OCTOBER SUNDAY

Okay, let's get back to "normal" - - if there really is such a thing.

Instead of my (fantasticbeautifulimaginativecreative) AI pictures - - I'm going to enthrall, captivate, astonish, enchant, and beguile you with real genuine photos taken with my Samsung Galaxy phone from my hospital bed! 

Could you ask for anything more? I'm so excited that I almost pee-peed in the bed.  

That should get five comments on my blog instead of two. I have lately been sarcastic, insulting, rude, condescending, nasty - - which could possibly miff some ultra-sensitive people.

Lighten up. I've been through worse.

Do you know, I very seldom get the opportunity to use the archaic word "miff".

And, of course, being sarcastic, insulting, rude, condescending, nasty is part of my charm. You don't get a chance to read many blogs like this.

I secretly love all of you.

Maybe.

I know - - you're craving a medical update. Okay, here goes.

I had a (low) fever all week. Yesterday I slept a lot. The pad I keep under my arm, which catches the eternal bloody leakage from the bandages, was dry and clean all week - - no blood, no leakage. 

Last Friday, one of the nurses changed the bandages. She said the cancerous wound was shrinking. And there was very little bleeding. No hemorrhages, no problems.

I should be on my knees thanking God. I'm still cautious.....but truly relieved, after six agonizing horrifying months!!!!!

Photos? Alright.

I am cursedly verbose.

I very seldom get the opportunity to use the archaic word "cursedly".

I'm still on an Internet shopping spree. An antique figurine - which would look good in my rural living room (if I ever see it again).

There's a couple in Florida who owns an antique shop with lots of lovely things. I bought several items from them. I was smitten by this snowy white owl and her baby owelets. It looks a lot better in real.

I probably already showed you my latest aquisitions from the Egyptian museum curator.

I'm holding a 13th century scarab beetle amulet, from a tomb near Luxor. It was mounted on metal for a neck chain in the 1920s.

I have two of these well preserved stone carved kohl jars. This one has the falcon god Horus, from a tomb near Luxor. These jars usually contained makeup or various cosmetics.

Made of stone, surprisingly heavy

Ok, I took a break and went to sleep. It's now Sunday evening.....I might have to change the title to Monday.

One more..."treasure"...

Unfortunately, I lost the information about this. Got it from a collector in Thailand. Originally from eastern Asia. Made of stone, approx. at least 400 - 500 yrs. old. It has been professionally cleaned. I love it - - amazing. They don't know exactly what type of animal it is - - wolf or dog.

I think wolf.

Wake up! There's more!

On Friday I was in a "resistant" mood. I was appalled at the crappy food they are forcing us to eat. I get nauseous just looking at it.

SO......

I ordered some food from the local Walmart deli. Don't scoff. It's sure as hell better than the shi-  crappy hospital food.

It was delivered in three hours. Could have been less, but it would be more expensive.

I bought an insulated grocery bag to carry the stuff in.

Got deli sandwiches, huge burritos, chimichangas, fresh deli soup - lobster bisque and clam chowder, lemonade, candy, dried fruit and nuts.

I immediately grabbed an Italian sub and devoured it. There was a really delicious spicy red relish that came with it. Everyone from the online reviews raved about it....and they were right.

Deli sandwich

Milo's lemonade - - made only with filtered water, real lemons, and sugar. No preservatives or artificial flavors. I could drink this forever.

Deli soup, candy assortment.

The "helpers" here heat the burritos and soup in microwaves.

The chimichangas are filling. The big burritos are filling but not quite tasty. They'd be much better with sour cream and salsa.

I have nothing but ketchup to put on them. Yuck, but better than nothing.

I am desperately trying to summon the courage to ask (or demand) to be discharged before the end of October. Signature and Hospice employees are going to blow up with absolute fury.

They all want to keep me here completely dependent and helpless. They don't give a rat's ass about my property and house - - which I haven't seen in six months.

If I dump Hospice, Signature will be forced to discharge me within 24 hours. They will all conspire together to, somehow, keep me here.....but Hospice is paying the bills. If I dump Hospice, my insurance will no longer cover Signature Health Care.

Perhaps I could lie and say that I'll only stay home until the end of the year....

Six months ago I went to a hospital for back and edema problems.......

Look at the nightmare I'm trapped in now.

I could reveal a lot more, but I'm too exhausted

 

Jon 💜 thoroughly exhausted

I still have Comment Moderation, which I absolutely despise. 

P.S.

Comment Moderation is a complete nightmare for me and doesn't work at all.

I find all your comments, I approve them,  allow them to be posted on my blog...and they completely vanish. They're not in spam or the trash.

It happens every time I publish a post.

I'm going to temporarily allow all comments. I don't know what else to do.

A TIMID SMUDGE OF DAWN

I'm in a wheelchair in the living room where I spent the night. Sunday night. One of the most uncomfortable, miserable nights I can remember. And, believe me, I've had plenty.

This is the deep, dark void that lingers just before dawn  - hesitant to leave. Far beyond the murky abyss the old Tennessee hills have assumed a slight rosy glow right at their peak. A timid smudge of light that promises an awakening.

Dawn is arriving, ready to bathe the earth in glaring light, exposing all the brutal raw realities that are suppressed in the fantasy of our dreams.

I'm dreading dawn, which forces us to rudely face all the complications and complexities that immerse us and devour our existence.

That's how I feel. An unwholesome surge of unrelenting pessimism.

Physically I'm in more agonizing pain than I could ever describe. The deceptive meds wear off, leaving untold echoes of screams.

I'm welded to the wheelchair. Unable to stand up from unbearable pain. Unable to reach for things with my arms. Unable to move my legs. The surging pain in my hip leg knees joints back......ass.

The pain has rendered me completely disabled. I can't stand....absolutely cannot walk. I tried to shuffle a few inches last night and almost cried in agony.

I can't get water or food. Can't turn lights on or get a blanket. I managed to recharge my two cell phones. I sure as hell will need them.

After my cursed illness in 2023, I managed to navigate remarkably well with a walker. All I needed it for was balance. I could cook, clean, wash, manuever everywhere.

Never thought this would happen. Degenerative disk disease. Severe sciatica. Scoliosis due to spinal injuries.

But the intense pain........ Tylenol doesn't do a damn good. I'd have to consume the whole bottle. If I could get the fricking child-proof cap off.

So, early Monday I called the Home Care office to see if anyone could take my prescription to the pharmacy. One of the nurses came here and got the prescription. Another nurse will bring the meds to me tomorrow. Tuesday.

Another night of pure agony in the wheelchair in the livingroom awaits me.

If I make it. If I survive.

And the gawd almighty truth is that I don't give a flying fig whether I survive or not. I'm done. Finished. Stick a fork in me.

I'm tired of feigning optimism, hoping that birdies, unicorns, and rainbows are smiling on the horizon.

At this moment, I dread the light of dawn.

I realize that we all have our own problems, our private crosses to bear. I'm nothing special. Just someone bitching on a blog.....

Jon, frustrated beyond belief.

MEANWHILE, BACK AT THE RANCH....

 So, what's happening in my neck of the woods?

I'm going to unleash all the negative things first.
If this bothers you, leave now and go to the Meditation Channel.

My health issues have become so alarming that I'm genuinely concerned (i.e. scared crapless). My spinal issues are not only impeding my ability to walk, but also effecting my coordination. At times I can hardly hold a pencil.

I fell in the bedroom the other morning and couldn't get up. As I desperately crawled painfully around on the floor, my cat Bosco came over to me and puked. Can it get any worse than that?

God is laughing His arse off at the punishments He's inflicting on me.
Don't doubt it.

I get crushing pains in my chest and alarming shortness of breath. My heartbeat is incredibly irregular.

I have aural migraines every day - the wicked kind that drastically effect my vision. I blame it on stress and computer eye strain.

Was that enough? I'll save the rest for another time.

How about going to a doctor, Jon?

I'm in the boonies, boys and girls. Doctors are 100 miles away. Besides, I know far too many people who are hopelessly addicted to doctors. I have no desire to spend all my time with appointments, unnecessary medications, and surgery.

If this offends anyone, sorry. I'm merely giving my truthful opinion. Many people truly need doctors due to serious on-going medical conditions.....but many others just go due to a psychological addiction.

This rural abode is infested with mice. Raccoons are nesting in the roof. Possums dwell under the house. Viciously aggressive bees are residing on the back and front porches. Every time I open a door, they try to get in.

It rains every day - and I mean EVERY day. The brush, weeds, and thorny shrubs are five feet high - at least. I'm planning to buy a good brush cutter and (perhaps) chain saw.

My laptop computer is now nine years old and falling apart (much like myself). I'm considering buying a new one next month (when I get some more money).

Due to my health problems, and the fact that my car is falling apart (like the laptop and myself), I've decided to (temporarily??) give up driving.
I am THOROUGHLY DISGUSTED with driving a zillion miles on dangerous mountain roads to go to town. To hell with it.

For the past few months I've been having all my food and supplies delivered. I'm able to get just about everything I need - and most of the shipping is free. 
I get most of my things from Walmart, Wild Fork Foods, Purdue Farms, Shisler Cheese Factory, and a few other places.

At first it was impossible to get milk, but now I buy UHT milk. It's expensive, but worth the price.
Never heard of it?
UHT milk goes through a radical (high-heat) pasteurization process, which makes it much more durable than regular supermarket milk.UHT milk can be kept up to three months without refrigeration. When it's finally opened, it has to be refrigerated.
I think it tastes far better than supermarket milk.

I've decided to abandon my usual Spartan starvation "diet". I am presently buying a lot of food...and sparing no expense. Hell, it's about all I have left to enjoy.......

Photos, anyone?

A glimpse of the back "yard"

Front "yard" this morning

UHT milk

My dinner today - Argentine sausage with onions and red, yellow, and green peppers. It tastes better than it looks.

Hopeless addiction

I'll admit it - - I am hopelessly addicted to green salad olives.......

Well, I've said enough for now.
Until later,    Jon

MY RECENT HISTORY

Is it possible to delete my recent history, like I do on the computer?

Don't ponder that for too long. It was just a fleeting thought.

Last Monday: Valentine's Day.
There was a major "glitch" (I hate that word) on the account I have with a major company. Without going into major personal details, I'll just say that I thought I was financially wiped out.
It was the closest I ever came to having a heart attack.

Tuesday morning.
The major "glitch" wasn't my fault - it was a company error. I was on the phone for nearly an hour - and things were finally straightened out. My Big Sigh of relief was tremendous.

Have you ever spent an entire winter with a furnace that isn't working properly? I have been solely relying on space heaters.
My enthusiasm for getting a new $3,000 furnace is minimal.

Truth to tell - the space heaters have been heating the house better than the faulty furnace did. I've been keeping sufficiently warm.

Have you ever had to wash clothes by hand, in cold water........and then have to hang the wash outside early in the morning when it's sixteen degrees (Fahrenheit)?
The experience is beyond exhilarating.

I wouldn't dare tell you about the exciting adventures I've had with my incomprehensibly errant water heater......

Have you ever been without a working oven for over a month? I know how to fix it, but getting the proper replacement part has been a challenge. The new "proper" replacement part is supposed to arrive (finally) next Tuesday.

Truth to tell: I've been without a working oven for so long that I don't even miss it. I've managed cooking very well without it.

I've learned that there are many things in life which we can do without.
Except sex and booze.

The wind (and thunderstorms) were so strong last Thursday that I was afraid more trees would be toppled. Fortunately the trees didn't topple this time.
My property is presently littered with so many toppled trees from previous storms that I cringe at the thought of cleaning them up.
I hate the word "topple".....

I won't bother to mention the innumerable health "issues" that I've been enduring.
Daily "aura" migraine headaches. Dizzy spells. Problems with an old spinal injury that recently makes it nearly impossible for me to walk (NO exaggeration). I need surgery but have staunchly refused it.
I have absolutely no desire whatsoever to begin a relationship with a doctor......

What's this?
You think I'm complaining too much??
Well, comrades, I haven't even told you a fraction of my troubles. What I've revealed here is only the tip of the proverbial ice berg.

I've made a brief video tribute to my recently deceased cat Kitzee. It's a blatantly embarrassingly sentimental gesture - - but I'm a blatantly sentimental person.
I miss her immensely.

In recent years, all the things from my past have suddenly been abandoning me.....

Video best viewed full-screen

SOGGY SHREDS OF OCTOBER

 

October, my favorite month, has arrived in a dismal labyrinth of negativity.
There's a reason why I've been posting old reruns on my blog lately. It's because the raw reality of my present situation is so bad that I'm reluctant to reveal it.

Of course it's pouring rain. The rain never stops in Tennessee. Never. Today is thoroughly drenched, dark as the bowels of midnight, growling with ferocious thunder tantrums. The forest trembles in a soggy mist.

Feel free to hold your ears while I voice my troubles and complaints - because I know you don't want to hear them.
I'll force my reluctant self to be mercifully brief:

My car broke down, I'm nearly out of essential supplies.
I'd order some things online, but the ten-foot-high brush on my property is so rampant and obstinate that a delivery truck would never be able to get through.
I've been desperately trying to hack my way through it - with an ax, saws, chainsaws, and pruning shears - but my efforts are largely futile. Impossible to work in the rain.
My blood pressure is through the roof - I almost passed out in the field the other day (no exaggeration)

My washing machine is broke. The water heater isn't working. Clothes dryer is kaput.
The landline phone was completely dead for over a week. I finally messed around with the mysterious fiber optic phone box on the wall - and got it working again.
Miracles occasionally happen.

I'm infested with gnats. Again. The August gnats left in September. The  hoards of September gnats are still here, refusing to leave.
I'm infested with mice. Kitzee and Bosco (cats) have been catching them.

Last night at 3:00 a.m. Bosco leaped on my bed with a mouse in his mouth and dropped it right beside me. Talk about a rude awakening....

To hell with my problems.
How about some photos?

The header photo on this post, and the photo below, were taken at dawn yesterday.....everything shrouded in mystical October mists....

My front "yard" this morning (above) drenched in October rain.

There were a few (very few) sunny days in September.

That's my front porch on the left

Bosco (above) and Kitzee (below) on the front porch

Time to get out the Halloween mugs (and plates)

my favorite haunted house mug (below), it's about 20 years old (almost as old as me...lol)

 

MORE EXPLOSIONS

 

 

Those people who faithfully read my blog (all two of you) probably remember my post about the exploding biscuits. I'm talking about those inexpensive, easy-to-make cans of biscuit dough that you pop in the oven. I make them quite frequently.

The biscuit cans that I bought kept inexplicably exploding before I used them. Some of the cans were (slightly) out-dated, which I attributed to the volatile outbursts. 

SO - - -
I've lately been extremely cautious about out-dated cans. I check the dates carefully and use the biscuits before they expire.

All the cans in my refrigerator presently have late September (2021) expiration dates.

Imagine my surprise the other night when I heard a loud POW in the refrigerator. A can of biscuits exploded. A few hours later another can blew.

 

I generally don't scare easily, but these things are dangerous - and it's gotten to the point where I'm afraid to touch them.

I can't change brands, because the local supermarket here in Nowhereland only carries one brand (Save-a-Lot Supermarket only carries their brand of products - - there is no other choice - - it's kinda like living in the old Soviet Union). 

Thought about writing a letter to the company but I'm definitely not in the mood.

Thought about abstaining from cheap canned biscuits, but I'm a masochist.

There's no plausible resolution to this doughy tale of woe.

My life is presently an intricate network of perpetual unpleasantness -

ill health, mechanical malfunctions in the house, 15-foot-high "weeds" outside (NO exaggeration), wild animals nesting in the roof, mice, snakes, gnats, flies....I won't bother to mention the really bad stuff.

Am I complaining?
Naw, I'm singing a Happy Song. I'd get up and do a Happy Dance but my back hurts too much.

I desperately need to make an excursion to town. It was much too hot to go last week. Bringing frozen groceries home six zillion miles in a 250 degree car isn't a pleasant prospect.

This week there's been nothing but rain. Rain.
So I procrastinate. Repeatedly.
Maybe I'll go tomorrow. 

Rodents, anyone?

The mice finally got into my precious piano manuscripts. I couldn't believe it.

The cursed bastards have eaten through the Anton Rubinstein D minor Piano Concerto that I performed with orchestra in Los Angeles when I was twenty. 

Is nothing sacred?

 

Thank goodness I have two copies of this concerto.

This seems trivial to you.
It means a helluva lot to me.

Want some homemade wine, anyone?
And exploding biscuits.........??

 

Note:
The comment reply "thingie" isn't working on my blog, so I can't respond to your comments. I'll try again later.
This has happened several previous times.

LAST REMNANTS OF APRIL

 

The last few days of April. Finally finally some sunshine and mild temperatures (but it was very chilly last night). The house is always cold - like the catacombs of death.

Been teetering on the deep edge lately, hanging on by a thin thread. My frustration, anger, disgust, and profound depression have nothing to do with blogging or bloggers,

I'm hopelessly immersed in my own personal problems, which seem to multiply and intensify every day.  Overwhelming problems having to do with existing in this ruthless wilderness, and even more overwhelming issues with my health.

Every night I pray that I'll never wake up and have to face another day. Yet, if anything ever happened to me way out here in Nowhereland, nobody would ever find me. And I'm beginning to think no one would care.

I've been such an uncommunicative hermit for so long that my friends and relatives (and I mean ALL relatives) have distanced themselves from me.
I finally sent my relatives an email greeting on Easter. Only one person bothered to answer (thank you "M" - you know who you are).

Am I pitying myself? Hell, no. Just stating facts. Am I looking for sympathy? Hell, no again. Never got any in my entire life. Don't need it now.

If I can get a grip on my multitudinous health issues, I'll survive. 

One of the latest maladies:
due to several old spinal injuries that never healed properly, I'm having more and more difficulty standing and walking.
At night, in bed, my legs often go completely numb and I can't move at all. Then, very suddenly, I'll get excruciating spasms in my knees and hips that are so intensely painful that I actually scream in pain - and somehow manage to pull myself off the bed and onto the floor.

I won't dare tell about the other physical problems I have.

Doctors??
Some people gleefully visit doctors as a career ( I'm not talking about those with serious medical conditions). It's not easy when they're (drs.) hundreds of miles away. I don't want surgery. Don't want to be hooked on pills or medication.

It isn't my intention for this post to be so dark and dismal, I'm merely giving a glimpse of my situation.
I won't mention the influx of mice, the squirrels in the roof, the 'possums under the house, the alarmingly aggressive wasps - the problems with the water heater and drain - the mud outside up to my ass, the weeds and brush taller than me (no lie)...or the perilous, harrowing, endless drive to town when I need a frickin' gallon of milk......or the trash piling up because it won't fit in my car to haul to town....

I'm on a reckless rant. Stop me before I hurt somebody. Or myself.

On the bright side -
(bright side?? hahahahaha)

I'm making good progress in the house - cleaning, repairing, doing things that I should have done long ago. The rooms are looking decent.

The garage is the biggest nightmare. Just thinking of it scares me.

I decided that I'm definitely getting a new computer. My old laptop is fine - but showing subtle signs of age (much like myself).

I also want to get a new electric keyboard (musical instrument). My old one disappeared (lost?stolen?) when I moved to Tennessee.

This post is too long. Said too much. Bored everyone with my problems.
It was a purge. An emotional outlet.

Photos taken today: 

The only blossoms around here that didn't perish from the cold, as seen from the front porch.

Kitzee (also known as Scratch), being watched by a ceramic cat that I got somewhere in Texas. The colorful wooden box is from Europe.

THOUGHTS ON THE THRESHOLD OF WINTER

 

 

 Random, haphazard, disjointed thoughts.
I'm mostly just talking to myself, hardly considering the remote prospect of occasional interlopers stopping by to secretly eavesdrop.....

Welcome to winter. The Winter Solstice occurred last Monday (the 21st, I think). The days are extremely short. The sun rises just before 7:00 am and it's completely dark by 4:30. These final days of December are frantically pulsing towards another year.

I'm dreading the new year. My life is presently tainted with so many serious problems that I'm completely overwhelmed. Problems that I wouldn't dare mention on a public blog. 

Yesterday morning I was so stressed that I had a violent dizzy spell and collapsed by the side of my bed. Thought I was dying. Thought no one will find my remains in this godforsaken place for fifty years.
No need for alarm. I've been through far worse things than this and survived. I've been in Survival Mode most of my life.

When I moved to rural Tennessee I thought my life would be blessedly simple and uncomplicated. Ironically, it's become a resounding facsimile of Hell.

Old Chinese proverb:
Be careful what you wish for.......

But nobody wants to hear depressing things. After all, this is a wonderful time of year - filled with sugarplums, candy canes, and tidings of great joy.
In your dreams, comrade, in your dreams.

I drove to town last Monday (Winter Solstice).
Is it my imagination, or are things more expensive since the onslaught of the pandemic? Everything seems higher-priced.

Some of the shelves were empty in Walmart. The Christmas aisle which has candy and cookies was completely empty. Nothing left - not even a gumdrop.

And spooky masked people were  haunting the empty toilet paper aisle, desperately searching for a coveted scrap of paper.
The world is beyond insane.

I was shocked when I went to the local supermarket. They were completely out of milk. I had to settle for an old carton of 2 per cent milk. I HATE 2 per cent milk. It's like drinking water.
I bought some egg nog. And oranges and apples. Happy Holidays!

If nothing else, I now have a surplus of food and supplies. And just in time. The temperature is supposed to drop drastically on Christmas Eve and snow is predicted.

A white Christmas??

The photo at the top of this post was taken yesterday. A cold, feeble winter sun timidly lurking behind naked forest trees.

And every morning is obscured by thick shrouds of fog. I never tire of watching it.....
....but the eternal dampness is bitterly brutal - penetrating the marrow of my shivering bones.

Every night, after midnight, the coyotes come around like clockwork - - screaming, wailing, and lamenting with taunting, ghoulish cries.
And restless owls have secret conversations in nearby trees.
If nothing else, I love the ambience of the winter forest nights.

Meanwhile my two cats are savoring the electric blanket on my bed. I took this photo because it's rare to see them together. They tolerate each other nicely, but aren't exactly in love. Kitzee (on the left) never fails to remind Bosco that she's the boss.

It's no secret that I'm a tea addict. The other night I made a huge mug of Earl Grey tea, with honey and  condensed milk. Before I could take a sip, I knocked the entire mug over and it doused the kitchen table and my laptop computer. Fortunately no permanent damage to the laptop.

That same night, Kitzee the cat puked in my lap....
and I stepped barefooted on a dead mouse that was killed by Bosco.
(actually I was wearing socks but no shoes)

Have I said enough? Hopefully my interlopers and eavesdroppers aren't bored.

I'm still deciding whether I should discontinue this blog by the end of the year,

Blogging used to be a pleasant diversion. Lately it's become an annoying chore;.

But I plod on. 

I'll write more on Xmas Eve.

ALL ABOUT YESTERDAY

I should probably begin this post with a fair warning that it might contain complaints and assorted negativities. This is in loving memory of the two people who recently abandoned my blog because they thought my complaints were depressing.

If you think my words might cause undue emotional stress, please exit and go to the Disney Channel. When you're there, press the Fantasyland icon.

I live in the real world. And reality can very often be a piss.


Are you being caustic and sarcastic , Jon?

Heck, Kemosabe, there isn't a caustic bone in my body - - that I know of.

I finally drove to town yesterday (Monday) and stocked up on supplies. The cats now have clean litter boxes and ample food. Their astonishment and delight knows no bounds.
And I have milk, bread, eggs, tea, coffee.........and toilet paper.

But I forgot to buy lithium batteries for my El Cheapo camera.

The long drive was agonizing because I'm still having lots of pain in my hip and knee - which stems from the problems with my back. I won't go into details because I don't want to depress anybody.

Let go of all the the bitterness, Jon.

Perpetual bitterness and extended grudges are part of my intense charm. Deal with it.


I had to haul my trash to the Town Dump or whatever the heck it's called. I always go there first, because I don't like to leave bags of garbage festering in my car.
The place was temporarily closed because the Big Trucks were emptying the Big Dumpsters. I had to wait in a Big Long Line for half an hour before they reopened the gates and almost ran out of gas.

There were so many people coughing and sneezing in Walmart that I feared I might get the Black Plague ....or something worse. I tried to hold my breath as long as possible  to avoid airborne germs- - while silently repeating Gregorian chants and Hungarian gypsy spells to evoke healing power - - and trying not to pass out from lack of oxygen. 

I was feeling really rotten due to little sleep and lots of stress.
Did I ever mention that I have an irregular heartbeat? I was diagnosed with it in my early 20's. Sometimes it gets extremely bad, to the point that I cough and gasp for breath. 
This kept happening while I was grocery shopping in the local supermarket (after I left Walmart). I almost thought I was going to drop dead.

The drive home was fairly nice. There was no traffic and the weather was pleasant (for a rare change).

Speaking of weather (what a perfect time for a subject transition), I took a few photos last Saturday - when we were having strong winds and devastating storms.

I went out on the back porch in early morning. The wind was howling, black storm clouds were low in the sky, and the rising sun was flashing eerily through the clouds. 

The scene really looked dramatic.
(incredibly, these photos are in color - not black and white)

  

 

MORE OF MY DOMAIN

So why have I recently been filling my blog posts with photos?
Because it's better than depressing everyone with my chronic complaints.

Most of you politely and graciously tolerate my complaints. 
Recently, however, a few nervous nellies abandoned my blog because they considered it to be too depressing.

My advice? Lighten up, amigos. I might occasionally bitch and complain - but I do it honestly, with flair and style. 
I'm fascinating even when I'm in a bad mood.

....he says with a smidgen of sarcasm....

Here are a few more random photos of my private domain. 

 This past weekend was chilly and rainy. The gloomy (but extremely intriguing) forest mists compliment my mood.

Yesterday (Monday) was sunny and cold. I had planned on driving to town but got a bad aura migraine headache, so I stayed home.

In the evening, just as the sun was sinking, the moon was rising above the forest.

 I very seldom show photos of my house, but every now and then I give a glimpse - just to let you know it's there. 

 The inside is a minor disaster. Too small to hold my possessions, and messy enough to perpetually depress me. This is the living room, which I desperately need to dust and vacuum.

 I plan to put up white wooden blinds on the windows. I'll only need six of them.

I did the same thing in my Texas house - but that place had twenty-three windows and I put up all the blinds myself.

 I have three bedrooms - two of which are extremely small. I keep one of my pianos in this bedroom.

 I love the front porch - which is on a high level. The previous owners left that little wooden bench-swing.

 I also love this window in my bedroom. It's relaxing to lay in bed and watch the intrigue of nature.

The photo below was taken last autumn.

Critters occasionally get into the house. I've had one snake and three 'possums (not all at the same time).
 And, trust me, it's no fun trying to capture them. Took me two days to get the damn snake......

The snake was in my bedroom (last summer). Is it any wonder why I'm always a nervous wreck around here

??

Here's the serpent exploring my dresser drawers. One of the drawers was open and he crawled in and disappeared!

The only critters I want to see in the house are my two cats.