MORNING ROLL CALL March 2025

[DaveMcK]

MORNING ROLL CALL MARCH 2025

Top of the morning to everyone on this First day of

MARCH 2025 

Happy Birthday to all of our MARCH Birthday members.

[LisaS961881]

I love these!  They always remind me of my grandmother’s cottage garden!

i agree that they tend to tilt if not supported….like peonies do when it rains!

…..One of the things I enjoy the most about retirement is having more time to putter around in my garden! 🌸

[SpringIsHereVA]

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[LisaS961881]

Good Morning!

   In the past, I only grew basil, tomatoes, and, of course, catnip 😺 from seed.  This year, I am trying to grow coneflowers in that manner.  Last year, as I was selecting three coneflowers in the Home Depot Garden Center, a kind woman came up to me and shared that I could save quite a bit of money growing them from seed.  
….so, I’ve started them indoors, and am keeping my fingers crossed.

~ Lisa

[SpringIsHereVA]

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[papawofboo]

If you start to have problems with squirrels just sprinkle some red pepper flakes on the ground, where they are planted. 

[LisaS961881]

I too have had great success with red pepper flakes.  As an added bonus, my Dollar Tree sometimes carries a large-sized container of them!
in the past, I used a liquid spray of coyote urine to deter squirrels and deer.  ….Then I had an unfortunate incident while applying this spray on a windy day! 🥴. I leaned my lesson 🙂, and now use a peppermint oil spray and red pepper flakes.

[MsStretch]

We are getting up to the high 60s in my neck of VA, but tomorrow will be warmer.  Planning on an SNP adventure for tomorrow. 🚶 It will be nice to not have to wear 1 million layers. 🥶🧤🧣

Furkids are definitely getting friskier and loving flip-flops/rollovers in the sun.  Love their bellies rubbed.  Just gotta remember the Willie Mae stick or risk a shredded hand. 

[SpringIsHereVA]

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[catwoman500]

Slainte, Porch Peeps!

Top o'the mornin' to you!

Hope everyone has some Irish fun today. I intend to have an Irish coffee later today!

Hello, Peeps!

[MsStretch]

@SpringIsHereVA , if it says you owe $0, then that means you owe $0. 😊 Yep, think you're off the hook.

Also, I see Mister claimed the most comfortable spot in the house. 😸

@LaDolceVita , I always offer to buy the eggs.  I do see signs peeps put up in their front yards advertising they have fresh eggs to sell. But I'm glad your hubby loves them.

Not too long ago, I went over to the chickens' coop with some leftovers and the chickens came bopping across the yard to meet me. 😲 (They are kept in a big enclosure with hen house because of all the critters around here -- foxes, etc.)  I texted the neighbor and I wanted try and herd them back, but Giorgio was following me and I didn't want to make a situation worse. The cats don't usually mess with the chickens, but I didn't want to see what would happen when they're free roaming.  Giorgio was a good boy and didn't do a thing.  Anyway, the neighbor came out and we got all the chickens herded back.  They had gotten out a side door of their house that apparently wasn't securely locked.

[LaDolceVita]

@SpringIsHereVA   I think you are off the hook, if Medicare statement says you owe 0.

@catwoman500   I searched PBS for Jane Austen but did not find any new shows.  Please advise,  I love Jane Austen.  @MsStretch  Noone has offered to pay for our eggs, we gavesome to neighbors when we had too many.  It would be nice if they would offer to buy some for $5 bucks or so, but no such nice neighbors.    It costs us tons of money to have chickens,  probably $10 per dozen eggs they lay, but they are pets, my husband loves them.   I like them too, fun to watch.

[catwoman500]

@LaDolceVita ...I had an email from our local PBS station, and it listed the upcoming shows. They said Miss Austen, a 4-part series would start May 4th...HA...May the Fourth be with you! 😀

"Miss Austen," a four-part miniseries starring Keeley Hawes, will premiere on Masterpiece on PBS on Sunday, May 4, 2025, at 9/8c. 

Here's a summary of the show:

• Premise: The series explores the relationship between Jane Austen and her sister Cassandra, focusing on why Cassandra burned Jane's letters after her death. 
• Based on: The series is based on the novel by Gill Hornby. 
• Starring: Keeley Hawes, Rose Leslie, and other actors. 
• Adaptation: The series is adapted by Andrea Gibb." 

[MsStretch]

@SpringIsHereVA , my neighbor/landlord is a member of Prime, but she didn't know it included Prime Video, too, so I told her no sense it going to waste, I would use it.  So freebie for me.  Netflix is usually my go-to for streaming though and I do pay for that.

@catwoman500 , haven't seen the pitties since the incident and Willie Mae is doing fine.  Just saw orange stranger cat saunter by outside my window though. 🐈

I'm with you about watching TV/movies on a phone.  Can't do it.  I have two Roku TVs, one upstairs and one downstairs.  The one downstairs is a 4K, but TVs are so much cheaper now or were when I bought them.

The best way to learn your way around a smartphone/tablet is start pushing buttons and see what they do.  I remember switching from Android to iPhone and thought I would never get the hang of it.  Pushed buttons and used their Tips app and now when I try to use an Android I am totally flummoxed, but Androids have changed/updated a lot since I used one.

 @LaDolceVita , do you sell your eggs?  A neighbor has 10 chickens and I get free eggs (even though I have offered to pay for them) in exchange for any leftovers.  They love cat food!

[LaDolceVita]

@MsStretch  Just read the harrowing tale of pit bull chasing Wllie Mae.  Thank goodness all is well.  @SpringIsHereVA   We usually sow marigolds directly into regular flower pots after April 15.   Not sure if we can do ornamentals this year, we have 14 rambunctious chickens into everything.  Cant leave garage doors open, they lay eggs in there too, poop everywhere and knock stuff over.  

I notice we have become the Porch Ladies!  Our men friends, even @DaveMcK , are certainly quiet. Would be nice to hear from them.

[SpringIsHereVA]

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[catwoman500]

Hi there Everyone!

@SpringIsHereVA ...I have Prime, but don't use it since I don't have a smart TV and can't stand to sit in front of the computer to watch TV. No way am I going to watch a program on my phone either. LOL

As for PBS, I'm looking forward to the new Miss Austen on 5/4!

Glad my fave, Call the Midwife will be back on 3/30.

Not sure when Grantchester or Unforgotten come back but also looking forward to Season 2 of The Marlow Murder Club.

@LaDolceVita ...14 chickens! Guess you don't have to worry about the high egg prices!

@MsStretch ...any update on the pit bull incident?

On another note, a week ago I finally broke down and went to Verizon to get a new cellphone. Mine was over 8 years old and was my first smart phone. All the apps had died and wouldn't update. Final straw was the camera stopped working. So, 2 and 1/2 hours later I had a new phone and a tablet. I'm telling you it's easier buying a car!

Today I went back because I couldn't set up my voicemail and I had several questions about the dumb/smart tablet. I haven't used a tablet for years. I had an Amazon Fire tablet but fell out of the habit of using it. I'm at my computer so much it seemed redundant, and then of course it was all out of date and needed updates, too. So, I may use this tablet more if I can get in a better routine.

The young people at the Verizon store were so patient with an old Boomer non-techie person like me.

Hope everyone is having some nicer weather. We have sun and it may go to an unseasonable 70 today! 🌞

[MsStretch]

@SpringIsHereVA , yes. orange stranger cat still makes appearances.  Big ol' healthy cat.  Not scroungy like any feral or stray.  Suspect he has an owner somewhere who just lets him roam at breakfast and dinner time. 

Other evening, had a big scare.  Was out feeding the kids (at garage, of course) and talking to neighbor when yelling broke out on street.  Neighbor went running and he's yelling and Willie Mae comes running past with a dog dead on her butt and I joined the chase.  The guy across the street has 2 pit pulls which are crate-trained and he usually keeps them under control -- leash, etc., but they got away from him.  Willie Mae disappeared around the corner of a shed, and went under it I suspect, and the guy finally got his dogs under control.  I was sure the dog had gotten her.  My neighbor (and landlord, since I live on the property) was threatening to shoot the dog because no one messes with the cats.  (I was surprised how mad he was.)  Giorgio came out from under deck, but no Willie Mae.  The guy came over profusely apologetic, asking me about the cats, and told me he was totally at fault and let him know if anything was wrong with the kids.  I went out all night long with headlamp checking and looking under shed (nothing but a bunch of leaves) calling for Willie Mae, but I knew she was traumatized.  Never saw her, but it was better than seeing her lying there maimed or worse. Next morning, when I went out to feed them, she was there.  None the worse for wear.  (I was afraid the dog might have nipped her.)  😮‍💨 Whew!. I was so happy and relieved.  And don't you know, that night, she headed right to the garage door for dinner.  She was pretty hinchy though, looking around, and I had to stand there with her so she could eat in relative peace while I had her back. 🙄

And on a cheerier note, went back to Shenandoah NP yesterday.  Nothing strenuous, just a couple of short jaunts, to try and get back in the swing of things. Now that there isn't constantly snow on the ground and chillingly cold temps.  Felt good to be back out the woods. 

I look forward to DST.  Since I am a night owl, the longer daylight is more than welcome rather than than it getting dark at 5. ☀️

[catwoman500]

@MsStretch ...Holy Cow...what a scare that was! 😿

[MsStretch]

@SpringIsHereVA , as a matter of fact, a friend/neighbor and I went for a 5-mile hike at Crow's Nest just this past Saturday. It is one of VA's natural preserve areas that has quite a history spanning Native American, the colonial era, and the Civil War.  We took the Crows Nest Point Trail which also takes us past an old family cemetery.

Started out with the weather sunny and nippy, but warmed up in the sun.  Towards the end though, the sun disappeared and the wind picked up and it got downright chilly. I'll admit I was feeling some stiffness and soreness in my hamstrings, but haven't really done that much hiking this winter. 😞 How fast we can get out of shape. 🫤

Also plan on returning to Shenandoah NP soon to resume searching for abandoned history -- old homesites and cemeteries.  Maybe this week. 🤞

Willie Mae & Giorgio back at Mister. 😺😸

[catwoman500]

@MsStretch ...You go, Girl!

[SpringIsHereVA]

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[LaDolceVita]

.I usually buy impatiens in 6 packs already blooming.  We do marigolds from seeds.  Letus know how you make out.

[SpringIsHereVA]

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[catwoman500]

@SpringIsHereVA ...I usually buy the six packs of plants like @LaDolceVita. Years ago, when I was ambitious (and way younger) I tried the seeds. Not much luck with them. When I taught first grade, we always planted sunflower seeds because they sprouted and grew fast. that was fun.

[MsStretch]

@SpringIsHereVA , doesn't appear to be hairball, maybe ate too fast? When my indoor cats used to gag, I would run to take them off the carpet or the bed or the furniture and move to bare floor or grab a newspaper or similar and stick it in front of them.  I once grabbed my cat to move her, but not fast enough because she ended up puking all over me. 😠

[SpringIsHereVA]

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[LaDolceVita]

@SpringIsHereVA   Haha think I had better not kudo this picture of you know what 😂😂.

[MsStretch]

@SpringIsHereVA ,Yes, for sure, Willie Mae AND Giorgio have me wrapped around their paws, but let's talk about Mister.  😜 Heh, heh, heh.  

Glad to hear your bone density and diabetic tests showed everything is copacetic. 👍

Yep, VA got a lot of snow, but thank God for above freezing temps (unlike the last go-round when the snow and ice stuck around forever 🥶), and most of it has melted with minimal shoveling.  Made it to my nephrologist appointment this morning with no problem.  My low sodium is back on the right track, nothing that warrants me taking salt tablets. Not to mention, how often does one get the green light to use lots of salt on your food and eat salty foods?🧂 I had left early since I wasn't sure how roads in my neighborhood might be (we are the last to get plowed), but had no problem and got to doc early.  No one else was there, so I guess they called me back earlier than my 10:00 appointment since I walked out of there at 10:05!  Now how often does that happen particularly at a doctor?

@LaDolceVita , good to hear you didn't have Covid or RSV, but when you're sick, it really doesn't make a diff when you still feel like crap. 🤒 

@catwoman500 , enjoy the fun tomorrow. 🦅💚

Frozenoem did say he was moving, but also had a few health issues, and might be sporadic checking in; still hoping everything is OK.  @Therapist4u, you're a trooper.  Hope you get some relief.

[LaDolceVita]

@SpringIsHereVA   Good for you on bone density test and the prediabetes!  They tested me for Covid, Rsv and flu, positive for fluA.  As for the Frozen Guy, I am worried too. Did he not mention moving?   That would take up some time.  Hopefully he will update us soon.  @catwoman500  hopefully you will not get the bugs going around.  @DaveMcK    Hope you are well.

[MsStretch]

First of all, I have to give a shout-out to @catwoman500. 🎉🏆 Happy for you.  There was no stopping the Eagles on Sunday.  What a game.  I bet they're still dancing in Philly. 🕺💃

@LaDolceVita , glad you're feeling better.  That flu is a nasty thing. 🤒 @SpringIsHereVA is right, lot ot it going around VA.  I did get the flu shot last fall and knocking on wood, it does its thing.

Had to hit the doc this morning for treatment and it had starting snowing when I left there.  (The office was closing as soon as all the patients had left and guess who was the last one? 😏)  Road had been pretreated and it was still above freezing so had an uneventful ride home.  And surprise!  I didn't see a whole lotta yahoos on the road!  Little snow, mostly rain tomorrow and temps above freezing, so hopefully, this snow storm is just a little speed bump in the road.

@SpringIsHereVA , furkids are snuggled in their warm kitty huts/beds.  I am not looking forward to going out to feed them later this evening.  Willie Mae will probably get the zoomies and want to go take care of personal business and I will have to go clear a spot for her. 🙄 (Yeah, yeah, I know.  Don't ask.)