Kimberly A. Cook

Military Romance Author

Warrior Tales

To Saw Or Not To Saw?

By 3 Comments

by Kimberly A. Cook                (Twitter@  WarriorTales)

Ever started a simple home improvement project that turns into a monster? I had this great idea about using the leftover boards from my replaced fence for firewood. Sounded like an easy thing, right?

The pile of fence wood stacked in my garage. I think it's growing. Like wire coat hangers in the dark.....
The pile of fence wood stacked in my garage. I think it’s growing. Like wire coat hangers in the dark…..

Now with 60-feet of fence replaced, first I had to break down each panel and then stack the wood on the patio to dry out. Had nice sunny weather for the weekend and decided to use Dad’s skill saw and cut those boards up no problem. Tried the first skill saw and I couldn’t get it to work. Not sure if it was a button thing or a power issue.

Not deterred, I’d brought another skill saw from Dad’s shop and that one started right up. Sucker was heavy. And noisy. Started in on the boards and the going was a bit rough. Seems 15-year-old cedar boards are a tad tough and I must be a tad weak. It appears you actually have to push the darn skill saw to make it work. Who knew?

I even called my brother-in-law to make sure I was using it correctly. It looked SO EASY when I watched Dad use it. Mom’s comment to me about the whole thing was, “He was strong!”  No kidding. I need three men and a boy to help me with this pile of wood.

Decisions. After about an hour of pushing, shoving and some interesting language, I had one bin filled with wood cut for my fireplace. Egad. With an aching back and kinda frozen fingers, I decided the better part of valor was to put the wood in the garage and work on it over time. Like probably the entire next year.

One bin of firewood cut to size, 5,864 to go. Give or take a few.
One bin of firewood cut to size, About 5,864 to go. Give or take a few.

I will get it done! Maybe by Fall. Maybe not. There must be videos on YouTube on how to use these power tools. Of course at the day job this week one of my co-workers had to rush to the emergency room because her hubby cut off the tip of his finger with a skill saw. I didn’t do that!

Maybe I should hire woodworking elves. Or a herd of woodchucks…..

Got monster home projects? Or skill saw tips?

Time To Take A Swim In The Sink?

By Leave a Comment

by Kimberly A. Cook            (Twitter@  WarriorTales)

I’ve got ducks on the brain this week. The resident Momma duck at the day job paraded her kidlets in front of me on the way to work Wednesday. Too cute!

Who can resist baby ducks? These cute guys seem to have found a very small duck size pool at their abode, commonly called a sink. Have a great time watching their technique.

Have a great weekend and Happy Quirky Friday!

Cookies, Sunshine and Duck Butts?

By 3 Comments

by Kimberly A. Cook           (Twitter@   WarriorTales)

There is a lot to be said for serendipity, sunshine and the simple pleasures. Moseyed over to the opening day of my local Farmer’s Market to check out the wares and goodies. Came upon a booth with ginormous cookies.

Wait a minute. Those cookies looked familiar. I never forget a cookie! They were the size of pancakes with every kind from Cowboy Cookies to spicy chocolate cookies. Looked around and saw jars of jams and preserves, then some fresh fruit.

The Cookie Bar sign from Packer Orchards and Bakery in Hood River, Oregon. Or as I like to call it, Cookie Heaven!
The Cookie Bar sign from Packer Orchards and Bakery in Hood River, Oregon. Or as I like to call it, Cookie Heaven!

Yes! It was the Packer Orchards and Bakery from Hood River where I stopped on my way to the Alpaca yarn shop. Chatted up the booth cash register lady and she confirmed it was their first year having a booth at my market. It’s a miracle! Since the orchards and their store with the COOKIE BAR is a good 75 miles from my house, they moved the cookies closer to me!

Seriously, I’m going to have to take up running in addition to walking with this many treats so close. Procured a peanut butter and chocolate chip cookie and a marionberry pie sweetened with pear juice. Those gems were nestled right next to the cinnamon rolls with marionberry topping! I felt my jeans tighten just looking at them.

So I did a circuit of the rest of the market and found fresh asparagus, hanging baskets, jewelry, Hawaiian BBQ, all kinds of fun stuff. Then I parked myself in the line to get a chicken Greek gyro. Sun was out, great Spring day and cookies. Doesn’t get much better than that.

Yesterday at the day job the gorgeous weather continued and our resident pair of ducks were having a great time during lunch playing in the water feature in the man-made waterfall. I enjoyed my lunch in the sun and watched the ducks go hunting for morsels in the water, their cute butts going straight up into the sun.

You know it’s the perfect time of year when the farmer’s markets start to open, the ducks are playing in the water showing their butts and I can get humongo cookies every Saturday. Welcome Spring!

Got a favorite farmer’s market? Or cookie bar? Or cute duck butt sighting?

Can You Make Furry Friends?

By Leave a Comment

by Kimberly A. Cook           (Twitter@  WarriorTales)

Somehow whenever I’m looking for Friday videos, I always end up watching Cesar Milan old “Dog Whisperer” shows. Then 45 minutes later I remember what I was trying to do. So what better way to head into a weekend then to learn about making friends.

We all need buddies and sometimes the furrier the better. Check out how this young kitten tried to make friends with a furry hoppy thing. Don’t think he was quite sure what kind of cat it was. There is also a follow-up video when the kitten is a teenager meeting the bunny again. And then there go a few more minutes out of my day.

Have a great weekend and Happy Quirky Friday!

What Flower is Your Grandmother?

By 5 Comments

by Kimberly A. Cook          (Twitter@   WarriorTales)

Walked into the grocery store on the way home from the day job last night to get three things. Walked out with the three things plus three carnation plants and three tomato plants and one small pink flamingo with flapping wings to go in a potted plant. I’m a sucker for Spring flowers and odd yard art!

Gift plant from my Mom when I was under the weather. LOVE the color of the blooms. Must get more potting soil....
Gift plant from my Mom when I was under the weather. Celosia Intenz. LOVE the color of the blooms. Must get more potting soil….

Now I had specifically told myself not to buy any tomato plants until Mother’s Day, the best time to put them in the soil. Even though I had spied the coveted yellow pear tomato plants at the store last weekend, I did not purchase last time. They’ll be more I told myself. But when I sauntered by the same plant display last night and didn’t see the yellow pear tomato plants, I panicked. THEY bought them all!

Wait one. They’d just rearranged the plant display. They were shuffled to the middle. Retailers are tricky that way. Not taking any chances I scooped two yellow pear tomato plants up and added one sweet cherry 100 for good measure. I prefer to grow the baby tomatoes; easier to cut in half for salads and I think I have a huge crop when I see all the produce on the vines.

While sniffing the carnation plants at the garden center, the clerk asked if I needed help. “Found the carnations,” I said. “Carnations always remind me of my grandmother,” I told her. “Pansies and fuchsias remind me of mine,” she replied. Even flowers have stories and memories. Scent and smell are powerful things. So I bought the carnations of course.

Now I have to buy potting soil to get these gems planted before the big rains come later this week. I usually don’t plant before Mother’s Day, cold soil and all, but with this warm early Spring, perhaps I can get away with it. Gardening is an adventure!

Got tomato plants? Got carnation plants? Got potting soil?

Time For Doggie Sun Days?

By Leave a Comment

by Kimberly A. Cook                   (Twitter@  WarriorTales)

It’s Friday, the sun is out and the weather will be perfect here in Oregon. So what better way to enjoy the first warm weekend than to watch an elite athlete playing in the park? I give you Frisbee dog Jubey!

This four-footed pro has all the right moves and even takes doggie cam Go Pro shots his own self! Border collies can run the world if we just let them. And do a better job I might add.

Have a great weekend and Happy Quirky Friday!