned Owls are one of the most ferocious birds that exist. They are known as the "Lion of the bird world" and nicknamed "Tiger Owls". Their diet is mainly small rodents/mammals but will go after about anything when hungry. They even kill other owls along with their bigger mortal enemy, Red-tailed hawks. These owl's talons are unbelievably strong (500psi). I've had lots of experience with these predatory birds and have helped rehabilitate all kinds of hawks/owls.
It should be noted that in a good ecosystem most predators stay within their natural diets. It's when we destroy their habitat/food source, and move into their territory, when the conflict with our beloved pets start. There are plenty of owls and hawks where I am and do worry some about letting my cat, Romeo, outside. But seems like there is such a good natural food source that they may just ignore him. It may help in having a 110 lb bodyguard, Charlie.
Great Horned Owl
What a bummer Phil, but at least you got a fabulous tech on the phone that called back right on time. Have to wonder if this situation began w/the VOD movie that wouldn't finish, probably couldn't write to the disk so you'd have a buffer. 
Chris
__________________________________________________
Please NO SD stretch-o-vision or 480 SD HD Channels
1-800-983-2811 to avoid Mr. Voice Recognition
Your Results May Vary, In My Humble Opinion, Simply a U-verse user, nothing more
Dennis, a good point on transparent butterflies being hard to spot. Hope the clicking in your neck gets better.
Not sure how many trees are lost in the pre-survey census letter but many people think it's a real waste of money. Reports have said it cost $40 million to print/mail that one letter to 180 million households. The US Census Bureau's justification is that if people just throw away, or ignore, the survey form and it will cost $25 per household to send a a worker to the residence. It's too bad the survey form isn't taken a little more seriously.
Maybe the Census Bureau should somehow try to utilize the internet for gathering census info. I'd use a website that was advertised as many others probably would too. This would save them some big bucks in mailings/visits. Other gov't agencies such as the IRS, BMV's, etc.. now use the internet. I really like the way the Ohio BMV website works in renewing license plates/tags. Very simple and quick while saves you from standing in long lines. They also send me a reminder when my plates are about to expire.
Here's a nasty story about some 68 year old sicko hitting/keying kids at a local Walmart here. The in-store video can be seen in the link by clicking on 10TV. Better get this guy away from the public/kids. He's been doing this since January.
Glad to see the Ohio State buckeyes win the Big Ten Basketball Tournament with a 29 point blowout of MN yesterday. Indy was a real nice venue for this tournament from what I've heard. Wishing the Bucks the best in the NCAA tournament which starts later this week.
RCSMG wrote:
Hope the new dvr doesn't fali. Enjoy.
Me too, RC. It's our 4th DVR since we got our install on 12/18/07....including the original one. Funny....I've had at least one computer with an HDD in the house ever since 1989......now have 3. I have never had the HDD crash. This is the second time for a crashed drive since we got UV.
Yes it won't be too long before the Royals open their home season. Shirley is a baseball fan. As a kid she spent lots of evenings watching her dad play local amateur league ball. As for me? Well.....let's just say that I don't get invited to attend the baseball games anymore...ever since the time that I took a good book to read. I used to call baseball the great American waste of time.
Just completed our census form and have it ready to mail back. There were no questions out of the ordinary.....just like every other census within my memory. Just two of us in the house so it did not take long. No signature required. There is no name on it anywhere. It was mailed to "occupant" at our address. Alfie was sad. No questions about him.
Yeah, SKP. Saw that one here also. Three days of collecting you-know-what and saving it to look for the devoured diamond. I bet they didn't let that dog out of their sight.
