Aloe! How Ya Doing?

 

Aloe! How Ya Doin? Aloe you Vera much!

Today is Nature Friday. Let's talk Aloe Vera, the plant that loves Florida. 

We sat the plant below in our back yard, 36 years ago, the one above has 3 children in it, and we have had any pots of it. we use it on cuts, infection, sunburn, burns from heat.

After the hurricanes in November, we totally forgot it and by the time I noticed it, the leaves were brown, they were curled, part had fallen off. You see, this plant needs human help unless it is in just the right place. The right place for 36 years, was the back wall of the garage, under the overhang of the eves, with a wooden fence 6 feet away. 

They love our sandy soil, no need to buy dirt, they hate standing water, love bright indirect sun, they despise hard rain, and despise Hot direct afternoon sun... 

The fence was gone, the tree was gone, it stood in water, it poured rain in the pots, and the 

HOT Direct sun and lack of attention from us, nearly killed it.

I noticed its condition and I sat each of the two pots, one on one wall and the other around the corner just a few feet away. I totally forgot to take photos of them in their worst condition. This is how they look now. I will move this one around the corner with the all green one in 1st photo.

Just like humans, they need their parents to put them in a safe, dry, environment, with proper shelter and food and water in proper amounts.

All they needed was "A Little Help from My Friends"

We are very happy to say that the monster Powder Puff bush/tree needs nothing but hot Florida sunshine and takes care of itself, it loves hot, it loves cold, it loves drought or too much water, and it loves to be cut back once a year and that is all we do to it. 

The aloe plants now sit to the wall that is under the big tree at top left of this photo. Dapples' sunshine and in a protected space from heavy rain...
We forgot about The Dog that Pees On it. So far, its thriving with occasion urine splattered on it.

Joining Nature Friday with Rosy and Sunny at The LLB Life

The Plumber Cometh, NEW TIP FOR YOU

 

I can hear you wondering what Dawn and a bottle and two glasses has to do with the plumber we called on Sunday at 3 pm.  

I was Angry, that I had to wait for 2 nights, a total of 30 hours without a potty, for the plumber we have supported for YEARS come. 

Bonnie, Shari, Me my 1st cousins

I called my cousin Bonnie, to ask if we have a plumber in our many cousins because I needed one.

She said we do not! She also said the one she uses, would probably not be able to come until Tuesday.

She said, I can give you a tip that helped me when this happened to us...

Pour 1 cup of Dawn, in the commode (toilet/loo) pour a gallon of Almost to boiling and let it soak, it will trickle down and disappear allowing you to flush.

I did it to both and it worked. we still needed the plumber because none of the sinks/shower were draining. Good news is it cleared both commodes and we and we did get a few flushes as needed.

Which meant the drama of the bucket in the outhouse (garage) was only used once by ME>

The glasses are here because I went into cleaning frenzy Because the Plummer Is coming. Or Not! Bob says, he's just a PLUMBER, his job is dealing with S*** and he will not give a S****

I kept cleaning. While rinsing the glass, I saw the droplets, I could not help myself. Now, I need to tell you why I have two small glasses, plastic not glass. See the tall bottle of water? Each morning, I fill it, and all day I pour it into the glass, and by 5 pm the water is Gone, and I know I am hydrated. Old people fall down if they get Dehydrated. 

I can't help it, when I type what I thought would be short post it just keeps going and going. This means I have to share what Bonnie said that helped put my Drama in perspective...

We had not chatted for a while, and I asked how things were going.  The short story is.

Bonnie had to have open chest surgery to remove a goiter that did not grow in her throat but down into her chest to wrap around her organs. They had to do the same surgery as heart but removing goiter from her organs. then she got the flu which messed with the wires and staples in her chest because of coughing so hard. She said she could top that because her daughter with 5 children, went in hospital twice with kidney stones, and a few hours before I called Bonnie, she was prepped and ready with surgeon to blast a stuck stone to pieces and the man who brings the blaster machine, did not how up and they had to re-schedule and start over.   Bonnie text me 15 minutes later and said the man that did not show up was found dead in his home......

SEE WHAT I MEAN ABOUT PERSPECTIVE? Make the Plumber Drama look ALMOST minor.

PS: if you are still reading, did you know a goiter can grow down into our organs? I did not. Just Google search Substernal Goiter ... OMW! now i have to watch my thyroid gland for swelling. 

The Plumber Cometh- Don't Panic

 

The Plumber Drama started 3 days ago with me in the shower, and hearing BLOOP! BLOOP! from the toilet.

Fast Forward to Day after Plumber Repairs of the dramatic Shut Down of all SINKS AND POTTIE,that drain into the sewer!

I said to Bob, "It's been 72 hours since I had a shower"

Bob's reply "so take one now"

I say, "I am afraid to use the shower, I might hear the BLOOPING again, what if it's not fixed?

Bob says, "If the shower did not run over after yesterday, it's FIXED"

"OH, I forgot," I exclaim.

REWIND to yesterday, the Plumber left with all drains, draining. 50 minutes later, I entered Bob's Bathroom and HEAR WATER RUNNING IN THE WALL. I race to my bathroom and its LOUDER!

I realize I am barefoot on a wet floor.

I PANIC! I realize the shower curtain is open, the hose sprayer, is spraying against the back wall, and I assume it's been aimed there by the plumber, probably letting it run to see if the drain backed up, leaving the shower curtain open so he can see it. I turn it off and go through the living room to get the mop, walking in front of you know whos' TV set, and he says What are you doing?

I tell him the story. 

I forgive the plumber because I FORGOT TO TAKE A SHOWER THAT DAY. I also forgot that if the water ran for an hour yesterday, and did not plug up, it would be OK today.

I also forgot to make the auto coffee for this morning. The plumber looked to be 50ish, and I thought of calling to tell him, just wait until your 80.

If you are thinking I enjoyed my shower, you are Wrong! The entire time, I shampooed my hair, I held my breath, waiting to hear the BLOOPING warning me of coming disaster.

( to justify all this panic, in the past most plumbing problems started with water running in wall)

DONE AND CLEAN!

NO BLOOP! NO DRAMA! NO STOPPED UP DRAINS!