Oh Phoo

The internet is my lifeline to the outside world, right up there with the cellphone.  When it goes kaphlooey, there is a moment of panic before depression sets in.  Access was a little wonky yesterday but I was able to baby talk the system and get it to work in the afternoon, but today all that came up was "Page cannot be displayed," and I was dead in the water.  Mario and I spent a good long while this morning as he tweaked this and that and finally got me up and running again.  Ta da!  Don't ask me what went wrong, Mario didn't know either, but one trial after another finally opened the door.

The lawn tractor has been in the infirmary.  It sits there and watches the weeds in the front yard grow higher and higher.  Helper Dude came and pulled the battery to put it on a slow charge.  It should be back today.  Fingers crossed.  It is so frustrating when mechanical things go on strike at the same time.

"I'm helping, Mom!"  Working in the walkway, pulling the last of those weeds (plenty more in other areas), each rootball loosened the soil.  Bessie Anne figured that if I that's what I wanted, she might not know why, but she was going to be mother's little helper and went along, digging shallow holes in the same area and spraying me with showers of dirt.  The weeds are gone, but now the walkway is pockmarked.  Win some, lose some.

In the losing category, I've lost most of the buds and all of the flowers on the Tropicana rose.  The blankety-blank ground squirrels have evidently found a way into the caged area, although I don't see any holes from underneath.  Maybe they're climbing over the top.  To add to my frustration, the little boogers have not touched any of the roses in the pig garden, only my favorite Tropicana right by the front door.  At any rate, the plant and I are devastated.  After checking with my friend Google, today I'm sprinkling the area with cayenne pepper.  Fingers crossed.

Sundown last evening appeared to be hiding behind a gauze scarf.  Ever changing, ever lovely.