Technology Tanked

We've had no phone or internet service at our house for 3 days now.

I have to admit I didn't know the phone was inoperable until we tried to call the phone company about the internet and discovered there was no dial tone. Bob and I each have cell phones, the only reason I have the land line is that it's been there for over 50 years with the same number. And so I can get a sales call at least once a week from the guy who starts out, "Are your carpets dirty?"

Living without the phone was no big deal, but it was very hard to live without the internet connection. It makes you wonder what's going to happen if it ever goes out - worldwide. You just know someone's going to try that someday.

I was amazed at what I accomplished with no internet. I cleaned up junk, I cleaned out chicken pens, baked a batch of peanut butter cookies for the boys, trimmed trees, brushed the old cat for a whole hour, did the wash, and read a book.

The boys had a "Bad Movie Night" on Sunday. They have a screen (like a movie screen) that takes up a whole wall of the game room. Usually they route movies through the wifi from Netflix, using a laptop computer. This time they had to "tether" a cell phone to the system. I have no idea how that worked, but they were all out there howling in laughter until well past midnight, so they must have succeeded.

The book I read was book 3 of the "Girl" series by Stieg Larsson. A coworker loaned me book 1, darn her. I can't say these are the best books I've ever read, parts were even trying, but I still couldn't put them down. I was always worried about what was going to happen next to the girl. At one point Bob and his friends had gone camping in the mountains and I heard it might snow. But I didn't have time to be worried about THEM. I was worried until 3 or 4 a.m. about Lisbeth, a fictional character in a book.

Here are some things that are happening at home. I moved pigeon babies #3 and #4 into the Pigeon Inn again. This time they were fine and I've left them there. The fuzzbutt trio has been moved into the mutt pen, where they seem to be OK. I had to move 3 mean little bantam hens out of the mutt pen to accomplish this, however, which meant musical pens with almost every other chicken on the place. This morning they all woke up in different pens, and none of them were happy about it.

The pair of Taganrogs that reunited instantly when I put all the pigeons in the Pigeon Inn a month ago had one egg that hatched. The baby died, it looks like it was only a few hours old. This pair had not successfully raised a single baby in the 2 years they were together previously. I don't care if they don't have babies, it's not like I need more pigeons, but I HATE finding anything dead. Roger and his new wife have 2 eggs that should be hatching this week. Maybe that will be a happier story. In general, though, I have to wonder why anyone would develop a breed of pigeon that can't even raise its own babies.

One of the Texas Mountain Laurel seeds sprouted this weekend! I brought them home in March. I think this one finally sprouted because Merlene came to visit from Texas last month and it heard the Texas twang of her voice and felt more at home. Or maybe because it's hurricane season in south Texas and this is the time when seeds there are usually watered and encouraged to grow. Whatever, I'm so thrilled one has sprouted.

OK, I'm going to go now. I'm working on borrowed computer time. Hope my own network will be up this afternoon when I get home.