Penny is barking mad!
Sorry all. I am not quite sure what happened but my gmail account has been compromised. I can’t access it and won’t be able to do so for 24 hours or so. Then, well, we’ll see what damage has been done.
Spooky stuff! My apologies. Even when you have high firewalls, I guess it doesn’t always work. I have no contacts in that email account; the virus seems to have contacted everyone through dint of my emailing or replying to people via that account.
Most assuredly, I am still whiling away the days here in Michigan. Here’s our beach two nights ago.
Glad you came to visit!
Got something to say? Email me at fastweedpuller at gmail dot com.
fast grow the weeds 
We weren’t exactly ready to write a check, but we were concerned. Scary thought.
Hi El- I am receiving spam from your account “fastweedpuller@gmail.com”
You may want to check your machine.
Thanks,
Niki
Nah- I recognized it for what it was right away. You wouldn’t do that, even if you were hard up in Wales.
Good luck with getting it all straightened out.
I hates internet thieves.
Welcome home. I know you weren’t quite the OMG! type.
This exact email came to me from my friend Cheryl. I hadn’t seen her in six years and called her work left a message and she called me back from Michigan! I didn’t even know she had moved. The good news is she was NOT stranded in Wales and we reconnected through Facebook and are in better touch now. She changed all her passwords and deleted her contacts and all is well again.
Rotten spammers.
well, it was nice to be reminded of you, even though I knew you couldn’t be so silly as to not know how to get home from Wales!
Too funny! I recognized it right away, well after a half-second of pre-coffee “why would EL be emailing me about this?”
Nice beach time, another reminder (with ripening tomatoes, woohoo!) that it’s high summer. I love the midwest 🙂
I got one too! I recognized it right off and thought, poor El getting hit by email thieves!
On a better note: I’ve got TOMATOES!!! I sent you an email, but you probably can’t get it now. Hand pollenating must have done the trick cuz I have about 6 little tomatoes, some shooter marble size! I am SO EXCITED that FINALLY I’m gonna have tomatoes.
Good luck with your email. I hate that for you.
jules
Now that you’re home, could you help me transfer $50 million from Nigeria? I just need some help with the banking fees.
Sorry you had trouble. Great pictures. Summer in Michigan is heaven!! Will be at cottage on Lake in a week!!
it did make make me wonder for a few seconds, as it was well written – not all those weird phrasings and typos that are so often the hallmark of spam. But then I thought, well if she is stranded would she have MY e-mail address? why not contact her mom instead?
but what a pain for you!
Aha! So you are safe. You will forgive me, then, for ignoring the phony plea. It was fishy.
What a nutty world.
My, what a scarey looking doggie! Too bad Penny can’t guard your computer.
WHEW! I was hesitant to open it, but I did (I usually trash anything I don’t recognize). I read “I’m in Wales” and wondered who was watching the goats, then “mugged at gunpoint…lost all credit cards…” and thought “sure sounds like a spam…she doesn’t know me well enough to ask me for money!”
Then I saw this post and when I read “I’m in Wales” I thought “OMG – it was legit!”. Then I read the rest and had to chuckle. I was right – it was a spam and you already knew about it!
Hope it gets worked out.
I kicked myself for opening it the moment I read it.
Why don’t those people find something productive way to spend their time? Gardening comes to mind.
some productive….darn the crazies.
hope it doesn’t kill your email account. stupid spammers. they must make some money sometimes, right?
lovely shot of the lake.
At first I was concerned.. Then I thought “Who’s looking after the garden, the goats, etc..” and if you were gonna take a trip it would be for longer than a couple of days. More like a couple of weeks. Then I thought “There’s no contact info…” and the American embassy would handle any crime like that. Then I wanted to know if this email would be followed by some awards letter for MILLIONS of euros or pounds…
Glad you got that scary Penny were-dog to safeguard your email…
AND THE ANSWER IS:::::
Nigeria!
Gosh I do wonder if they make money at these schemes. They must or else why keep trying, right?
I believe all is well but it is a bit humbling. I use google for a lot of things as having one portal is convenient for me, and obviously easy to breach…it’s just one password after all that gives you the keys to the city.
I came over to see if you knew about it. Glad you are on top of it (I received one as well, knew it was a scam).
I sent you a followup email saying in the subject line: “This is important” and said in the body that I got a strange email from you and someone must have gotten your email account and today I got one back that said “Thanks for concern,i actually sent you the mail.i need you to help me out of here.” So whoever got into your mail is still hijacking it.
I hear Wales is beautiful!
I hear Wales is pretty too!
And what a drag. I can’t get on Gmail now. This is such a drag.
Hi El, I also got a message from you, but as I’ve gotten the identical message from 3 other high school friends, I knew what had happened to you. Anyway, now the problem of Freedom Ranger chicks! They will be arriving either tomorrow AM early or Saturday early. I sent you an email but don’t know if you’ve gotten it fixed. Anyway email me back about when you think you might like to get them. I should be avail most of the weekend.
I absolutely LOVE, LOVE, LOVE …. did I say love …. in case I didn’t ….. LOVE your entire blog! What a great writing style you have and I really enjoy your photos too! Fantastic!
I did not get the message but my Fraternity alumni site had a post from someone who was stranded in London just like that two weeks ago.A password protected invite only site I will add.
Can I just say that there are a lot worse places to find yourself stranded. It’s a little damp right now, but it is definitely pretty and we can offer a welcome in the hillside if you ever do!
Hope you manage to eliminate your identity thieves soon.
Thanks everyone. I believe the problem is solved except that yeah damn the google account was breached! With hope all is well. Dang. I haven’t been hit by a bug since the I Love You virus. I suppose it was time but still!
all the best,
El, still in Michigan, and not going anywhere.