Welcome to The Moose Pond! The Welcomings posts give the Moose, old and new, a place to visit and share words about the weather, life, the world at large and the small parts of Moosylvania that we each inhabit.
Welcomings will be posted at the start of each week (usually Saturday night with a Sunday date). To find the posts, just bookmark this link and Voila! (which is Moose for “I found everyone!!”).
The format is simple: each day, the first moose to arrive on-line will post a comment welcoming the new day and complaining (or bragging!) about their weather. Or mentioning an interesting or thought provoking news item. Or simply checking in.
So … what’s going on in your part of Moosylvania?
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NOTE: The comments page will split off after 20 or so left margin comments with the most recent comments on the current page. To see the older comments, scroll to the bottom of the page (right before “Leave A Reply”) and use the Pages Tool to view previous pages, shown here with 3 pages of comments available and Page 2 circled.
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Good “morning”, Motley Meese! The week begins …
Morning low of 77 degrees in the Desert Southwest 🌵 with an expected daytime high of 100. Partly cloudy skies are in the forecast.
Have a great day, all y’alls!!
Good morning. I did so much yesterday – housework and cooking and more housework. So today after church, I’ll go to the gym. For now, I’m watching the news and loving the smell of my steeping tea. And keeping an eye on the Romancing the Vote website, today is the last day and there may be new, cool stuff.
It’s 66 or 68 depending on which widget, heading for 89 heat index 95, and overcast. Not seriously dark but certainly not sunny. Sigh. Yesterday we generated 15.92 KWHS and the m-t-d at 69.36 while still on track lost a bit of ground. And looks like it’s going to lose more today.
I’ve got the house opened up to air out. Nice after several days of being too hot and humid. I’ll have to close up in another hour but looks like I’ll be able to open up in the morning again. So that’s good. Once somebody – Lang, Natalia, or even me if I’m feeling steady enough – paints those two water-stained ceiling panels with Killz I be able to put the boxes the cats nap on back in the corner and out of the middle of the den. All the kitties are doing normal kitty stuff – normal for their ages – and that’s a relief. Jenny’s not being fussy at all since I got the goats milk for her. She doesn’t lap a lot at a time but over the course of the day/evening she’s consuming 4 oz plus I’m hoping (really not possible to tell with a communal feeding area) at least 2 TBSP kibble. She does definitely eat kibble.
Had to get milk this morning – early while it’s still cool – so got gas on the way to the Braum’s. For once the pump’s printer worked and I didn’t have to go inside to get my receipt. Braum’s still has milk on sale 2 gallons for $6.20 (including tax) so that’s one for my household and one for Lang’s.
Got a call from my sister Alice yesterday. She and her husband will be passing through Fayetteville on Tuesday and will be stopping by to visit for a few hours. My sister Janice, Alice’s twin, will be joining them/us here then they’ll all head for Hot Springs together. (Alice lives in MS, Janice in TX – I haven’t seen either of them for years.) We’ll probably have dinner at a local Mexican place that has patio dining and Lang will join us at least for that. Natalia as well if she’s home by then. So that’s a nice thing to look forward to. Meanwhile, I need to be about my boosting day. Holding the Good/Healing/Protecting Thought for everybody. {{{Meeses}}}
Prayers up for Denise – I just saw this (copy & pasting b/c I’m not sure how to do the bluesky post) from @theswampwytch.bsky.social
For friends & followers of
@deniseoliver-velez.bsky.social
, I wanted to share that I have just spoken with her. She’s doing “ok”, but her ability to get downstairs to her PC is being restricted due to concern over maneuvering it safely. Keep her in your prayers and works please. 🕯️💙
Thank you for posting that. 🙏
Good morning. Didn’t get as much done yesterday as I’d like, but I have today off so I can try again. Watching Le Tour, it is actually hotter there than here. Yesterday the overwhelming champion of the past few years did a super nice thing for one of his teammates – rode leadout for him up to the finishing line, helping him win the stage. That’s what I like about cycling these days, the two who have been winning all the races seem to be good guys. Anyway, today: actually go to the gym, and write my music diary for the orange place for Saturday.
it’s 71 heading for 90 heat index 95 and sunny at the moment. The cloud cover actually cleared off midmorning yesterday and we generated 19.14 KWHs. The m-t-d at 88.5 is on track and gained a smidge.
It’s a little warmer and a lot more humid than it was yesterday morning. I do have the house open but I’m going to have to close up shortly. Sigh. Hoping I can get up the energy to do some housecleaning – especially vacuuming – before my sisters get here tomorrow. I am not now and never have been “house proud” but I do like it to be tidy – and have fewer layers of cat fur and dust bunnies. Especially for company. Meanwhile all the cats have settled down for their morning naps. Including Jenny.
OK, it’s up to 72 already. I’d best close up the house then be about my boosting day. Holding the Good/Healing/Protecting Thoughts for everybody. {{{Meeses}}}
Good Monday morning, Moosekind! It’s 78 F. in Ashburn under overcast skies. “They” say we’ll have rain today.
Last night we DID have a thunderstorm, with lots of lightning and rain. Why can’t these things happen in the daytime so we can enjoy the beautiful sight? Never mind, there is good news to report.
The author was thrilled with the edits! She couldn’t believe that I caught so many errors. Wants me to invoice her. I will, if I can remember what an invoice looks like. Also, I did an hour’s worth of exercise yesterday! Half an hour on the treadmill, half an hour on the rowing machine. I must keep this up, fer sure, fer sure. So far the middle number of the three numbers on the scale is still a “2,” which means I can still get into my clothes, but it’s dicey. Ordered braised collard greens for a green veg. at dinner last night. Must google that to see whether it has iron. The chefs here are all desperately in love with sweet sauces on fish, chicken, and meat, which is not at all nice for diabetics and prediabetics. I made Banana-Walnut Bran muffins for breakfast, gave some to the neighbors. I hope they have iron. The muffins, that is, not the neighbors.
Told my writers, who meet this week, to provide excerpts from their travel diaries. We’ve all traveled somewhere. I’m typing my Budapest diary, and it is SO BORING! Gods, I can’t bear to type or submit it, it’s so boring. However, I must.
I am concerned about our Sister Denise. I don’t do BlueSky any more but I’ll check at dk after I return from the Brainstorming meeting at 12:30.
Wishing a good day to all at the Pond.
Good evening, meeses! Monday …
It is still over 100 degrees and it will be hotter tomorrow. I took a short trip over the weekend, returning today, and it was a pleasant break even for a short while. I have one more day left of my planned break from client work and that is going well. I answered two emails to defer work and that was it. So there is hope that I can eventually cut back enough to do a real retirement.
See all y’all tomorrow!
Good morning. Back to work today. Going to be doing a lot or webinars, because we don’t have a lot of applications. We’ll be buried again in a few weeks when school starts, so I’m going to savor this. Watching Le Tour, it is 102 degrees in France.
It’s 69 heading for 89 heat index 93 and sunny at the moment. Yesterday we generated 15.22 KWHs and the m-t-d at 103.72 is still on track but lost a bit of ground.
Yesterday it got all rumbly thunder and dark, delivered maybe 2 dozen drops of rain while I was hurrying to put out suet & birdseed so birds would have the energy to deal with wet feathers – and stopped by the time I got back in the house. grrr. Natalia got home in the evening and brought Farmers Market produce for a lovely dinner of fresh corn on the cob, small new potatoes, cucumber & tomato salad with blackberries and strawberries for dessert. (And a small GF oatmeal mini chocolate chip cookie.) Amelia & basket sent a lovely package of various GF snackables and a really nice large cutting board from WA state to Natalia as a retirement gift which arrived yesterday. And Natalia’s package of various local things including tote bags as late birthday gifts to Amelia & basket also arrived yesterday. A wonderful evening all around.
My sisters & bil are arriving this afternoon and Natalia is at this moment vacuuming the house. Bless her. I got stuff ready to vacuum (picked up cat toys and the cardboard boxes they play and sleep in plus cleaned up the cat barf etc) but that’s the point I usually have expended my energy/spoons and cant’ get to the actual vacuuming. So definitely bless her.
The house is open and I’m going to close up soon, but not until that heat-generating vacuum cleaner is shut off. LOL. Meanwhile I’d best get started on my boosting day. Holding the Good/Healing/Protecting Thought for everybody (w/ a bit extra for Denise). {{{Mooses}}}}
Your dinner sounds SO GOOD! I might have to fire up the helicopter and fly down to where you live, next time you have a dinner like that.
Good Tuesday morning, Meese! Hope Sister Denise is OK. Does anyone know?
It’s a nugly day in Ashburn, overcast and 72 F. Rain is predicted for tonight. Busy day coming up. Since I had the enormous stupidity to cut my hand this morning, I’m wondering whether I should even try to bake that sponge cake tomorrow? I could buy that strawberry cream cake tomorrow at Trader’s, or go to Wegman’s and see whether they have ANY kind of cake that isn’t deathly sweet. I just don’t know. I’m wearing a skin-tight glove over the hand. Later I’ll go to the store and buy a pressure bandage. The annoying thing is, I’ve already bought the eggs for the Victoria Sponge cake, as well as the lemon juice. Just need to buy the cake flour. What would you do?
In the meantime, I need to exercise, get my hair done, and ya da, ya da. Hope everyone will have a good day. We had a ton of rain and lightning last night!
{{{Diana}}} How much beating do you have to do? Do you have an electric mixer? If you don’t have to do much beating, do the cake yourself b/c there isn’t a store-bought cake that isn’t deathly sweet. But if you have to do a lot of beating, buy the deathly sweet cake. The eggs will keep for weeks. Healing Energy. Moar {{{HUGS}}}
(I hope somebody hears something about Denise. I can’t find anything.)
Good evening, meeses! Tuesday …
It is 108 degrees at 6:30pm. There is rain in the area but it may not reach us in the northeast corner of the city.
I had three errands to run today and I am glad to report that I have nothing left on my errands list. Fingers crossed that nothing new shows up – I want to stay in the peace and quiet of my office tomorrow.
I am watching Dee’s favorite WNBA team on TV right now. I hope she is doing okay.
See all y’all tomorrow!
Good morning. Watching Le Tour, it is hotter in France than in Texas – and it ain’t cool here. Going to kickboxing at lunch and lots of webinars for work. And there’s a new U2 song out, so when I’m not on my phone I’ll be listening to it.
It’s 70 but humid so I just closed up the house. Only got an hour of the house being open but at least we got the hour. Won’t be opening the house at all at least through the weekend. Heading for 94 heat index 100+. Yesterday we generated 15.15 KWHs and the m-t-d at 118.89 lost a bit more ground and is a smidge under on track.
My sisters & bil got here late in the afternoon having spent a very profitable night before camping at an OK (I think Cherokee but not sure) Indian Reservation casino. Each sister made a $20 “investment” in the slot machines. Alice came away with $200 and Janice with $1400 (which she seriously can use). Alice spent most of hers treating us all for dinner at the Mexican restaurant. I’m a bit queasy this morning, there’s reason why I don’t do restaurant food very often, but we had a great evening – the place wasn’t crowded so we just stayed there visiting for about 3 hours. They decided to stay in Fayetteville one more night so they’ll be over here for lunch. I’m not sure what we’ll be serving them My normal lunch is cheese, crackers, and carrot sticks so that’s what’s in the house. But there are definitely salad fixings and the cooked pork we would have eaten last night if we hadn’t had company and gone out. Natalia and I will be going to their RV campsite this evening and my bil will grill steaks. (I think Janice is providing the steaks. IF Alice will let her.) Alice will do salad because she’s very, and justly, proud of her salads and especially the salad dressing. Probably baked potatoes – tradition, you know – and Natalia and I (mostly Natalia) will provide a mixed fruit crumble for dessert. I need to eat my “normal” serving sizes tonight as well as have veggies & fruit (which I didn’t last night – unless you count the salsa and guacamole as veggies & fruit) or I’m going to be sick. Which would be a lousy thing to do to myself and would taint the memories of a lovely visit. I last saw Alice 3 years ago but I hadn’t seen Janice for 17. I didn’t recognize her at first sight, her coloring (hair and to a certain extent skin tones) have changed so much.
Meanwhile, I need to be about my boosting so I can wrap up before they get here. Holding the Good/Healing/Protecting Thought for everybody (with a bit extra for Denise – I hope somebody hears something soon). {{{Meeses}}}
17 years is a long time! I fear that I will have the same long time between visits with some of my siblings. I don’t intend to fly anywhere again, it is too fraught. Family gatherings are not pleasant with too many MAGAts to avoid. I see one of my brothers when he visits Arizona for Spring Training but I have not seen any of the other siblings for several years.
Not flying is part of the issue. Janice lives in TX. Alice lives in MS. My other sister lives in a different part of TX. And my brother lives in FL. I’ve only seen Alice more recently because she was traveling to CO to see her son 3 years ago and chose a route that made Fayetteville not too big of a detour. The rest don’t travel much. In fact Janice wouldn’t be here if she hadn’t come with Alice. LOL.
Good Wednesday morning, Moosekind! Morning again, squirrels. Breakfast has been had—granola with half a sliced banana and almond milk, hope there’s iron in it somewhere.
Just had a message to say that the Progressives’ March is still on, but one glance through the doors to the screened porch tells me that the sky is beaucoup gray, to the point where it may rain any minute. Forgot to take a sleeping pill (and a couple of others) last night, so woke up far too early.
I want to seriously downsize this month and in the fall. After I pop my clogs, the heirs will have only two weeks to clear out this apartment. To this end, have begun reading through my journals, dating from the 1980s. Dear Goddess! Never mind, I have a plan to dispose of them, but it involves the weather being dry for at least three consecutive days.
BTW, we’ve had enough rain that even in dry old Northern Virginia we’re only 2 inches under the average rainfall for the year to date! We seem to be in for a week of on-again, off-again showers.
Wishing a good day to all at the Pond.
Excellent news about the drought problem being eased a bit.
Good morning, 61 and cloudy in Bellingham today. Life has been busy lately, sorry I’ve been absent. Hans continues to heal but still needs pain meds so he is staying here overnight and spending time at his house during the day. Elsa is back with us now and is being very careful around him….interesting how dogs know when someone is hurting.
Ron is picking raspberries today so I’ll make something for dessert tonight. Best wishes to all.
I am glad to hear that you have Elsa with you and Hans! Dogs are great healers. :)
Ooh, raspberries! Great news about Hans and Elsa!
Good morning, meeses! Wednesday …
It is 109 degrees on the backyard thermometer. I took my walk before 8am when it was still in the 80s. I need to get out earlier but today I couldn’t quite disengage from email conversations. I need to plan better. I am still seeing the moon in the mornings but she is disappearing quickly!
I got a few things organized this morning and am going to sit and watch sporting events from yesterday and catch up on news. Good for Belgium, one of tRump’s “shithole” countries getting the last word on the World Cup fracas. It is not the US Men’s National Teams fault that their president is an a**hole, despised by every decent person, but it would have been sad if they had won after the grifty garbage dumpster had coerced the FIFA president into suspending normal rules.
See all y’all later!
For when Dee returns, this comment from Geno Auriema in response to Stephanie White’s unhinged rant about the league protecting her “generational talent”, Clark, from the “thugs” who “target” her:
Good morning. In the office, it feels weird, since its been nearly a week. Wish I could watch Le Tour, the epic Col de Tourmalet is one of the three mountains they’re riding up today. But here I am, at a desk, getting ready for work. Offices are stupid.
It’s already 80 heat index 85 and of course we didn’t open up this morning. Heading for 95 heat index 100+ overcast and breezy. Yesterday we generated 19.16 KWHs and the m-t-d at 138.03 gained a smidge and is still on track. Which it probably won’t be by end of day if this cloud cover doesn’t clear off.
Lovely visits and meals with my sisters. They’re leaving for Hot Springs this morning. Then after they “do” the Hot Springs National Park, Alice & her husband will head back to MS and Janice will head back to TX. There’s no way we could ever live together but it would be nice to see each other a little more often. Now I need to get back to my “normal” eating patterns. My gallbladder is making grumbling noises at me from the amount of fats I’ve had over the last 2 days. Nothing back, just warning twinges I always pay heed to. It’s such an easy fix. Meanwhile I need to do laundry today but first be about my boosting. Holding the Good/Healing/Protecting Thought for everybody (with some extra for Denise). {{{Meeses}}}
Good Thursday morning, Meese! It’s 82 F. in Ashburger. Good morning, squirrels! Thanks for the news, SBG. We’re under a flood watch, because storms are supposed to start at 4 p.m. Uh-huh, un-huh, uh-huh. They’ll very likely bypass us, as usual. Meanwhile, the Home’s paid staff are frantically mowing and weed-whacking so they won’t have a jungle to cope with down the road.
Got my writers starting at 1:30, followed by the Happy Hour Singers at 4:30, and MAYBE Darling Nora at 6 p.m. I don’t even want her to come over if it’s going to be thunderstorming. This is going to be a really busy day. Hope the Wegbucks cake is good!
Wishing a good day to all at the Pond, and oh, Goddess, wish we could have some news about our Sister Denise!