CLICK ON THIS BIRD PHOTO.

This is our wayward parakeet "BLUE".
You'll have to click the picture and look at it larger to see him very well.

Tomorrow will be the busiest day at Needleworks....until right before homecoming which is sept. 21st.
I've been working everyday.
School started Monday and every kid wants to wear their t-shirt etc. to school Friday cos it's the 1st football game.
Friday night football in small Texas towns is insane.
SO....people want their shirts pressed down (with pecos designs) or monogrammed/embroidered within in an hour (yeah, right...uh-huh.).....the idiots wait till the last minute.
People let their awful children run all around the shop and get into everything.
People change their minds constantly after they've already made their purchase and chosen a design.
Peggy is cleaning up...her store is the only one within 40 miles or more that seels the right kind of t-shirts and applies press down/iron ons or does monogramming. You gotta go 70 miles to odessa for monogramming...the lady who used to do it in Monahans died.

We also sell socks and hair ribbons....in pecos colors...purple and gold.

I've always hated football.
Now I hate it even more.

Love, mary

NOTHING MUCH.

The inmates at the prison where Gene works were allowed to pick 200 watermelons in Coyanosa.
He brought home 2 that we shared with the neighbors....aren't they beautiful?
When he brought them home they'd only been out of the field for 48 hours...very fresh.

The other picture is our neighbor Steve AKA "Poppy".
He and his wife Laura live behind us.
And that's their little dog Axel getting his morning ride.
Axel was neglected by our other neighbors...they just decided they were tired of him and set him loose to fair for himself...and it was very hot weather.
Steve and Laura took him in.

The radio hotline has not had anything interesting lately.

Our little parakeet is still flying around our yard and coming to the birdfeeder.
we call him "blue"...duh....cos he's blue.

I better go to work.

Love, Mary

NEEDLEWORKS.

This is Julie at her press down machine in our sweat shop...(back of the store).
The 2nd photo is my monster monogramming machine....that I have a love/hate relationship with.
And there's little Lucy in the front of the shop....trying to fix one of Mary's mistakes.

So! Cozumel and my friend Trudy who lives near Tulum managed to dodge the wrath of Hurricane Dean...whew!

I met this lady named Wilma Johnsonn in the store the other day...she's 72 years old and a very nice person.
I told her we bought the Weatherby house and she replied: "Oh, I've spent many a night upstairs there in my youth."
She told me that some folks named Thomas owned the house in the 40's.
AHA!.....the missing years!
She was friends with the daughters Ruthie and Bonnie.
I'll have to question her farther....those were the days before Mrs. Weatherby did the overhaul inside....so Wilma knew it in it's original form.

It was 103 degrees in the shade here last Sunday.

Those pods that I called "exploding beans" are actually called "screwbeans"....duh...due to their corkscrew shape after they bust open.

Ruth the dog and cat lady called me on wednesday and needed $20. for the animals. I took her over $50. and met all her homeless cats-n-dogs. I also took her an application to apply for non profit status. If she can get that she can apply for federal funds and hopefully get all the animals into an unused building here that she has her eye on. That would be GREAT!! She's such a trooper and is always on the verge of of money problems and more animals than she has room for. She had 2 darling, white manx kittens.

My friend Sandra recently visited a ranch near Ft. Davis that had 100 hummingbird feeders....and they fill them every day!!!

RADIO HOTLINE:
For Sale:
cast iron fireplace $150. (that's not gonna move very fast in this summer heat.)
3 old 1948 newspapers. (i should've bought those.)
Reager .45 magnum. (that's scary....weapons on the radio.)
Found:
2 goats.

That's all folks.
Write soon.
Love, Mary

IT HURT SO GOOD!!!!

HELP!!! oh please, help...if you can!
The Cozumel Humane Society folks gathered this morning to begin boarding up the shelter and are trying to foster out cats and dogs to island people....who will care for these homeless pets until the hurricane is over.

Some of them are being put to sleep because special care cannot be provided to them during this trying time.....they are expecting no electricity for days or weeks....hunting for food....no phones.....banks will be closed for days or weeks.
I have met the "major domo" of the shelter....on previous visits.
Her name is Monica and she is off the isla right now and is simply freaking out that she isn't there.
BUT....she has a good group of helpers who will do what needs to be done.
I sure wish Monica lived in Pecos!

check out the website at:
www.humanecozumel.org
I am SO proud of what they have achieved in the last few years!!!
I donate regularly....and just did through paypal.
$10. would help...or $20....


The local people of Cozumel will receive aid...the animals will not.
We have currently...(this summer) been trying to help the carriage horses on the island.
They have no shade and no water and have open sores, sore feet and go "home" to a stall with no hay or sawdust on the ground.
So....they stand on cement day and night.
Some progress has been made.
Monica has made posters with nasty photos of these poor horses and many, many stores and restaurants are displaying them now.
The cruise ship people are the main folks who use the carriage horses...and they need to be educated about what is going on...

I know our friends on Cozumel will probably be o.k....as long as travel agents don't tell people NOT to go there during the coming months....but they will.
The cruise ship pier was damaged during hurricane wilma....so there was a big lull..... they ferried folks onto the island with small craft.
The locals will need those tourista dollars in a month or more.
Gene and I visited three and a half months after hurricane wilma....and it was WONDERFUL!
They don't have FEMA there...as soon as they can get supplies from the mainland....like cement, glass and cinder blocks...they know how to "get 'er done"!!!!!

Love, Mary

SEND GOOD AND SAFE THOUGHTS TO LOVELY COZUMEL!

It seems our friends on our beloved isla are in for a rough time.
Looks like it won't be a direct hit but this storm is so HUGE that it's going to be bad.
I just hope it passes by quickly and that everyone makes it through alright.
This picture is of Alica who owns Alicia's B&B where I stayed last March.....and Chuco....and Orlando....and the dog is venidita...(did i spell that right?)
I've never felt so welcome and at home anywhere else on Cozumel as I did there....it was hard sometimes getting out to the beach and town cos I loved hanging out and visiting with these 3 great folks!
check out her website at: www.aliciasbedandbreakfast.com
GO AWAY HURRICANE DEAN!
Next week Texas is in for rain, rain and more rain.....except us of course.

From my heart to yours on Cozumel.
mary

HURRICANE FLOSSIE.

First of all....that's a GREAT name..."Flossie".
Second of all.....I hope everyone will be o.k.
BUT....I have to say: back in san marcos we had more than 10 " of rain on a few occaisions....and here in pecos we've had winds higher than 50 mph.
Doesn't seem like such a big deal to me....but they certainly are making it seem like a big deal.
Somebody clue me in.
love, mary

MONDAY BULLSHIT.

Hey Bloggers....greetings from the land of fewer flies but an influx of desert mosquitoes!!! They are NASTY...bad, nasty and nasty! They don't even wait until dark to come out....it can be the middle of the day ...in the glaring sun and they are all over ya. They also don't require standing water....they just prefer to breed in the dewey morning grass.

My internet server continues to go down alot....couldn't get on since sunday at noon.....I HATE THAT!!!!

This 1st picture is a praying mantis who evidently lives in the oak tree that our hummmingbird feeder is hanging on.
He's there in the mornings.....i guess his name HAS to be "Manny".

Who wants to ride this crazy, vintage, bucking bunny? That's Gene on him there...................n o t.

And it's Jamey on her trip last month....looking so adorable and so....so ....well, JAMEY!

We have had a blue parakeet in our yard for the past week. The wild birds give him a hard time and vice-versa....he doesn't have a name yet...but i guess he should....since he feeds every evening at our bird feeder. I havn't been able to get a good picture of him yet....wish my camera had more "zoom".

A funny new quote I read the other day: "Son, ALWAYS marry a Texas girl.....no matter what happens...she's seen worse."
Also: "That boy could ride anything that had hair on it."

We have guy who does part of our yard...his name is "drunk steve"....as opposed to "stevie" his son....or "steve" his dad.
Anyways drunk Steve was telling me how he pulled his 'ol lady's rotten tooth the other night. She drank a bunch of whiskey and he boiled up his pliers etc.etc.etc....the story went on for quite awhile. The tooth is out and all is well....gee wally, talk about west tejas HILLBILLIES!!

RADIO HOTLINE:
For Sale:
a "bink" bed. ( i love those typos.)
game roosters and cages and knives (ew. strange combo...or not.)

Wanted:
to borrow a dolly parton wig. (this has to be one of my all time favorite hotline ads!!!!!! Don't you just REALLY wanna know why they need it?)

Lost:
a weedeater. (what?...did it get up and walk away?)

This week and for the next month or so I'll be working alot more at Needleworks.
Football season ya know.
I've been monogramming baby clothes, denim work shirts, t-shirts, backpacks, duffle bags....towels....you name it.
PECOS EAGLES.....PECOS EAGLES.....PECOS EAGLES!!!!!
But today it was: BALMORHEA BEARS.....ALL day!!! I keep whisoering to myself " DA BEARS"....like in Saturday night live.

That's all...I'm beat.

Love, Mary

MARY'S FIRST AUCTION.

OMG! and whoa nellie! I'm hooked!
This auction was in Carlsbad, New Mexico. Debbie and her husband Neil came and picked me up...Gene didn't go. Debbie's mom Bessie also went and Debbie's friend Vanetta.
This auction was so interesting because it is a collection of possibly 200,000 items that will be auctioned once a month until next spring!!
It was a private "museum" from some deceased folks from Albuquerque. Their collection was showcased in the Smithsonian Institute's magazine. For example, this couple had over 60,000 wrenches...he was a big railroad tool collector. They have a working 1895 steam tractor...and just EVERYTHING.
They give you a card to bid with when you register and a catalog...today had over 600 items (and lots) and they sold the same amount yesterday....I was nervous.
Today's auction featured hundreds of peices of glassware, toasters, waffle irons, etc.etc.etc.
You can read about these amazing people and their collection at www.parkerbraden.com
Seeing the murphey bed that is disguised as an antique wardrobe is worth looking at on this site...it went for $1,000.

The auctioneer babbles really fast! There were alot of collectors and dealers there.
Sorry my 1st picture is so out of focus.
I got outbid from quite a few things...in the end that was good...
I missed out on some turquoise jewelry ( they had alot of jewelry), 2 silver topped canes, 2 huge artist signed burlwood vases (14 & 13"...i was thinking of YOU bobbie!)...an oil painting, sundry furniture....etc.etc.

Here are some comments by the auctioneer:
"Oh NO...not that amount....we want to SELL it...not RENT it!"
"This one's not broken yet folks."
"No?....You'll hate yourself in the morning!"
"You'll be the only one on your block to have one of these."
"Oh....this matches your dress!"
"We're at $50...50....50...do I hear $60.?.....$55.??? I never would've thought of that!"
"And that lady won't listen to me."

I ended up bringing home:
a chair...not pictured.
a quilt....it's the purple/orange one hanging up.
a solid marble victorian fern stand...it weighs a TON.
a graniteware tea kettle...not pictured.
an electrified oil lamp...that needs a shade.
red doll sized 3 piece furniture.
3 victorian framed prints..." All 3? I like the way you shop little lady!"

I overheard this conversation while I was outside taking a break. An old guy was talking to his daughter on a cellphone.
"Well, I'm moving to Mexico...tomorrow....because I'm going to KILL your Mother. They'll never find me there....no...no....you won't see me again. She's in there acting like an octopus...she has eight arms I tell you....she's holding up multiple cards at once......she's bidding on EVERYTHING. I better go now and see what the hell she's doing now."

GEE WALLY....dare I go to other auctions from this museum quality collection?
I'm scared.

After the 7 hours of auction....we drove around Carlsbad for about 45 minutes...it's a lovely place.

Rained hard here and there on the way home.

Love, mary

THE SHAME OF PECOS.

I was walking the dogs this morning and 2 blocks away a female, yellow lab got up from a front porch and followed us home....grrrr. It was a young dog with alot of ticks and a sore under it's neck where a chain had been....grrrrr. Both of our cats tried to attack it....lots of hissing and yelping etc.
I had remembered seeing an ad on HOTLINE for a lost yellow lab mix....but this dog looked purebred. Anyways I called the phone number and spoke to our local rescue lady....her name is Ruth and she rescues cats and dogs and adopts them out.
We talked for a few minutes and she came right over in her car....that looks just like the Col.!!! (but it's a different color)
Ruth appears to be in her 70's, atiny lady, all bent over.... and is very nice.
She got out of the car and said "Chamois! Is that you?"
She thinks it might Bertie Slack's dog who has been missing for about 2 months. She could tell that this dog had been spayed and it wasn't thin....so somebody cared for her at one time. The neck chain sore really pissed us both off.
So, after a pretty good visit (i gave her $25. for the cause and my name and phone number) Ruth put this dog in her car and drove off to see if it belongs to Mrs. Slack....who is in her 80's.
I hope she lets me know how it turns out....she said she would.
She admired Willie and Bennie.

Ruth told me to never leave our dogs in the yard unattended. People here drive down the alley and pick up dogs like ours and steal them....they are taking dogs just the size of ours. They use them to train pit bulls! The thieves hang the little dogs from a tree, just out of reach of the pit bull and let the pit bull jump and jump and bite until the little dog is dead. YOU CAN BET YOUR BEST COWBOY BOOTS THAT I'LL ALWAYS KEEP AN EYE ON MY BOYS!! They're out alone...when we are out....they want out....when we go in....they want in....if we aren't home...they are inside. People here also steal dogs for reward money.

She said the mindset in this town is: a chihuahua in every living room and a pit bulll in every backyard. Ruth is very careful who she lets adopt a dog or cat. The person has to have a fenced yard....NO CHAINING THE DOG! And she drives by to check on them....and the person has to sign a paper saying that they'll vaccinate and spay/neuter the animals....and it states if they don't comply....Ruth goes and takes the dog/cat back. Then she does follow ups.

We talked about how people are so stupid and uncaring that they refuse to put flea/tick drops on the animals....jeez it's not very expensive. Alot of the strays that she gets have an illness (i forgot the name) that is caused by so much blood loss from ticks...she said some of them die...isn't that disgusting? How are we going to educate these idiots?

And of course they won't spay or neuter....not only because it costs money but because they don't believe in it....especially if it's a male....it's not macho ya see....ignorant, cruel, horrible people.

She told me about this one man who called to adopt a dog....he began complaining:
"Well, I called you to get a dog....I didn't know we had to play "20 questions".....it's JUST A DOG!!!!"
She responded that his 2 year old son was too young for a pet and that she wouldn't give him a dog now if her life depended on it.
She says she has no problem getting ugly with people and reporting them.

God forbid that people would the time and effort and money to take care of a cat!!!
And don't get us started about the cock fights!

Whew! So, now i know an animal advocate....and I'm going to help her fill out an application to get non profit status with the state so we can be eligible for state funding. She has no computer and no time to do this....I said I'd help.

The animal situation in this town is a disgrace....and very few folks seem to care....oh, they'll all admit it's a problem but that's all.

Thanks for reading this important blog that breaks my heart.

Love, Mary

No...I'm a f***ing squirrel.....

If you don't know who Eddie Izzard is....you need to find out right away....because laughing is so important.
His best stand up CD in my opinion is called "Dress to kill".
Rent it.
Ya know if Robin Williams thinks he's great....HE IS!
He currently stars on a T.V. show called "The Riches" with Minnie Driver...which is a dark sort of weird show that is a thousand miles different from his stand up stuff.

RADIO HOTLINE:
For Sale:
8 track tapes and records.
2 accordians $300. each. (gee, maybe i should try.....i could create a pecos-west-texas-conjunto-punk thing.)...take it on the road...to cozumel!

POOCHIE QUIGG is a pretty funny name for a cowboy! (or anyone for that matter).

Anyone who reads this blog...please send me an email...i'm lonely and my mailbox is empty!

Love, mary