Rain and Consequences

God has a tremendous sense of humor.

Ok, I've known this for some time- just look at the platypus. But he does love to have a giggle at us humans occasionally, especially the inhabitants of Maison Cou Rouge.

We got some much-needed rain yesterday afternoon. Actually, we got something akin to a monsoon yesterday afternoon. It flooded rain for hours, so much so that the soggy area on our driveway was ankle deep. Did I mention that the soggy area is on the path to the back door? Did I mention that said rain was occuring during the late afternoon, when everyone is coming and going around here? Right through the soggy area???

We also discovered, thanks to the rain, that we have a roof leak. Of course the roof leak couldn't occur over the front porch. It had to manifest itself first by the dripping ceiling in the guest bedroom. Maybe now is not the time to mention that my mother is coming to visit in two weeks.

The leaking roof then reared its ugly head in the dining room. Not in the kitchen, just adjacent, where water is a known commodity and surfaces are prepared for moistness. Nooooo. The drip, drip, drip came from the recently repaired ceiling- we finally got around to having it fixed 3 months ago. The damaged ceiling came with the house-a previous leak prior to our moving here. Yes, it is plaster.

Is this how stalactites get started?

Previous leak, you say? Well, when we moved in 6 years ago, we had the roof replaced. To the tune of nearly $30,000. For that much money, I expect a work of art. I do not expect leaks. But it seems we have had a leak for 6 years now, from above the guest room, through the upstairs closet that houses the air conditioner , through to the dining room. As the attic is accessible only through a very small cutout in the upstairs linen closet, we've never looked up there.

Proof that the Beverly Hillbillies have moved to Georgia

I expect when Grumpy Guy crawls up there today, he will find a marsh suitable for waterfowl. After all, God has a sense of humor.

Did I mention that the roofer no longer roofs? He now works for the Department of Transportation.

NEVER FORGET

Never forget, never forget, never forget.

Don't live in fear, or they will have won.

But NEVER forget.

Football Weekend

Update:

Brentwood Won-yay yay

Georgia Lost-rats

LSU Won -yes!

NY Giants Lost- I miss Tiki

Details to follow-----

Cookin' Up a Storm

"Go outside and get me every goose or duck you can find."

It's just about guaranteed that I will speak this sentence the first or second weekend of hunting season. Grumpy Guy will be resting after a great day of hunting when I will realize that I have absolutely NO room in either the outside or inside freezers. Something must be done.

I have a "hoard" mentality. It's not that I doubt my faith in my husband's excellent abilities in the hunting/gathering department. It's not that I doubt Chip, the Wonder Lab's excellent retrieving abilities. I guess I have this fear of being faced with a charity game supper for 12 or 20 and looking in the freezer and having NO GAME to serve. So I mete out our vast game supply throughout the non-hunting season like Scrooge handing our gold pieces.

I had conserved well. Ducks and geese thawed, along with several "what is this?" packages (GG often gets back from hunting with a rather tepid response to cleaning the spoils and packaging them up- most go under the thought of "I'll remember what this is..." and have no label) and I had a whole mess of waterfowl.

(note to Yankee friends- Gawd knows I have described what "a mess of" something is to you before. THINK.)

One day later, and we have the following

1- a gi-i-i-i-normous pot of duck and sausage gumbo

2- ringneck (yes, ringneck) breasts ready for sauteeing

3- goose legs salting, ready for making confit. (oh, heavens, if you don't know confit, you are missing one of the best things in life...trust me.)

4- wood duck breasts marinating for grilling

Wish you were here for supper!!

Emergency Alert

I have just discovered that hairbrush number 2 has disappeared from my bathroom, along with tres expensive flat iron and accompanying protective spray. Girl spent the night with a friend. I am issuing world-wide authorization to shoot-to-wound with tranquilizer darts for my hairbrush-stealing daughter. Anyone retrieving said bounty will be issued a reward.

I'd go looking for MY STUFF, but I can't leave the house with my hair looking like this.......