[Project:ThreeSixFive] Day [XCIV].

The I-94 is the form that I have been asked for a number of times in my visit to the States this year, even though two months prior to my flying out here, I was informed by the American Government website that the I-94 was no longer in use and that I had to use the I-94w - it's newer, more expensive, less beneficial half brother. Which everyone who has asked for the I-94 here tells me they haven't heard about. Buh. 94.

A basketball court is 94 feet long, so I guess that's a redeeming quality for the number. Albeit slight.

Today was great. We woke up fairly early and found that it had been raining somewhat. I mowed the lawn; running for the last three widths of mowing because it started to rain and lightning and thunder. I didn't really want to mow in that but I only had a little bit to go...

But then we went to the bank and I opened an account here. A month or so before we leave.

Then we went to visit Granny and Papa and I did a bit of sewing there, followed by a lovely walk to our friends' place which is about 3 miles away. We stayed and chatted for about and hour and then my wifey came home; leaving me there with one of them to go out snake hunting. He's seen a water moccasin around his pond for a few days and although he'd been able to draw a dot on it twice, it's slipped below the surface before he could take the shot. So we both went out with a shotgun. Accuracy by volume, I believe it's called.

We didn't see any snakes, but there was a commotion in the reeds and the far side of this pond. We went to check it out and saw an alligator gar wriggling around - more than likely spawning. Since the guy has recently stocked the pond with several hundred dollars worth of fish, he doesn't want the gar in there eating them. Fair enough.

He shot at it and the concussion seemed to disorientate the fish, making it swim down for a minute or two. It surfaced again and I got a shot off at it. I was using the 4/10. I caught it and it swam further into the reeds. We got really close to see if it was dead and I proceeded to give it what my friend called 'the beaver treatment'. It twitched and I shot it again from two feet away. Fish confetti. It took me five minutes or so to get it off the bottom with the oar and into the boat by first digging my fingernails into the cartilage of it's tail and then putting my thumb into the hole I created in it's side. It was about 18 inches long - pretty big, but nothing like some of the record sizes. I doubt I'd go after a 12 foot gar with a 4/10. Buh.

Shotgun fishing. It was great.

For today:

This amazing Clear Wing hawk moth was on the side of the road on our walk. It's beautiful and they're not easy to photograph, so although there as something wrong with this one (although I assume so because it wasn't flying off), it was so cool to be able to hold it for a bit. And my wifey had it sat on her nose for a while after this.

Although it wasn't this bad, this is my interpretation of shotgun fishing. Boom. Nuisance fish gone.

Also today, we saw three huge baskets at Granny and Papa's house. Full of chocolate eggs and jelly bean eggs and little Three Musketeers bites and Reese's Easter eggs. More than I've ever seen before!

I've said it before, but my wifey and I are watching our way through The Office (US). It's pretty funny and we've got up to the 6-episodes-to-go-on-the-second-season point. A good point indeed.

Peace.