Senior Moments or Dumb Things I've Done Lately

Have you ever done something dumb or stupid? A simple thing but you look back after the fact and say "What was I thinking"?

Last week, when going thru the laundry I found a pair of mismatched socks. I’m usually pretty careful about these things so I set them aside thinking maybe I'll find the missing socks.

I settled in to watch TV that night, looked down, and I was wearing a matching pair to the set I found in the laundry!

Go figure, I didn’t wear the mismatched pair once but twice! So I guess I have a quirky fashion sense, or I’m getting too old to notice or care.

My mom told me not to run with scissors or cut sewing thread with my teeth. She failed to mention that I shouldn’t tear packing tape with my teeth.

So I’m packing a box yesterday using heavy-duty clear tape. As I get ready to cut the end I see my scissors just out of reach. Too strong for me to tear, no problem! Of course, I used my teeth. I’d done it many times before, no biggie.

Well, they must make the glue a lot stronger or I’m just oh so delicate. A piece of the sticky side touched my lower lip, close to the inside. I didn’t realize it until after I tore the tape to place it on the box.

Yup, tore a small piece of skin off, enough to start the blood dripping out. Ever try to apply pressure to the edge of your lip? I will NEVER do that again!

Goat Yoga Surprise

Goat Yoga Surprise

Our 2 big dogs were restricted from the pasture for almost 3 weeks while we regraded and seeded the area around the barn. The three goats were kept in a separate pasture from the barn. None of the animals were thrilled with it.

Barn regrading

When we finally let the goats out, we thought nothing of letting the dogs back out into the pasture. Everyone was thrilled with their new freedom. 

Oliver, Hammish and Gatwick

Daisy our husky/Shepard mix had often played tag with the goats. She used to run with our horses and even get them to chase her sometimes. I think she wanted to start a game of tag. 

Daisy

However it started to get dangerous as Maddie, our smaller 

Feist mix, joined in.

Maddie

It went from running, to chasing, to homing in on the smallest newest arrival, Oliver. The chase was on with me in hot pursuit. I managed to catch them when Oliver headed for the barn. He was very out of breadth but OK.

Fast forward. The dogs hadn’t been out in the pasture now for over a month now. They run back and forth through our 2 big backyards, but Daisy has a need to guard the herd or us. She needs a job and is bored.

I spent a half day at the barn, helping to vaccinate, worm the goats, aka hold them. Then the rest of the afternoon working in the tack room scrubbing the floor to get ready to paint part of it.

When I come back in the dark and hit the first hole, I realize something is wrong. Between my flashlight and carefully feeling with my feet, I find 8 holes! Granted they are small in diameter, but each one is at least 8” deep.

So Daisy was bored.She was frustrated that she couldn’t go with me per our usual routine and was probably a little spiteful. She’s very sensitive to keeping everyone together and I was out there, along with the goats, and she wasn’t with me. She couldn't get to me & protect me while I worked at the barn.

The next day I thought I could remedy the situation.  I tried leaving the dog entry to the pasture open, while I filled the holes Daisy dug. I thought the big dogs wouldn’t care about the goats since I was in the yard. It didn’t end as I hoped.

As soon as Dausy realized she could get to the pasture she went out. She started herding Oliver. Suddenly Maddie joined in & the chase was on. 

I grabbed a lead line and ran to the pasture.

I finally grabbed Oliver by the collar but quickly ended up on ground holding onto Oliver while fending off Daisy & Maddie's attacks on him. They we’re aiming for his rear and back legs. They weren’t vicious but relentless. 

My phone fell out of my pocket onto the ground. I kept yelling at Siri to call Charlie, in between screaming at the dogs, rolling on the ground and trying to whip the lead line rope at the dogs to chase them away. 

Finally Siri called Charlie, who heard a bunch of muffled noise and decided something was wrong. He came out with a leash & got the dogs away. 

Meanwhile I’d been hopped over, dragged on the ground, stepped on and maybe took a horn in one of my bruised spots. Oliver is so gentle, terrific with people and not a fighter. He’s smaller than the other goats. However if he had been aggressive with the dogs and fought them off he could have hurt them. He could have tried to hurt me instead of actually laying down next to me, near the end, for protection or out of sheer exhaustion.

Oliver is OK. He was so good afterwards and let me check him all over. His back leg was a little sore but I think the only blood I saw came from one of my scraped knees or knuckles.

I'm a little banged up but some ibuprofen and a few strategically placed ice bags last night helped.

I can't understand why the big dogs suddenly Decided to target just him. They have pent up energy by not being allowed in the pasture for so long. Oliver is the smallest and newest member of the herd. I think it started as a game with Daisy but Maddie didn't understand the game concept. It quickly turned to pack mentality.

I warned the folks who plan to take the goats as soon as their barn connected pasture fencing is complete. Anymore accidental goat/dog run-ins and I may load Oliver up in the back seat of the truck and drop him off in their herd in the middle of the night. I'll try to be real quiet. 🙄

So, if Goat Yoga involves being stepped on by a goat, on purpose, I do Not recommend it! 

Deer Culling in Woodside and Aiken County

I have seen a lot of comments from folks at Woodside upset over deer culling in their neighborhood.

Clearing of natural habitats and the overbuilding of more and more houses on small properties is causing a major wildlife problem in general. It also puts a strain on the aquifers that will haunt us in years to come without better planning.

Deer stay within 1 mi of their territory. There is now an abundance of new food sources for them, aka shrubs and flowers, in Woodside and other neighborhood landscaping. The does will keep having twins and triplets. They should only have 1 offspring in natural conditions.

A controlled hunt specifically targeting does, not the trophy bucks, shouldn’t require a change in code for all of Aiken City or Aiken County. The Council should be able to issue a special permit for selected hired sharpshooters or bow hunters for a specified period of time, only if requested by a specified area or Community.

We had controlled hunts in our town in allowed areas only in NJ. However many of those properties were larger estate areas. Our town worked with the State experts who had tried all of the alternatives for years, like birth control, catch and release to more rural area, etc.The only successes were controlled hunts.

We even had an annual hunt, by lottery and permit for 1 week in the Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge. The deer were eating so much underbrush, they were destroying the natural habitat for all of the small ground animals.

Too many deer can cause traffic fatalities, animal and human alike. Keep your eyes a little to the right side of the road, especially if you drive at dusk or dawn. You will have more time to react if a deer crosses from the left or driver’s side then if they pop out suddenly from the right side. If there is one deer crossing there will always be at least one more after it.

Congested housing causes the problem. We all moved to this area, now we have to deal with any issues we caused.

For everyone who is concerned, go to a City or County Council meeting, express your concerns but make realistic recommendations on how to solve the problem.

Encourage the City and County Council to do better 5 and 10 year plans before allowing so much overbuilding. Planning needs to include impacts to roads, water supply schools, greenways for runoff and impact to wildlife.

As you can see with wildlife it’s a two way street; Bambi impacts us as much as we impact Bambi.

A Tree is Down and Remembered Cries for Help

A Tree is Down and Remembered Cries for Help

A Chainsaw Stirs Up an Old Memory

Don’t you love a man who has tools and know how to use them! Double entendres aside, Charlie noticed a tree down in our pasture last week. It was in our “pine forest” and not easy to spot, far from the house.

I came along to make sure he didn’t overdo it and to call 911 if necessary. Chainsaws can be tricky sometimes

If we still had Charlie’s mule he would have gone exploring. Happy the goats didn’t decide there was a new climbing challenge for them!

This reminds me of a story. When we lived in NJ we were close to a highway. Living there the highway noise became a hum in the background you never really noticed.  However, if you really wanted to hear something, the sound could get in the way.

Charlie and I went outside together and I swore I heard someone yelling close by. I thought it was coming from the direction of our next door neighbors. It might have been coming from the woods across the street. It sounded urgent so we hopped in the car.

We drove quickly down our long driveway then slowly up our neighbors long driveway. He was a landscaper with a lot of heavy equipment alongside the tall privacy fence dividing our properties.

We looked left and right. Nothing. No one trapped under a bucket loader or under the wheels of a tractor! But the sound was still there! I got out of the truck. There it was again, “Help!” Not sure why but I looked up. There was our neighbor, Jimmy, 100 ft ahead of us dangling from a tree!

I ran as quickly as I could and found his ladder on the ground and placed it up against the tree. Meanwhile Charlie caught up and went right to the chain saw.  Jimmy had slipped. It fallen out of his grasp onto the ground right underneath Jimmy — and was still running!

Jimmy swung from his makeshift safety belt onto the ladder and climbed down from the tree. 
He was so relieved! He’d been dangling there for over 20 minutes. 

In a rush to do a last minute chore before running off, he hadn’t put on his full safety rigging for tree climbing and trimming. It was supposed to be a 5 minute job. One limb cut down and he’d be done. 


The belt he used caught him under the arms and trapped him right up against the tree.  If he tried to move his arms enough to grab a limb he’d fall out of the belt and onto the chainsaw. It was a miracle I happened to go outside when I did and actually hear his cries for help!

He didn’t plan on dangling over a running chain saw for 20 minutes hoping he wouldn't fall on it!

You don’t get many chances in life to feel heroic by taking physical action to help someone in danger. It’s a wonderful feeling!

You do get lots of chances to feel heroic in life. Stop and save that dog stranded along the side of the road. Be patient with an elderly person who may be slow or confused in a  situation and might need help. It might be as simple as helping them find a product in a grocery store.

Don’t let a bully get away with their actions. Do your homework, get all the facts and then stand by your convictions. Be a leader when needed. Don’t follow the crowd and nod your head yes along whith others when you don’t really understand why you are nodding yes.

Do your best in life to help others and always be “present” in a situation, physically and mentally. Be a true hero.

By Linda Vola

Selling our Horses and Draft Mule

After much thought, we made the difficult decision to stop riding. 

Time spent on care and maintenance has been difficult due to health issues for both of us.  Riding our horses is no longer an option. 

To be fair to our equines, we are going to sell them to someone who will ride them on a regular basis. They like getting out and going on the trails. If you know of anyone looking for a great mule or quarter horse for trail riding or a companion horse, let us know.  Here is some information on all 3 of our Equines: 

Stony is safe and fun for any level rider, great on trails, surefooted, unflappable, brave and reliable. He is the perfect husband horse. I took up riding in my 50's and am still pretty green in my 70's. Stony takes very good care of me on the trails. He's point and click: walk forward, left right stop, start. He's an easy ride.

Stony is a draft mule (Mammoth Jack Donkey dad and Belgian Draft mom), 15.1 hands, never had a medical issue, and is sturdy and strong. I am 6’5” and 235 lbs. He has taken me up and down hills with ease. He is Mr. Personality like a Labrador Retriever with hooves. About 18 yrs old. 

Ronnie Dunn is a 15.1 hand Grullo Buckskin Quarter Horse Gelding, about 16 yrs old.

He was owned by a young boy, a sight impaired woman and now a handicapped rider who only walked or trotted on trails.

He is easy to catch! He loves people and is happy to see us when we are out in the pasture with him or by the barn. He is gentle and kind with a natural reining instinct. He always tries to round up our goats and mini donkeys to safety when the other horses start playing. 

He is great on the trails. He has been ridden out alone to meet up with another rider and been good at going by other horses and barking dogs. He is often left unridden for months at a time and then ridden without issue. He does prefer to be with another rider. 

Vito is a rescue horse who came to us as part of group of starving horses Christmas 2011. We spent 6 months fattening him up and letting him just be a horse. Ray Wheeler of Wheeler Equestrian then evaluated him. After 90 minutes of ground work, walking over tarps, raincoat on his face, etc., Ray hopped up on him and Vito was fine. You can go CLICK HERE to see videos of his first lesson in 5 parts.

Vito has to earn your trust. While in his stall, put a lead line over his neck and then you can do anything to him. He will stand like a champ in cross ties and not move an inch. He has food issues so the other horses always let him go into his stall first or get to the hay first. Vito doesn't get ridden much. He is great on the trails with another horse. 

He loves Ronnie and the goats. No idea of his age. We've been told 15 to 25. He'd be a happy trail horse or a great companion to Ronnie or other horses. 

Vito will be free to the home that will love him, be patient with him and hopefully allow him some trail time, which he really enjoys. He will always be welcome back here.

If not, Vito will stay here with the goats and mini-donkeys and just hang in the pasture.

Our medical issues move us to sell our loved Stony, Ronnie and Vito but only to good homes.

A Candle in the Window

A Candle in the Window

By Jack Donohue December 2017

The holidays are a joyous time

A time to discard our inhibitions

To remember Christmas days of old

And to rekindle old holiday traditions

One hundred years or more ago

A fireplace was the center of family life

Everyone would gather close to it

The children, a husband and his wife

To promote that feeling of family

A candle was lit from the fire

And placed prominently in the window

For passersby to see, and to admire

The candle evoked warmth of family

Extended from those inside the home

It was a beacon to a weary traveler

Who might be outside, cold, and all alone

The candle might mean many things

As its flickering flame was shown

It might be a sign of good news, or 

So loved ones could find their way back home

But a candle was most welcome

During Christmas and through the New Year

It brightened the entire neighborhood

And it was as welcome as holiday cheer

But fireplaces have disappeared from daily life

And candle greetings have had noticeable attrition

But this season, let’s place a candle in our window

And keep alive this wonderful holiday tradition

Published by Linda Vola who received this creative Holiday gift along with many more poems over many years of friendship, from her buddy Dahoney

The Legacy of AT&T Defiled

I currently live in an area where cable and DSL are unavailable. AT&T fiber optics is on a main road less than 1.7 mi from my house. Our average AT&T billing is $700 a month (including Direct TV). Last month our bills were $917 due to overages. It would be higher but we have Verizon wireless cell phones as AT&T has lousy coverage in our area.

I have attempted to sign up for the unlimited plan for over a week. I spent hours online getting to dead end pages and error pages (I noted the pages in the website page feedback many, many times). I tried calling and got cutoff several times. Our overages kept adding up during this time frame.

My husband drove me to a store today- I am disabled and drive infrequently. We upgraded one of our devices to a AT&T Unite Explore hoping for a stronger signal and greater speed, even though your devices won’t pick up the expensive rooftop antennae we installed. I would have to buy another $300 device like my husband uses to achieve that goal.

The representative put us on an AT&T Unlimited Plus plan but could not backdate the plan to the beginning of our bill period. He told me I had to try to call in again tonight.

I tried calling and got cutoff, had promises made to have supervisors call me back twice and nothing has happened but again spending hours on the phone. I can give you the first names of all the reps I spoke with today.

Granted you can do a lot online when your website is working. However, you can’t get help with real issues there.

I have also had trouble with our AT&T landlines since moving here in 2008. For the past 6 or 8 months, repair has been out here an average of once a month. We lose both or one of our land lines, service comes and goes or we get loud buzzing on the line. It is NEVER in my house. It is always something on the road. They even installed bollards around the equipment on the corner of our connecting street, Boyd Pond Rd and Silver Bluff Rd to avoid the equipment being run over. Fiber optics runs along Silver Bluff Rd which is less than 1.7 miles, by road, from my property.

I would like the following:

1.    Credit on my account for AT&T Unlimited plus back to May 23, 2017 the start of my billing cycle. This was always your practice when a customer changed plans until more recently.

2.    Let me know if my landline service will ever improve (OK stop laughing)

3.    Let me know if I will ever get fiber optics in my lifetime – give or take 30 years. Boyd Pond Rd, my connecting street has copper cable starting at the other end of the road and it’s reached its limit. That is less than ½ mi from my property.

4.    Verification of my “free” HBO and notification as to when it kicks in with this plan. I already have it with Direct TV and need to change that plan accordingly. 

5.    Let me know how to contact someone at AT&T without getting cutoff, especially when being transferred to another AT&T group, or made promises of call backs that never happen.

I know it counts for nothing in the eyes of former Southwestern Bell employee, but I am an AT&T retiree with over 30 years of service with NJ Bell, AT&T Long Lines, AT&T, Lucent and 5 additional years with Avaya. I worked for many years in AT&T billing and Contract management with the SWB Team.

I’ve been to several past AT&T Call Centers and their standards and reps knowledge were quite different from that provided today. I’ve worked with repair and installation on business phone systems and even worked in a Central Office. Can you say “Operator.” It was a great summer job and helped put me through college.

I am not a complete idiot about phone service and what good service can be. I know I don’t have good phone service from AT&T. However, I feel like a prisoner who can’t be heard from deep within the recesses of my prison.

This above a letter I wrote to AT&T President Randall Stephenson while on the phone on hold with AT&T and while waiting for call backs from AT&T "Supervisors"