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Vision Update
I was diagnosed with Advanced Macular Degeneration (AMD) more than fifteen years ago. Since then, my vision has slowly deteriorated. I’m not complaining. Without regular eye injections, I’d probably be blind. The injections aren’t as bad as they sound. It’s over in seconds. Numbing drops keep me from feeling anything. The speculum to keep my…
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My Summer Vacation
Public schools here in Athens opened the first week of August. Fall semester at UGA started last week. Where did the summer go? My “What I Did this Summer” essay would be brief and more than a little boring. I didn’t go anywhere or read any good books. I rarely left the house except to…
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Big Momma Molly
My love for black mollies started in grade school when I had to read aloud a short article about them. The accompanying picture of a sail-fin molly is etched in my memory. I’ve wanted the hard-to-find fish ever since. Last year, I finally had the opportunity to order two pairs. I’d registered to be notified…
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Tootsie Turns Two
We’re celebrating Tootsie’s second birthday today. The exact date is unknown. I went with the 9th because the shelter said her monthly flea pill was due on the 9th–a few days after I got her home–and June since she was eight weeks old. We’ve had our challenges. Several months of one-on-one training helped. The trainer…
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My Aquatic Garden
The aquarium runneth over with plants. Earlier this year, I ordered a grower’s choice selection of six varieties. USPS lost the package and customer service didn’t respond, so I ordered from another place. I ended up with the original order, the second order, and a replacement for the first order. All three packages included a…
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My Pot Garden
Quality growing space is in short supply in my little yard. Poor soil and too much or too little sun are the main issues. Container gardening solves both problems. My pots are a bit smaller than the half-whiskey barrels they resemble. After punching drainage holes in the bottoms, I filled all five with assorted bagged…
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Freaky Foxglove
Foxgloves are easily grown from seed and often volunteer in the garden. The tiny seedlings come up quickly and grow fast. I keep them in flats until they’re big enough to plant in the garden. All parts of the plant are toxic. Deer (aka rats with hooves) won’t touch them. They’re a mainstay in a…
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Still Running
MapMyRun says I’ve run more than 3,800 miles since downloading the app in 2012. More than 2,000 of those miles were added in the past 40 months. Retiring made a difference. I ran 572 miles in 2021, a whopping 1013 miles in 2022, 495 miles last year and only 80 miles so far this year.…
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Seed-starting Success
The Spring seed-starting season is over. I’m happy with the results. Lessons learned from previous seasons made a difference. Over-planting has long been a problem. Yeah, I plant too much–that’s just my style. I like mass plantings. Growing too much causes problems. I quickly run out of room under lights and in the coldframe. Planting…
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Fish Keeping, My Way
An employee at a local pet store often shares pictures of her pristine aquariums. They are lovely. She has three rules for success: No livebearers, no live plants, and no lights when she’s not looking at the tank. I’m happy for her, but no thanks. I’ve loved livebearers since grade school–especially guppies and mollies. Even…