Notes

The arrival of spring is reminiscent of a train starting out. The engine revs up and a series of "CRASH!" is heard down the length of train cars. Then another series of the same as the slinky rebounds.

Warm. Cold. Rain. Warm. Cold. Rain....

There are several days in the next week forecast to have highs over 50F so it is time to cut scion-wood. I could have cut it earlier but I am running out of time if I want to cut it in its fully-dormant condition.

Time to scatter some red clover and some alfalfa seed in the pasture. And it is past time to de-junk the yard.

Tomato seeds to be planted April 1. Mrs ERJ graciously agreed to let me germinate them in the oven with the light on. That is how we warm bread-dough to get it to rise. Might be a good day to go sucker fishing if the water isn't too high.

Travel

Travel is not my favorite thing. I am a home-body.

I have been informed that I WILL travel down to Miami in the next couple of months and I will help drive a moving truck back up to Michigan.

Southern Belle and Quicksilver will be flying back to Miami to pack up the household and then she and Handsome Hombre will be moving in with us while they look for an apartment or house to rent.

Southern Belle has been an exceptionally easy house-guest. She bought a week's worth of groceries for the month she was here. I noticed inroads in my supply of oatmeal, peanut butter, pancake mix, applesauce and instant coffee, so it is not like she eats "fancy" or expensive.

It is also notable that she washes a sink full of dishes every day.

Stressing about transporting the steer

I am stressing about transporting the steer to the butcher shop. A friend told me about a fellow who rents his out for $50 per 8 hours. I need to catch up with him and put down a deposit to reserve the trailer.

They say a little bit of stress in one's life is a good thing.

Lunch with the high-school buddies

The guys I went to high-school with had their third lunch yesterday. I have attended two of them.

My goal was to keep my mouth shut and avoid talking about politics. I was successful. I ate too much.

I was out-of-the-loop when they were talking about sports-ball and celebrities. Not my thing.

One theme that came up was how some of the late-bloomers had surpassed the fast-burners. Some of the girls who had been invisible in high school had become beautiful and some of the "lookers" in high school had faded.

The same was true for the guys. One of my buddies, who I had last seen as a contractor engineer in San Diego for the Navy had enlisted in the Air Force and become a pilot. Then he went on to Delta and was a commercial pilot. He was offered a retirement at the start of Covid. He looks like somebody Central Casting would send to act the part of Ronald Reagan. Yep, the goofy kid who backed over the family cat in the driveway turned out well.

Beware of women with green hair when it it is not St Paddy's day

One of the guys recently became single and re-entered the dating scene. He entertained us with what it was like "out there". He thought his last date was going well when his date's former girlfriend came over and punched him in his shoulder. It hurt! Guess you gotta be aware that there are switch-hitters out there.