MORNING ROLL CALL July 2025

[DaveMcK]

MORNING ROLL CALL July  2025

Top of the morning to everyone on this First day July of 2025 

Happy Birthday to all of our July Birthday members.

[LisaS961881]

….Sounds like you had an old friend too! 🙂. I think you made the right decision to bid farewell.  Being that I’ve had my Tacoma for 20 years, that it’s only the third vehicle that I have ever owned, and that so many who once sat in the passenger seat are no longer with here, I promised myself not to “throw good money after bad” if something major goes wrong.  I’ll admit it is an emotional attachment - this truck got me home safe and sound through countless snowstorms too.
    Oh gosh - thanks for sharing the skeleton with bunny ears!  I should try something like that.  Last Halloween it made me smile when a group of parents with their four and five year olds came to my door.  The kids ran up to pet all of the dog, cat and kitten skeletons!  It was sweet.

     (I noticed that, in your photo, the skeleton is attached to a slim plant hanger, which is a great idea.  While my skeleton was tied to the trellis with fishing line, I just realized that I could get a tall thin tomato stake and place a standing skeleton pretty much anywhere! )

 ~ Lisa

[SpringIsHereVA]

I have deleted my comment. Nicole  👵

[LisaS961881]

I miss your gardening posts Nicole!

I wanted to share that I saw the first Monarch Butterfly of the season yesterday.  I figure planting more pollinators helped! 😀

I also wanted to share a photo of an Iris that a friend gifted me with last year.  It’s in full bloom and made me smile this morning!

~ Have a great weekend everyone! 🌈🌸🏠🪺🪴

[papawofboo]

Only one has broke ground. Hope the warm weather in forecast will wake up the rest of them. I have 2 other plants that didn't handle the bad weather so well. Should have the final tally after next week on those that are going to make it. 

[SpringIsHereVA]

I have deleted my comment. Nicole  👵

[LisaS961881]

Nicole,

   I started doing core exercises and upping my daily yoga when I turned 65.  I’ve seen quite a change in my range of motion and stability.  I use little ten pound weights when I am walking.….and I had to smile at the description of your “old lady”!  My “Vinnie” is a 2004 Tacoma with 337,000 miles - I consider him an old friend.😺

~Lisa

[MsStretch]

@SpringIsHereVA , Sorry to hear about Mrs. G, but you have pretty much assumed caretaker duties for Mister, anyway, right?  Sometimes cats will get an attitude with people they knew, but haven't seen for awhile, and after the initial snub, they will come around and all will be forgiven. I had a cat who always greeted me at the door when she heard the car.  But on the occasion where I was gone for several days and someone else was catsitting the brood, she would still be at the front door, but once she saw me, she would promptly about-face and walk away totally ignoring me.  After a sufficient time of giving me the cold shoulder on purpose, she would eventually forgive me and all was forgotten.  Just her way of telling me she wasn't happy I had taken off.

[SpringIsHereVA]

I have deleted my comment. Nicole  👵

[papawofboo]

Have not checked lately. First we had the flood, 14+ inches in 4 days. Houses floating down the river, people being taken from home in boats, and happy tow truck drivers making money pulling dumb peoples cars out of flooded areas. Then for some reason ole man winter yelled out, 'I'm back". Temps in low 40's and lion wind of March blowing. On top of all this I have to listen to my wife say, "Ann (her friend) said never plant until after Easter." Back to your question, I don't think I'm going to be that lucky.☂️😫

[SpringIsHereVA]

I have deleted my comment. Nicole  👵

[LisaS961881]

Nicole,

   I’ve started all of them, and, so far, success!

On a different note, I keep forgetting to share that I so empathize having loud, inconsiderate “upstairs” neighbors.  Years ago, I lived in a condo complex and was very content until the unit above me was sold to someone who alternately blared their television or turned up their music so loud that the walls vibrated.  Even donning earplugs, I often couldn’t sleep. It was disheartening and beyond frustrating.

~ Lisa

[SpringIsHereVA]

I deleted my comment. Nicole  👵

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[LisaS961881]

Hi Nicole!

Gosh yes - my seedlings are all indoors.  We hit a low of 26 degrees up here!

Today we have a single day of respite - cold, but bright and sunny with crisp, dry air. ☀️

 ~ Lisa

[SpringIsHereVA]

I deleted my comment. Nicole  👵

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[LisaS961881]

  Hi Nicole!

     I don’t have a greenhouse.  I start my seedlings in the basement under a plant light.

     In the past, I did grow or buy floral annuals, but now I am too cheap to do so. 😌.  For three years now, I have been cheating and placing Dollar Tree plastic/fabric flowers within my “real” plants and nobody is the wiser.  I cut apart the DT floral picks/clusters, and then remove the leaves, which always seem to be an unnatural color.

   Then I stick just a few stems within my ivy, hosta and other green plants.  It is the same look, but it lasts for years, and I am getting a tad lazy as I get older.  
  ~ Lisa

[SpringIsHereVA]

I deleted my comment. Nicole  👵

[LisaS961881]

Nicole,

  I found a photo from last year.  Every flower you see here is from Dollar Tree!

[SpringIsHereVA]

I deleted my comment. Nicole  👵

[LisaS961881]

hi Nicole!

  The temps have been a roller coaster ride up here too!  Tonight it will drop down below freezing - 31 degrees!  It’s been off and on rain for several days, and I’ve been re-applying my red pepper and peppermint oil every other day.  When I went out this morning, there were six deer just hanging out in my driveway because my backyard was just too stinky for them! 😮. I don’t have the heart to chase them away or yell at them though.

~ Lisa

[SpringIsHereVA]

I deleted comment. Nicole  👵

[MsStretch]

@SpringIsHereVA , actually exploring/bushwhacking season occurs during the winter when everything is bare, since almost all of our forays are off-trail.  Hard to find or see anything when everything is green, so one, maybe two weeks left.  Off on another adventure tomorrow in SNP and maybe another one next week to find the location of an old school that's at a higher elevation and hopefully, not so green.  Probably not much left.  Maybe the old foundation and a few artifacts.  Plus with spring come the snakes (saw one last week on a bushwhack to an old Poor House and cemetery in Prince William Forest Park) and the bugs. 😝

Stay tuned.

[MsStretch]

@SpringIsHereVA , I have plenty of pictures from this season's adventures, but mostly if you like looking at old cemeteries (frequently just fieldstones) and remnants and artifacts of old homesites.  Not everyone finds them interesting. 😁

No spectacular mountain views or waterfalls or sunsets. 🚫🌄🏞️⛰️

But let me cull through and find something.

[SpringIsHereVA]

I deleted my comment. Nicole  👵

[LisaS961881]

Nicole,

   I’ll add that I mourn the loss of Anne Perry, Shelia Connely, and M.C. Beaton (although Green has done a fine job continuing her series).  I so enjoyed Thomas Pitt and Hamish MacBeth !

[SpringIsHereVA]

I have deleted my comment. Nicole  👵

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[LisaS961881]

….and Sonsie, the wildcat ! 😺

[SpringIsHereVA]

I have deleted my comment. Nicole  👵

[LisaS961881]

This made me giggle!  I was an Elementary Special Education teacher for 38 years and have fond memories of April 1st.  All day long, I’d be bombarded with, “There’s a bug on your shoulder!”, “There’s a giant spider on the wall behind you!”….

i always gave Academy Award worthy performances of shock and surprise - which delighted my students.

im still smiling as I write this.  In retrospect, it was a simple way to brighten up that very long stretch between Valentine’s Day and Easter, and it didn’t cost a penny!

~ Lisa

[MsStretch]

@SpringIsHereVA , I generally go for historical fiction (no, not the swashbuckling romance kind) that are based on real facts and research, but the author adds fictional characters and dialogue to make it more relatable. Anything from prehistoric times through the Civil War.

Another source to try is BookBub.  I have an account and receive daily emails for the latest deals based on my preferences.  Bought a few books (Kindle, of course) from them.  Sometimes they offer books for free for a limited time.

To each his own, but I love my Kindle and Kindle app.  I can 'carry' a whole library on my phone to wherever I go.  And no stains or torn and dog-eared pages. 

[MsStretch]

@SpringIsHereVA , @LisaS961881 , do you still have used book stores in your area?  I used to score some good finds there.  Also, check out the little free libraries.

I'm a Kindle user myself and have been for years.