EAST, WEST, OR, THE FRONT DOOR

The Weather Channel sure got it right this time. The forecast for Thursday was for a series of major rain storms, with "... flooding expected, in flood prone areas". When I hear those words, it actually translates in my brain to "... flooding expected, especially at Bill's place".

This year has been a wet one in central Arkansas, with rain totals over 20 inches above normal. We certainly didn't need more rain, but it started raining again about mid-day Thursday, first lightly, then building to "frog-strangling" volume. Dang you Jim Cantore.

I have found that despite the prevailing theory about cats & water, my three thugs will tolerate water quite well, especially if they are focused on something, such as a bird or squirrel in the yard. They don't like a downpour of rain, but wet conditions will not keep them from wanting to spend at least some part of the day outside. I have greeted them at the door many times with a towel in hand as they have returned from such "exploring" on wet & rainy days.

Thursday night was a downpour. The cats lined up at the front door, mesmerized by the wind & rain, but there was no desire on their part to venture out into the extreme conditions. They were satisfied to stay behind the glass. Smart cats. There were also tornado warnings -- & one tornado locally, this side of Lonoke, Arkansas. A good night for all of us to remain inside.

THE WOBBLER & Nibblets

It rained all night. And -- YES -- my property was flooded, as were most of the home sites on my road. It's a low-lying area & too much rain means we are going to have ... "issues". In my case, water in the barn, sticks & tree limbs on the ground & debris in the flowing creek water. Such items in the water need to be removed from the creek so the debris does not clog the culverts under the side roads & cause more extreme flooding. I spent part of today with my boots on, walking in water where there normally would not be water.

About 11:30 A.M., as most of the rain had let up, I went for a walk to see how the rain had affected two nearby creeks. They both flooded this past Spring & I was curious to see if they had flooded over the roads again, with the rain from the past two days added to the wet conditions we already had.

Sure enough ... the water was flowing over the road -- Faulkner Lake Road, (well named) -- at both locations. At the bridge, going East, there were two road barriers up, due to the conditions. Still, I saw two trucks drive through the water. [I probably would have, too.]

EAST ... going towards Lonoke

Getting my exercise -- & like the cats, needing to get out of the house -- I turned & went West, till again Faulkner Lake Road was under water. No barricades at this locations, but the water was flowing with a much faster/stronger current across the road.

WEST ... to Little Rock

Late in the day today, the levels of water on my property had reduced considerably. The creek is flowing fast & full, but the rest of the land is just mostly wet & mushy. The current forecast is for sunny days for the next week. Hopefully such weather conditions will help to get everything cleaned up, dried out & all set for the next big rain.

I am not sure how long it will take for the roads to clear. I am in no hurry to go anywhere right now. I know too, if the roads & bridges have flooded here ... they will be flooded in other low lying areas around this area.

As for my cats, they will be all set to resume their explorations, come rain or shine. Just no downpours, please.

THE BOX

The Box ... by Lascelles Abercrombie


Once upon a time, in the land of Hush-A-Bye, around about the wondrous days of yore, they came across a kind of box, bound up with chains and locked with locks, and labeled, "Kindly do not touch; it's war."

A decree was issued round about, and all with a flourish and a shout and a gaily colored mascot tripping lightly on before.

Don't fiddle with this deadly box, or break the chains, or pick the locks.

And please don't ever play about with war.

The children understood.

Children happen to be good, and they were just as good around the time of yore.

They didn't try to pick the locks, or break into that deadly box.

They never tried to play about with war.

Mommies didn't either; sisters, aunts, grannies neither, 'cause they were quiet, and sweet, and pretty in those wondrous days of yore.

Well, very much the same as now, and not the ones to blame somehow, for opening up that deadly box of war.

But someone did.

Someone battered in the lid and spilled the insides out across the floor.

A kind of bouncy, bumpy ball made up of guns and flags and all the tears, and horror, and death that comes with war.

It bounced right out and went bashing all about, bumping into everything in store.

And what was sad and most unfair, was that it didn't really seem to care much who it bumped, or why, or what, or for.

It bumped the children mainly.

And I'll tell you this quite plainly, it bumps them every day and more, and more, and leaves them dead, and burned, and dying, thousands of them sick and crying.

'Cause when it bumps, it's really very sore.

Now there's a way to stop the ball. It isn't difficult at all.

All it takes is wisdom, and I'm absolutely sure, that we can get it back into the box, and bind the chains, and lock the locks.

But no one seems to want to save the children anymore.

Well, that's the way it all appears, 'cause it's been bouncing round for years and years, in spite of all the wisdom wizzed since those wondrous days of yore and the time they came across the box, bound up with chains and locked with locks, and labeled, "Kindly do not touch; it's war."

FRIENDLY FIRE ANTS

I love a good oxymoron -- two words, used together, which have different meanings. A favorite oxymoron is: "Military Intelligence". A double oxymoron would be: "Fresh Frozen Jumbo Shrimp".

Fire Ants are NOT friendly. They are the perfect oxymoron.

Years ago, I had "encounters" with Fire Ants in Florida & again in Texas. Such a "meeting" can leave welts, pain & itching ... sometimes for several days.

In Florida, the above ground part of their "nest" is rather large, but flattened out & can "hide" if the grass around it is quite high. Not a good place to be wearing flip-flops, which is my usual foot apparel in Florida. OUCH !!

People from Texas love to say -- "Everything is bigger in Texas". Well, they got that one right, when it comes to the nests of the Fire Ants down in that state. The nests are built up HIGH. I remember a cow pasture, full of nests, in a visit one time. The nests were so high they looked like high-rise buildings in a city scape.

The ants down in Texas are not any friendlier than their relatives in Florida. Maybe that is why Texans all seem to wear boots. No flip-flops.

I remember reading about Fire Ants some time ago; explaining how the ants got here from South America in cargo ships. The article concluded the ants were a problem " .., down in the Southern states ..." but basically were restricted from moving northward due to the colder temperatures in the higher latitudes. The ants could not take conditions which include temperatures below freezing.

WRONG EINSTEIN !!

Fire Ants are in central Arkansas. They showed up in the state several years ago & moved to my property about two years ago. Maybe when they came North they wore little coats, since we get our share of cold temperatures in the Winter & the ants are surviving & multiplying.

I have to "treat" the nests when I spot them. [Not hard to see; like the Florida version, the nests tend to to be low, but easily spotted if in a viewable place. The picture above shows two nests.] I use the standard treatments found at Lowe's. Their intent is to kill the Queen Ant, which will then prevent the colony from reproducing/growing/continuing. Sometimes the applications to the nest seem to work. Other times not. It appears the ants will simply "move" the colony. They just resurface a few days later in a different part of my property.

For ... "fun" -- & to get revenge on the bites I have suffered in three states -- I some times put bleach on the nests. Another way to kill a few thousand Fire Ants is to douse the nest with boiling water. Very middle ages.

I still wear flip-flops all the time when outside at home. I try to watch were I am walking & standing when I "tour" my four acres, always on the lookout for the ... non-friendly Fire Ants.

THE WOBBLER

THE WOBBLER -- AKA "Wobs" -- is the youngest of the three cats living with me.  Her mother is Precious, the gray tabby cat I have written about previously.  Wobs was born in the second batch of kittens Precious presented me with.  Her older sister (stepsister ??) is Nibblets.  Both her & Wobs are tortoiseshell cats.

Wobs gained her name from the unpleasant event which occurred early in her life.  She was on the front porch with her five siblings one morning, when I noticed her head slowly shaking from side to side, as Wobs seemed to be walking in circles, in a very unbalanced mode.  Not normal in any kitten way.

Off to the Veterinarian we went.  While a bit under weight from being the runt of the litter, the Doctor concluded the kittens vital signs were good, but perhaps Wobs had some damage to her cranium [brain] & would most probably go through life as a ... "special kitty".

Well, THE WOBBLER  is a special cat for sure.  She is my baby & the one I hold most dear to my heart.  There is nothing wrong with Wobs that TLC & extra care did not cure.  She "talks" to me far more than the other two, & takes it as a personal challenge if another of the cats is in my lap when she wants to snuggle there.  She moves them out & takes over.

Wobs has developed into a strong, resilient cat.  It takes an effort on my part to get her into her carrier when a vet visit is in the offering.  As Wobs sleeps with me most nights, she can be a load to move in the night if she has secured her position in the middle of the bed.

Wob's "duties" include helping me with the computer -- sitting in front of it, or in my lap -- as well as taking up residence in the middle of the desk when I am sitting there. Any pens & pen caps become play items & later have to be salvaged from the floor where they end up.

While friendly with me & her "relatives", Wobs does not care for visitors to the house or property.  She will hide, or remain well away from any "newcomers".  It took two visits up from Florida by my Mother for Wobs to begin to accept Hilda. 

While all three cats bring me great joy, THE WOBBLER is truly my SPECIAL KITTY.

5K ... WHAT HAPPENED ??

I have less than a month to go until I travel over to Memphis, Tennessee to run in the 5K MEOWATHON.  As I have discussed previously, this is an annual event & I enjoy running in the race, plus knowing it sponsors one of my favorite charities; the House of Mews in Memphis.[ http://www.houseofmews.com/ ]

Having been steadily increasing my running miles in preparation for the MEOWATHON, I thought I would take advantage of a 5K run this weekend in Little Rock -- Walk/Run for the Animals & Howl-O-Ween Festival.  It sponsors the local Humane Society.  Another good cause.

I did not pre-register, so I left home this morning with the idea of being at the President Clinton Library -- where the race would be held -- a little past 8 A.M.; to pay my race fee, get a feel for where the race course would be run & join others in getting "warmed up".  [In more ways than one.  While having bright blue sky after several rainy days, it was ... ah ... "cool" -- 49 degrees.]

Let's just say things did not turn out as expected.

When I arrived about 8:10 A.M., there were very few people there.  Certainly none looking like they were geting ready to run 3.2 miles.  A few empty tables ... someone blowing up balloons ... & a few folks setting up a banner at a small platform.  Not like any of the other race events I have taken part in.

I asked around -- "What time is the race going to start" ... thinking my already old-age, fading-memory brain had the time of the race wrong. [NOTE:  A 9 A.M. start time for any Saturday morning 5K race is standard.]  Of the few people there & the ones I asked, no one knew any details.  One fella answered me the start time was "... probably 9:30/10 A.M. ... it's cold this morning.  People will be late".

I waited around until I had been there for 30 minutes.  A few more people arrived, helping with the set-up process. Still, no people who looked as if they came to run a race.  It was the time when I would normally be "warming up", if there was going to be a race.  It didn't appear to me as if there would be.

I left Little Rock & came home.  I ran instead on my usually route on the roads in my area.  I did a "personal best" on my time for my 2.5 mile course this morning.  I sure wish I could have "tested" myself in a competitive environment, as I was planning.

I am glad I didn't pre-register now for the local ... "race".  [If they ever finally had one.]  I am going to take the $25.00 it would have cost me & instead I will send it as a donation to the House of Mews.

I will keep on plugging along, running my miles, getting ready for Memphis & the MEOWATHON on Saturday, November 21st. 

I know that race WILL start at 9 A.M.

MRS. GILMORE

In my education days, which included Rochester & Honeoye, New York, & then on to Memphis, Tennessee, I crossed paths with many teachers. Some good. Some not so good. A few were very good. The "Best-of-the-Best" was Mrs. Gilmore.

Mrs. Patricia Gilmore was my 7th grade teacher at Ellwanger & Barry (#24) School in Rochester, New York. This would be about 1960. Mrs. Gilmore was dedicated, thoughtful & provided the right amount of personal attention & direction to a sometimes difficult-to-handle student ... ME.

Until I got to college, I was an average student at best. I am sure I frustrated many teachers -- especially Mrs. Gilmore -- who found me falling short of my potential. She encouraged me in many areas, disciplined me when needed & allowed me to develop in areas such as math & art.

Where I failed Mrs. Gilmore -- and myself, I was to finally realize -- was my failing to grasp & comprehend subjects which ... "didn't interest me". I was bored easily. I didn't study properly & always did enough to ... "get by".

English was a good example. I hated composition. UGH !!! I didn't care about sentence structure & I hated diagramming sentences. WHO NEEDS IT ?? I was more interested in math, science & drawing. Fun things. Subjects I knew about & didn't have to study & LEARN.

Years later -- TOO MANY YEARS -- I would have given anything to be able to go back to the 7th grade & have Mrs. Gilmore teach me all about proper writing & sentence formatting. Ah, to learn "again" [since I didn't give it my full attention at the time] about putting words on paper -- or, as now days -- in the computer ... in the proper context & meaning. It would be so much easier to learn from her ... rather than how I did learn -- "in the school of hard knocks".

I would love to be able to go to Mrs. Gilmore & thank her for all she taught me & for having such a wonderful memory of her. At the same time, I would want to apologize to her for my immaturity & failure to really listen to her when she said ... "You'll need to know this someday". It's only years later that I realized how much information was being given to me & how hard Mrs. Gilmore worked to be the great teacher she was. I feel I passed the grade but failed her.

The next year -- 8th grade -- everyone in my class went to Monroe High School. The following year, my family moved to Honeoye, New York. About that time, Mrs. Gilmore & her husband moved -- I believe -- to Scranton, Pennsylvania.

I often wondered what happened to this woman who shines so bright in my memory. What happened to her & how did her life turn out ?? Did she continue with her teaching career ?? Is she still alive ?? [She'd be a bit younger than Hilda, my Mother.] All questions I would love to have answers to.

Here's to Mrs. Gilmore. Many years gone from my life ... but never from my memory.

HILDA ...

Hilda is my Mother. She's 82 years old & lives in a small town northwest of Orlando, Florida. Her & my Dad -- who passed away 20 years ago -- moved there in the mid-80's from upstate New York.

My Mother was a "G.I. War Bride" from World War II. My Dad, in the military, met my Mother in England. I guess it was love at first sight. I found out a few years ago Dad popped the question a week after meeting Hilda.

Mom is very active & in great health. She does all the things the ... ah ... "experts" say to do; she exercises, eats the proper foods, doesn't smoke or drink & keeps her mind active, doing daily crossword & Sudoku puzzles. Mother drinks several cups of hot tea a day. It's good for her & very British.

My Mother is also a "knitter". If she's sitting down -- in a chair, a passenger in a car -- or even an airplane -- she has her needles & yarn. She makes everything & anything -- sweaters, afghans, gloves, hats. You name it. If it can be made from yarn -- Hilda can make it.

I sometimes worry about my Mom, living alone way down in Florida. I travel down there to see her usually twice a year. Additionally, in the Spring -- before the mosquito's start invading -- I fly her up here to spend a week with me in Arkansas.

I sometimes think of moving to Florida. If something happened to either one of us, we are not close geographically. It takes some time & planning to travel. It's not as if we lived across town from each other. It's hard to help out if you're 800 miles away.

So ... I keep the thought in my head. I know with all the rain & cold weather we have had lately -- with Winter coming soon -- the thought of ... "Floridays -- Blue Sky's & Ultra Violet Rays" ... has a larger & larger appeal.

A BEAUTIFUL, DELIGHTFUL DAY

I am sure it is ... somewhere. Not here. Not today.

It's been raining -- AGAIN. We just started to dry out from last week. It's rained all morning, sometimes quite heavy. The creek is full & flowing again & there are "ponds" all over my property.

Naturally ... the cats think they want to go outside. They go to the door, indicate they want "out", then once they do go out on the porch, they decide they want back in. Wait 15 minutes & repeat again.

Of course, the picture today is NOT today, but rather a shot of the front of my property on a much better day this past Summer. Funny ... then it was too hot. [Goldilocks, where are you ??]

It's going to be a day to stay indoors & do laundry, work at my desk & do some of the projects on my "to-do-list". There are a lot of things to get accomplished & it's a good day to do them all.

REALITY CHECK: What I will do, more than likely -- lay on the couch reading, listening to the radio. It's going to be a too dismal/dreary day to put effort into it.

One thing I will not do; check The weather Channel.  It rained.  It is raining.  It will rain.  I don't need to be reminded.

Now ... time to get a book & relax on the couch. Let it rain.

DO NOT DISTURB

I got this office chair at a flea market at the Fairgrounds in Memphis, Tennessee many years ago. When I moved to Arkansas, the moving company "lost" one of the wheels, which I quickly replaced. It is a very comfortable chair to sit in & work from.



Well, someone else finds it comfortable as well -- my "Momma Kitty", Precious. [AKA -- "Chub Momma", "Stinky" & "Thug-O".] She is the mother of my two other cats -- Nibblets & THE WOBBLER.

The chair has been claimed by Precious. She spends her night & much of her days in the chair. I have to move the "computer chair" to the other desk if I want to utilize that work space.

If it is too early in the morning, or there are too many lights on in the room to her liking -- as when the desk lamp is on overhead -- Precious will cover her eyes with her paw.

If she ever decides she doesn't like the music playing on the radio & starts covering her ears -- she's going out side !!

HOMER'S [OTHER] ODYSSEY

Two things are always assured in my life: I read a lot of books & I get a lot of mail.

I usually do "damage" when I go into the local Barnes & Noble. I walk in to ... ah ... "look". RIGHT !! I always seem to walk out with a book or two ... or three ... or more. With buying habits like mine, I can sincerely say I have thousands of books. I have one room in my house dedicated to my library, as well as the entire upstairs loft, also filled with books.

One of my favorite books I came upon this year is Homer's Odyssey ... A Fearless Feline Tale, or How I learned About Love and Life with a Blind Wonder Cat.
The author, Gwen Cooper, tells a wonderful & sensitive story of Homer, a cat who has lived his entire life without eyesight. [His eyes, due to disease, were removed around two weeks of age.] But the cool thing about Homers is -- HE DOESN'T KNOW HE IS BLIND !!

Homer lives an [almost] normal life. His senses are the key. In any new home or environment, Gwen would locate Homer at his food/water & litter box. Homer would then "explore", make "feline mental notes" of everything he encountered & within an hour or so, knew exactly where he was at all times. This included climbing & jumping on furniture. [Well, after all, he is a cat.]

One chapter in the book describes how Homer attacked an intruder who had broken into Gwen's high rise New York City apartment in the middle of the night. She awoke to a growling Homer, who was fixated on the stranger standing in Gwen's bedroom. Homer knew something was wrong. When the intruder spoke, it was all that Homer needed. The sound of the voice had given Homer's hearing the exact location of the invader. Homer attacked the stranger & even chased the man down the hallway ... out side of the apartment, an area Homer had never been. A REAL WONDER CAT !!

I enjoyed the book so much, I read it in a weekend. I have also had pleasure visiting Gwen's web site -- http://www.gwencooper.com/ -- to read more about her & Homer, which includes a video of both of them. [Homer acts like a "normal cat" ... if there is such a thing.]

I have also exchanged several e-mails with Gwen & recently sent her my book copy to autograph. I got the book back in the mail -- somehow -- this past Friday. "Somehow", since the envelope was all but destroyed. [As shown in the provided photo, the Post Office also tore up my USA Today newspaper for good measure.] The envelope was bent, torn open & covered in ink & grease. I don't know how the book itself was not damaged, but except for some creases in the dust cover, the book made it through the crushing. Thank goodness.

With all the mail I get -- at home & at my Post Office box -- this is probably one of the worst examples of "damaged mail" [it happens] I have ever seen/received.

But ... Homer [the book] had made it through another odyssey.

Long live Homer -- The Wonder Cat !!

BUILD AN ARK ??

We got rain today. We got ... A LOT OF RAIN TODAY.

It was expected. It's been in the weather forecast all week. We got several inches of the wet stuff, accompanied by some thunder & lightning. I am sure the newspaper tomorrow morning will have pictures & an article with the details of how much rain we received. IT WAS A LOT.

The heading picture was taken in the area beyond my house ... my "back yard". Normally the creek has minimal water in it at best & is dry in the Summer. Not today. It is full & flowing.

Another "not normal" event today, was that I had a doctors appointment at 8:30 this morning ... in WEST Little Rock. No hanging around the house this morning, reading & listening to the rain on the roof. I had to leave home at 7:30 A.M. -- right as the storm was at it's frog-strangling worst !!! Now add driving in Arkansas traffic, on the Interstate, in morning rush-hour traffic & I was not a happy camper.

NOTE TO ARKANSAS DRIVERS: I know you won't ... but would some of you TRY to drive in the rain ... WITH THE CAR HEADLIGHTS ON !!??

While at the doctors, the rain never let up. Leaving the office, I had to drive through an old KMart parking lot, flooded with water. I was a poster boy for the news highlights showing people driving in high water -- "Turn around ... Don't drown". [Ah, the saving advantages of a high-riding, four-wheeled-drive truck.]

Coming home, I had to face Interstate 440 again. The rush-hour traffic had ended, but cars in the rain were now replaced by all the truckers who had to be in Chattanooga, Tennessee by 4 P.M. today. SLOW DOWN.

I think I'll just stay home for a few days.

THE ... AH ... "NATURAL STATE"

I moved to Arkansas 13 years ago. Even though I lived previously ... "next door " -- in Tennessee ... I was not very familiar with the fact that Arkansas is called The Natural State.

It really is scenic country. Whether it is the states flat lands or hills & mountains, Arkansas has some great beauty. Postcards do not do it justice.

But ... The Natural State ... is an oxymoron.

The amount of trash & litter everywhere is shameful !! Anything that can be disposed of by tossing to the side of the road -- or better yet, in a creek or ditch -- is in no way "natural". Garbage is everywhere, from the usual tires & appliances to all sorts of fast food packaging & in hunting season -- deer carcases.

I see NEW trash almost every day I travel about. County roads just seem to invite ... "deposits".

Some people in Arkansas must be a bit more thoughtful about getting rid of their garbage. They toss it out in black plastic bags. They can afford the bags, but can not come up with the effort to dispose of their trash properly.

The seasons are changing. That means falling leaves & grasses dying. Which leads to more road trash becoming visible as it is exposed by the lack of green vegetation. Fall/Winter colors in Arkansas are brown & trash.

Maybe a new slogan: Arkansas -- The Un-Natural State.

WAL*MART -- DAILY

Like lots of folks, I am in Wal*Mart frequently.

They have just refurbished the big store in North Little Rock. It's really much nicer even from when they opened the store just a few years ago. It's much more "open" & brighter.

For awhile I was put-off by the NLR store. It seemed sloppy, messy & many times the shelves needed restocking. It appeared to be poorly managed. [I wished I had checked the sign in the store which contains the store manager name. I wonder if it is the same person now as it was then (?)]

Arkansas, being the "home state" & headquarters of W*M, we have more than our share of stores in the Little Rock area. When I didn't "like" the local store, I could always drive up to the W*M in Cabot. About a year ago, a BIG store was opened in Sherwood, Arkansas. It's even closer to me than the Cabot store. Very nice.

So as much as I shop at local Wal*Mart stores, I guess now days I am in W*M ... EVERY DAY !!

Well, not physically. I am in W*M stores -- all around the United States -- on a web site called http://www.peopleofwalmart.com/.

I admit I am addicted to it. It's page after page of people, cars in the parking lot & anything else ... strange ... going on at W*M. The photos usually have a funny/critical caption.

What's so funny ?? The people !! Extremes !! Weirdness !! People with blue hair ... short, very short, shorts ... men in platform shoes ... cars in the lot with all sorts of "attachments". One of my favorite photos: A woman standing in line at W*M with an ankle monitor on.

I just love the web site. It changes through out the day, as more photos are submitted. Just about every time I am on my computer, I check the web site for an "up-date".

Yes ... I am in Wal*Mart every day.

CATS

How did this happen ?? How did I get involved with THREE cats ?? I'm a dog person !!

There have been a few cats I have crossed paths with in the past. That was many years ago.

I have had a few dogs. Family dogs. Mom was the one who usually fed them. The last dog was named Jinx. That was in my high school days. A neighbor down the road shot & killed Jinx when the dog would not leave his sheep alone. [He only had one.]

In Arkansas, I have always had "neighbor dogs". I socialized with & fed the dogs, but they belonged to someone. The last dog to meet the criteria was Sassy. She was the best. But the "real owners" moved & so did Sassy.

Then ... Precious arrived. A gray, tabby kitten which was "owned" by the neighbors grandchild. Like the dogs before her, Precious hung around, getting fed & having attention paid to her.

But ... I am not a cat person, so it's not like anything was going to come of it. RIGHT !!

Cut to the present. A fat Precious is sleeping in "her chair" at the desk as I write this. Two of her kittens -- from two different litters -- Nibblets & THE WOBBLER, are currently outside. [They'll let me know when they want in & what food they want, along with any other ... ah ... "instructions".]

Cats are different. I'm finding that out. In the begining, I had to ... well ... "adjust". Precious just kept coming around & getting closer to me. Or ... making me get closer to her. She had to teach me. Cats give differnt "signals" than dogs do. [Example: They don't wag their tails, but instead extend their tails straight up in the air to say "Hi".]

So ... now I have a cat. Then two. Now three. They each have their own personality ... their own ways of expression & seperate ways of communicating with me. It's been quite a trip & to my surprise, very enjoyable.

THE FIRST ONE

What to do on a damp, cool Fall day ?? Why ... start a BLOG !!!

Welcome to everyone joining me out here in cyber space. I figured it was time to do a bit more with my computer than just read e-mails & visit web sites. So ... here we go.

I don't have a set description of what this & future posts will be about, or contain. Probably just things about my life to share with more than just my usual e-mail buddies.

My life is simple, yet, unique. I live on four acres of land, just east of Little Rock, Arkansas. [Yes ... east, despite having an address in north Little Rock.] I have three cats -- Precious, Nibblets & THE WOBBLER -- along with dozens of turtles, geckos, tropical plants & lots of big bamboo. I love to read & have thousands of books & publications in my library. I have added to the landscaping of my property each year & enjoy cutting the grass on my John Deere. As they say -- "Life is good".

While I don't really like the word "retired", saying I am not working makes it seem as if I was looking for a job. I'm not. [Although, if that much desired "greeter" job at Wal*Mart opens up, I may have to think long & hard.] After working 33-plus years for Maybelline & another two & a half years for Caboodles Cosmetics, let me just claim to be at leisure for the time being.

A current activity -- & for the past year -- is preparing for the 5K ,Meowathon, in Memphis on Saturday, November 21, 2009. The race sponsors the House of Mews in Memphis, a facility dedicated to helping abandoned & homeless cats & kittens. [Visit them at: http://www.houseofmews.com/.] I have been running/exercising most every day. This will be the third time to partake in the Meowathon & I hope to better my 5K race time again, as I have done in prior years.

Well, that concludes my initial offering on Bill's Big Bamboo. My mother cat -- Precious -- has now joined me & is curled up on my lap. With her size -- let me classify that as "large" -- I am typing from further away from my desk & computer. Makes it a bit difficult.

I'll close for now.