Cold, Wet and Mostly Dreary...

At least that's just outside.  Our rig is well insulated and stays pretty warm.  I do remind myself that it is in the 40's, 50's and into the 60's and that's not really cold.  I lived here for nearly 60 years and these variable springtime days were very welcome back then.  I just put on another wool sweater, make sure I have on jeans and wool socks and think that it will be in the 90's with about 90% humidity soon.

I worked as payroll manager at a local non-profit hospital for 20 years...  started January 17, 1977 and retired January 17, 1997.  (you had to work 20 years to be eligible for your pay-off).  I am not one who lives in the past...  never went into my old office ever again.  I loved my job and since I did payroll I knew most of the 400 folks who worked there.  (since then that hospital has been acquired by Ohio Health - definitely NOT non-profit - and has a few hundred more employees).  Another retired employee Facebooked me and told me that former employees have a get-together once a month to keep in touch.  She told me the time and place...  I wrote it on my calendar.  However, I neglected to turn the calendar page over from last week to this one until Tuesday when Bill & I were having lunch.  Oh no... today's the day!  I made it in time...  Bob Evans restaurant at 1 pm.

I think nearly 30 people attended...

Did you notice that nearly everyone is female?  The majority of our employees were in the nursing department.  We had a few male nurses, but very few.  Same in the business office...  managers were mostly male.... especially upper management.  It was only the maintenance department that was totally male.   In the lower middle photo you'll see Dr. Gaskell in the blue shirt and I think the man with the white hair is the husband of one of the former employees.

Another thing....  that long table of women is composed entirely of nursing folks.  The table at upper right seats 6 business office and 1 lab person.  That's probably indicative of the ratio of nursing to non-nursing back then.

Where did I sit?  Well, I knew everyone there (except 1 nursing supervisor that I didn't recognize) and had a good time catching up with a lot of people I hadn't seen in years, I sat where you'll see my Coca Cola on the table.  Yep... I'd already eaten lunch and didn't want anything else.

I have always been thankful that I had such a good job and for the most part, liked the folks I worked with.  But I am also thankful for the life I've had after that job.  Life is indeed good!

And...  a blog of mine wouldn't be complete without a few photos of the critters here..

At first I thought these 2 Rose-breasted Grosbeak were immature or maybe first year...  but after reading up on them I realized they just haven't gotten all their summer plumage yet.  

I see at least 4 males and 2 females at the same time...  I think they are just passing through so I'll enjoy them while they're here.

And...  a critter I definitely don't like...

This young opposum was raiding the deer mineral block.  My intense dislike of them goes back to our chicken and guinea raising days.  A 'possum can destroy a whole flock of chicken in one night.  Guineas are fairly wild and usually roost high in a tree.  A 'possum will grab one...  they don't eat their kill, but will often move right on to the next...  Yeah, they eat some of their kill, but you can lose a whole flock of fowl in a very short time.

This guy?  Well, Bill fired the airgun at him...  I think he ran away unscathed.

Bill's follow-up eye appointment is in Columbus tomorrow.  Just a few more weeks until time to do it all again with his right eye.  

We've been here 5 weeks already...  time is passing really fast!

That's All For Today!