BOOGER ALERT! (Yes, Debi, this means you!)

Just a few days ago I was gently admonished to give plenty of warning if any SNAKE pictures (boogers) were to appear in this blog. Well, here's your warning. Keep your eyes open.

"We've been called a lot of things, but 'boogers'? Never!"


"I've looked under every log in this woodpile, and trust me, there are no snakes here."

"Our boogers are with their Daddies."

"Hey, I resemble that remark!"

"I'm on booger patrol, but no boogers here."

"Do we look like boogers to you?"

But we're getting closer. . . .

Judy's watering the garden. Uh, what's that amongst the beans?

This lovely specimen is none other than a Corn Snake, or Red Rat Snake. Just look at those beautiful markings.

It's a close cousin of the Black Rat Snake that paid us a visit last week. In appearance they look nothing alike, but their diet and habits are similar.

Like all snakes, this one is carnivorous, so none of our vegetables are in danger. This snake is easily confused with non-poisonous water snakes and with poisonous copperheads. But it tames so easily it is one of the most popular choices for pet snakes.

I could have easily caught this one or the Black Rat Snake last week, but I'm not interested in taking away their freedom. Few creatures thrive in captivity, and who knows where they were headed when they passed through our yard?

If they want to show their appreciation, they can just help keep the pest population down in our garden. Whether you call 'em snakes, serpents, or plain old boogers, Judy and I plan to go by the old adage, "Live and let live." I wonder what kind our next snake visitor will be. Hmmm.

From the NC Policy Watch

All taxpayers are entitled to their own opinion of taxes. Income taxes, Social Security taxes, utility taxes, property taxes, sales taxes, gasoline taxes, luxury taxes, so-called "sin taxes," plus taxes known by other names, such as "user fees." Many claim to be anti-tax, but as a society, what would we be willing to give up to achieve their goals? Probably not much. If we are wary of "Get rich quick" schemes, are we realistic enough to know that government can't give us something for nothing? As in most discussions, people's positions can be anywhere along a lengthy continuum.



I found myself agreeing in principle with the following column by Chris Fitzsimon of N.C. Policy Watch. I'll respect your viewpoint whatever your position. (It was originally published on April 15, Tax Day)

Civil Society is Supported by . . . Taxes

Today is tax day, so get ready for the annual onslaught of government bashing and wild exaggerations about the taxes we pay from folks holding protests on streets paid for by tax dollars while being protected by law enforcement officers funded by our tax payments.

If somebody has a heart attack, a taxpayer-funded EMT will respond. If a fire breaks out, people at the rally know the publicly-funded fire department will rush to the scene.

Many seniors in the crowd will complain about the government that just paid for their latest visit to the doctor. Many speakers with degrees from state universities will rail against the taxes that paid for much of their college education.

Many of the people carrying signs blasting big bad government will have recently cashed their Social Security check or pension payment from the State of North Carolina.

Then the ralliers will head to lunch at a restaurant where their tax dollars made sure the food is safe and the electrical wiring is sound and won't cause a fire while they are complaining about the size of their government.

Some parents will leave lunch to pick up their children from the schools our tax money funds, where they learn from the teachers our tax dollars pay. Others will stop by the day care center that our taxes make sure are built to code and take their kids to the park that our tax dollars bought for all of us to enjoy.

All this while breathing the air that our tax dollars make sure is safe to breathe and standing on land our tax dollars make sure is not contaminated with chemicals that can harm us.

Then the ralliers will head home and turn on the lights powered by the area's nuclear plant that our tax dollars make sure is operated safely and make dinner using the water from the system our tax dollars fund before giving their kids a bath as the water disappears into the sewer system that the government operates.

Then the protesters will stuff their homemade signs into the trash and roll the can and the recycling to the curb so it can be picked up and hauled away by the government that the signs condemn.

Then it's back into the house that is also protected by the police and firefighters that our tax dollars pay and turn out the lights and sleep soundly knowing that no bombs or missiles will fall in the night because of the men and women in the armed forces that our taxes support.

Then the alarm clock will sound, bringing another day to complain about the government.

I realize that columns like this one overstate their positions and are prone to exaggerate to make their points. But I don't think the exaggerations are extreme. I, too, would love to take home more of my paycheck. But when you ask me which government services and programs I'd choose to cut or eliminate, it might be one that you consider essential. Let's hope our lawmakers seek and find some common ground somewhere in the middle. And there's a VAST stretch of territory there between the outlandish extremes!

Those Girls Are At It Again!

"Oh, Claire, I love what you've done with your hair!"


"Two babes in arms are worth four on the floor."

"So the thing-a-mu-jig makes the whatcha-ma-call-it go like crazy. I can't wait to learn the real words for this stuff."

"Uh, Cuz, where'd that extra hand come from. Look at the size of that thing!"

"We may not know our shapes and colors, but we know what we like."

"Bri, no offense, but your outfit's makin' me see stars."

"Claire, someday I'm gonna have hair like this. Dig that color!"

"I hate to be the one to break it to ya, Bri, but you've got a long way to go. Not to mention a fortune in pink dye."

"Grandma, in your version, do the pigs get the wolf, or the other way around?"

"Ooo. The pigs get the wolf. Not a pretty sight."

"Let's read it again. Or better yet, let's act it out!"

A Not-so-unexpected Spring Visitor (BOOGER ALERT FOR DEBI!)

I shouldn't have been surprised. Ever since my first summer at Camp Cherokee for Boys in 1972, I've been a snake magnet. Through my camp years and 33 years at Sandhills Farm Life School, snakes, Black Rat Snakes in particular, seem to seek me out.

This particular specimen greeted me Thursday morning as I was getting ready to cut some grass. Snakes don't like lawn mowers, so when I saw my friend I postponed the yardwork for just a little while.

He is about three and a half feet long, but still going. The glossy skin indicated a recent shedding. Like me, he was enjoying the warmth of the morning sun. Note the peculiar "jointed" appearance. This is a characteristic quirk of Black Rat Snakes at rest. I like to think they are relaxing their muscles, which get quite a workout. Among snakes, they are notable as climbers and constrictors.

He has survived this long by using his natural camouflage and ability to move silently and discretely. And somehow getting enough to eat. We had noticed there have been no signs of field mice around this spring. Maybe we have our friend to thank.

Judy was neither surprised nor alarmed when I told her about our visitor. She knew he might keep mice and moles out of our garden. She did mention that Brianna might see him soon, since we take her out to the nearby swing set pretty often. That would be just fine. Jennifer and Amanda both got acquainted with snakes as toddlers, and as far as I know, neither ever got bit. That's more than their dad could say.

This may be the same snake I've seen slither across our front yard or around the house the last couple of years. I hope so. His face looks familiar. But now that I've seen him, I won't be surprised if he doesn't turn up again until next year.

He's a good friend, but he doesn't wear out his welcome.

A Mother's Legacy

Mama's birthday, May 6, was always just days before Mother's Day. How appropriate. Motherhood was her calling, her specialty, and her life. She was really good at it. Can't you just see in this picture how much she looked forward to ME being born (okay, Buddy and Caryn, too).

In sixty years of marriage, Mama lived her Christian convictions unswervingly before her family and all those who knew her.

Some of Mama's heartfelt convictions were expressed in bulletin boards she created for her Forum Sunday School Class. She meant every word she said.

Every blessing I can count today began with the love that my Mama and Daddy imparted to me from my earliest recollections. And I am the lucky husband of another wonderful mother. Judy has been my one true love and is everything to me. I know Jennifer and Amanda, the two most awesome young mothers I know, will give Judy the credit for so many valued lessons of motherhood. I pay tribute to all of them, as well as my sister Caryn and Judy's mother Thelma. Everyone should have the benefit of mothers like these. The world would be a better place.

Judy's not going to rest on her laurels. She's moving on to perfecting the rearing of grandchildren. And off to a pretty great start, I'd say.

Judy and I can be very thankful as we look back to our own grandmothers and mothers, and ahead to our daughters and granddaughters. From that perspective, we can actually glimpse at least five generations (including our own). We have seen the blessings of the past and present, and we can anticipate those of the future. God's commandment to honor our mothers (and fathers) attests to the fact that they are the glue which holds together our families, communities, and in the broadest sense, civilization. A pretty important legacy. Now is a good time to honor the mothers that are important in your life.

10 K: A Blogging Milestone

No, I'm not going to be running a 10 K. I'm talking about another kind of milestone. Last Friday, April 23, 2010 at 7:25 (and 31 seconds), my Eclectic Blog was visited for the 10,000th time. Thanks to modern technology, I know how appropriate that visit was. It was from one of my most faithful readers-- who knows how to take the bad with the good. This reader was on-line in Hamlet, North Carolina.

A few of you know who it is now.

It's GAIL!

I guarantee that several hundred of my blog "hits" have been from Gail. Not to mention countless "warm fuzzy" comments. Thank you, thank you, thank you Gail. And thank you to all you other faithful readers, both long-time and relative newcomers.

As I reviewed my blog history, I was a little surprised that in less than two years since I retired, I have posted 290 blog posts. Wow, that makes me a little tired. But not really. It has been hugely fun, and I have no plans to stop. I can't even imagine how many photos I've posted, but I know I'm up to more than 60% of my allotted capacity. What will I do when I max out? Start another blog, of course!

My very first post in July 2008 explained what I meant by an "Eclectic Blog." Unlike Jerry Seinfeld, who had a show purportedly about nothing, my blog can be about anything and everything. Even about Seinfeld, as a matter of fact.

Feel free to visit my archives if you're a recent follower. In the past two years I've blogged about grandbabies, nature, opinions, vacations, family, blessings, and much more. Eclectic stuff, ya know?

Predictably, there will be more about those lovable, huggable, knee-bounceable grandbabies. What else will there be? Stick around and find out. And thanks again for visiting.

Oh yeah, what's with the flower pictures? They have absolutely nothing to do with today's blog post. But I was in the mood for them. And they're nice, aren't they DEBI?! (other most faithful reader) : )

24 Hours With Claire: Part II

If you haven't already read Part I, scroll down to the previous post to see the first part of Ken and Judy's grand adventure with granddaughter Claire.

"Somewhere between the last post and this one there were a couple of prodigious naps. But we don't need to talk about that."

"Tummy time is no chore when you have a caterpillar pal with chewy antennae."

We "camped out" at Claire's house overnight. This child can sleep. 8 p.m. to 6:30 a.m. without a peep. Of course, she doesn't have to get out of bed for her potty breaks.

"Grandma, this is my bottomless basket of books. At least, I've never seen the bottom. Hold on to me very tightly, please. I'm goin' in!"

What a pair. Wonder where Claire gets that winning smile?

"You're right, Grandpa. The air is much thinner up here."

"Somebody get me a parachute, quick! Grandpa's finally lost it!"

"No matter what the sign says, this Kirby ain't for sale!"

"Grandma, don't look now, but here comes your 'wannabe' photographer hubby."

"Ho, hum. It's a little early for bouncing in the Johnny Jump-up, don't you think?"

"But it's never too early to smile for the camera. My public simply adores me."

"If that chain will slow down long enough for me to focus on it, we'll find out what it does."

"VOILA! Lights, camera, action!"

And lights, camera, action is a pretty good summary of our 24 hours with Claire!

BONUS FEATURES: Videos of Claire in Action!