Lisa Is Home!

I brought Lisa home on Thursday after a four day hospitilization. The good doctors at VSS in Manchester, MO saved our little girl's life. We still do not know what caused the infection in her right leg, but it is healing and the swelling is down. We will go back in a couple weeks for a follow up appointment. 

Lisa's left leg is shaved for her IV port, the right leg was swollen so tightly that it was breaking open. That happened after she had gone on oral antibiotics, which turned out to be less than was necessary. Below are the good doctors who saved Lisa, from the website of Veterinary Specialty Services, in Manchester, Missouri.

                                                        Click To Enlarge.

Lisa is feeling much better now!

Where Are You Christmas? Faith Hill

Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree, Brenda Lee

Blue Christmas, Elvis Presley

The Way You Get Big Bucks...

 ...is to let the little ones alone. Let them get to know you, too, if you have the time to be in the woods.

Brassman Bart: The Cubanola Glide, by Harry VonTilzer

 Here's another great one by Good Old Brother Ben, aka Brassman Bart!

Christmas Canon, Trans-Siberian Orchestra

Holly Jolly Christmas, Burl Ives

Hard Candy Christmas, Dolly Parton

I'm Back

 

I've been in St. Louis with Lisa at Veterinary Specialty Services. She has a bad infection in her right foreleg and is undergoing IV therapy.  It appears she is recovering now, and she will have a CT Scan tomorrow to see if there is something in her leg/foot. A holiday weekend during Covid restrictions is a bad time to have a sick dog, but they are taking care of her.

It's The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year, Andy Williams

Silver Bells, Dean Martin

Christmas In Prison, John Prine

 "Sweeter than saccharin at a drugstore sale." We miss you, John Prine.

Just In Time For Thanksgiving! Our Pumpkin Patch Escapade!

Just in time for Thanksgiving, we broke open some pumpkins and Susan has been cooking them. A pie went into the oven tonight! Watch the slide and video show to see the results of Susan's pumpkin patch. Pumpkin Pie recipe is at the end of the video! Alternate title and description! My Wife Planted A Pumpkin; You Won't Believe What Happens Next!

Brassman Bart: Hosts Of Freedom by Iowan Karl King

 The Brass Man's notes: Hello! This week's music is a number written by Iowa's own Karl King, “Hosts of Freedom”. Originally published in 1920, this music is 100 years old this year, and is public domain. The town band I played in when I was a teenager always played this number every summer, and when you listen, it may sound familiar, especially if you have ever played in a small town band in Iowa. The music is available as a free download on bandmusicpdf.org, and is very nice to listen to. All parts in this video are performed by me, and I hope you enjoy. Please like, please share, and please subscribe. Thank you. Brassman Bart

Brass Man Bart: Barnyard Blues

 Another Great One from one man brass band!

Time To Gather....

 ...your hedgeapples! Supposedly, they repel spiders.  I don't know about that. If you are wanting to grow Osage-orange for bow making, let the apples soften up, and break them up in a bucket of water.  Sow the seeds in rows you have worked up and stand back. You want them to come up thick to force straight growth, then thin to get diameter growth.  

Brass Man Bart: K-K-K-Katy!

 Brother Ben knocks out a great one for our listening pleasure. Everybody loves this song!

They Are Already Out, And Voting!

Brass Man Bart: Arkansaw Huskin' Bee, by Arthur Pryor, 1899

Bug, October 5, 2020

On a cold, wet February night in 2004, I had to go to my office after hours, and Susan rode along. On the side of the road I saw a couple of eyes in the weeds and stopped, backed up and shined the headlights to discover a very wet kitten. I hopped out to pick it up, and it ran, so I had a brief chase in the mud running it down. As we continued to the office, Susan said, "This cat has a broken leg." That was a downer, but Susan tried to make it better by telling me she would take the cat to the vet in the morning so I wouldn't have to kill it.

When I got home from work the next day we still had a cat, and it was wearing a cast! Susan related that the vet looked it over and said, " I believe I can fix this cat! The poor thing sure took a tumble." Took a tumble? We had to name her Bug after hearing that. She still likes to sit with her broken leg out; kind of like Chester on Gunsmoke.

Bug passed away last night. Sixteen years seems too short a life for a good little friend like Bug.

Shine On Harvest Moon!

"I Will Send Hornets Before You"

 That little quote from Exodus has been a favorite for many years. It happened.  Our burglars came back, and examined the Weber Grill sitting outside the garage.  It held a secret, and the heinous perpetrators got a nasty surprise. 

Roll That Beautiful Bean Footage!

 Susan rode along for a couple of rounds with our farmer today.  That was a huge thrill! One more 40 to go.

Brass Man Bart Is Hunky Dory!

 The Hunky Dory Cakewalk!

Got Milkweed?

 One of the commenters on our Monarch Butterfly post mentioned that there might be readers out there who don't know milkweed. It's so common to us that I didn't even think about that, so we are correcting that right now.  I even found a couple more caterpillars this morning. It's a thrill.

Don't Mow Those Milkweeds!

 You probably know that Monarch Butterflies are in trouble. Monarchs need milkweeds to reproduce successfully, and there just aren't enough of them. The researchers don't seem to know why, and I think this problem began with genetically modified beans that tolerate glyphosate herbicide.  You don't see any milkweeds in bean fields like you used to.  Monarchs prefer to lay their eggs on milkweeds far from the edge, so the roadside milkweeds are not preferred, but that is what they are using at our place.  Leave 'em be.  You can mow those areas after frost when the little critters have moved on.

Brass Man Bart: Excelsior Gallop

 Brother Ben has run off to the circus. I feel just like I'm under the Big Top!

Barberchair In Minnesota News

                                           Photo Credit: Redwood County Minnesota Sheriff

Regular blog readers here know that I am always pushing proper falling techniques. Failure to make a plan for dropping trees makes every one you drop an accident, and sooner or later that will catch up with you.  This tree was cut from the tensioned side until it split lengthwise, gained elevation, and fell on the operator.  He paid a horrible price, being trapped for four days before he was rescued. Here is the link to the report:Chainsaw Accident

KARE 11 posted a video on their news site:

I think it is worth noting that the fire department personnel took two hours to free the man from the tree.  Moving a tree off of someone is not a simple thing, and I doubt that the firemen have had training in special chainsaw techniques. Study the Chainsaw Safety Rules on this blog, and click on the Chainsaw label to access all of our posts about chainsaws and dropping trees. 

Lift A Log Video:

No Days Off When You Retire!

 

                               

                                                  There's Somethin' Doin' Every Day!

                                                            Back To The Old Grind!

Weekend Steam II: More Things We Miss This Weekend

Weekend Steam: What We Miss This Weekend

Brass Man Bart, The Billboard March

Meet Sunka!

 Sunka is a 15 year old Schipperke male who has outlived two owners.  He has been in a private kennel for two months since he became homeless, and now that Betty Boop has been adopted we had room to take Sunka in. It is difficult to find a home for a 15 year old dog, so he will probably be a permanent foster for us.  He is a perfect little gentleman, but he is deaf and mostly blind.  He navigates around the dog yard very well and is enjoying life here already.  The other dogs are being kind to him, even energetic Sisko. Many Thank Yous to all who have donated to Midwest Schipperke Rescue! Your generous donations  provide healthcare for Sunka and other lifers in the Midwest family.

Digging, Always Digging

 Do you ever wonder about which tools were invented first? I've thought for years that the hammer would be first, but there is also a good chance it was the shovel. Pick up a stick and you can use it to reach, to push, or to dig. Deuteronomy 23:13 tells us to carry a stick so we can clean up after ourselves.  We never get done digging, until we're really done, and then somebody else gets to dig for us.  Anyhow, the dogs are liking their stepping stones, and they will give us a safe path to clean the dog yard when it rains.

Back To The Old Grind!