The Itch Adventure

 Several years ago, while on vacation, we purchased an absolute miracle drug.

For bug bites or poison ivy, just a dab on the affected area and the relief is instantaneous.  

The tube is almost empty, so I went on line to order some more.  Amazon listed it, but said  it was out of stock and they had no idea when or if they would get more.  I did find it at Jolly's Pharmacy on the Caribbean island of Dominica.  It was cheap - $3 something a tube - but DHS delivery was $27 and change. Since I hadn't been able to find the stuff anywhere else, I ordered it.

Yesterday, I got an email from DHS saying I would need proof of a doctor's prescription to get the delivery through customs.  I replied that it was an over-the-counter topical ointment and no prescription should be required, but I haven't heard back from them yet.

This morning, I did an internet search for diphenylhydramine hydrocloride, the active ingredient, and was amazed to learn that our miracle medicine was a generic form of ---

I ordered some from Amazon, so we will get some anti-itch ointment one way or another.

Editors note- If you look carefully, you'll see the QC picture I posted says "compare to Benadryl" on the box, but it doesn't say that anywhere on the tube.  

Sweet Toothed Squirrel

 We have about a gazillion squirrels here at the Boggy Thicket, and, once I was able to install a functioning squirrel excluder on the bird feeder, we have enjoyed them almost as much as we enjoy watching the birds.

Until yesterday.

Until yesterday, the squirrels had never bothered the hummingbird feeders.  Then yesterday afternoon I found a hummingbird feeder on the ground with chew marks all over it.  I suspected a squirrel.  The only thing other than hummingbirds that had ever bothered the feeders was a raccoon, but they only came at night and they didn't chew the plastic.

Then this morning, I caught a squirrel in the act.  I yelled at him, and when he jumped, he sent the feeder crashing to the ground.

Two feeders in less than 24 hours.  We obviously had a squirrel who had developed a taste for nectar, and wasn't going to stop.

I went in and loaded my 410, came back out and waited.  It wasn't more than 10 minutes before he came back again.

He won't be doing that anymore.

Try, Try Again

 As I reported on April 14th , our resident Cardinals lost their hatchlings to a Chicken Snake.

Yesterday, I saw them at the bird feeder and Fred was feeding Ethel. She is perfectly capable of feeding herself, but she was sitting on the hanger while he dropped down to the feeder, got a mouthful of seeds and flew back up to give them to her,

  That's classic courting behavior, so it's a good bet they are about to try again.

Dad Joke?

 What's the difference between a poorly dressed man on a tricycle and a well dressed man on a bicycle?

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Attire.

Windows Fail

 For the last week, Windows has been telling me that it needs to update, but every time I try it fails.  

This morning, the update went to 98% before I got this screen...

The "undoing changes" process takes even longer than the update attempt.  The whole thing wasted about an hour.

At least, when it was over my computer was back to normal.

Spotty

Yesterday I spotted an albino Dalmatian. 

 Seemed like the least I could do.

Mother Nature Can Be Cruel

 As I mentioned two weeks ago, Honey and I have been watching the progress of our resident Cardinals and their latest batch of offspring.

This morning, we came home to find the three hatchlings gone and the nest occupied by a big Chicken Snake!

The snake was just doing what snakes are designed to do, but I dispatched him to see his maker without the slightest glimmer of guilt.

Free Knowledge

 I make it a point to try to learn something new every day - one new thing.  

Of course I set out twelve years ago to post something to this blog every day, too.  Neither one of those has been totally successful, but the intention is there, and it is a righteous plan.

Yesterday, for example - I learned that if you're going to face-plant on the concrete floor of the garage, holding a four-way lug wrench in your hand does nothing to cushion the fall.

On second thought, I probably could have figured that out without the demonstration.

Stimulus

 When we received our stimulus check, nobody - not the US government, and certainly not us - anticipated that we would be using the money to stimulate the flow of crap, but that's what happened.

As I reported a couple weeks ago HERE we have been dealing with sewer issues.  Replacing the compressed pipes did not solve the problem.

We finally got a surveyor's transit and determined that the pipe at the house was 4 1/2 inches lower than the pipe as it entered the septic tank.  I don't know if the house settled or the tank raised but the effect is the same - sewage does not flow uphill!

The solution - a Zoellar lift station - a tank with an automatic pump that sends the effluent to the septic tank at a maximum rate of over 7,000 gallons per hour.  It has been working for almost a week now, and so far so good.

Had To Happen

 

Day After Easter

 

You haven’t lived until you've tried

Easter Bunny - Chicken Fried

With biscuits and a batch of greens

A scoop or two of pinto beans

And Devilled eggs served on the side

Gi-normous

 

I have no idea how long an Amaryllis plant can live, but we have a couple that were moved from our in-law's home to ours over forty years ago.  They bloom most years, but this year they have outdone themselves.

I don't know if the hard freeze gave them a boost, but this years blooms are humongous, easily seven inches across.

Home Makers

Do you see her?  

Just above dead center in the photo, Ethel, our resident Cardinal mom is sitting on their new nest. 

For the past few years, we have enjoyed watching a pair of Cardinals that we named Fred and Ethel raise their babies every spring. 

The hard freeze this year caused the Azaleas in the front yard to lose all their leaves, so they moved to the back yard and built a new nest in the Dwarf Gardenias along the back of the garage.

Once she moved into the nest, Ethel only leaves for a few minutes once or twice a day. I caught her eating once and peeked at the nest - she had three eggs, light turquoise with brown spots.