Entries tagged with “CrabAppleLane” from CrabAppleLane Blog

The only thing worse than spending three hours replacing the fan belt on my finish mower is having that belt break five minutes later. Might be the last $40 I spend on this thing.

I offer one from the backyard from about two hours ago. Priscilla had been rolling around in the catnip when she saw me approach with the camera. Couldn't get caught doing anything THAT undignified.

Priscilla chills - June 22, 2008

74 days until football season ...

Quote of the Day

I don't care if Mondays black
Tuesday, Wednesday - heart attack
Thursday, never looking back
It's Friday, I'm in love

The Cure, Friday I'm In Love

Blog of the day here.

Quote from said blog: "The idea was beyond clever. 3 to a box, 133 styles, none of them match."

A light Sunday. First things first.

Happy Father's Day.

The College World Series in Omaha has seen the higher seeds lose the first three games. It's a trend that I hope continues as lower seeded LSU takes on North Carolina right now in the fourth and final game of the first round. GEAUX Tigers.

One from the CrabAppleLane back deck this afternoon.

CrabAppleLane Tomatoes - June 15, 2008Ran out of pretty things to put them in.

81 days until football season ...

Quote of the Day

Study hard. Laugh often. Keep your honor.

Tim Russert

Blog of the day here.

Quote from said blog: "The tornado's path started only a few blocks from here, but with new evidence it may have started less than that, as in across the street."

R.I.P., Jim McKay. I liked him a lot and I suspect most sports fans would tell you he was hard not to like. His coverage of the 72 Summer Olympic Games and the 80 Winter Olympic Games are memorable for several reasons. His live coverage in 1972 of the wonder of Mark Spitz and the horror of the murders of the Israeli team are incomparable in sports journalism. In 1980, he was somehow able to maintain ABC's scheduled "delayed" television coverage of the Olympics with a straight face even though he knew the outcome of the USA-USSR hockey game. Cable was still in its infancy at the time and Reuters had a scrolling live feed on one of the cable channels. I also knew the result because of that but had to see it on TV. Every time the coverage would break away to another event or a commercial, I'd go crazy. Are you guys out of your minds? Don't you know how big this is? I know almost nothing about hockey but I know this is historic. How's McKay maintaining his sanity while you guys try to stick to a schedule that should have been thrown out the window? You can show that other stuff later, can't you? He somehow did it and I remember that as much as I remember Al Michaels "Do you believe in miracles? Yes.". A class act.

Sunny, the turtle, provides smiles and more than a little joy over at Pitcherlady's. I'm a big fan of both of those lovely ladies.

I offer one from the CrabAppleLane front yard. The bee flew in at the last moment. She must have known something was missing from the shot or maybe she's just a ham.

CrabAppleLane Crepe Myrtle - June 8, 2008

Today's BOTD is of particular interest to me because of Friday night's visit.

88 days until football season ...

Quote of the Day

Unhappy with how much she was being charged, Cooney made out the check for "My Right Arm and Zero Dollars" and in the memo wrote for "Robbing Customers Blind."

Jason Cato, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

Blog of the day here.

Quote from said blog: "The usual hunting technique is to stalk the animal and allow it to come within twenty to thirty feet as the cat lays crouching in wait."

The LSU Tigers baseball team won their 22nd game in a row yesterday. I think it's an amazing story but you'd be hard-pressed to find it anywhere if you didn't know about it already and weren't looking for it. They'll play the winner of today's USM-UNO elimination game. They're 2-0 vs USM this season, including last night's winner's bracket game. They're 1-2 vs UNO and their win was a 15-inning marathon. After 22 straight, I doubt they care who they play but I suspect their fans would rather it was the Golden Eagles of USM. I think and hope it will be the Privateers. I also hope it's on TV. I feel for Texas Southern. They played their way into the field by winning their conference tournament and came to Baton Rouge hoping to compete but gave up 12 runs to LSU Friday and 18 to UNO yesterday. They need to improve their schedule ... and their pitching.

Very saddened to hear of the death of Harvey Korman. He's being remembered as a comedian and the ultimate straight man although I don't think he ever kept a straight face with Tim Conway. I'd wager a few bucks that no one could have. Korman's attempts to do so became part of their shtick and it will be sorely missed. Below, I offer a bit of classic comedy this morning.

R.I.P., Harvey Korman.

Today is the first day of hurricane season. As usual, people are trying to predict how many and how severe. As usual, their guesses will be overblown by all media and the word, "if" will be used a lot. If one lands in the Gulf of Mexico and conditions are right, if one comes up the mouth of the Mississippi, if one lingers in Mobile Bay, if one hits the Mississippi Gulf coast again, if the levees break again, etc. You get the idea.

Celtics-Lakers ... big yawn.

Oh, yeah, it's Sunday. I offer two from the CrabAppleLane backyard this morning.

CrabAppleLane walkway - June 1, 2008We saw these "firecracker" bushes at the Jean Lafitte National Park a few years ago and haven't seen them since ... until I saw one yesterday at the garden center. I like the bright green and bright red/orange together. Hopefully, so will the CrabAppleLane hummingbirds.


CrabAppleLane Mirlitons - June 1, 2008This is what we do with mirlitons.

About today's QOTD, there is no doubt in my mind that it was "the scare of their lives" and I think I'll resist further comment.

95 days until football season ...

Quote of the Day

Four Palo Alto teenagers raised in the heart of Silicon Valley got the scare of their lives when they thought they might be banished from all Apple stores worldwide, for life.

Kristina Peterson, Mercury News

Blog of the day here.

Quote from said blog: "Coaches and trainers emerged from the dugout after a chopper appeared to hit White near his right hand in the third, but he remained in the game and maintained his 93 mph fastball velocity."

I'm curious about just how good North Carolina is. -Rob

Not much happening today. Going to a friend's for a holiday weekend celebration just after I push myself away from the computer. I offer one from the CrabAppleLane backyard today. It's been done here but I never tire of it.

CrabAppleLane Dragonfly - May 25, 2008I believe this variety of dragonfly is known as Blue Dashers. The pond is full of algae (Pond scum) and I kinda liked the contrast of green and blue. Might have to start a new FlickR group.

102 days until football season ...

Quote of the Day

Let us pretend that you are a loving daughter, and I am a good father.

Marcus Aurelius, Gladiator

Blog of the day here.

Quote from said blog: "the bane of all raccoons with ill intent (note the battle scars)"

Are almost ready ...

CrabAppleLane Tomato/Eggplant Garden - May 11, 2008

CrabAppleLane Tomatoes - May 11, 2008

So far this spring, the weather has been ideal for growing tomatoes and other delicate plants here at CrabAppleLane. That might change overnight although you'd never know it by the current gorgeous weather we're having. A light freeze is possible tomorrow. Not sure what I'm going to do except hope that the forecast is wrong. Figures they'll probably get this one right. It would be impossible for me to protect everything I've planted in the last few weeks since I thought the danger of a freeze passed. I offer a few from the CrabAppleLane backyard today.

Crispin - April 13, 2008We grow three or four catnip plants every year because two of our three cats love it. I put one in a flowerpot and brought it inside yesterday for the first time. Crispin (11) loves it but our other indoor cat, Casey (14), is not wild about this new development for two reasons. 1) She's pretty indifferent to the catnip and 2) she thinks Crispin is getting a tad overstimulated. He had jumped on her minutes prior to attacking the pictured rugs and falling asleep in the bright sunshine coming through our window.


About forgetting to prune - April 13, 2008I usually prune the bottle brush to my height (6ft) because I was always worried they'd block the sun from my tomatoes. I forgot to do so this year. The shadow doesn't quite reach them THIS season but it looks like I won't be able to get away with it next season.


Experimenting with text - April 13, 2008CrabAppleLane kitchen garden - Click here for a larger view


CrabAppleLane Irises - April 13, 2008OK, all of the red ones on my left and the purples ones on my right. I threw these things in the pond randomly. No idea how they became separated so uniformly.

Quote of the Day

Lost on a wave
Then after
Dream on
On to the heart of the sunrise

Yes, Heart of the Sunrise

Blogs of the day here.

Quote from said blog: "Shell Holtz writes a great article on “When is a Link Not a Link” that is worth reading if you are worried about fair use of content and link citations of web page content:"

Patsy has been bugging me to see A Good Year since she recorded it a few weeks ago. I've resisted because I'm really not the biggest Russell Crowe fan even though I've liked him in everything I've seen him in. Add this one to that list. A Good Year is a thoroughly predictable light romantic comedy but it still works ... mainly because of Crowe but there are also super performances by Archie Panjabi, who plays his delightful assistant, and Isabelle Candelier, who plays his equally delightful housekeeper. Albert Finney turns in his usual reliable performance, too. I think he was born to be a great character actor. This is a fun movie and I may just have to watch it again.

Good to see Kansas and Memphis get wins yesterday even though it eliminated my brackets from contention. The sports pundits desperately wanted a NC/UCLA final.

GEAUX Lady Tigers

Sorry. Had to say that.

Thinking about abandoning this blog and starting another here. Internal server errors still plague this one. Comment moderation is ON for that reason only. When I leave it on, there are no errors. I don't like that, though. All of the other CrabAppleLane blogs work fine. Movable Type says it's the server that's at issue and proved it to me by moving this entire installation to another server where everything works. I don't like getting chased from one server to another because of this so I'm thinking I'll just start a new one, use fewer categories, and abandon trackbacks. A new one would also necessitate a new URL and maybe the spammers will take a while to accumulate. They're still hammering this site. All of these steps should lighten the server load. It just annoys me that an obscure site such as this one has any kind of server load. This is just a thought at the moment. I have to decide on a server to move my domain to by November. I like Network Solutions except for this one issue.

CrabAppleLane Raccoons - April 6, 2008 Patsy calls the one on the left "Big Girl". Not sure why. We're not at all certain that it's a female. In fact, I think it's probably a male. Anyway, that's a full grown adult on the right. "Big Girl" is about twice the size. She/he has been coming to our back yard for several years. These two have been squabbling. That's Big Girl's spit on the other one's back. Their fights are very noisy but mostly harmless. I don't think one ever hurts another.

Quote of the Day

I cannot work with this woman! Jamais! Never! I love her, she is like Henry ... with a nice ass.

Francis Duflot, A Good Year

Blog of the day here.

Quote from said blog: "I was re-energized and came back here to NY with a deeper appreciation for where I’m from. Somehow that has made NYC a friendlier place."

Don't know why the people writing headlines can't get Oklahoma State right. The LSU Lady Tigers played Oklahoma State yesterday in the women's NCAA tournament. The headline at ESPN.com was LSU/Ohio State II. I clicked on the link thinking that LSU and Ohio State had scheduled a football game. No. Today's Times Picayune, the local rag that should know better (Well, they both should know better), has/had a headline that reads thusly: "LSU downs Oklahoma 67-52". Oklahoma is NOT Oklahoma State as any student/fan of either school will attest. Accuracy was important at one time. At least, I thought it was. Oh, and Go Lady Tigers.

My March Madness brackets find themselves in a strange place: In contention. Go Horns and Go Jayhawks.

The sun is trying to peek out today. It was overcast and misty all day yesterday. The CrabAppleLane yard loved it. Everything is green today. I offer three from the CrabAppleLane yard.

CrabAppleLane tung nut blossoms - March 30, 2008

CrabAppleLane tomatoes - March 30, 2008It's been misting off and on all weekend. Glad I held off watering them. They much prefer the water that falls from the sky unfiltered.


Priscilla and the purple irises - March 30, 2008Like all good pets, she prefers pond scum to fresh tap water. More flavor, I suppose. She'll be 19 in a few weeks so whatever she is doing is working for her. The story of how she came to us is nice if you care to read about it.

As a NFL football fan, I agree wholeheartedly with today's QOTD.

Quote of the Day

The system isn't broken, as the Giants showed in their Super Bowl XLII upset of the Patriots as the NFC's fifth seed. Yet the re-seeding shakeup is made for the right reasons: The competition committee wants more late-season games of the caliber of the Patriots-Giants Week 17 classic.

Jarrett Bell and Jim Corbett, USA TODAY

Blog of the day here.

Quote from said blog: "I lace 'em up for one of Canada's great pastimes (besides complaining, maybe), which turns out to be nothing like riding a bike."

Happy Easter

I offer three from the CrabAppleLane backyard this Easter Sunday.

Favorite Mug - Easter Sunday - March 23, 2008
Bought this mug at the Minneapolis airport on our way back to New Orleans 20 years ago. Probably paid too much for it but it has become my favorite mug. I think it was 5 or 6 bucks. What's a favorite mug worth these days?

CrabAppleLane Azaleas - March 23, 2008 - Easter Sunday
I was on an azalea planting mission a few years ago. I was determined to plant 30+ per year. I was buying the cheap ones from The Home Depot for $1.33/ea. I didn't care what color they were and I planted them randomly. They got a little scraggly on me because ... see next picture.

CrabAppleLane Azalea & Blackberries - March 23, 2008 - Easter Sunday
During my azalea planting mission, I planted two "cultivated blackberry" bushes. Cultivated blackberries have a bigger bush/vine, bigger berries, and much bigger thorns. Those two blackberry bushes and their offspring have taken over the azaleas. I was in there hacking away at them yesterday trying to bring them under control a tad. They defend themselves. I was wearing gloves but no eye protection. A vine brushed across my eyelid. It drew blood. Did I go get some eye protection before continuing? Of course not. Lightning may not be able to strike twice in the same spot but cultivated blackberries can. Yes, I am a recovering idiot.

Quote of the Day

The Dalai clique is scheming to take the Beijing Olympics hostage to force the Chinese government to make concessions to Tibet independence.

People's Daily (China)

Blog of the day here.

Quote from said blog: "After leaving the snow in Minneapolis, I wore short sleeve tees and capris this weekend in the nearly 70F weather. I planted azaleas and trimmed my rose bushes."

March Madness starts today. Got your brackets ready? It says here the Georgetown Hoyas will be cutting down the nets in April. Bet any house you have to lose.

About today's QOTD: The story is here.

One of the coolest photos I've seen in a while. Only in Europe, I suppose. I think there's probably laws against it in the U.S. "Departing in style" is the title. Indeed. The photographer is tataAnne and her FlickR photos are fabulous.

Spent most of the day in the yard yesterday. First serious yard work of 2008 and also got down the tomato garden. Best sight of the day: One of the CrabAppleLane nesting bluebirds swooped down into my freshly tilled tomato garden and scooped himself a grub. Second best sight of the day: One CrabAppleLane hummingbird chasing off another from the mandevilla. I offer a few on this magnificent spring Sunday.

CrabAppleLane tomato garden - March 16, 2008 - From the worm’s view

CrabAppleLane Squirrel - March 16, 2008 - Squirrel: "Even though he is looking right at me with that camera, he can't see me when I stay perfectly still." He was about to jump to one of the bird feeders when he noticed me.

CrabAppleLane front yard - March 16, 2008 - Everything is blooming

CrabAppleLane bird feeder - March 16, 2008 - Favorite shot this morning. I liked the way the mirliton cables framed it and this is one of the best captures of a CrabAppleLane cardinal I’ve gotten. They are brilliant in the sunlight.

Quote of the Day

I'll give you black sensations up and down your spine
If you're into evil, you're a friend of mine

AC/DC, Hell's Bells

Blog of the day here.

Quote from said blog: "It nearly knocked itself out trying to escape but managed to find the open door eventually, not before I managed to take just one shot!"

For the record, I love daylight savings time. Starting tomorrow, I'll be getting home from work in daylight regularly for the first time in almost 15 years.

While working in the yard today, Patsy and I both heard the unmistakable sound of a hummingbird but we didn't see it. Fresh nectar awaits. Can't wait till they start their regular visits again. They're right on time. I was expecting them this weekend. Update 7PM: Saw him. First one back gets uncontested nectar.

I offer one from the CrabAppleLane courtyard today.

CrabAppleLane Mandevilla - March 9, 2008Well, the trellis and the flowerpot were going to waste. I've had Mandevilla in the past but always the pink variety. I like this red much better. It's a rather expensive tropical vine that does OK in the hot Louisiana climate. I saw a couple this size at a nursery yesterday for $29/ea. When I saw this one today for $16 at Walmart, I thought I'd take a chance. I've never had any luck carrying a plant over from one season to the next, though. I'm hoping I'll be able to just leave it in the planter and carry it inside to protect it from the frost. We'll see.

Quote of the Day

The NFL got a little less interesting Tuesday. You watched Favre for what he did and what he tried to do. You marveled at his complete and utter fearlessness. You shook your head in amazement when he made great plays and when he made bonehead plays.

Gene Wojciechowski, ESPN.com

Blog of the day here.

Quote from said blog: "This is one of my favorite songs sung by one of my favorite singers, Eva Cassidy, who tragically died of melanoma in 1996 at age 33 before she became famous world-wide."

Quite lovely. -Rob

Glorious spring Sunday here at CrabAppleLane. Excuse the short one but I have to get back out in it. I offer one from the CrabAppleLane front yard and one from the CrabAppleLane backyard.

CrabAppleLane Redbud - March 2, 2008

CrabAppleLane Backyard - March 2, 2008

Quote of the Day

Oh, put me in, Coach - I'm ready to play today
Put me in, Coach - I'm ready to play today
Look at me, I can be centerfield.

John Fogerty, Centerfield

Blog of the day here.

Quote from said blog: "We won’t have Dish or phone service until Friday, but the payoff is high-speed internet so Huzzah! H is hella excited because high-speed internet = XBOXLIVEOMIGOD. We may never see him again."

The CrabAppleLane Saturday afternoon matinée yesterday was Michael Clayton. It was on DirecTV Pay-Per-View and included a Maltin Minute. I like everything Maltin says about George Clooney. The movies he makes between Batman and the Ocean movies are superb. Confessions of a Dangerous Mind, Out of Sight, and Syriana are excellent. Add Michael Clayton to that list. Excellent performances all around, particularly Tom Wilkinson, who plays a suddenly conscientious attorney. Wilkinson has one scene with Clooney where he goes from just outside of reality's grip right back into the moment with sharp lawyerly focus (See today's QOTD). It was an amazing delivery and he is absolutely convincing. Wilkinson and Clooney both play attorneys who consider themselves "janitors", because they essentially clean up their client's messes. There's another janitor of sorts in the film called Mr Verne. He "deals in absolutes". He is a truly frightening character that I hope doesn't exist in the real world. The only criticism I can level at Michael Clayton is that the ending tailed off from the rest of the film and was a little too "Hollywood" for my tastes. Still, I highly recommend it. The BOTD has a different take.

I offer two from the CrabAppleLane yard on this overcast, somewhat dreary Sunday:

CrabAppleLane Rest Stop - February 24, 2008 I found it neat that the pine cones and the azalea blooms came to rest on the propane tank. I amuse easily sometimes.


Sign of spring - February 24, 2008 This is one of the CrabAppleLane mirliton vines. It is just now peeking out for 2008. It is a sign that spring is just around the corner. The definitive sign is when the pecan trees start to bud. We had a disappointing mirliton season last year. I think we only picked about a half dozen. I don't know how many mirlitons three vines should produce but I'm certain its substantially more than that.

Quote of the Day

Michael, I have great affection for you and you live a very rich and interesting life, but you're a bag man not an attorney. If your intention was to have me committed you should have kept me in Wisconsin where the arrest report, the videotape, eyewitness reports of my inappropriate behavior would have had jurisdictional relevance. I have no criminal record in the state of New York, and the single determining criteria for involuntary commitment is danger. Is the defendant a danger to himself or to others. You think you got the horses for that? Well good luck and God bless, but I'll tell you this: the last place you want to see me is in court.

Arthur Edens, Michael Clayton

Blog of the day here.

Quote from said blog: "Boring and contrived does not a good thriller make and the ordeal is certainly not helped by a George Clooney who seems to have mistaken weary for depth."

It’s a birthday weekend at CrabAppleLane. My sister’s today, mine yesterday, brother-in-law’s tomorrow. It’s also tax day. I prepared our returns without TurboTax this year just like I used to before last year. My returns are not all that complicated and I don’t have much trouble with the IRS. I’m one of their best customers. It went fine and I'm getting a refund. On the state side, the Louisiana e-filing website once again bowled me over. If you're a typical Louisiana resident filing a typical return for your household, you can go to Louisiana's website, file within a minute or two, and print out your return. You need not ever take pencil/pen to paper except maybe to verify. Very, very user-friendly. Aces to the person or persons responsible for it.

I offer one from the backyard on this rather warm CrabAppleLane Sunday.

Birthday present from Patsy - February 17, 2008Got this gorgeous birdhouse from my wife for my birthday yesterday. Looks a little too pretty for the elements and the birds but she insists that's what it's for. Anxious to see if it will be successful where I hung it today. It's in a tallow tree about 9ft off of the ground.

About today's QOTD. Who says the NFL is the only sport that micromanages their image?

Quote of the Day

The powers that be at NASCAR have informed Ashley Judd, the movie star wife of Sprint Cup rookie Dario Franchitti, that she should not wear a dress at Sunday's Daytona 500.

Or any other races.

David Newton, ESPN.com

Blog of the day here.

Quote from said blog: "After trolling the garage area, it seems after about 10 laps in todays’ 50th running of the Daytona 500, that track conditions are going to deteriorate extremely quickly."

Upgraded the CrabAppleLane blogs to Movable Type 4.1 yesterday. I have one lingering issue to resolve on this blog only. The others seem to be working fine.

I offer one from the CrabAppleLane backyard today. It is a glorious day here. Sunshine, blue skies, and temps in the 60s. Looks like we have a tenant. If you're wondering, we're renting it for a song. :)

CrabAppleLane Bluebird - February 10, 2008

Quote of the Day

I thought I saw her at the late night restaurant
She would have sent blue shivers down the wall
But she didn't grace our table
In fact, she wasn't there at all

Jethro Tull, Budapest

Blog of the day here.

Quote from said blog: "The next post will be my 300th on this blog, and I will have been going for absolutely yonks."

So I'm minding my own business in my home office when I suddenly hear a thud in the back yard. A tree has fallen. As I'm looking at the fallen tree, a visitor appears on the ground nearby. It's a very shy, rarely seen fox squirrel. I've only seen them two or three times and they're never around long enough for me to get the camera. He was heading home as I took this shot. Best I could do through the glass.

CrabAppleLane Fox Squirrel - February 5, 2008
He has a white splotch on his face and he is huge. My brother-in-law has one visiting his feeders that is similar but mine looks quite a bit larger. Not sure what that white splotch on the face is about. Anyone?

If I were forced to place a bet on today's Super Bowl, I'd probably have to take the Pats. I am rooting for the Giants for reasons previously mentioned and think they have a chance if they can keep it close early, The Pats want to get ahead early and coast. They don't want 60 minutes of football. The Giants have a chance because they have a better running game and a better defense. Here's my game plan for the Giants: On defense, keep Moss and Stallworth in front of you and rough them up. Put your best cover guy on Wes Welker. Pass rush, pass rush, pass rush. Get to Brady and put some hits on him. You have to be smart about that, though. The referees are not going to tolerate any cheap shots on the golden boy. If it's close, it will be called. On offense, just move the chains and keep Brady and co on the sidelines. Their defense is not dominant. They have to take chances to get off of the field. There will be opportunities for plays downfield when they do. If they sit back, pound them with Brandon Jacobs. If the Giants can get the Pats into a 60 minute war, they'll win.

It's a CrabAppleLane Upset Special. It says here: Giants 28 - Pats 24

On this Super Sunday, I'll be pulling for my numbers and various contests first, Giants second. I have 4-4 on one pool, Pats 5 - Giants 4 and Pats 2 - Giants 7 on another. Erasers and Ragpickers don't have much chance today in the CrabAppleLane Playoff League. I expect my Erasers will pass my Ragpickers today but both are too far behind to make up ground on the leaders.

One from the backyard on this lovely Super Sunday. Have to work on sharper focus. Still having a lot of trouble with that in some conditions. The poor lighting this morning surely had something to do with the result. Still, it didn't turn out all that bad. Good enough for this place. :)

American Goldfinch and Red-Breasted Nuthatch

Red-Breasted Nuthatches come around CrabAppleLane fairly often but don't go to the feeders much. This was a rare treat. Wish I could have gotten a better shot but this will have to do. That a Goldfinch was there at the same time is lagniappe. I love our backyard. The diversity of wildlife never ceases to amaze me.

About today's QOTD. I don't know where Sabol grew up or what circles he runs in but a lot of people I know say Marciano was the greatest. Larry Holmes got so disgusted hearing it and being compared to him when he was undefeated that when he finally lost and was asked once again about the comparison, he delivered his famous quote: "Rocky Marciano couldn't carry my jockstrap."

Quote of the Day

Rocky Marciano never lost a fight, but I never hear anyone say he's the greatest heavyweight champion of all time.

Steve Sabol, President of NFL Films

Blog of the day here.

Quote from said blog: "They cannot lose, because if they do this magical tale they have weaved like a suit of gold grows tattered and frayed."

A day of running errands is responsible for the lateness of this Sunday entry. Well, that and a good deal of procrastination.

As alluded to Thursday, we have a new stove here at CrabAppleLane. The installation was rained out Thursday and rescheduled for Friday. This one turns on and off by itself. Pretty cool. After watching it most of Saturday, I felt confident enough to leave it on today as we ran errands. When we got back, one of our two indoor cats was sleeping soundly on the chair we leave for them in front of the stove. We'll have to leave two. They don't share well and both love that spot. I still have to mount the thermostat that you see on the floor in the photo below. The ideal spot is on an inside wall. Easier to get to here than other houses but still a pain in the a$$. This will hopefully reduce our propane bill dramatically.

Congratulations to my nephew, Stephen, his wife, Kellie, my sister, Sue, my brother-in-law, Scott, and the entire, rather large extended family on the birth of Barrett Scott this past Friday (January 25, 2008). Everyone is doing fine. Not sure if I like Great Uncle or Grand Uncle better, though. Where did it go? Doesn't seem that long ago that Sue and I were just kids fighting over something.

Clever way for people to see your products.

One from the CrabAppleLane living room on this chilly and damp Sunday. Please excuse the mess.

CrabAppleLane Wood Pellet Stove - January 27, 2008

Quote of the Day

Beautiful roaring scream
Of joy and sorrow
So extreme
There is a love in me raging
Allegria

Allegria, Cirque du Soleil

Blog of the day here.

Quote from said blog: "I’m guessing that 8 year old twins Justin and Jared Serovitch must have been picked on a lot, because necessity is the mother of invention, and these kids invented the wedgie-proof underwear!"

We have a new wood pellet stove coming today if the rain lets up at CrabAppleLane. Not sure why rain has any effect on installation but I'm told it does. Our current wood pellet stove was a victim of the CrabAppleLane Lightning Strike of 2007. The new stove is very similar to our current one but it has 13 years worth of updates and innovations. The newer model has a thermostat so that it comes on automatically. We’ll probably only do that while we’re present until we have some confidence in how it works. It has a larger fuel capacity and it is supposedly easier to clean. Those are big pluses. The two biggest reasons we’re anxious to get this done, though, are 1) it heats our living room perfectly and 2) cost. Wood pellets are much cheaper to burn than propane, particularly when you have to turn the heater on full blast to just barely knock the chill out of the air in the living room. Anyway, this is the model we chose (I think. It's been a month since we chose it). The brass plating of the older model has been replaced by gold plating on the newer one. It shouldn’t pit and discolor as easily. After looking at our last propane bill and draining most of the discretionary income we have for the next few months, it will be a welcome event.

About today's QOTD: It refers to the basketball game that Baylor and Texas A & M played last night that went to five overtimes.

Quote of the Day

I'm tired.

Curtis Jerrells, Baylor University

Blog of the day here.

Quote from said blog: "Are you good at inventing recipes? Are you looking for a place to take your date for Valentine's day? Do you want to enjoy a romantic dinner for two? Do you love using the Greek Gods creamy thick Greek yogurt in your cooking?"