Fantasy Football Xmas Finale

 

Wisner Family  December 2024

A Fantastic Fantasy Family and Friends Football Finale Frames 2024.  What better way to keep Sundays full of fun.  No waivers, trades or injuries required - as we are all healthy and continue to be blessed with plenty of game time. 

Jenna, Paul, Teddy and Wes (Defensive Backfield) – Teddy and Wes are no longer rookies and that backed up Jenna and Paul on defense.  Potty spring training was marginally successful which is why they remodeled their room for a new one.  Wes’s MOM cadence created many neutral zone infractions. Jenna’s Sunday cooking has made the NFL Ticket worth the investment. 

Ellen (KIcker) - Kicked up the Corporate Ladder, Ellen now can hold out for the best contract.  Her away game record during road trips for weddings, visits to friends, and ubering Susan to Akron has been unbeatable.  Plus, Pickleball Prowess Puts People in Place.  It was like a kick in the gut when Cleo, the cat, was blocked into a possible loss. Then an overtime miracle allowed Ellen to save the day. 

Susan (Quarterback) – Missing the fifth Chosen pick didn’t stop her in the draft.  Burrowing into first place Susan seems almost guaranteed to win the championship.  Susan doubled down in time and giving across three teams– Crossroads, Emmaus and Bridge.  I’ll ask a question on how to cruise into first place for next Season – maybe with an away opening game in England.

Garen (Offensive Lineman) – Seven decades and still in the game, Garen’s main offense is gaining pounds.  Can it be sitting in the chair is the problem?  His deep dive into spiritual small groups was Supercharged into Seven days in Utopia.  Fostering a new money offensive line will help protect the quarterback from social sacks and maintain security.

Podcast Play by Play – No notebook(LM) required for the Wisner activities this year. Lake Wawasee is now be traditional summer training camp for the entire team.  This year away games included AL, IN, and FL.  The home stadium gained some upgrades in garage parking, lavatories, grounds and main entrance.

Sadly, there were losses this year – too many for the Rufferee to recount.  Yet the good memories of past seasons of play can still revive the joy and new players (CAB) will give us hope. 

Regardless of your ranking this season, fans will return, championships are still a hope, and the real win is about being on a team.  Seasons come and go; the Wisner’s are grateful for another year to play with you in the Superbowl of Life.  

 

                                                

                      Merry Christmas & Happy New Year

                          “The most valuable player is the one who makes the most players valuable”

                                                                                                                                      Paintin’ Manning

                                                                                                                                                    

Rufferee's Time is Out

Today was a sad day as Fitch (our rescue black lab/mut) was put down - (2/2011 - 10/2024).  This time it was my turn to grieve as Susan historically had this duty for our other pets. One always thinks about the conversion of human years to dog years - Fitch lasted 13 1/2 years.   Actually, male black Labradors last typically 10-12 years according to this blog - How Long Do Black Labs Typically Live. Like human females, female dogs last longer 10-14 years and Fitch's sister Bella is still going strong (although she is losing weight lately). 

AI Copilot says a medium sized dog of 13 1/2 years is 68-80 in human years.  

So, many say "He had a long, good life" --- but long years don't determine good.  I think I can say Fitch had a good life - measured by how I would like to have lived if I was a dog.

We still own two dogs (Bella and Wally) after the acquisition of Jenna and Paul's dog - Wally in 2023.    I actually think Wally extended Fitch's life as they seemed to like to spar and added new life energy to the older dogs.

The whole family will miss Fitch - the Rufferee :)    He called a Time Out.

Not Catbird, or Bobcat - Albino Peacock

This shelter in place has provided nature and us more time to understand each other.   SO -  a story of the last four weeks is worth sharing.

In late April, Susan texted me a picture of an albino Peacock that she assured was indeed a peacock as confirmed by our landscaper.  How interesting 10 years ago we had sighted an albino Squirrel in our neighborhood which has disappeared.   So, I placed no hope is seeing the peacock myself.

However,  when I was clearing some brush in our backyard (Saturday May 2), the Peacock sauntered across the yard.

Everyone that I have shared this with say.... NAH... that's just a turkey.

OK - hold that thought (the mysterious large white fowl).

For the past month Ellen has been hearing a crying meow of a cat each evening.  Once she pointed out the muffled sound, I began hearing it regularly also and would walk around the house saying "Here Kitty Kitty" attempting to find the distressed kitty.

OK - hold that thought (the distressed kitten mystery). 

About three weeks ago  (Monday May 4th)  as J.R., A.M. and I were sipping an adult beverage in my backyard, J.R. pointed out the large open wound on Bella's  (my female dog) hind end.   On later inspection there were also wounds on her shoulder blade and Fitch (the male dog) also had just recovered from his own wound in his hind quarters.   Somehow the dogs were getting hurt.

OK - hold that thought (the wounded outdoor dogs).

Back in early February,  I was out one night wondering why the dogs were barking so much.  I flipped on the back porch light and in the distance on the edge of our grass yard, a coyote was taunting the dogs.  He ran back into the woods briefly on the sight of my presence, only to become comfortable and race back into the yard confronting the dogs.

OK - hold that thought (the aggressive coyote theory).

Susan was up early Sunday morning (May 9th) and heard the distressed kitten sound at the side of our house. That morning she mentioned that maybe the sound wasn't a feline but a bird.  Maybe a bird makes a sound like a cat -  maybe a catbird?    So we google "Catbird" and play the sound....   no luck the sound didn't come close.   So I have the brilliant idea (based on the wounded dogs) maybe there is a Bobcat in the neighborhood.   I google Bobcat sounds and discover they indeed make a sound similar but not exactly what we have been hearing.

OK - hold that thought (the potential Bobcat theory)

In describing the Bobcat theory to as many people that would listen to my stories, I would get various comments back.  Yes, there are Bobcats in the area.  Yes, they are good for the area since they thin the coyote ranks.  However, they are recluse and likely would not be aggressive with dogs.  But .... for the next two weeks the Bobcat theory reigned. Then more evidence arrived at the foot of the garage door.

What have we here?    The skull of a ????????   Brought forward from Bella - the hunter.

OK - hold that thought (the mysterious animal skull bone)

Our landscaper returned to mow the lawn (Saturday May 30).    Diplomatically he listened to our theory but put the pieces of the puzzle together - and offers the Sherlock Holmes explanation:

What you are hearing is the albino Peacock (since he was an expert at making the Peacock call himself).  The dogs might have been wounded from a confrontation with an aggressive coyote or just got into their own internal squabble.  The deer head skull is evidence the coyotes were feasting somewhere near the dog's perimeter that allowed Bella to retrieve the skull of a deer.

OK -  you now need verification - right?   SO yesterday with J.R., A.M. and A.S.,   I decide to reiterate the LONG story above while playing the Peacock sound.  While playing that sound outside,  within the hour A.S. said....."I don't believe it -   there it is .....  and next to the bird feeder the Albino Peacock had arrived. 

CASE CLOSED  - Not a Catbird or Bobcat  -  an Albino Peacock

Addendum/Editorial Correction:

The WHITE Peacock is one of the most beautiful and rarest fowl in the world. It is not Albino since the eyes are blue.  The white color symbolizes purity, eternity and unconditional love.  

Source:  HOBI TERNAK

TGIF

For Wall Street Investors the adage "Thank God It's Friday" may be an understatement.  As I write this blog at 3:06 EST the DJIA has dropped 16% for the week, 33% for the month.  The market drop is better defined now as contagion - the combination of emotional fear from the economic impact of lockdowns with the Saudi/Russia Oil fight, and a sprinkle of political uncertainty. 

In this environment - cash is king, physical supplies is queen.  This is my second day locked down at the house.  Taking a walk in the neighborhood, it felt like grand central station - cars, people walking, children playing outside, even an Indian Hill Ranger patrolling and stopping to say hello.  Of course it helps that it was a sunny day with temperatures in the 50's.

Ellen cooked some brownies, Jenna was outside playing fetch with her dog Wally, Paul was working making client phone calls, and Susan attempting to collect receivables for her clients.  I sat transfixed on the red and green ups and downs of individual stocks while listening to the gloom and doom of CNBC.

Will the pressure cooker of this week's activity continue to build over the weekend?  With little routine outlets available for weekend decompression, everyone will be trying to find new activities and ways to fill their time.  What a great opportunity to re-evaluate how we spend our time together and what we can do to be emotionally supportive of each other. Like the feeling of being snowed in during a winter storm, we can practice ways to create calm and peace.  Here are some ideas:

(1) Turn off the media
(2) Read a book
(3) How about a puzzle; or art; or a family game
(4) Take a walk outside in the neighborhood
(5) Do one of those home organization projects you have put off indefinitely

Take the time to appreciate your home and feeling safe at home.

Fathers Day Blessings

It was a wonderful Father's Day full of blessings.  While grooming the forest, my two assistants attempted to police the area of unwanted critters.

Then the day dived when I looked at my wrist for the time and discovered my watch was missing.  How to find "a needle in a haystack".   Luck has it that a shiny object appeared after three hours of backtracking my steps and the watch was found.

A prior Father's Day gift, I was in mourning when I discovered it missing and the high probability it would never be found. 

The bonus was an grill out with the girls (and Paul too!) and the very thoughtful present of a new leather satchel (briefcase) to replace my 30 year old Coach briefcase that has traveled the world.

Like an old wallet - it's tough to give it up.

Doubting Garen

One of the traits I acquired working with computers and for Accenture for 25 years was the ultimate skeptic - call me a Doubting Garen.

Several weeks ago I attended a fundraiser for UCAN where the Master of the Ceremonies (MC) passionately described their purpose: a world in which every cat and dog lives to find a loving home and every resident has access to affordable spay/neuter services

At the event the MC stated that "one female cat (that is not spayed) can produce over 425,000 kittens in seven years".  The crowd gasped.  Susan quickly helped me absorb this logic by saying it obviously included all the off spring.  But even with this quick logic check, I was disturbed by the number and unsettled (call it doubt) and wanted to test the underlying assumptions.

So off to the internet I went. 
First found a blog with a similar claim  and some simple assumptions:

http://laanimalshelter.blogspot.com/2009/09/how-many-litters-of-kittens-can-female.html
3 Litters per year

12-18 Kittens per litter

So I constructed my own spreadsheet and added some assumptions (e.g. number of females in each litter – 50%) and calculated 1,346,832.   Hmmm  something seemed very wrong now!  At that rate it would be worse than the plagues of God against the Pharaoh.  There must be some bad assumptions or logic.

Another search brought me to SNOPES -  ah yes the urban legend site that tries to keep the internet honest.

 “How many kittens in 7 years”  http://message.snopes.com/showthread.php?t=15060

The SNOPES  answer is:  100 – 400

 I suspect this is too low based on the residual SNOPE comments about the University of Washington Math Department’s assumptions.  But I decided not to research further.  The key sensitive variable is survival rate to reproductive age.

 

What's the lesson?   Before you accept statistics (numbers) that are dramatic - check your facts.

 

So to practice what I preach -  my next blog will put more facts on the table about the 1.08% growth rate of Christians cited in the Jesus (the Mathematician) blog.

Cats in the Cradle

One of the keys to interacting with Cat people is to keep the focus narrow.  Too much stimulus will overwhelm a Cat - which applies to choices, number of people, noise levels, etc.  Think of it like the Cats Cradle game - the game with two people focused on exchanging turns in methodically pulling the string into a new formation.

Keep the movements simple, consistent, and predictable.  There are a finite number of moves (i.e. choices) and expected results. 

When a Cat person is focused on a result, then they can tune out some of the more troublesome distractions that can "spook" them.

The Cat's in the Cradle is the Dog's silver spoon. :)

Cat People NonVerbals

Non verbal body language explains a great deal about the difference between Cat people and Dog people.  In fact Cat people are more "tuned" into non verbal communication than Dog people [generally speaking :) ].   Cats demonstrate their attitudes with their eyes, ears and tail (I've already shown many illustrations). 

Look for body signals of the Cat person to determine their inward feelings:

Eyes - Do you see any similarity between the following two pictures?

Look at the Cat person eyes - enlarged pupils indicate powerful emotions - fear, anger, suspicion but also arousal, excitement and interest.  You need to judge which side of the emotion spectrum it might be.

Ears -  Well for the human the ears are not much help.  However you can look for other facial expressions - eyebrows, wrinkles, mouth, temples etc.

Tail -  Cat people have no tail ...... but look carefully at what they are doing with their hands and feet.  When a Cat person is impatient, wanting to leave, the hand may begin to move rapidly (as if tapping) up and down on the knee or table. Or maybe the leg is jiggling or foot swerving in circles, or even knees knocking back and forth.  Careful looking under the dining table will tell you a lot about the non verbals for Cat people.

Purr  ...u rrr.....u rrrr  - You are in best shape if you can detect (visually or even audibly) the Cat person's purr.  Just like a cat there is no definitive answer why Cat people purr.  But like a Cat, there is a high probability that it indicates they are content with the situation.  Sometimes it is a self soothing/self healing state of mind - almost like a monk chanting.  It is definitely a state where they are saying:
                                                   "All is right with the World!"

And for you Dog people .........      Purring Cat means Peaceful Dog Habitat      :)
  

The Cornered Cat

It is a fallacy to think a Cat person is a "push over" - a quiet, vulnerable, intimidated, creature of a weak species.  One slice of the nose off the Dog person's face will disprove this theory.  Hence the danger of cornering a cat as further evidence of the Cat person's need to always have an exit path.

In fact, the most content cat is one that is placed in the most flexible position (e.g. on a couch ledge, or under a bed) for viewing any noise or movement that would alert them for an easy exit to safety.  Therefore the opposite of this environment is ......  backed into a corner.

 

So the best advice for a Dog person who wants to interface with Cat people is to establish environments that NEVER corner the cat!   This would include physical arrangements and plans, and/or verbal situations.

Cat in the corner is dog meat.

Cat-Control

Most Cat people are comfortable (on their terms obviously) with one on one interactions.  With enough time and space a Cat person can actually become semi-comfortable (and I stress the word - SEMI) around a Dog (and notice the word "a" - meaning ONE DOG).   I illustrated this in the first blog with Nellie (our black lab) and Freckles (our Calico Cat).  Even this one on one interaction is "Cat driven" - meaning ... WHEN ... the Cat person feels "in cat-control", THEN (and only then) will there be an interaction.

The problem multiplies exponentially when additional dogs are added to the picture. So how does a Cat person deal with situations with a multiple Dogs? 

 

How can the Cat person maintain ...... "Cat-control"!

Multiple Dog people could potentially surround the Cat which would provide no path of escape.  Add to that stress, the rapid movement, loud nature, and over excitement of Dog to Dog interaction and you have a formula for Cat "stressure" (that is my word for Cat hair raising pressure).  One of the key's to "Cat-control" is to show NO cat "stressure".

So let's set up a scenario with three couples out to dinner together (this is the toughest of all Cat "stressure" environments because of the amount of time and fixed seating arrangements).  You are the Cat person with four other Dogs and one other Cat (but the other Cat might be a Lion).  What should you do?

First  (and foremost) recognize that the Cat's are outnumbered (but at least you have some alliance with the Lion).  Second, visualize the Dogs as "dumb (and cute) puppies instead of attack Dogs (or even think of them as other Cats).  Third, establish your location (and timing expectations) and always have a contingency exit strategy.

These three fundamentals will help (but not solve) the initial dinner "preliminary pleasantries". But there are other techniques to lower the "stressure":

(1) Avoid too many conversations that involve all the Dogs simultaneously.  Remember they get excited easily, and will raise the conversational levels several decibels.
(2) Sit next to a favorite Dog (the calmest Dog) or the Lion (for protection)
(3) Practice an exit strategy (leave the table for some brief period)
(4) If you have the ability to choose a location - choose your most comfortable setting and preferably a quiet one
(5) Maintain a quiet and consistent "purr" (more about this later)

 A Cat person can survive in a group of Dogs.  It just takes continuous Cat-control.  Remember a Cat person can look like a Lion to a Dog person. :)

 

 

Cat Territory – Don’t change the terrain

Watch what a Cat does in a new environment. Take for example a bedroom – the cat will hide under the bed surveying the remaining territory for seemingly endless time. Waiting for all other people to leave the room and then some. Ever so slowing (as they do in stalking prey) the Cat begins to emerge from the bed (always with a plan of retreat) and determines the geometry of every square inch of the room working the back and forth from the perimeters to a retreating back under the bed each time.

This method of creating exact blueprints of the room provides an infinite set of exit strategies in case a dog would suddenly emerge.

And so it is with Cat people. Watch as they enter a hotel room. Since they can’t fit under the bed the first action is to find the bathroom. Like the Cat under the bed this provides time to remember the metrics of the hotel room – inventory of furniture, closets space, balcony, and even testing the adjoining locked door to an adjacent suite
.
So the more expansive the new territory (as in a vacation rental home or friend house) the more time is needed for Cat people to acclimate to the new territory. The difference between a house and a hotel room is that there could be Dog people coexisting in the same territory with easy access to the Cat person’s space.
  
So how can a Cat person minimize the stress of a change in terrain?

(1) After a brief introduction to the new terrain – both of you should leave the room giving the Cat person time to evaluate the metrics (e.g. exit strategies). This also serves the purpose of identifying the perimeter (i.e. the broader territory – floor, hotel lobby etc.) and broader exit strategies.
(2) Be quiet once the new terrain is introduced – let the Cat person concentrate on their analysis. You might even leave the room to go get something thereby simulating an entrance of an intruder upon your return.
(3) Point out the secure nature of the new terrain
(4) Unpack some items to make the terrain seem normal
(5) Open and Close the drapes to any outside openings
(6) The smaller (and more securely contained) space the better

The key objective is to provide time and space for the Cat person to adjust to new surroundings. Remember if the surroundings are not adequately secure to the Cats liking, then there is no hope of interacting with any Dogs.

You're a Cat ... They're a Dog

OK – So let's assume you’re a cat person and there are all kinds of dogs in the world, how can you survive? Yes I used the word survive because the natural state of cats and dogs is one of survival.

However there are examples where cats and dogs become acclimated to each other (example our dog Nellie with the cat Freckles) – they even become best friends.
 
So how can a dog and cat become best friends? The answer – it requires lots of time and space. Ultimately it is the decision of the cat – the cat “elects” the dog as their friend. What that really means is that the dog must “understand” and “change behavior” to win the cat’s trust. However it doesn’t mean success is all dependent on the dog, the cat must also be willing to take risks outside normal “cat risk profiles”.

 
So let’s start with the basics – the primary differences between "cat like" people and "dog like" people.

Cat people:
(1) Primarily from the DNA genre of introverted behavior (although remember Lions are cats too)
(2) Typically most comfortable in a one on one setting
(3) Likes softer tones, slower movements
(4) Need permission to be approached

Dog people:
(1) Primarily from the DNA genre of extroverted behavior (although remember there are calm breeds of dogs also)
(2) Can be one on one or excited in groups
(3) Moves fast, jumps, always licking and smelling new objects
(4) Approaches at an instant

Now these are just a starter list of stereotypical cat and dog like personalities. Naturally there are all types of breeds and variations. Understanding breeds of both types are critical to determining if a successful relationship can exist between the two.

Future Blogs will consider various Cat people issues:

(1) Cat Territory – Don’t Change the Terrain
(2) A Cat in a Group of Dogs
(3) The “Cornered” cat
(4) The Cat in a Cradle
(5) Cat’s outward signals (e.g. purring, tales and ears)

Dog Eat Cat World

I think the world of Cats and Dogs can be a great analogy to understanding your personality. Just watching them as pets has caused me to believe that people are either -  a Cat type,  or a Dog type.  It is tempting to generalize this idea into introvert (e.g. Cat) or extrovert (e.g. Dog) but there is more complexity to my premise of Cat people vs Dog people.

Regardless,  there is some basic (and primordial) tension that exists between Cats and Dogs.  This is the most difficult for the situation where the Cat person must deal with the Dogs.

My subsequent blogs will be addressing this challenge for Cat people.  How a Cat can live in a Dog eat Cat world?

Easter Season

Yesterday was a wonderful  Easter Sunday. A sunny 70 degree day that the family and A.M. spent outside.  There were activities with Badminton and even flying kites.  The new "dog water fountain" has been installed.  With the soft sound of water bubbling and the wind chines echoing, our back patio has transformed into a spring time oasis. 

Running Around

"Before I begin, a note of warning: the topic we are about to explore may not be suitable for our young listeners (or readers)."   Standard NPR content advisory

As I was telling S.S. the story about "Pets or Meat" and the demise of the rabbit with a club -- he winched.  "Ooooh, that makes the meat tough". 

"What" ...    did you say?

"Well you have to kill the rabbit in the proper way for the most tender meat result"  S.S. said matter-of-factly.

"And how do you do that?"

"Well you slit the throat." he replied.

Clearly, I am just a city slicker and have had no experience in this area.  I do remember the option to see the slaughter of hogs at my old client Hillshire Farms and Kahns during my Accenture career.  I decided to avoid their normal tour of this part of the processing facility (purposely scheduled just before lunch) for all the faint of heart (and Accenture consultants in three piece suits).  However for my staff that wanted to see this (R.T.) the procedure was quick and simple.  Hang the Hog by the hoof; slit and let drain.

This whole discussion reminded me of Mom's story about harvesting turkeys at Thanksgiving.  Chopping the head off and the ensuing scene of the bird running around - headless.   Hence the expression:

"Running around like a chicken with it's head chopped off."

Vegetarians use a different expression - "Running around like a bunny in heat"   - "Pets or Tofu"  :)

Watch the Birdie

Outside our Family Room Windows is a tree that each spring a Mother Robin inhabits.  The nest this year (because the tree has grown)  is three foot higher and sits at eye level while standing in our family room  (so it sits about 14 feet up in the tree).  Last year it was fun to see the birth and feeding of the baby birds but regrettable they disappeared one day (they seemed too young to fly so I assume the worst). 

Rambo, our female cat, sits on top of Susan's chair mesmerized by the Mother Bird's activity.  It was a picture I wanted to capture - the cat watching the birdie.

Alas - technology destroyed the moment.  My HTC 6990 Windows 8 phone camera would not work.  I rarely take any pictures with this phone so naturally I thought it was user error.  No - after rebooting, reentering the SIM card, using settings to reset the camera, searching the internet for suggestions which included pressing hard on the lens, even uninstalling apps that used the camera and reinstalling apps (that the Verizon rep recommended) - there was no success.

So the dreaded RESET of the phone was necessary before the Verizon Rep would send a new refurbished phone (since it is still in warranty- purchased 11/16/12).  But first I needed to backing up picture and contacts.  I had most of the pictures I wanted on Skydrive but was unclear on whether I was backing up (or where) the contacts.  So the Rep helped me enable Verizon's backup assistant.   It stated that the sync was successful.

Naturally the RESET didn't fix the problem so I will have the "fun" of reinstalling all apps.  While I could accept this, it was the contacts that I didn't want to recreate.  ALAS -----  When I accessed the contacts on the reset phone - NOTHING!!!!!!

The story could go on ... and  on ....  and on .....   as in fact my time did in troubleshooting with Verizon.  After 3 hours of effort and emotional ups and downs --  my contacts were in fact restored (actually thanks not to Verizon but Microsoft Online).

The moral of the story -  just watch the birdie  vs   using the camera phone to watch the birdie!

Rufferee & Wide Retriever

Week Four for Sunday NFL games:

The professional "Rufferee" is back - watching for pass interference for the Number 00 -  Bella the "Wide Retriever".

Crazy Logic

S.S. was telling me one of his memorable stories about the early marriage years with his in laws.  He passed on some of his father's wisdom that he received during a difficult situation - "You can't reason with a crazy person". 

Melding two families together can be like mixing water with oil - a little surfactant is needed to make the blend work.  Culture and tradition are the ingredients of the wonderful diversity of human nature.  Just watching the  2012 Summer Olympic Athletes march into the  London stadium displayed the colorful garb of uniqueness of culture represented by each country. 

The United States is a great example of the melting pot mixture of culture and tradition.  The new "blend" of many demonstrates the power of mixing cultures together for over 200 years.

It's like our dogs - Bella and Fitch.  The product of a female Golden Retriever blend with (we think) a  black male Labrador/Pit Bull blend.  Their unique personality and appearance is loved by all. 

Clashing cultures can create crazy characters.  It is not reasonable to force your culture onto others - instead enjoy the mix. 

Sound's crazy - but it's logical.

Lawn Tennis

Today I played lawn tennis with Susan.  Well - not exactly the real lawn tennis game. 

Since I mowed the forest area of our property today, I happened upon no less than 10 tennis ball obstacles in the way of my walk behind mower.  Each time, I stopped and and hurled the ball up onto our grass back "in play".

The balls are in the yard for the dogs to play with. Thrown there by Jenna in a game of fetch - with little results.  Hence she throws ten hoping for the dogs to return one. Consequently 10 balls rest quietly in the grass waiting Susan's "volley".

Susan in her Mario Andretti style riding the John Deere is in no mood to stop for any tennis balls in her way.  Consequently like a sling shot they blast out of the grass cutter down the incline into the forest - awaiting my return volley.

So the volleys go back and forth until the ball disintegrates (after multiple lawn mower cuts) or rolls deeper into the forest out of view.

Does anyone think to pick the balls up that are littering the yard?   That would be no fun.  Susan's serve!  :)

Pennies in the Fountain

Something is refreshing about the clear water of a fountain.  Yesterday, I changed the water of our front fountain - a "spring cleaning" ritual.  Now there are three reserve watering holes for the dogs.  This year I hope the new filter matter will suffice and require less cleaning. 

Our decision to replace the flower box with a fountain (even with the required maintenance) was a good one.  It is good Feng Shui to see the clear water and hear the bubbling of a fountain as you enter our house.

 Feng Shui literally translates  "wind-water.  While we didn't research the deeper puesdo science, the "experts" say that placement of a fountain in the right location will bring you wealth and fortune (good luck).  Naturally there are divergent opinions among the "experts" so I guess I will pick the one that suggests it is excellent Feng Shui to have a fountain near the front door.

Here's what one "expert" (Rol.vn - Source: Love To Know) says: 

(1) The front of the house is always an excellent choice for the location of an outside water fountain as it activates and retains positive chi, allowing it to freely enter into the home.
(2) Water flowing toward the front door of the house symbolizes wealth and prosperity.
(3) Chosing Copper is good.  If fountain is made of stone or cement (ours is surrounded by brick), remedy the destructive cycle (of blocking the water) by placing copper pennies in the fountain.

Here's the summary of another "expert" (Lin Mai):

(1) It is also important to make sure that the water in your wealth fountain is clean at all times. This will reflect how clean and steady the flow of your financial feng shui life will be, constant and never slowing. Skipping regular water maintenance will cause a stoppage in the flow of wealth and energy will be stagnant so make sure to keep it well looked after.
(2) When placing a feng shui water fountain by a door, make sure that the water flows towards your door and not away from it.
(3) Water fountains are effective regardless of size, but in this case, larger can sometimes be better.
(4) Placing a feng shui water fountain in the Wealth area of your home is one of the most effective cures to attract more money into your feng shui life.

So there you have it - get more wealth in your life by putting pennies in your front door fountain.  People visiting will throw more pennies in.  :)