Alexa .... play Marty Robbins

Well who knew back in the early 2010's when I was born , that someday you could talk to a little round box with twinkle lights and tell it to play a song. Alexa or the dot as some people call it can do just that... oh wait ! You already knew that... oh pardon me. I am just a sock monkey coming into the technology age. My person uses Alexa on a regular basis and particularly in the morning when Delta is here and my person is at school.

Delta loves cowboy songs and her favorite singer currently is Marty Robbins . You know , the El Paso guys , Ghost Riders in the Sky? Streets of Laredo? Geesh , well here is a link to get you acquainted. El Paso   Best song ever!!

I am pretty sure that I come natural to cowboy songs. Let me introduce you to Sock Monkey Pete! Howdy there Pete!

So enough monkeying around. Today , I put in a full day of work and made sure that the floors were all clean and sparkly ! Running that machine is really hard and I discovered that my arms were to short to control the steering wheel , which then forced me to stand up! For the whole time!!!! I mean it was like 10 minutes at least........ hush .. that is a long time for a little fellow like me.

So , anyway... I worked and worked and finally I was done and my person had all her packets done and some class she was taking and the Google site crashed because EVERYBODY is using it and ..... and.... well we headed home. Marty was still playing on Alexa and I had work to do at home.

I headed to the garden , I think it will be productive this year and harvested some asparagus! Now I get it, I am a small creature, but these are GIANT asparagus.... delicious , but huge.

But my work wasn't finished yet and I helped my person make violet syrup. Yup we used the flower form the violet and made this really sweet syrup that tastes a little bit like flowers. and even better.. it is a really cool color! Check it out....

Pretty amazing isn't it? Harvested from the backyard...... great gifts from the Earth if you just look.

Words of Wisdom:  Keep your eyes on the sky and watch for the comet.... hopefully we'll be able to see it!

“For my part I know nothing with any certainty,

but the sight of the stars makes me dream.“

– Vincent Van Gogh

I scream, You scream .... we all scream for ice cream

So welcome to day number ... um ... day Wednesday. I can't keep up with the number of days , can you? It was an odd day that started out with some crazy intense, but totally glorious thunderstorms over night. It was a bit hard to sleep and some limbs came down , but what a display! How can you not like a good thunderstorm. The morning was a set routine , with the only exception : get the truck inspected , because the state of NC may close everything down , but I am betting that we would get a ticket if we had an expired tag.... you know what I mean , don't you!!?? So my people dropped off the truck and headed to school , just like every other day for the past week and a half.

We got a bunch of work done: all the packets are labeled and put into advisors' boxes , the online work is up-to-date and the best thing is that my person discovered a site called readworks.org.  So , now she can take attendance and have the kids read earth science stuff so they'll stay interested. That doesn't mean that they aren't supposed to comment on my blogs for attendance..... they still have to do that...... I need some help here, getting a conversation or two started. It is super hard to have a conversation with yourself, no matter how cute or sassy you are. My person had a student in class a while ago and the cool thing is that he is a meteorologist now!! Whoo Hoo!! Go Justin!!! I bet that if we asked him really nicely, he might blog for us or answer questions or do a zoom meeting. Now that would be cool!!! You game Justin?

My person got another 4 readings of the Martian done and just about the time that I was going to tell her : STOP!!! Enough already! .... Mr. Clarke made an announcement that the ice cream truck was here and oh boy! Yes it was!!! We were super stoked and practiced our social distancing while buying ice cream... Thank you Downtown Dairy Treats!!!! You guys really do need to visit this amazing place ( once the shut down is over ! Be safe and give it a little time - BUT ... don't forget them. )

 I mean, look at that deliciousness....... too yummy!!!

So how do you top a pig named Grunt yesterday and ice cream delivery today? You go to the seed store and buy seeds, smell a flower or two and then come home and harvest violets from your yard.

The violets are soaking in hot water to be turned into violet syrup and that will taste amazing. Maybe you all can have a taste when school starts again! But if you want to make your own ... here's the link for the recipe :  https://www.thespruceeats.com/violet-flower-syrup-recipe-1327872

It will be so pretty when its done.... check this out!

Other than that, it has been a quiet day ...... took a little photography and watched some Magnum P.I. ( the old school version with Tom Selleck ) Check out my pictures and a picture of Magnum!!

and then my person's favorite Magnum PI :

So tonight I want to remind you to stay at home ; learn a new recipe, write down your thoughts or check out your backyard.......

Words of Wisdom : in honor of Mrs. Smith at LHS who is Hawaiian

E hele me ka pu’olo – (Always Take An Offering With You. Make Every Person Place or Condition Better Than You Left It Always. Wherever You Go, Always Take Something With You.) …This Is The Sacred Hawaiian Way, the Way of Abundant Flow Honoring Ke Akua (God) and His Creation Which is Nature.)

This little piggy ...... or how to spend time on a farm in the rain !

Who knew that two baby goats, about 15 adult goats, a pony , a burro , a rooster , 2 dogs , a wee black pig and a really big pig named Grunt could make my day. It started out just like any other day except that my person turned off the alarm and when Delta finally woke her up at 6 am instead of 5 am , she was a bit grumpy because she felt like she was running late. My immediate thoughts: Really ? Late? Who will be there today besides you? Teague is working from home, Benoit and Sandy are working from home...... you could run laps around the 200 hall if you wanted to there are so few people there. I really do understand though, she wants to keep the routine, because if she doesn't , she feels like she won't get anything done and then WHEN school starts up again, she will be all screwed up.... I do get it. Really I do.

So off we go and still manage to get to school before 7 and before EVERYBODY else that is coming in , except Michele and she got there right before we did. That is ok, she has plants to tend to and that is an important job. Speaking of plants. Guess what arrived today? The Tomatosphere seeds. The ones we grow every spring and send the results to the Space Agency to let them know what might grow good on Mars. Guess that will be a fall project , it's a shame because my person's kids love growing the tomatoes and finding out which seeds were on the space station. I really feel like I did my part today. I helped work on certifications and NCCAAT course; helped get the Martian readings set and then gathered some of the stuff she has at school that might as well come home so she can eat/drink it there.

The best part of the day came on the way home. We decided to check out the Dallas Lavender Lane Farm ! Oh Yeah!! Lavender everywhere...... plants and great smells and big fields that will be a super spot for visits in the summer. Best thing was the purple trolly!! It was really wet and you know that I still have a bad memory of really wet , so I deferred from having my ride and picture today. But I will.. you can bet on  that.

So... my second best thing was making ANOTHER new friend. The owner of the farm , Mark is a super great guy and his pet pig just made my day. I saw lots and lots of other animals and petted most of them... holy moly were those baby goats soft!! Whew!! The pig's name is Grunt and he is a grand pig. Truth be known, he basically runs the place and HE knows he is a house pig..... not a pasture or pen pig. That doesn't mean he won't take a stroll about and if you sort of hint at that you will pet his belly - well he will just plop down and let you have at it!! I like my new friend Grunt and I hope you can meet him some day too.

What is your favorite flower or herb? What is your favorite smell? and here is a really hard one : what color is your mood today?  Mine and my person's is lavender ( both the plant/flower and color).

Words of wisdom:
When we look deeply into the heart of a flower,
We see clouds, sunshine, minerals, time, the Earth and
Everything else in the Cosmos in it.
Without clouds there would be no rain ,
and without rain there would be no flower.          Thich Nhat Hanh

May 15th ..... a date we all never wanted to hear ...... but May 16th is coming right behind!

What happened to March 30th? How many packets does my person need? Does this mean no more hiking or can we still go if we stay 6 feet apart? What questions do you have? Did you know that my person needs to take attendance over the next weeks? How will she do that? All these questions and a zillion more are rumbling around in her head......

Book studies are gone; at home learning will begin..... hopefully some zoom classroom interactions and maybe some videos of geological things on hikes... lots of potential. My person wants me to make sure anyone following this blog feels like they can ask questions or start conversations and that it is open to anyone... all her international teacher friends : that means you too!!

Today was interesting. My person started the day by going to the grocery and picking up a few items during the " old people" shopping hours. There were no problems with the items that she normally buys, but the paper product aisle was still flat empty. Hopefully people are beginning to understand that if they stop panic buying and hoarding , that all of that part of our lives would be somewhat normal. Grocery store managers have asked that if people just relax for a week and then resume pre-COVID - 19 buying patterns that there would be no shortages.

My person went to school today and worked on 14 online work from home videos and so they are done. What did I do while she slaved away? Well, I found a really cool umbrella in the guidance office and being the adorable sock monkey that I am, just had to pretend I was getting ready to dance like I was " Singing in the Rain"..... However, that is as far as it got because I remembered how wet I got on Saturday and I was not ready for that nasty cold feeling again so soon. Check out the picture though.... you have to admit I look stunning!

I mean I am so cute, I can't stand myself!! The rest of the day at school included some recordings of the Martian; my person is determined that she will finish the book for her 3rd period. It is really getting interesting now though because Mark Watney and NASA ( on Earth NASA) can " talk " to each other!! I mean , really..... maybe he'll make it after all.

Sneak peak......

After that, she worked on more packets: tons of packets and then matched that stuff up with the online work.

I helped, but I am only a wee sock monkey and I got really tired carrying all the paperwork. Not that I took a rest or anything... OH the picture? I had just slipped, that is all.... not resting; Oh no! Not me....

It wasn't a totally boring day because I hitched a ride on another of my people and got caught up on the book he was reading. It was kind of boring though compared to what was going on with Mark on Mars!! But, whatever floats your boat I guess.

Just in case you have reached a point where you have nothing to do. let me share a set of ideas with you... no pressure , but some ideas.

Today has been one of those days, but I always leave you with a request to chat with me and ask any questions you want or need to . Today , I ask that you share me with others that you think might enjoy my rambles.....

Words of wisdom tonight: Words from Syed Balkhi

Happiness is the new rich
Inner peace is the new success
Health is the new wealth
Kindness is the new cool.

Sunday is still a day for rest, reflection and devotion.....

This is the seventh blog of my series and by the time it is all said and done, who knows how long this will be, but I am determined to keep it up and make contact with my person's friends and students. In fact, stay tuned because in the next few days , I may have a surprise for you! Maybe a new friend and guest speaker , you say? Well, maybe .. guess you will just have to keep checking. Today I thought about a lot of things that I will change once I can stop social distancing ... you know, when I can talk to someone face to face. I would imagine that at that point , it would be a good thing for me to tell people that I care about to their face, that I care for them.... and then... give them a big ole hug and tell them that there are plenty more where that one came from. My best-est friend right now besides my person and her family is the most amazing Elkhound named Delta! Whoa! those eyes will just melt anyone... she is a hug lover and can't hardly stand it if you stop petting her, but she is the best and I can tell her anything. That is a picture of the two of us ...right below!

I mean , isn't she just amazing!! Hi Delta! Good Girl!!

The rest of the day I picked flowers and explored the backyard. You all can do that too... it was ok because the alto-stratus clouds did not rain on me at all. I looked for bugs - no luck ; looked for new leaves - no luck and finally collected a bouquet for my person. Unfortunately, my hands and arms are a bit small and short and so the length of my stems were on the skimpy side, but they were appreciated still. Wonder what is in your yard or on your street , maybe you could take pictures and share with me!

Pretty sweet looking sock monkey, aren't I ?

My person has told me zillions of times to stay hydrated and so I made use of my skills and brewed everyone some ginger tea. It was really good, but I would prefer elderberry! Guess what? I can have elderberry next year because we planted elderberry bushes today!!! Score! I can't wait.

Tea making isn't that hard!

I also put my cooking skills into play today. I cooked the chili! You can see me right there in that picture. It is absolute proof! Have you cooked anything special? Let me know for sure! Maybe I will try your recipe.

Headed to school tomorrow to supervise the recordings of the Martian and whatever else may come along! Stay well, stay home and explore your yards!

Words about courage:  “Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear – not absence of fear.” – Mark Twain.

Clean air and sunshine do such great things for the body and mind.......

Day 6 of the Corona virus invasion into our lives and people are still being really dumb. Not that my person is always perfect , but she did make sure that we didn't stop anywhere today that had a ton of people. There were some nutcases that were at Stone Mountain in groups of 100 or more... but I get distracted. So today, we decided, well my person decided since although I probably could drive, my height would be a bit of an impairment , that we would practice social distancing in the mountains, hiking about and exploring on the Blue Ridge Parkway. She is right a lot of times and today was not an exception. We saw maybe 10 other people all day and that included my two people. We stopped at lots of overlooks that were hard to overlook!! Haha!! get it? Anyway, they had some great views and if you wandered down a trail or two, you actually saw things that normally it would be too crowded to see and heard birds and other critters that normally it would be too noisy to hear with all sorts of people talking and kids running around. We saw the Cascades waterfalls, which were really cool. They were a shear drop on layers of slate.... my person decided to climb up on the wall... good thing she is as nimble as a monkey ( I guess I taught her well ) ..... They were gorgeous! The hike on the other hand was straight down to see them and well... you know what that means: straight up to get back to the Jeep. But it was worth it , seriously. We wandered around and climbed this really big hill that ended in a field that was part of a trail and the view from there was breathtaking... we could see all the way to Pilot Knob Mountain that is in Mt Airy - you  know that town that was where the Andy Griffith Show was set. We had a great time... snacked on good food and drank lots of water , because when we started out, it was a bit nippy and then it got REALLY hot and we were all sweaty climbing around. Sometimes, fate steps in and changes things and so it was never meant for a sock monkey to be hot and sweaty .Fast forward to when we were exploring this amazing place with moss covered trees and a beautiful stream flowing over rocks area and I decided that the best photo op would be to head to a rock in the middle of the steam. Enter Fate: well let me tell you, that water was cold and the thought of traveling face first down the length of the stream to end, where ever that might be was a bit scary. Just as I thought that my blogging days were through, I was snatched up out of the water by my tail and carried to the stream bank. I was grateful to be sure, but was totally embarrassed when one of my people started at my head and squeezed my body all the way to my toes to get all the water out of my stuffing. How embarrassing and I am sadder to say that it didn't work and so I spent the rest of the trip wrapped up in a towel to dry off and stay warm. Word to the wise: watch your footing when wading in mountain streams.
My words of wisdom today come from Anne Frank:  “The best remedy for those who are afraid, lonely or unhappy is to go outside, somewhere where they can be quite alone with the heavens, nature, and God.” Anne Frank

I am including an assortment of pictures from today. Please enjoy and remember , you can always comment to me.