Started early this morning. I walked Chelsea and then went to Maywood to help Gary Hefter, from Rhine Plymouth feed and water the pheasant chicks. This is Rhine's week to take care or them. Gary and Greg Reich really do it all. Too bad there aren't a couple of others to ease the load, but everybody is SO busy. Greg called and I am able to help Gary, who comes right from his night shift at Kohler and is really tired, twice anyway. I can go back on Friday. With two of us working it takes about an hour. We fill the feed bins, check and refill water as needed and remove any dead birds. No dead ones this week at all. That is amazing. I guess the weather is just right and they started feeding them the water enriched much earlier than last year.

I kind of enjoy doing it as the pheasants remind me of when I was a kid and Dad raised chickens. We make pets out of them you know. Mine had crippled feet and would you believe that I named him Crip. I won a pet show at the school the year we had him. We eventually ate him. I know I was not a happy camper but must have been a "farmer's daughter" because I accepted the fact that he was raised for food.

When I got home, it was still cool enough and it was not raining, so I went down to the garden and lilac bushes in back. I trimmed the lilac bushes. We did not get many blooms this year so I decided to do some trimming. It may be a little late, but will help in the long fun. I re-edged the other gardens too. They were getting a little ingrown. The hostas and day lilies are blooming now.

Then it was time for a shower to get all the pheasant stuff, sweat, dirt and insect repellent off of me. AND take a nap.

When I got up, Dick told me that the computer had been down most of the night. When I got home, we still did not have a connection, so I called Time Warner. They had a BIG wait so I gave my number and waited. They called back in about 45 minutes (which is what they said) and after about a half an hour of trying different things, we got back online. I learned one more thing to try before calling them. Will Smith, the technician, was very good and told me that they had done some updates overnight and some problems had developed.

I went to Capelle's Farm Market for some fresh veggies and then we got waffle sundaes for lunch. About once every two months we treat ourselves like that. Usually a blizzard but these are new and looked good.

I spent the rest of the afternoon washing windows, watering plants and getting ready for my speech at the Rotary tomorrow.

Dick took me out to dinner to the Family Restaurant. He ordered meatloaf and I ordered liver and onions (It was really good, Bobbie.) Now we are home and in for the night.

During the tributes to Lady Bird Johnson, I heard someone who had been in the Johnson White House say that during that term, it was often the case that a calming voice would be heard saying at very important times saying. "Now Lyndon. Now, Lyndon." I know that he was very volatile and she was a rock at his side.

I could relate. I remember, my Grandpa Bowser, who was a great teller of stories, sometimes getting carried away and my dear Grandma saying in a calming voice. "Now, John. Now, John."

Mary