68°F and clear skies this morning, going up to 94° today. Will break the old record of 93° if it gets there. Storms expected Tuesday and Wednesday, and will cool back to the 80s for a few days. As usual, it seems we got our typical 2-1/2 days of Spring, then launched directly into Summer.
Got a lot of little things knocked off the honey-do list this weekend. One was cutting up the old outside handrail into manageable size pieces. Turns out, her grandfather welded it together out of solid 1-1/2" bar stock.
No wonder it was so freaking heavy. Chewed through three cutting wheels with the 4-1/2" grinder, and still have one more piece I want to cut off tonight. Told The Wife we wouldn't be throwing that stuff away. Moved a bunch of lilies as well, which now line the driveway where it turns around the back of the house
Didn't see many snakes last year around our place. Saw three of them Saturday, all Prairie King Snakes, all young. Wife killed one of them when she found it caught in the straw blanket netting in the lower yard. A shame to have to kill good snakes. She didn't seem as disappointed in it, though. She doesn't like them at all.
Wood bees seem to be trying to take over the barn again this year. Did some research online yesterday, and found some bee traps that look easy enough to make. Going to give that a try this year. Chemicals don't seem to be keeping them out.
Both of The Wife's boys made her cry yesterday. The one in Texas sent her the sweetest text message early in the morning. Even the youngest left her flowers and a card on the kitchen table when he came in early in the wee hours ... very unexpected from him. I was teasing her about what sh***y kids she has to make her cry on Mother's Day. She also got a dozen cupcakes with rose icing arranged to look like a dozen roses (backup plan, just in case). She was happy.
Best wishes for the healing process, RS.
Speaking of which ... my friend found out over the weekend that his mystery illness turns out to be a severe case of salmonella. Hit him about a week and a half after he returned from a trip to Puerto Vallarta. Back tracking has them guessing that he caught it from some grilled chicken he ate the last day there, which no one else in their group ate. Note to self: avoid the chicken at the pool bar.
Also found out that an old friend from high school - who my Wife grew up with - died from an aneurysm last week. 51 years old. She didn't take that well, as he was like a second brother to her. Made me wonder at what point I'll go from the "He's too young" to the "Well, he was no spring chicken" mentality. 51 still seems too young.
