Keksie

That is so sad. I hope they get the mites under control quickly before more honeybees are lost. Bees are so important.

Well this week has been a challenge. My son moved to Florida for many reasons but one was to help his father who was having some health problems. Sunday my son called me to let me know his father had fallen while he was leaving a restaurant and had broken his hip. Monday they did a hip replacement. Tuesday my son called to say that his dad was being moved to icu because he was not doing well. His dad ended up passing away that night. It has been really hard on my son. Today the funeral home said the ME might have to do an autopsy to find a clear cause of death for the death certificate. Even more challenging is the fact that my Ex left a financial mess for my son to decipher. My heart hurts for my son having to go through all this. I am thankful that my son's fiance is such a wonderful young woman who has been there for him.

I have a lifetime supply of plastic straws so no matter what kind of goofy straws the cruise lines want people to use I can bring what I prefer.

@jagsfani am so sorry to hear that Cooper has passed. My heart goes out to your family. @mo&fran You have a large cheering section sending positive thoughts for good test results. @dani negreanuTry to enjoy your trip. Your cousin is in good hands and can be treated. When you return you can share stories and pictures and plan the next trip with her.

That was totally stressful and scary. Anymore everything seems like a scam to get your money. I am glad it worked out in the end.

I am so sorry for your loss.

You always have the best looking lunches.

Happy Anniversary. What a wonderful picture.

It is for the bride. I am currently working on a different one for my dress. My dress is a dark plum and as luck would have it I don't have one that will work.

The beads on the shawl don't show up in the pictures but do in person.

As promised the pictures of the wedding shawl. I am a tad tired. We have 130 give or take patients at the refuge and a batch of new interns. I got there at 9 and left at 5:30 with a 15 min. lunch. I feel old now. Sigh.

@Sea Dog I am so glad you are okay and have a reason for what happened.

It was my grandmother's.

Winner, winner chicken dinner. It is a corn sheller. Bring your own box or container for catching. It was probably for pop corn since the opening only works with small ears. Found in an antique store in a dark corner. It now lives in my dining room. Here is a picture of the interior workings.

Picture of the day. Care to guess?

See post 102099. Short explanation = take oil, some chemical to kill lice, put in oiler and let pigs rub against the wheels.

Happy Anniversary.

We did not pay the prices you see on them now. 10 years ago you could pick up unrestored ones very cheaply. They are crazy expensive now

They are for farmers to fill the tank with oil and chemicals to kill parasites on hogs. The wheels turn when the hog rubs against it dispersing the oil and chemical on the hog. There are various designs and we have 2. They started out rusty and dirty. My husband cleaned them up and painted them. At one tractor show there was a gentleman with a whole trailer full of restored ones for display.

Second hog oiler: This one was a bear to clean. My husband had to take a file and lots of water to get all the dirt packed in the big wheel cleaned out.

@dani negreanuAnnabel and Samantha. Elmer would not cooperate. LOL

Back in the day on the farm when you had pigs you would fill it with oil and a chemical to kill lice. The wheels are partly in the well with the chemical/oil mixture. The pigs would rub against the wheels and get de-liced. Of course they were not painted or clean. There are a lot of different styles and we have 2 different ones. My husband worked for awhile cleaning and painting them.

For those that are curious behind Coal is a hog oiler.

He is so hard to get a picture of. He is completely black and my floors are dark. When he is asleep and his eyes are closed it shows as just a black blob. Here is an ok picture of him awake and at warp speed.

Our house sitters end up with Rocco, Elmer, and Coal sleeping with them. After they leave the pets keep looking down the hall for them.