Cleaning house with 3 toddlers — or 3 dogs — is nearly impossible. The current cooler weather, (downright cold in my book — 1st morning at 32°!) with warm sunshine exacerbates the challenge. When Merida comes in, Hugo goes out. Hugo beats the door to come in, and Merida goes out. Dharma joins into the rotation about every 3 excursions.
It’s the dog’s couch, not mine.
Hugo has a spot he likes on the couch. It’s the corner so I’m constantly fluffing those pillows because he flattens them. I’ve tried putting throw pillows in that spot to deter him… but that doesn’t work. He scrunches his way up there anyway like it’s his job to mash those pillows until they’re out of shape.
Besides 3 toddlers, I have 2 other children I have to manage.
Mr. Pesky got a new iPhone — newer than my model — and I’m jealous. No way he could set it up by himself or prepare his old one for trade in. Not gonna’ lie, with all the security enhancements and different ecosystems for multiple devices, it’s complicated. I got him all set but figure there will be tweaks required tomorrow. Ms. Pesky is technically challenged also. She always has some TV issue that needs attention.
I tease them and say they need rotary phones and rabbit ears on an old console TV with no remote, but it actually works out pretty good overall. I may be the one that helps with the tech issues, but Mr. Pesky can sharpen a lawn mower blade so sharp that it could slice a hair down the middle. 😉
Time for the ole’ outside boiler to be fired up?
Fluff brought another 5 rick of wood to add to the huge pile out there already and will add another 5 to that next week. That will more than last through the winter, no matter how cold it gets. We had our first big freeze overnight and I’m ready for Perry to fire that thing up! Get ready southern Indiana… the leaves will be turning now!
Now you know: About 30% of people are natural “night owls,” genetically predisposed to peak later in the day.
Forecast tomorrow is for a high that’s right at 20° cooler than today. Our plan is to close the pool for the winter before the rain rolling in later today. It’s not a fun undertaking, but doing it right is important to how it will open come spring next year.
Leaves haven’t changed colors much yet, but they are falling.
Too cold to get in the pool to keep it clean, good ole’ Perry has been tasked with the job. I’m sure he’ll be thrilled once the cover is on and the falling leaves end up on it instead of the water. Doing maintenance on something you can’t enjoy sort of sucks.
One third of the wood for winter has been delivered.
Fluff (I still don’t know dude’s real name), delivered 5 rick of wood this week to go with the either 2 or 3 leftover from last year. I still have 2 more loads — another 10 rick — coming next week. We can’t remember if we got 10 or 12 rick last year, so 15 is safe no matter what winter dumps on southern Indiana this year.
Since I’m not the one that fills the outside wood boiler in all sorts of frigid weather, I’m pretty excited knowing our faucets will soon be shooting out scalding hot water that never gets cold. I’ve heard we might get some flurries by Halloween, but that’s a bit too early, even for me.
Now you know: The first significant snow in Southern Indiana in 2024 was on January 18-19, with a lighter snow occurring earlier in the month on January 5-6. However, the first snowfall of the 2024-2025 winter season arrived on November 21, 2024.
WDRB, (a station local to Kentuckiana), had a video blurb on X (formerly Twitter) about wooly worms and winter weather. They were letting their viewers know that brown wooly worms (even with a bit of black on each end) signal a mild winter. Everything else is bad — unless you like harsh winter weather.
Those mostly black suckers? They’re a warning that we’re in for some severe days throughout the season. The consensus from photos that were sent to the station by viewers say… we’re in for a severe”ish” winter ahead. Who cares that scientists and weather experts say a woolly worm’s coloration is actually determined by its species, age, and diet, not the weather?
We know winter is coming…
Next week we should be around 15° colder during the daytime than what we have now — and persimmons are throwing spoons like it’s their job!
Whatever we get, we get. No amount of brown wooly worms or persimmon seed forks is going to change it. I’m ready for snow! How about you?
Now you know: John Lennon’s killer, Mark David Chapman, has been married to the same woman since before he murdered Lennon. He’s been allowed regular conjugal visits since 2014.
As the crisp bite of autumn settles in (like it has already in southern Indiana), the first frost is right around the corner. That means it’s soon time to bring in your flowers before temperatures dip too low. I got a jump on the overwintering chore.
Most flowers suffer damage when temperatures drop below 32°F, and even a light frost can harm delicate petals. Although there are some tender perennials I wouldn’t mind bringing in, I simply don’t have room with all the dog beds. I focused on potted plants instead.
Give them a drink and find a sunny spot.
Before bringing my plants inside, I gave them all a good watering and let the excess moisture drain off. Experts say this reduces shock and helps them transition indoors. The barndo doesn’t have traditional heating vents that would dry them out, so that’s not a concern for me.
I do need to remember that fewer daylight hours mean slower growth, so I should water sparingly and skip the fertilizer until spring. I don’t need a reminder to rotate pots occasionally to keep growth even, because they start looking rough by January or so.
It’s that open your windows time of year!
In my slice of the world, we’re at that time of year where it gets really chilly at night, but the sun warms up the afternoons to the perfect temperature. I’ve got most of my A/C units turned off and windows open. Fall is WONDERFUL, isn’t it? 🩷
Now you know: Between 10%-15% of married couples reconcile after they separate and about 6% of couples marry each other again after they divorce.
My first car was a VW bug with a 67 engine and 69 body. I thought it was the best thing ever. I remember painting peace signs on the windows. What got me feeling all nostalgic about cars is a text I got from Ben last night about Honda coming out with a Prelude once again for 2026.
I owned a first generation Prelude!
My family was a Honda salesman’s dream. Me, Mom, & my favorite brother, Scott, headed to a Honda dealership on a mission. All 3 of us came home with a new Honda. Mom & I both got silver Honda Accords (mother — why on earth did you put me in a car EXACTLY like yours??), and Scott got a maroon Prelude. I’m not sure on the timing, but Scott wanted something else and the Prelude was like new. My Accord got sold to my aunt Irene and I got the Prelude.
It was an AMAZING car and it had… drum roll please… a sunroof!! ::gasp:: 😮
Dentist selfie with the Mom who no longer drives.
Mom has no reason to drive anymore since she has her very own pesky chauffeur. She certainly could still drive mind you, but insurance companies hate old people drivers. While I love my Mini Cooper convertible and figured it was all I’d need forever, I may just have to trade it for a new Prelude.
What was your first car? Do you remember and does it make you feel all nostalgic?
And finally, after days of rain that we desperately needed, it’s cooled off an actually feels like fall.
Ben and Colette are headed to Disney World without me this time around. It makes me sad, but also happy that they’re able to take advantage of my hard work (accommodations and park tickets) for the Mopar Expo. I’ve been to Disney a gazillion times and the Animal Kingdom resort, where they’ll be staying, is one of the few resorts there I’ve never stayed in. I can’t wait for photos!
Now you know: Titanic victim, Jeremiah Burke, threw a message in a bottle overboard that read, “From Titanic, goodbye all, Burke of Glanmire, Cork”. It washed ashore a year later only a few miles from his family home in Ireland. It then remained in his family for nearly a century before being donated to a museum.
