Saving Gas

With the High cost of Gas and all, it seemed like the time had come to drag the old Bicycle out from under the house. It had been down there for a long time, so it needed a little work.

One thing, or rather two things, that needed work, were the tires. If you look closely here you may notice this tire is not in pristine condition. But The Fuzz has changed many a bicycle tire in his long career as a Daddy. So he went to work.


In these times in which we live, new tires (at least from Wally World) come in little boxes. The first time The Fuzz saw this it freaked him out. Tires are supposed to be big round things, usually hanging up somewhere. He went back home mumbling about how they had no tires at that place. But in desperation he went back and picked up one of those little boxes, discovering that there actually was a Tire in that thing.

But that was long ago. He has gotten used to such things by now and has begun to face the modern world such as it is.

The old tires were not easy to remove, but after a struggle it was accomplished and the new were in place. Long ago he learned, the hard way, not to pinch the delicate inner tubes, so he was very careful.

Now it was time for the old Tire Pump. This is actually an easy job compared to pumping up a truck tire.



I am happy to report that the new tires held air just like they should. There is nothing like that happy feeling of success.

Whilst all this was going on, it seemed like a good time to remove that Antique Baby Seat. All the Babies are grown up now, or at least passed the "Baby Seat" stage. There don't seem to be any grand young'uns in the works for now either.

The old bicycle seems to be working OK although the gears were a little stiff. The Fuzz went with His Sweetie and Young Daughter for a shake down cruise the other day and found out how out of shape he is.

If that Gasoline keeps going up, The Fuzz might just get back in shape after all.

Somebody Call the Plumber

The Big News from Space .

They had to send the Shuttle up to take care of their little problem. Fortunately things did work out, as reported by the BBC.

"Crew members have fixed a toilet at the International Space Station with a pump delivered by the shuttle Discovery.

After three tests, the toilet appeared to be working, according to an update from US space agency Nasa.

Russian Oleg Kononenko worked to replace the toilet pump and install new hoses in the Russian Zvezda module for more than two hours.

Spare parts for the Russian-built toilet had been rushed from Moscow to Florida ahead of Discovery's launch.

Two Russians and one American had been using alternative facilities on the Soyuz capsule because of the breakage.

Correspondents say the toilet problem had become the main topic of conversation at Nasa press conferences.

"It's unfortunate we're talking about toilets, but that really is the life, that's the future of human exploration in space," said deputy space station programme manager Kirk Shireman.


"I don't take it as a really bad thing. It's just something perhaps everyday people can really relate to."

Space urinals generally use jets of air to guide waste down a tube into a container, where it is then separated into liquid and gas."

The Fuzz has a simpler solution to these problems. There's no flushing involved.

Dog Rider

Here is a Happy Doggie.












This is that Stupid Disobedient Dog again. She likes to ride. She is one of those doggies you see with their heads out of the car window, toungues flapping in the breeze.

Young Daughter has found another way for her to ride. She seems to like this just as well. And why not ? She doesn't even have to help peddle.

It is Hot here these days. They're calling for 100' F again today. We probably won't cut any trees.

We did get out early and The Fuzz's Sweetie (and finally The Fuzz himself) did a bit of gardening before it got Too Hot .

To The Woods (Cont.)

When we last saw The Fuzz out here, he was Cutting Trees. Well, he's still at it.

It may be noticed that this one is leaning just a bit to the left here. That would be roughly to the Southeast. That is really irrelevant to this narrative, but the fact it is leaning is relevant. The Fuzz wants it to fall to the North since that is the open area. This would make things a whole lot easier when it comes to cutting the thing up. And it must be cut up.

While The Fuzz is not a professional, he has had some experience (not all good) with these sort of things.

It will be noticed that he has already cut a notch on the north side of this thing. This will give it a "Hinge" when it falls. Thus it should only be able to fall either North, or South.

South is not desirable, and it wants to go that way, (the perverse thing).

So something will have to be done.

Here The Fuzz is installing a wedge to encourage this arboretical entity to cooperate in this matter. There are people who claim this is unnecessary, as they can make the tree fall wherever they wish merely with their expert cuts. The Fuzz does not believe them.


Now he's cranking his saw up for the next stage of this dangerous operation.

He plans to work on this Backcut until the tree is almost ready to fall. If he is lucky, he won't cut too far causing things to go dreadfully wrong.



Hoping things have moved to this stage, he now removes the saw and resorts to the Ol' "Bigger Hammer" trick.

Careful examination may note that the "Backcut" is actually widening here. An observer noted (You knew someone was making these pix) that, with each of The Fuzz's mighty blows, the top of the tree moved a good bit. And in the right direction.

It's best not to hurry these things, but persistence does pay off, and with several more blows, the tree gave up, and began it's inevitable descent to the forest floor.

Of course now the thing was there on the ground and something had to be done with it. And so The Fuzz once again picked up his trusty Chainsaw and went to work.


This time the the observer/photographer (the Fuzz's own Sweetie) got in on things and eventually they had one more tree removed from the site of their new Home in the Woods.

It was a hot day, and hot work. So they loaded up the truck and headed back home for some rest and a couple Cold Ones.



Things are moving along, but there is still a lot to do. We try to get a little more done each week. Eventually we will need "Professional Help" with a Well, Septic Tank and all those things required by the government of this free country. We also need to find a Trailer within our limited budget. But all in all, we are looking forward to this new chapter of our lives.

The End for My Flipflops

It looks like this is the end of the road for my Flipflops. There's been many a mile pass beneath these things. It's not that they were "Down at the heal" exactly, more like there Was no Heal.

All through this winter The Fuzz has had an eye out for a new pair, but it would seem there's no market for Flipflops around here in the middle of winter.

But Today, he scored big at Wally World. So these will get a much needed rest. I doubt that they will be preserved for posterity though. Their Historic significance will go unnoticed and they will most likely end up in the landfill, just another insignificant bit of plastic for future archaeologists to puzzle over.

The Return of Lydia (Rated "R")

Oh Lydia, oh Lydia, say, have you met Lydia?
Lydia The Tattooed Lady.
She has eyes that folks adore so,
and a torso even more so.



Lydia, oh Lydia, that encyclo-pidia.
Oh Lydia The Queen of Tattoo.
On her back is The Battle of Waterloo.
Beside it, The Wreck of the Hesperus too.
And proudly above waves the red, white, and blue.
You can learn a lot from Lydia!

La-la-la...la-la-la.
La-la-la...la-la-la.

When her robe is unfurled she will show you the world,
if you step up and tell her where.
For a dime you can see Kankakee or Paree,
or Washington crossing The Delaware.

La-la-la...la-la-la.
La-la-la...la-la-la.

Oh Lydia, oh Lydia, say, have you met Lydia?
Lydia The Tattooed Lady.
When her muscles start relaxin',
up the hill comes Andrew Jackson.
Lydia, oh Lydia, that encyclo-pidia.
Oh Lydia The Queen of them all.
For two bits she will do a mazurka in jazz,
with a view of Niagara that nobody has.
And on a clear day you can see Alcatraz.
You can learn a lot from Lydia!

La-la-la...la-la-la.
La-la-la...la-la-la.

Come along and see Buffalo Bill with his lasso.
Just a little classic by Mendel Picasso.
Here is Captain Spaulding exploring the Amazon.
Here's Godiva, but with her pajamas on.

La-la-la...la-la-la.
La-la-la...la-la-la.

Here is Grover Whelan unveilin' The Trilon.
Over on the west coast we have Treasure Isle-on.
Here's Nijinsky a-doin' the rhumba.
Here's her social security numba.

La-la-la...la-la-la.
La-la-la...la-la-la.

Lydia, oh Lydia, that encyclo-pidia.
Oh Lydia The Champ of them all.
She once swept an Admiral clear off his feet.
The ships on her hips made his heart skip a beat.
And now the old boy's in command of the fleet,
for he went and married Lydia!


Well, I promised to keep you up to date on this Sordid Affair, so here are the latest additions. Some Color has been added and it's been given a bit of (Oriental) Character.
This is getting Kinda exciting. The Fuzz is thinking about another one himself. He like to passed out the first time, but things went better with the next. He's still got lots of room for more. Well, we'll see..................

Winding Down

Well, the weather is warm now, almost hot, and Summer seems to be here at last. And with Summer comes the end of School. Last night we went to the Last Orchestra Concert.

This is not only the final concert of the year, but the last one for Soon to Graduate Son. He stuck it out for all these years, and now has a bit of Musical Education to add to his many other accomplishments. The Fuzz Salutes Him here !

And looking at some other accomplishments, check out these Yummy Cookies here in the oven. Young Daughter is using one of her many talents to get on The Fuzz's good side.

The Fuzz has had quite a week on the job. They started out a day behind, and things went down hill from there. As fast as one broken down truck came back on line, another took it's place in the garage. That sort of thing makes it a bit hard to catch up on things. But I am happy to report that the Very Professional members of the Sanitation Dept. were able to overcome all these difficulties and this Not So Big City will not be full of Stinkin' Garbage over the weekend. (Unlike a Certain City in Italy)

Wise Guy

Not much going on. The Fuzz has been kinda busy at work this week. Being a public employee as he is, he had Memorial Day off. But now he is paying for it. The Garbage still must be picked up, only now everything's running a day late. They tried "Doubling Up" on the routes, but with breakdowns and all it's a struggle.

So to take our minds off all that, here's a little something from the past, our visit to one of those "Big Cities", The "Home of a Famous University".

We saw this guy on our visit to those Botanical Gardens.

And here's a closer look.

Things are Progressing

Well we caught him again, Working.

Yes, That Fuzz is a working guy. It looks like he was out there, all by himself, doing all the work.

But that is not really the case. His Sweetie was there of course, and also the School Teacher Daughter, Son in Law and Young Daughter too. Even that Stupid Disobedient Dog came (although she hid from the chainsaws in the truck). And everyone worked hard.

As you can see here, the work is progressing. There is already room for a trailer. Getting it in there is another question, but we'll get to that too.



It would seem that some of the other Kitties around here have been busy too. As The Fuzz's Sweetie was in the yard yesterday, 5 of these things wandered out of the hedge. The Girl Next Door's Kitty is responsible for this.

There are 5 in the house, now these. And The Wild One has some somewhere out there. This will not be a good neighborhood for Meeces.

Sour Puss

Remember when Something New turned up ? Well they have grown some, (although one is no more) and it seemed like time for a little something besides Mama.

We don't keep much dairy stuff around here these days, so The Fuzz's Sweetie mixed up a little concoction with some leftover sour cream. Here is one of the little fellers wearing some.

This was the other night, but they seem to be getting a bit more open to this novel way of doing things today.

There is one more Fat Kitty here, but we'll have to wait and see what comes next.

Time for a Good Bye

It finally bit the dust. After many years of faithful service the ol' washer is no more.

It was purchased when the 1st Daughter was the Baby. The Fuzz and His (then young) Sweetie had moved out in the country, far from the Laundromat, and had to deal with diapers, dirty clothes and all those kinda things.

They had the cash money at the time, but people had told them they needed to "Establish Credit" so they tried that at the Local Sears Store. But alas, the Local Sears Store did not seem to trust The Fuzz. They bought it any way, and took it home that day.

And then, in a couple years, they moved into The Bus (more on that someday) and took it with them. It was just a simple machine, filled with a hose, and they could hang the drain hose out the window.

Then it was taken here (now with 3 young'uns) and remained very busy. It was only a tiny thing, one of those "Little Things" of daily life, but The Fuzz's Sweetie kept it busy. When not in use, (a rare occasion) it rested under the kitchen counter next to the arc welder.

In the last few year, with the water situation and the Laundromat closer, it saw less use. But it was always there for those quick jobs. But I'm sad to say, it finally gave it up.

And so, The Fuzz Salutes this Faithful Washing Machine, and bids it Adieu.

And here's a bit of Garden news. It was mentioned that there was a problem involving Birds and Okra. Well it seems that this Plasical Netting is working, so far. Here is a nice thick row of the stuff. It is so thick, it will have to be thinned. But that is OK.

And lastly, here is a look at our Kale. This is great stuff. It is quite tasty and is actually Good For You. It does well in the summer heat. More people should grow it.

Well that's about it for today. The Fuzz says So Long.

Violence in the Night

'Tis a tale of Violence in the Night.
Fire, Smoke and alas, Death.

It is a well known fact, that around here, when nature calls, it means time for some fresh air. As The Fuzz was sleeping away, unconcerned with the cares of this world, His Sweetie was hearing that unmistakable "Call of Nature". And so she arose to take care of things.

Wilst she was about her buisness, the Mama Cat, (you may remember the cat with the kittens) wanted to go out for a midnight snack. We often leave some krunchies out there for the Kittycats. The problem with that of course, is every one else wants to get in on things.

Well in this case, as Mama Cat approached her snack, "someone else" jumped on her. As the fur settled, The Fuzz's Sweetie stepped out in the yard to check on the many cats that live around here. As the Kitties approached, one seemed a little odd, and even made a short rush at her in the dark. This was when she realized it weren't no Kitty. This was also when The Fuzz became involved.

The Fuzz has become a little hard of hearing lately, so she had to get him up herself. Once he was cognoscente, and the situation was explained, he rose and armed himself.

With His Sweetie armed with a spotlight, and his own selection in hand, they ventured out into the night. The trouble maker took refuge beneath an automobile, and then beneath "The Bus". (Which we may discuss in the future) The Fuzz's Sweetie can still hear, and so was able to keep tract of the critter till it foolishly emerged. But now it stood next to the Son's Kayak. Once more The Fuzz was stymied. But then this foolish creature stepped away from this valuable craft, (a fatal mistake) and immediately absorbed about an ounce of highly poisonous lead.

The Fuzz is not normally a violent person, but there are times when he will resort to such. He once shot a Possum that ventured into his bed chamber and looked His Sweetie in the eye in the dead of night. In that case, a small caliber handgun was sufficient.

This was an unfortunate affair, but as Fezzik, the Giant, pointed out, "People in masks cannot be trusted".

A Couple Things

Just a few things around the house.

Here's a shot of the Morning Sun coming though the window. There used to be a thick hedge that blocked this, but the Power Co. had that taken care of. But this is OK, there is still plenty of shade in the yard in the heat of the day when it counts.

And then we present this Rare Shot of The Fuzz himself, actually doing some work. In this case in the Garden. His Sweetie snuck up on him and caught him in the act.

Techno-Tip & Cookies Too !

It's time for another one of The Fuzz's amazing Techno-Tips.

Have you ever noticed how easy it is to loose stuff out in the woods ? Well, it is quite easy. Sometimes you can even loose yourself. This Techno-Tip won't help much in a case like that, but it will help you find your Stuff. The Fuzz paints bright Orange on his axes, saws and even this box of Chainsaw Stuff. This way when he's out there cutting wood, or just camping out, he can usually find his stuff even if it's half buried in leaves.

The Fuzz and His Sweetie were out there again clearing trees for their anticipated Move Into The Woods. They cut up a couple more big trees, that even fell where The Fuzz had planned. The Guy is good. Having said that, it will be admitted that there could be an element of luck involved here.

Young Daughter copped out on them this time and stayed home. The neighbor boys were disappointed. But she made up for it by having a plate of Fresh Baked Cookies waiting for Ma & Pa when they came home.

Mail, Car Dealers, and "R" Ratings

Well, our collection of Cat Poetry continues to grow. Thanks to all these Gifted Poets.
In other affairs, The Fuzz got mail the other day. It wasn't a check though. It came from a local Car Dealer. This was his wonderful opportunity for a free automobile, or maybe some other great prize. Did his scratch-off number match the special number on this card ? He was not surprised to find that this was indeed the case.
As he read further, he was promised for sure, that he was in fact a winner. Then he noticed the little " * " there. On further examination of the tiny print, he found that this was actually subject to a match up of another number, only to be found at said Car Dealer.
But he thought, "What the hell, the dealer is in town, and I'll be out anyway". And so, after picking up Young Daughter from the School House, they headed over to collect his winnings.
After an extensive sales talk from "Mohamed", which The Fuzz was somehow able to resist, they found alas, no car, no 4 wheeler, nor $100 bill. But wonder of wonders, he had in fact won a $1,000 Shopping Spree. Young Daughter was thrilled. The Fuzz remained skeptical. He was given a Gift Certificate to go online and order $1,000 worth of Wonderful Merchandise at no cost to him except "Shipping and Handling".
His skepticism it seems was justified. When the Skeptical Fuzz did, in fact, go online, he found a limited selection of unimpressive stuff. And of course the "Shipping and Handling fees seemed a bit steep.
And so now he has a $1,000 Gift Certificate sitting here in front of him that he has no desire to use.

And now for the Scandal.

Yes this is the Topless Post.

The Fuzz wants to take this opportunity to show this Shiny New Tattoo in progress.

To respect her privacy, the woman involved will remain anonymous, but we will keep y'all posted as things progress.

And so, The Fuzz wishes everyone a Wonderful Weekend.

Cat Poetry Continues

Newest Addition:

vi said...

Cats do not like an alarm
I know from the claws in my forearm
Which he used to drag me from the bed
Just to make sure that he was fed

Cats like to show their tummy
Just because they think it is funny
If you rub the front instead of their back
They think it means they can attack

Cats are quick
Cats are keen
Cats chase bugs that are not seen

Motorcycling

The other day, The Fuzz took Young Daughter out on the Motorcycle. It was a pretty nice day although it did look like rain for a bit. We rode though the foot hills and up to Lake James State Park.

We weren't the only ones out that day. We saw these folks taking a break up there near the mountains.





We stopped for a break too, and picked up some burgers to carry to the park for a picnic lunch.

Here is a view of the lake from the park with the mountains in the distance.

They have a swimming beach there, and we saw some folks there in the water. Young Daughter waded in and claimed it wasn't too cold. The Fuzz remained sceptical.


They even have these Boat Docking Facilities there so you can come by water and picnic and all.


We enjoyed our (cold) burgers and fries, and headed out around the lake and home.

The Young Daughter is The Fuzz's rider these days since His Sweetie won't ride with him any more after he hit that deer. I suppose the young'un is unaware of the grave danger she is in.

Warning!!
Kinda Fuzzy may be Rated R. The Fuzz will publish a Topless Post soon.

Botanical Stuff

On our recent trip to The Big City, we stayed with that Artistical Daughter, who is also a Gardening Daughter. She had quite a nursery for little plants on her back porch.


Among all these were a number of varieties of Peppers. It is a fact that The Fuzz is a bit of a fan of those things. And so she hooked him up with one of each.


Here is one of the new additions to the garden.



You can also see a bit of spinach there.


We have had a time with Birds (at least we think it's birds) getting our Okra over the years. Some people might think "So what. Who wants the slimy stuff". But that's only folks who don't know how to cook this Southern Delicacy.


But anyhow, this year we are trying a new tactic. Note below how we are employing this Plastical Netting to thwart those Air born Pests.



The Fuzz had thought of using Chicken Wire for this, but on a dreaded trip to Wally World he found this plastic stuff. It is much cheaper and seems to be made just for this purpose.

The Fuzz's Sweetie was the instigator in this affair and it looks like it should work out fine. We may even get some Okra to eat this year.


And now, The Fuzz would like to present to y'all, Our First Tomato Blossom. With luck this may someday be part of The Fuzz's BLT.


And lastly, here are the latest from

Poetical Update

There has been a request for the The Updated Cat Poetry Collection.
(Newest contribution in Red.)
And as always, feel free to add your contributions.

In reply to The Fuzz's Ode to Kitty Cats-

"Cats are Evil
Cats are Mean
Cats Tear Up
Your Backdoor Screen."

The Lazy Iguana says-

"Cats are smart
Cats are crafty.
If you do not let them in,
Things could get nasty."

woodie said...

I have not poetry to add today but I will pass on a bit of wisdom our cat Cricket tells us many times a day:

"it's not easy being furry"

and I think even the FUZZ can agree with that!

Fuzz said...

Cats are fuzzy
Cats are furry
Cats don't seem to
Have a worry


rizzo and cricket said...

warm fur we have
but we aren't dumb
we'd gladly trade
our fur for thumbs

Fuzz said...

Ain't thumbs great ?
But cats are out of luck
'Tis a pity but it's true
Not having thumbs must suck.

The Canuck said...

Cats love big balls of yarn,
They play with paws that wack,
If they lick themselves too much,
You'll discover a puddle of yack!

woodie said...

some folks w/ thumbs suck, too.

Anonymous said...

cats are rude
cats are stinky
cats refuse to lift a pinky

cats are shifty
cats don't smile
cats think you have no taste or style

cats are proud
cats love to boast
when you turn your back
cats eat your toast

The Fuzz has to go wash the dishes now, but, Cats....

They Won't hit a Lick,
They Won't Do the Dishes,
They Just Sit by the Fish Tank,
And Watch the Swimming Fishes.

And then The Fuzz said...

Cats don't like
To drink that stuff,
Too bad Kitty,
That's just tuff.

And now The Lazy Iguana has added.....

Binkie's ears
Are all pinned back.
watch out for the teeth
Or your fingers may need a patch.


woodie said...

black cat wanders by with muddy paws
leaving me to wonder the cause
'till on the ledge what do I find?
fresh corn sprouts met with furry jaws,
my summer garden undermined.


Iguana-

Cats make poo,
And that ain't cool.
But its OK,
Because they make up for it in other ways.

Maria-

cats are clean,
cats are furry.
cats will scratch you in a hurry.

cats are prissy,
cats - they prance.
it is funny to watch them do the tape dance.

cats are crazy,
cats are lazy,
and the Koreans think cats are tasty!

And now, Azulparsnip said...
here's mine -

cats look past you
then lick their fur
when you pet them
sometimes they purr

To The Woods

It may be remembered how The Encroach of Civilization has been mentioned here. It may also be remembered how a move farther back into the woods was also mentioned.

Well the process has begun. This is The Fuzz's Little Truck loaded up for the job at hand.

Here are some of The Woods in question.
This is a look at the "Road" cut in over the years.

It was right pretty out there. Here is one of the last of the Dogwoods.

What is in mind here, is to clear out a space, and move a Trailer out here. Of course Trailers aren't "Trailers" any more, now we have "Manufactured Housing". This will be a big undertaking. If The Fuzz, or His Sweetie were wealthy, they could simply hire someone to do it all and move in.
But this is a beautiful place, and we've wanted to live here for years. It never seemed to come together though. But now with The Encroach of Civilization and all, things seem to have a new impetus.

This is a small creek on the property.

Of course as much as The Fuzz likes Trees, (Tree Hugger as he is) some will have to be removed. And so, this was another project of this busy weekend. Here's a before and after look at things. There's still a long way to go with this.
We will have to get a septic system, and a well, all approved by the county of course. And there is a lot more to clear here.


Thought y'all might enjoy a look at this "Bicycle" the neighbor boy rode over on to help with the wood. It's kinda unique, I think.

Another Big City Trip

The Fuzz has been kinda busy of late and regrets that he has been neglecting this fuzzy thing.
Here is where we were this weekend.We were visiting Artistical Daughter and the Gallery Crawl.

After a brief stop at the new SEED Gallery, we slipped off in search of food. There was a pretty big crowd (after all, this was the Big City) and the first place said we'd have to wait 45min. Our appetites didn't much like the sound of that, so we wandered up the street and ended up at this pub-type place. We got in without a wait, but it probably took the 45min to get our grub. But it was quite tasty when we got it.


We saw this critter at the Seed Gallery.


One of the things The Fuzz enjoys about these Gallery Crawls is the Free Wine and Munchies. I guess he's not real sophisticated and all.


But really it does get kinda interesting, there's a lot to see.




Here's one more shot of the Big City after dark.



I'll try to catch up on all the things going on around here soon. We got the Garden, and this Going Up The Country stuff too.



Bye Bye for now.