Camper Sue gifted me this sign, knowing my frog obsession. It is proudly displayed so that all who enter can see it. I have just one question .... am I the attack frog?
The weather does not heed signs. I took this picture as the hail was drumming my roof. Looks like a waterfall, but is is the hail and rain coming off the roof.
The side yard. Looks like it snowed!
In the back yard, Toni Louise was beside herself as she tried to choose one to chew on. She loves ice. It is like a treat to her. I tried to encourage the other guys to join her in the yard, but Wall-E was having none of that. He was traumatized by the beating on the roof. Oscar just looked at me disdainfully and returned to his bed for a nap.
I ventured out to check my trees and plants for damage. Those are peaches on the ground. Hundreds of them, it seemed. I was sad about that.
Looks like I have plenty left on the tree, though.
The rain barrel is overflowing.
Remember the bird that chased me from the laundry room? She was determined to build her nest in a sheltered area. This was her next stop. On the front porch atop the shade I installed for my Mama and Daddy. They like to sit in the rockers on the front porch in the late afternoon.
The nest has eggs in it, so I won't disturb it until her babies can fly. She is tolerant of me as I water plants and sweep. I did swing the broom at her in my flight from the laundry room. Do birds have memories?
It was not a good weekend to camp with the hail storm blowing through. It rained yesterday morning and cleared up in the afternoon. Rained in the night and was still raining this morning. I walked out in the mist to see if anything was popping through the soil in the garden. I can hear the ground trying to absorb all the water and the grass needs attention, but, it is way too wet.
So, today is a house cleaning day.
Each day turns into the next and I keep putting one foot in front of the other and tackle the next task. Time is relative. I spent yesterday taking everything off the porches and then putting some of it back after cleaning all surfaces. The day before that I shopped for store supplies and did some painting and cleaned the restrooms. The day before that I mowed and then painted the new building that houses the pool pumps. The day before that I mowed .........
Some days I cook, some days we just grab whatever we find and eat, shower and collapse for the night. No matter the amount accomplished, there is always so much more to do. He who does not listen to his wife pulled a muscle in his lower back and has been in pain for weeks now. I keep telling him that he has to give his body a chance to heal if he wants to get better. He went to a chiropractor. He told him the same thing. I love it when I am proven right ...... even if it was a chiropractor.
He is still taking calls to help stranded motorists and retrieve abandoned vehicles from the roadside. One such vehicle was full of stuff. In the front seat was a box containing a surround sound system. In case you are wondering what becomes of such things; after a specified amount of time and effort to alert the owner to the whereabouts, it becomes the property of the service that picked it up. Kind of like unclaimed luggage at the airport.
He who loves all things electrical and noise was awarded the system. He eagerly set about stringing wires and such around our very small living space and hooking up all theses speakers and various components and had it all set for a sound test. He turned on the TV and Dr. Oz was on. He who loves sound is not familiar with Dr. Oz, never having watched his show before .......
I was about the business of preparing a meal that did not involve milk and a bowl and a spoon. I was half listening to Dr. Oz and he was talking about the things in his life that gave him a sense of well-being. I don't know which was funnier; the look on my husband's face as he listened to Dr. Ox wax eloquent about the virtues of using baby wipes on his nether regions after relieving himself or the fact that the sound system was defective. Really too funny.
Dr. Oz went on and on about the texture and softness of the aloe wipes as he who was disgusted watched in horror. Then he made a statement about the wipes being flushable. Fatal error. Don't tell the man who has snaked out the sewer to find wads of them plugging up the plumbing that these things should be flushed. And don't even mention tampons to him!
It was good to laugh. Dinner has been served and cleared. The last reservation has arrived. Time to hit the pillow and escape for a few hours. My canine contingent has finally settled back into a routine since the death of Emmy. I still dream about her from time to time and think I hear her cry out in the wee hours of the morning.
I have realized that she was pretty miserable for the last 6 months of her life. Her mate, Oscar, has slowed down considerably. He doesn't even bark now when he hears a stranger. He refuses to go outside unless I stand with him, all the while glancing over his shoulder to make sure that I am there. I have been giving him extra attention and he sleeps snug against my leg every night. Wall-E has abandoned me to go back to his previous spot next to he who loves him most. Toni Louise is a sweet girl, but prefers to occupy her own space at the foot of the bed. My bedfellows await me ......
Remember all the silly games you played in grade school? I don't know why, but as I was mowing endless rows of grass today, my mind went drifting back in time.
Simon Says, Mother May I, Red Rover. Do children even know these games? In neighborhoods with lots of kids you could hear the sing-song "Red Rover, Red Rover, send Lucy right over." The smell of fried pork chops would flavor the air, but the kids all ate as fast as they could to go out to play just one more game before bedtime.
I wonder if this memory is so sweet because it was so rare for me to experience this simple pleasure as I grew up. When my Dad had "shore duty" we would live in whatever city he was stationed near. This insured lots of kids in the neighborhood and lots of playtime. Most of the time, though, we lived with my grandparents while my Dad was on the ship for 9 months at a time. That meant isolation in a country dwelling.
I learned to create my own entertainment. No electronic games. We played board games. If you wanted to play solitaire, then you better hope that the lone deck of cards were not in the hands of someone like minded. TV was 3 stations and only two came in well on the black and white TV set we all sat around in the evening ....... with one small fan.
Wonder what my grandchildren would do if they suddenly transported back in time?
As if all the aching muscles were not enough to remind me of my age ........
As promised, photos of my remodeled bathroom. But ...... I need to report that the rabbit died. I am, of course, referring to Bubba, the rescue rabbit. I am old enough to remember when the rabbit dying meant something else.
This is a shot of my "new" room. The tub came from Craig's List. The bead board came from an old wall. The toilet, sink and tile are brand spanking new.
The lights are new, too. Well, I bought them two years ago in anticipation. Medicine cabinet and mirror are re-used.
The new sink and vanity take up less space, but I lost storage.
I found the little cabinet to hold extra rolls of tissue at WalMart and it happened to match my decor. Holds 4 extra rolls and a box of kleenex. Funny thing about that purchase. I did not have my glasses on when I bought it and for some reason I thought it said it held FORTY rolls. I pondered this all the way home. Until I donned my trusty bifocals for the assembly. Four rolls, not forty.
This is the cabinet inset in the wall that he who rescues baby rabbits built to my specifications. Impressive, don't you think? Still have to put the trim around it.
My throne.
My tile, so lovingly grouted.
Same picture of elephants bathing, in exactly the same place on the newly painted wall. The paint was given to me and I was never fond of the color, but decided to just make it work. I wanted colors that would match hard water stains and this pumpkin color fit the bill. I found the shower curtain at a thrift store.
The towel rods are actually drapery rods that I cut down and repainted. New over sized towels off the clearance rack.
Coming soon .......... new retail space.
Toni Louise is watching me. She wants to play. She is looking to see if there might be a tiny playmate hidden in my lap.
She tried to wake the guys, but they ignored her. No way would there be another pet here in our house.
He who has a soft heart came home with a tiny rabbit. He rescued it from a herd of cats at work.
See how tenderly he holds this little rabbit. The cats killed Mama Rabbit and the rest of the offspring. "What did you want me to do?" he asks.
I suggest that it would make a nice little entree for Winnie and Tigger. Oh, the hurt in his eyes! I was kidding, of course, but ....... really, what am I supposed to do with it?
He kept the rabbit in his truck all day. It is cute, like all babies are.
He presented it to our dog family. Toni Louise was giddy with puppy excitement. She jumped and jumped seeming to say "Can I play with it, can I, can I, please?" Oscar opened his mouth to grab it and snap it's little neck. He was scolded by he who has actually named the rabbit. I scolded the rabbit holder for scolding a dog bred to eliminate small furry intruders. Poor nervous Wall-E peed on himself from all the stress around him.
As dusk approached, I asked my husband if the rabbit was still a prisoner in his truck. Of course it was. "Have you fed it?" Fed it, what do you feed a rabbit? He offered clover and the rabbit, whose name is Bubba, did not partake. I suggested a carrot, doesn't he remember what Bugs Bunny ate?
Bubba, who is probably a girl, is sleeping in the store in a box lined with a scrap of flannel. I couldn't let he who rescues rabbits find Bubba unresponsive in his truck tomorrow, could I?
I took your advice and whitewashed the wishing well. Still looking for some petunias to plant, in the meantime my hanging houseplants will do.
Old wheelbarrow with only one handle ........ new planter.
Tickseed is blooming already.
Clematis, too .........
The Easter lily is late, though.
Tiny peaches grace the trees, tons of them!
Pathetic cherry tree is half dead ........
but the part that is alive has cherries.
Maybe the new growth will take over soon.
Strawberry blossoms ......
turn into luscious berries. The grounds are alive with signs of spring. Besides mowing endlessly, I have a store to whip into shape. Displays to move. New doorways to trim out and paint. Picnic tables to paint, porches to scrub, weeds to spray.
Gotta go!
My sweet old boy, Oscar. He doesn't look old, except for his silver bracelets on his front paws. Still a handsome little devil, isn't he?
Oscar and I were missing Emmy today. Wall-E and Toni Louise were outside running endless laps around the freshly mowed back yard. Oscar has no desire to run and play with the young ones. He misses his mate. I almost never take my dogs out into the park during the season. Toni Louise escapes occasionally, but that's another story.
Oscar is known for his stubborn independence, but he does know better than to run from me. For a treat I took him outside with me for a walk.
We checked out some gardens. Oscar was happy to be trusted to run through the grass. It has been awhile since he has had this much energy.
He smelled something here. I found a mole hole while weeding this area yesterday. Good to see him still want to hunt.
I planted a small maple here and he sniffed, then marked it. This will always be known as Oscar's tree now ..... well, to me, anyway.
Then we went to check on the progress at the pool. Oscar found a tool left behind. After sniffing, he marked it. Don't tell he who leaves his tools laying around.
He peered over the side, being careful not to get too close. He is not fond of water. He will tunnel into the earth and crawl in to chase critters, but refuses to go into water willingly.
He was curious about the black sand left by the sand blaster. He was not curious enough to go down into the pool to check it out. He has not forgotten his unfortunate swimming adventure several years ago. Even without water in the pool, he will not go in.
After we ran and walked and Oscar marked so many things I lost count we walked to the front porch and he sat in my lap while I rocked a bit and thought about my sweet Emmy. I used to hold her like a baby in my arms and rock her. It was our special thing.
Oscar is not as easy to hold and refuses to lay on his back. He preferred standing in my lap with his front paws on my shoulders. It was awkward and after a bit his toenails were digging into my flesh. Oscar has never been cuddly. He is more of a demanding tyrant, but he did grace me with a lick to my chin.
He is all tuckered out now and sleeping by my side, still my handsome devil.
It has been an exhausting week here at the kampground. The big mower was out of commission, needing new blades, the grass growing at a phenomenal rate, and rain threatening the skies. I mowed and I mowed. I would start out with lots of energy and determination and 4 hours later I would be praying for a reason to stop. I got a lot done, but only scratched the surface.
When the rain did come, he who builds framed out the wall to separate the new retail space from our living area. After the hanging of the sheet rock I took over with mudding and painting. In the midst of all this we had a major sewer issue in the plumbing of the main building. My new toilet had to be pulled up once again to resolve the issue. Not before it flooded the bathroom, though.
So, with all the soggy rugs and towels in addition to my usual laundry I headed out to the laundry room to make use of all the washers at my disposal. Three machines will make the chore three times faster. Do you notice the nest atop the wall heater? I didn't.
I had my mind on getting the job done to move on to the next job on my long list. As I was loading the washers I was grumbling about the wet grass on the washer closest to the wall and wondering what had been washed in it. I cleaned it up and went on loading my laundry. Then I grabbed the broom and swept up the mess on the floor, still grumbling to myself.
Then the bird who had been feathering it's nest decided to declare me an intruder and swooped at me with flapping wings. Just picture a crazy lady with a broom running screaming from the laundry room.
If a kamp host screams in an empty kampground, does it make a sound? I don't know about that, but, I can tell you that no one came to my rescue. Later, when he who rides the roads to rescue those stranded travelers did return, he relocated the nest to a safe tree. No birds were injured in this adventure.
