A look at my frog collectibles as I get them and my wacky world in the meantime.
Here's the Frog Wrangler in action - although I think she's probably saying "You want me to wrangler that?" She's had a couple good weeks and is looking forward to the long weekend as much as I am - so have a good Labor Day and we'll see you all back here Tuesday.
I can't even tell you how happy it made me last night to go around and open he windows and turn on the ceiling fans and as a friend would say "air out the farts." Nice fresh, cool air. The temps at bed time had already dropped into the 60's. I spent a bit of time yesterday in the dog hair war - it's a quagmire I tell you! This morning all the areas that I vacuumed yesterday have dog hair on them today. The Frog Wrangler looks at me as if to say "Nice try." I made deep-fried cauliflower last night - yum! So we're going into the holiday weekend and like many of you I'm going to take the long weekend off. The Frog Wrangler will have her post this afternoon, then we'll be off until Tuesday. So without further ado, on to today's frog......
Did you miss me yesterday? It took me most of the day just to make it out of bed. Even then it was only by hanging on my walker for dear life. Such is the joy of sacroiliitis - every morning is like a craps shoot, and yesterday I came up snake-eyes. So I hope you don't mind that I took yesterday to try and put my back in order. Things are still very sore today and I'm afraid that I may be in another flare-up, which means 3 more weeks of fun..... Ah well, glad to be back with all of you here - so let's get on to today's frog......
It was nice and cool again this morning - but only for a short time - we're heading back up to 100 degrees today. Ugh! This has been one hot summer here at Frog Central. Watched the news this morning with all the fires going on in Greece. They haven't had rain there since April. Wow! Thankfully a number of European countries banded together to help them fight the fires. Living with Ed was on Sunday night and a repeat episode last night on HGTV - I highly recommend this show and his website. Sunday night he showed some small things that you can do around the house that are a minimal cost and bring a big return. Of course the biggest is compact florescent light bulbs - CFL's - and Walmart is having a special again of 3 bulbs for about 8 bucks.
I'm sore from one end to the other. I spent 3 1/2 hours yesterday at Walmart grocery shopping - and saved $30 by using coupons - and filled my pantry. The Frog Wrangler was really happy too because I filled up her treat cabinet. I gave her a busy bone teeth cleaner and she proudly carried it around the house for a couple of hours - hiding and re-hiding it several times before finally settling down to actually chew on it. All the while her tail was wagging a mile a minute. She certainly took today's frog to heart......
The Frog Wrangler knows that something is up today. I was up early, got all my coupons ready, double-checked my shopping list and am awaiting the arrival of a taxi. I'm spending the day at Walmart! lol I've got a list a mile long and a ton of coupons - I'll let you know how I make out tomorrow with savings. The temperatures have finally broken here - it's only supposed to be in the 80's today. We're heading back into a foray of 90's, but only for a short period (keep your fingers crossed). I watched Graham Norton last night on television - he is hysterical. Other than that, there was a hundred plus channels of crap. I've been seeing the ads for the new survivor season, that looks really interesting. I got the new wheels for the walker yesterday! I can't tell you how happy I am. I no longer feel like I'm going down a concrete road with it's rhythmic thumping - I'm riding as smooth as blacktop!
It was a rough evening here at Frog Central - lots of thunder and lightning. Television was murder to watch because they kept interrupting with watches and warnings. Thankfully we didn't get the worst of it. A lot of southern Illinois is without power today and there was quite a bit of damage done. Things quited down here pretty quickly and we ended up having a gentle rain through the night. It was much needed and I hope we get some more. And thankfully the temps have moderated by about 15 degrees. It's not a lot of relief, but I'll take it. On to today's frog......
The Frog Wrangler is not having a good morning, so that means I'm not having a good morning. She brought her toys to me yesterday and we actually played quite a bit for her - then she plopped over in the middle of the hallway and couldn't be moved because she was so exhausted. So I think today the Wrangler is just feeling her age a bit and is giving me heck for it! I watched Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert as usual last night but I'm already lamenting their vacation for the next two weeks. Looks like I'll be early to bed and well rested - for the next two weeks at least. The heat here continues unabated - at first they said relief on Saturday, now they're saying maybe this next Thursday. Going to 105 again today - meanwhile everyone I know on the east coast is telling me their bundling up in jackets to go outside. Crazy!
Another day in the oven - supposed to be about 105 today. It'd be alright being stuck inside all day if there was something halfway decent to watch on television. So I've been getting odds and ends done around the house. Funny how it still seems to be a mess though! lol That's the thing with a small place - one or two things out of place can make it look messy. Not much is on the schedule for today - I'm actually starting to get a little cabin fever but hopefully things will look better next week.
At midnight last night it was 90 degrees here at Frog Central. I'm spending all day these days going around cleaning up dog hair. The Frog Wrangler has continued to shed in large clumps. Even daily brushing does not get all of it! The heat wave is expected to finally break by Saturday, bringing temperatures back down into the 80's. That will be a relief. In the meantime the frogs and I just have to dream of snow and building a snowman.
I'm way early this morning! I woke up about 4 this morning and couldn't get back to sleep, so much to the dismay of the Frog Wrangler I got up. Of course, about 1 this afternoon I'll probably be sound asleep taking a nap. Rain has been falling in Oklahoma and Minnesota, but none has fallen here. And the prospects for the rest of the month is not good either. My lawn now looks as good as my neighbors - brown. As those who read this blog often know, I love to watch the birds first thing in the morning. This morning there were about a dozen doves picking through the lawn - eating crickets, I hope. They did not seem upset or scared by my presence at all, just intent on their morning meal.
It tired me all out to take a break yesterday! LOL The Frog Wrangler woke me up at 6:30 this morning and after doing some bills and paperwork I decided I couldn't keep my eyes open another minute and laid down for an hour. Now I'm revved up and ready to go. I've got a taxi coming in a half hour to run a couple errands. So I guess we better get on to today's frog.....
Sunday morning and the Frog Wrangler and I just woke up! It's nice to sleep in a bit. I think today is just going to be one of those lazy days - everyone needs one of those from time to time. The nights have cooled a bit and it's been nice to open a window and get some fresh air circulating through the house. Another month and I hope to have them open all the time. I'm off to read the Sunday paper - enjoy today's frog....
Finally a cool morning. I've got a couple windows open getting some fresh air in the house before it starts heating up again. It's not supposed to be quite as hot today - but high 80's and low 90's are still air conditioning weather in my book. Almost finished with my latest writing project and already thinking of the next project to tackle. I ran the vacuum cleaner yesterday and this morning it needs it again. The amount of hair that one dog can shed is amazing!
Until this afternoon I would have said that the Frog Wrangler had a bad week. She had spent most of the week with a stomach ache and just wanted to be held. After being sick a couple days ago she spent most of her days sleeping. But this afternoon she did something she hasn't done in about a month. She brought me one of her toys and wanted to play for a little bit. So a little tug of war and one round of catch and then she laid down and as she drifted off to sleep her tail was wagging and thumping on the floor. It lifted my spirits. I know that as she celebrates her 14th birthday this month that every day is an extra added bonus to enjoy.
I feel like a broken record some days when it comes to this heat. The news this morning said that 37 people have now died because of it. I woke up in the night and couldn't sleep so much to the Frog Wranglers dismay I went to the living room to watch a little television and it was wall to wall coverage of another collapse in the Utah mine, killing 3 of the rescuers. With that depressing news I went back to bed and it seemed like I just laid down when I heard the Wrangler next to the bed whining at me to get up and take her out. Then it was retreat to the basement where it's nice and cool and do some wash. On to today's frog.....
I am exhausted today! The heat is continuing - hotter today - up to 108 today. To paraphrase a writer in out local paper it's time to sit in front of a fan and play strip poker - alone - and lose - on purpose! LOL I'm left wondering where all those pundits stand when last winter whenever a snow storm hit they ran out screaming to anyone who would listen that it was proof that global warming was a hoax. They don't seem to have anything to say now that almost every heat record here in the mid-west is being shattered. I'm too tired - on to today's frog.....
The oppressive heat is just getting to me. I want to open the windows and get some nice fresh air circulating through the house. Last night I sat next to the picture window with my light on doing some reading and I kept hearing something hitting the window - and it was really beginning to freak me out. So I took the Frog Wrangler out and watched some of the biggest bugs I'd ever seen fly into the window to get at the light - YUCK! The Frog Wrangler, who had been sick, finally got whatever was bothering her out of her system - literally. I really need to get a shampoo machine for the carpets! She's been resting comfortably since then, spending a lot of time napping. So the temps today are headed back over 100 - I think I may need to have a fund raiser to pay my electric bill!
It's been a late morning today. I was up at 6 this morning and after the Frog Wrangler went out we about raced each other back to bed. It was just one of those morning were more sleep was needed. The heat here continues and probably will through the rest of this week. Forecast high today is 103 today. It's a shame that 6 people here in southern Illinois have died because of the heat. Most of them were elderly who didn't want to turn on their air conditioning because they didn't think they could afford it.
The Frog Wrangler woke me up at 4:30 this morning whining at the top of her lungs. After I about scraped myself off the ceiling to find out what the problem was - nothing that I could see - we both settled back down. An hour later I was awoken by the house shaking violently - and again I about had to scrape myself off the ceiling - I realized that we were in the midst of a nasty thunderstorm. And there in the flashes of light I saw the Frog Wrangler standing at the end of the bed and you just knew what she was thinking - "Told you."
The Frog Wrangler and I have been up since early this morning so I'm actually sitting down to blog a bit early today. The temps here at Frog Central are going to be much cooler today - only 98 degrees is forecast. And that's the coolest temp listed for the next 5 days - heading into the low 100's the rest of the days. In this heat I'm not all that interested in cooking, but yesterday I made some fried eggplant. I haven't had it in what seems forever and oh boy was it tasty.
The oppressive heat has dissipated a bit - at least during the overnight hours. So last night I went to open some windows only to be met with the sweet scent of the neighborhood skunk! So down went the windows. It was still good sleeping weather and I was shocked to roll over thinking I had been asleep for about a half hour only to find that it was just after 6 a.m. and the Frog Wrangler was standing next to the bed watching me in anticipation of going out. So as much as I wanted to just bury my head under the covers, once the eyes have opened and the Wrangler has seen it, you're getting up - one way or another. Well I guess since I'm up I should really get busy doing some chores......
Almost midnight - just making it in under the wire! The Frog Wrangler has been sick the last two days and so Ida will step in for this week. This is AB's newest dog - Ida. Ida loves to hop into the bath tub to sleep, but for a little dog, that's a big house. So she climbed onto the edge of the tub and jumped up onto the sink, pulled in a hand towel and made herself a nice bed to sleep in! An awful lot of work for a nap the Frog Wrangler would say, but Ida is just a young pup and full of energy. The Frog Wrangler will hopefully be back this next week, ready to take back her duties. Until then........
Yesterday was Miracle Network Day at DQ. Since I had to get my prescriptions refilled and the DQ was on the way home I asked the cab driver to make a pit stop - and since it was for charity he bought a Blizzard treat too. Either today or tomorrow I'm going to have to get another cab to head out to Walmart and do some much needed shopping (the cupboards are bare - and I'm down to the Frog Wrangler's last treat and that will never do!!). I'm beginning to feel like I'm in a city with taking a cab everywhere. Unfortunately here you have to call and schedule a pick-up, you just can't step to the curb and hail one.
It's a shame to hear that the heat has been claiming victims here in Southern Illinois. Apparently we even made the national news this morning. In January the electric companies here in Illinois were de-regulated which caused electric bill to double and triple. A lot of the elderly and those on a fixed income are not turning on their air conditioners because they fear they won't be able to afford the bill. That is an outrage. Thankfully, the area I live in is a co-op for electric and the town owns all the utilities, thus the electric rate spike didn't affect me. Do try to keep cool out there and head to cooling centers if you don't have air conditioning. Here at Frog Central the heat index will be 110 before noon - you know it will only get hotter from there.
Another day with heat advisories - up to 110 heat index today. Even with the air conditioning running yesterday afternoon it seemed oppressive. The crickets were chirping loudly most of the night and it was driving me crazy - then I realized that they were so loud was because one was in the basement. I bet he was egging the others on to come join him. Little do they know they're coming into Frog Central....... Lunch anyone!
Late posting is becoming my new norm, isn't it? I decided this morning, needing groceries, that I'd walk to the nearest store - some 6 to 8 blocks away. So about 6 this morning I started out. Unfortunately it was already in the 80's. But my walker has a seat in it so I'd walk a bit and then sit down for a bit. Two blocks later, feeling the effects of the heat already I decided to turn around come back. So a lot of hydration later I think I'm alright. It's supposed to be 105 here today and I'd bet it was darn close to that by the time I got back! I don't know how people do it who have to work out in this heat all the time. My hats off to them!
I'm very late this morning! As long as I'm housebound for now, I decided I should get caught up on some chores - first on the list is laundry. I'll probably be in the basement for the rest of the month! LOL Frog Central is in the midst of a heat wave - there are heat watches and warnings all day long on television. The temperature is expected to hit somewhere around 104 today. And it's only supposed to get worse as the week goes along. If you don't have any out, now is a good time to have your toad abodes out for your hoppy friends.
Yesterday turned out to be a disaster. I headed out in 100 plus degree weather to go to the bank, put gas in the car, and then to the barbecue. I pulled up to the gas pump - spent a small fortune - and hopped in ready to head off to the barbecue only to find that the transmission went on the car. I was able to get it into gear and get it home at about 5 miles an hour. So today's barbecue is definitely out of the question! as are a lot of things planned for this next week. I'm afraid it's going to be taxi time for a while.
It is hot here at Frog Central - over 80 degrees most of the night and zooming to over 100 today. I'm running out for just a bit this morning because it is barbecue weekend! Today's is in support of a local youth group - tomorrow's is in support of the local emergency workers. If it wasn't so hot I'd head down the road about 20 miles where they are having a town-wide barbecue contest. Now that sounds like fun!
The Frog Wrangler has had a tough week - mostly because of the heat. She's taking shorter breaks outside - a quick go and get back inside near the air conditioning. Every time the air cycles off she lifts her head and looks at me as to say "Where the heck did it go?!"
Today's frog is not part of my collection - my camera batteries died and the back-up batteries seem to be dead too - so they're all getting a recharge and won't be ready to late this afternoon. But the show must go on! as the saying goes. The Frog Wrangler was playing lawn mower all day yesterday, which is a polite way to say she had an upset stomach. So not much gets done when you have a 60 pound lap dog. I don't mind. If it makes her feel better than I guess I've done a good job for the day. With it being the first week of the month I had to sit down and write out all the bills. A couple months ago I bought an HP Deskjet 1400 series printer and I can't say enough good things about it - I needed a copy, one of it's features and voila! No running to the post office to get one of their lousy, poor quality copies.
Another hot day here at Frog Central - mid to upper 90's. Of course the big story of the day is the bridge collapse that happened last night in Minnesota. Amazing stories of survival but I'm afraid today will bring a lot of tragic ones as well. The Frog Wrangler is going through a major shedding. It's amazing how much hair comes of her and it leaves wondering sometimes how she has any fur left on her! She loves getting brushed and that takes some of it up, but she'll lay on the floor and stand up, walk away, leaving an outline of where she was! It gives me and the vacuum a workout.
The first of August - this summer is flying! It was a bit cooler overnight last night here at Frog Central, but the temps are heading back into the mid-90's. The hibiscus hedge is really in full bloom now and it was nice to sit and watch the wildlife playing in and around the bushes for a bit this morning. Along with a number of cardinals, mourning doves, and the white squirrel that were in abundance this morning, the last couple of days has brought a large number of butterflies - they look like the Monarch butterfly, but I understand there are a number of species that look close, so I wouldn't say for sure. It's definitely one of the advantages of living in a small town.
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Number of frogs showcased from my collection as of 3/1/10: 1,434
