Memorial Day

Sprogz - Croaker Fi
Originally uploaded by KenCalvino

Hope that you are having a good weekend, enjoying the parades and barbecue. Remember to take a minute to remember our troops. As this Sprogz would say - Croaker Fi.

Weekend Dog Blogging

Gertie
Originally uploaded by KenCalvino

One thing I forgot about taking the high blood pressure pills is that they make you tinkle - all night long I was running to the bathroom! I took the pill extra early this morning so hopefully it won't affect me tonight. Today was the first day I was able to finally take one of my pain killers after a week. It will take a couple days to build it back up in my system, but I already able to get around a bit better. At least I'm not screaming with every step I take - that's a definite improvement.

So I was telling Gertie a scary story - she was all like "and then what happened?" LOL Actally, she had jumped onto my lap when Petey the bird decided to hang upside down on her perch and fan her wings out. That freaks Gertie out every time she does it and I am beginning to think the bird does it on purpose!

What a week

Thanks for sticking with me. As you may know, this last week has been a tough one for me. Yesterday morning I went to the doctor's office. Good thing - my blood pressure was through the roof. I was nervous when they took me off the BP medicine last year but was surprised when it remained low from check-up to check-up. Not this time though - so I'm back on medication and hopefully all will be well soon. The doc also renewed my pain prescriptions so I really will be my old self soon. Such is the fun of arthritis.

It was so hot here yesterday and being outside for just a little bit really took it out of me and I laid down for a quick nap - and woke up three hours later. I'm beginning to nap like Gertie! I've got some cute pictures of her - I'll load one up over the weekend.

In the meantime - have a good safe holiday and we'll be back to a couple new frogs next week!

Hazy, Hot, and Humid

The temps yesterday and today have soared into the 90's. A bit too quick of a rise for me. The air conditioning is working overtime but it's nice and cool in the house. I've been spending my time working on my genealogy project. It's amazing how quickly it eats up the hours. I've found a lot of information and it's been quite interesting reading newspaper accounts and such.

Gertie, with her black coat, has decided that being outside in this weather is no fun at all. She wants to stay out there and chase after the squirrels and birds. Especially the birds. There are a whole new crop of little baby birds hopping all over the yard and only flying when they have to - and a dog chasing them is a clear have to. Gertie gets a good chase back from mommy birds who do not approve of this game at all.

I can't wait until Thursday morning when I have my doctor's appointment and hopefully a trip right afterwards to CVS to have a prescription filled. In the meantime, I think I need an afternoon nap.....

Saturday Warm Up

Things got considerably warmer here at Frog Central today - the high 80's and tomorrow it's supposed to hit 90! All the wet weather we've had over the last week has made it really steamy to boot. Thankfully the house was cool for the majority of the day without turning on the AC - tomorrow I won't be so lucky. My lawn guy showed up today and now things look good for the Memorial Weekend coming up. I wish I could get outside and do a little work in the flower beds - quite a bit of weeding needs to be done, but I don't think I'll be doing much before Thursday, when I go to the doctor's office. I don't know if there is anything they can do for this kneee, but I think I should have it looked at.

Friday Night Post

There has now been a solid week of rain here at Frog Central and it's playing havoc with all my joints. I awoke this morning to my right knee swollen beyond belief. It wasn't until I tried to stand up that the true pain of the situation started. I've had quite a few little screams today as I've tried to make it around the house. I had to go the pharmacy to pick up my vitamin D and I began to wonder if I'd make it back into the house. I can't lift my right foot at all without excrutiating pain, so I ended up dragging it along. Grandma used to say if you get old, don't get arthritis - I wish I'd listened to her.....lol

A Trip to the Vet's Office

Gertie was so excited that I was heading outside with her - she follows right along in heel position nicely. That excitement faded to sheer terror when I opened the car door. I guess she's still traumatized from the car ride to the east coast and back. When Gertie gets scared she starts shaking like a leaf. By the time we made the 2 mile trek to the vet's office I swore that the cars behind me were following to be sure that a dog with seizures was alright. We were like a soap opera with our antics. I guess they felt as long as I was at the vet's office they could go on by and hope for the best. Gertie's anxiety reached new levels when we went through the door of the vet's. That's when she became a permanent adornment to my chest - a really large nipple ring, and I can only imagine as sore as she was also getting her nails trimmed but which hadn't happened yet. Who knew rib bones could do the job! We finally made it into the little room with the metal table and she had her yearly shots, weighed in at 19 1/2 pounds (Mom was right - she has grown quite a bit this last year), and then came the nail trimming. At this point Gertie felt she could escape by climbing down my shirt. What I didn't expect was the vet to go right down my shirt after her! After a few minutes of a routine straight out of three stooges, we were finally finished and the vet and I were only mildly bloodied. He a bit more mildly than me if I might say so. The visit was over and it was back into the car for the ride home. Of course this time people following me over a convulsing dog probably thought I was the meanest ever when I turned into my driveway and wasn't rushing the other direction to the vet's office. Gertie jumped out of the car, gave me a little dirty look, and romped around the yard like nothing had just happened. I came inside licked my wounds and took a nap - I was exhausted.

Frog of the Day

Toad Riders - Hoppy Rider
Originally uploaded by KenCalvino

It's been a cool couple of days - last night I even turned the heat back on for a bit. I didn't want to get out from under the covers this morning and put my feet on the cold floor - but when Gertie has to go, it's time to get up. Gertie has to go to the vet's this afternoon to get her yearly shots - hard to believe she's been here for over a year already.

This frog collectible is another in the line of the Toad Riders Collection from Hamilton. This one is called Hoppy Rider. A red leather jacket covered with hearts compliments those pik sun glasses. The bike is green with pink hearts and he's wearing a bandana that is coordinating. This frog has heart! I received this February 2010. It is the 5th piece of this collection. They are limited edition pieces that are numbered. This piece is number 286.

Weekend Dog Blogging

Gertie
Originally uploaded by KenCalvino

It's been a really cool weekend here at Frog Central. I opened the window for just a little bit this afternoon so that Gertie could watch the neighbors, squirrels, and birds. She's sitting on top of a couple mailing boxes that put her right at the correct hieght to lay her head on the window sill and fall asleep while watching.

Frog of the Day

Hamilton - Frog Wild
Originally uploaded by KenCalvino

I couldn't believe it when I woke up to a little cooler morning and it's supposed to stay that way through the weekend. I threw the windows open and am enjoying a nice breeze blowing through the house. I love the air conditioner when it gets too hot, but when I can I so enjoy the fresh air. This weekend is going to be a busy one here in Tidy Town - they have the Spring Celebration, Car Show, and the Motorcycle Poker Run going on. I'm not going downtown for anything - well, you really can't because they close all the street in downtown for the Spring Celebration. They fill the streets up with carnival rides and street vendors. Add to this about one hundred motor heads and their cars, and several hundred tough guys dressed in leather on their Harley's - and the family friendly kind of loses its meaning.....

This frog will fit right in this weekend - he's gone Frog Wild. That the name of this piece - Frog Wild . It's from Hamilton Collection and is another in the line of Toad Riders. His green bike has flames painted on it. He has his shaedes and a red, white and blue bandana on his head. He's surely ready to ride! I received this January 2010.

Summer is here

The weather has made quite a change the last couple of days. Last night the temperature did not dip below 70 degrees. Today it shot up to 84. I finally had to turn the air on this afternoon to cool it down a bit. It didn't help that I had to go to Walmart for dog food and a few necessities. I was drenched in sweat by the time I got back. I was ready to take another shower. Even Gertie has noticed the change. She runs out, does her business and right back in - no taking time to explore or watch for squirrels. I do have to say the air conditioning feels so good. If it wasn't so late in the day I'd take a nap. Instead I think I'll spend a little more time with my genealogy research. Hope your day is going as well.

Frog of the Day

Hamilton - Fly Rider
Originally uploaded by KenCalvino

I'm upright and feeling a bit better this morning. Still a bit queasy, so I think I'll stay away from food today. It's been raining here for a couple of days now. The thunder and lightning doesn't seem to happen during the day though - only at night. There were a couple especially loud rumbles that shook the house last night and woke me up. One streak of lightning lit up the whole room like daylight and the crack of thunder was enough to make both Gertie and I jump.

This frog collectible is another from Hamilton Collection's Toad Rider Collection. It is called Fly Rider. A very earth friendly cycle with a map of the world painted on the bike - this frog's been everywhere! And as for those bugs in the teeth - fantastic! These pieces are limited edition and numbered - the number on my piece is 122. I received this January 2010.

Spring Fever

Or some kind of fever. I woke up yesterday morning feeling like I had been hit by a truck. I was sore head to toe - and it took me almost half an hour to get to a sitting position. I couldn't wait to let Gertie out and get right back to bed. This morning I felt a little better and so ate a light breakfast. Then I felt a lot worse. Immodium is a wonderful thing. Anyway, I'm going back to bed to rest. Maybe I'll be up to a new frog tomorrow.

Weekend Dog Blogging

Gertie
Originally uploaded by KenCalvino

Gertie is a little miffed today - I brought out the vaccuum cleaner. It's her really bad habit that I'm trying to break her of - biting the vaccuum cleaner when it's running. By the time I was finished I don't know who was more flustered - her or me. She won't have to worry about it for a while - I had to order new filters today and it will take about 10 days for them to get here.

She brightened up when the rack of ribs came out of the oven. A small bone with a bit of meat and then it was nap time for sure. It turned pretty cold here so I had to turn the heat back on for the weekend. Day time temps are only in the 50's - brrr!

Today was the day the post office was picking up food for the local food pantry. I cleaned out a lot of my canned soups and some odds and ends. Every little bit helps.

Now back to genealogy research - it really is fascinating.

Tidy Town Strikes Back

The Tidy Town Inspector showed up my door yesterday to let me know that my lawn was out of compliance and that I had 24 hours to get into compliance or be fined $500.00 per day for every day I was out of compliance. Well didn't that just make my day. First off, I walk with a walker - so I hire my lawn done. Secondly, my lawn was scheduled to be done this last weekend. If you've seen the national news - this area got about a foot of rain over the weekend. My lawn guy had already been by to see if it was dry enough to this weekend. The inspector didn't really care and issued me a warning letter. So last night, in the dark, my lawn got mowed. And I hope it pissed off whichever neighbor was kind enough to turn me in.

My big worry is these small town blow-hards. Now he has me in his sights he'll probably be here all the time for one complaint or another. I don't drink, but I think I need a beer.....

Frog of the Day

Hamilton - Live Free, Hop Hard
Originally uploaded by KenCalvino

Yesterday it got a bit warm here at Frog Central - and the humidity is sky high. I could hardly wait for the sun to go down so I could open up the windows. It took all night but it's nice and cool in here now - of course by this afternoon the air conditioner will probably be on - we are supposed to be up to 86 degrees today. That's just a bit too warm for me. This morning I finally broke down and put an order in for my multivitamins. I hate taking them because I gag - they are just too big. Even the new small size ones. I finally decided to switch to chewable - Centrum has com out with one and that's the brand I use. I don't imagine it has all the stuff the other ones have but hopefully it will be enough.

This frog collectible is another in the Hamilton Collection's Toad Rider Collection. It is called Live Free, Hop Hard. I love the skulls on the bike and his muscle shirt, the mohawk, dark sunglasses, and red bandana tied to his arm - you just know he indeed is a frog who Lives Free and Hops Hard. I received this January 2010. It comes with a certificate of authenticity and is numbered. This piece is number 550.

Frog of the Day

Toad Riders - Chrome Croaker
Originally uploaded by KenCalvino

Computers can be so frustrating. I spent all morning trying to get my pictures to upload. Yesterday Norton Utilities updated and then my computer didn't work properly. Removing Norton didn't help either. Finally I realized I had a port on the front of the computer that I could slide my camera's disk into - and that worked. Ah well, the things I do for my frogs.....

To top it off I woke up this morning with my eyes swollen, nose stuffed up, and feeling like I had been hit by a Mack truck - twice. I think I subconsciously new I was getting sick because last night before I went to bed I pulled out of the freezer a container of some homemade soup.

I saved the best frog collectibles that I received in January for the last. This frog collectible is from Hamilton Collection and is part of the Toad Riders Collection. This rider is called Chrome Croaker. It comes with a Certificate of Authenticity. This is sculpture number 0431. These pieces are really neat. I can't say that I like the stand that comes with it - it make the piece too easy to tip over. The piece has a hang tag attached to it that also has the sculpture number on it as well as the Made in China label. A really great addition to the collection - more of this series still to come.

Bad Weather in the Mid-West

It's been a couple bad days weather-wise here at Frog Central. Friday and Saturday you could watch the lightning streak by the windows. That's something that I first witnessed when I moved to this area and something that I still can't get used to. The flatness of the land lends I guess lends to this phenomena. One strike hit a neighbors tree and split it right in two. Of course the power went out right after the first few lightning strikes happened and was out for the most of Friday night and Saturday morning.

Friday night I'm sitting there with a candle lit, playing with Gertie and listening to the water hit the roof. All the water made me realize I was thirsty and I only a swallow of water in my glass. I figured it would be enough, as my grandmother would say, to wet my whistle. Nope. Only made me thirstier. Especially since the filtered cold water was located in the fridge and I didn't want to open the door with the power off. I finally gave in and poured myself a nice big glass and I have to tell you it was just what the doctor ordered. It really hit the spot. The rain continued on into the night and I went to bed about 11:00 p.m. with Gertie curled up at my feet. About 2:00 a.m. I woke up to hear the continued sound of the rain on the roof. Now all that water sound had a completely different effect. So I trudged the bathroom by the light of the lightning.

Gertie is not afraid of the thunder - thank goodness. A couple of the bigger booms absolutely rocked the house and she raised her head and gave a little growl, otherwise she was content to just lay at the foot of the bed.

Today the rain has stopped for the moment but we are still under flash flood and severe weather warnings. The will continue through tomorrow. Thankfully we didn't get the hail - some was up to half dollar size just south of here. Today, I'm going to enjoy the peace and quiet.....