kathy's kampground kapers

Pick Your Own Price

2012-01-30T08:29:00.000-08:00

The phone rang as we were having dinner. I know some people simply ignore the phone and let it go to voice mail when they are otherwise engaged. I can't do that. When you have a business, you can't afford to. I will simply hang up on a telemarketer ..... but that is another story ...........

I answered the call as I always do, identifying the name of the business. The caller wanted to know if we had an available site for a 50 amp pull-through, full hook-up. I assured him that we did. He then told me where he was and asked which exit to take. I gave him directions and he seemed a savvy traveler, as he knew what I meant when I said that I was on the north side of the interstate. He would be a late arrival and I indicated that he should stop at the office where there is a night registration. I gave him a site number and told him the price was $30.

I finished my dinner and mentioned to my mate that it was refreshing to talk to a man who could take directions.

This morning, he who doesn't mind sticking his hand into the night drop box, announced that there was no envelope with payment inside and that the occupant was still on site. So, I am assuming they will pay when they are leaving.

He, who hunts wrecks, leaves to go to the base camp where he can smoke and gossip with his little buddies to his heart's content. I have enough trouble breathing in a house heated by a wood stove, we will not be adding vile cigarette smoke. He instructs me to watch for that 5th wheel.

I suppose he pictures me with binoculars spying on the campers, alert for signs of leaving. I suggest that it would be easier to knock on their door and ask to see their registration. Then they could carry out the paying for the site ritual right then and there. But, he disagrees, afraid he might wake them.

He will write down the license plate number of those who have parked without paying. What we will do with this information is unclear to me. Will the state patrol run these non-payers down with siren and flashing lights to demand they return and pay? Maybe. At the very least it would be humiliating to have an officer of the law chastise you for skipping out, but would that compel you to actually make payment?

I ponder things, you know. But, when I looked up to see the 5th wheel, in clear violation of my speed limit, headed out the exit, I wondered what he expected me to do. Was I to grab my keys and give chase in my car? If they did stop for the crazed, caffeine deprived woman in the VW bug, what then? Do I drag him from the drivers seat and proceed to berate him for not paying to stay?

I decide to go check the drop box, since I am still clad in my jammies, coffee cup in hand. I tend to move slower in the morning, as my joints protest the chill in the air. They have indeed dropped an envelope with cash inside. But the amount left has left me puzzled.

Inside I find a twenty and four ones. The cost of a 50 amp full hook-up site is $30. A 30 amp full hook-up is $28. Without sewer it would be $28 and $25. My point being that I have nothing for $24. So, do I assume that this is all the cash they have on them? Or ...... did they simply decide that the stay was worth $24?

Family

2012-01-24T16:22:00.000-08:00

My long awaited trip to see my kids finally arrived! We awoke at 5 am and were ready to go by 5:30. We left the dogs at home and got into the car we loaded the night before.

The trip started out great and we were zipping along the interstate making good time. I was happily calculating our time of arrival in Des Moines, thinking how surprised they would be when we arrived so early. You know what they say about the best laid plans ........

We encountered some seriously icy roads when we hit highway 63. I saw some cars in the ditches and then we started to swerve. I told he who does not have night blindness that he was not cute and to cut it out ........ It wasn't him, but the ice. We had to slow down to 40 and it was treacherous until we finally saw the salt trucks out.

As soon as I could hear the ice hitting the back bumper, I did what I do best when on a trip. I slept. I did offer to drive, but he turned me down. What else was I supposed to do? The sun finally came up. I don't know when ...... I was sleeping.

The voice of that woman on the Garmin woke me. I knew the hotel was right off I-80 and I figured I could just watch the road signs and when I saw the Ramada we would exit. But, no we had to listen to that insane voice telling us to turn this way and that. We ended up on I-235 and pulled into a Walgreen's parking lot where I called my son-in-law.
Turns out I was right about the signs on the road.

This is one of the sweet faces I was happy to kiss! He is getting so tall. Seems like just yesterday I was holding him in my arms.

This is my granddaughter. At 11 she is almost as tall as me! With long,long legs and so graceful. I could not stop looking at her.

Too many sweets left her with a tummy ache and she couldn't eat lunch. She looks so sad here.

We met our newest granddaughter on this trip. She is so sweet and easy to be around. She is helping Gavin color here. I was restrained and did not smother her with a big hug the minute I saw her ....... I waited until we said our goodbyes. She had been warned that we are demonstrative with affection. Her name is Kyra and she is 14. None of my children bothered to name a child after me, but Kyra starts with "K" .......

We only got to spend a few hours with them. They headed north to Minnesota and we headed south to Missouri. Des Moines was a good compromise. Still, 10 hours on the road was tiring.

I was happy to see my bed when I got home, don't know why, since I slept on the trip home, too. I miss them all over again and can't wait to see them!

Paying It Forward

2012-01-16T14:47:00.000-08:00

Some days are just better than others, don't you think. This one should be great, but, it is not.

The failed flooring attempt has managed to squelch my joy of a working toilet at my disposal ..... The disarray of my house is staring to wear on my nerves; and let's face it, my nerves are not my strong point. I want to be able to put this bathroom together, but without the floor, there will be no moving forward.

My elation over a toilet and a working tub was short lived. He who rescues stranded travelers was called out last night. I decided to take a nice bath. I knew I would need to clean the tub, so I gathered the necessary supplies and went to give it a good scrubbing.

You will recall in my previous post that after the failed flooring attempt I indicated that he who doesn't listen to his wife pulled up said floor. And tossed it to the side. I now see that he brought in some heavy stepping stones from outside to weigh his floor squares down. I had to move all that and stack it neatly in an attempt to soothe my frazzled nerves. While doing this I noticed that my shoes were sticking to the floor.

This prompted me to read the instruction on the product he was using. Had he bothered to do this he would have known that he was supposed to apply the product, then let it dry for 90 minutes, before putting the squares down. Instead, he who always tells me that he knows what he is doing, put the product on the floor and then smeared it all over the back of the wood square. It caused the edges to curl up. There really can be too much of a good thing.

So in my highly annoyed state I scrubbed the tub and readied it for a nice hot soothing bath. But, I seem to be unable to get the plug to work. I call him and ask if he has installed some special secret plug doings. "Oh, remember how I was having trouble getting the tub in? Well, the plug won't work, you will have to use a thing." A thing? I simply hung up. It was really windy and cold and I thought It would be better if I did not share all my feelings while he towed.

Not being in possession of a thing, I used a washcloth to stop the water from leaking out too quickly ( hindsight has taught me that I should not have been overly concerned about that). It took me a few minutes to gather everything ( I remembered the towel!) and then I eased my weary bones (well padded weary bones) into the delicious hot water. I bathed and luxuriated in the hot water. I really miss my hot tub, because I love hot water. But, this water was beginning to cool, so I released my "plug" and attempted to get out. I had forgotten the non-slip tub mat and this porcelain finish is really slick. I could not get my feet under me to get out. If my feet didn't want to slip, my hands did. So, I had to sit there and wait for the water to drain, so that I could dry the bottom of the tub to be able to stand. I finally had to get on my hands and knees and sort of crawl out of the tub. I was as cold as the night I forgot my towel in the outdoor shower.

To further enhance my foul mood, the canine contingent was barking at everything and nothing. They only do this when I am here alone. I toweled my cold self and threw my nightshirt on and went to bed to await the arrival of him.

By the time he came home I was watching a program and all warm and toasty under the covers. I said nary a word about his lack of reading instruction skills and drifted off to sleep. But, this is a new day and there is absolutely nothing wrong with my memory!

I had planned to venture out to a building supply store to procure some peel and stick tiles. I have used these before. There is a certain technique involved in the laying of them, but the bathroom is small and I figured I could knock it out in one afternoon. Well, if I had any money. That budget I was talking about in my previous post has reared it's ugly head. I have some money owed and if it came in I would be okay. We had a nice camper living here through the summer. He paid his rent every month without any problem. Then came December. He skipped out owing $425. He promised he would be back the week after Christmas to pay us. He was laid off and has children. I am sorry for his situation, but I had to pay a hefty power bill that he contributed to. I was just grumbling about him to myself this morning.

I went to the library and on to the local Alco store, where I found some flooring at a reasonable price. Feeling smug, I came home to find a stranded motor home in the parking area in front of the building. This is an old model, with duct tape holding the front fender in place. Smoke is boiling out from under the hood and the man proceeds to tell me that he is trying to get home to Tennessee. He wants to know if he can plug in for a few hours to let his engine cool down.
He has a problem, though. He has no money. He is right up front with me about that. He will have money in his account tomorrow, but right now he doesn't have two nickels to rub together.

Of course we let him plug in and he who can't read instructions looked under the hood and determined that he had the wrong sized belt on something and has gone to purchase it for him. If he is still here at supper time, I suppose we will feed him, too. I hope he is fond of pork and beans.

Do you suppose that if we just keep paying it forward something good will happen? You just never know ........

I am feeling so much better than when I started this post, counting my blessings, yes, I am.

Flushing

2012-01-15T18:34:00.000-08:00

The tub is in and the walls are ready to receive tile. The window is gone and has been insulated and walled up both inside and out. It has been a week.

Remember, this was only going to take two days. I don't want to tell him that I am not going to have enough wall tiles, since he eliminated the window that was going to be replaced with a glass block affair. He likes to change design plans and I just go along because I realize it is easier.

The floor is another problem. He does not want a tile floor. It would be cold. Any floor will be cold since the house is built on a cement slab. I suggest a heated floor, but he looks at me like a bird is nesting in my hair. Now, should you be thinking about resale value and such. It really doesn't apply here. The value is in the business, not the living quarters, such as they are. Not only that, we have a very small budget to work with and no wiggle room unless we give up eating this winter. I am of the opinion that I could last 6 months or so without feeding, but I happen to like to eat.

I watch a lot of HGTV and tend to record episodes that I find worth sharing. One particular episode showed a sheet of plywood cut into 12" X 12" squares, sanding and staining each one and then laying a rather unique looking floor. This particular episode aired about 10 years ago and appealed to he who has many tools. He went straight-away and procured a sheet of quality plywood and cut it into squares. He sanded and lovingly applied coat after coat of a polyurethane stain. How was I to know he still had those squares, tucked away in his beloved barn. I am still curious how he could locate them and actually put his hands on them, but that is another story all by itself. I will need to include the testimonials of those brave campers who have actually entered the barn.

He presents the wood squares to me and asks what I think about using them to floor the bathroom. This is also when he thinks he will use sawdust and glue as grout. You will recall that I vetoed that idea and we used the sawdust to make fire starters. Since my role in this venture is the designer/voice of reason, I went and measured the area to be floored. We needed exactly 30 squares and a threshold. We did not have enough of the original batch. He thinks he may have purchased only half a sheet of plywood, but I think the other squares could be hiding in the barn.

So, he went and purchased another sheet of plywood, thin plywood and some stain. He spent hours in the barn, cutting and sanding, then brought the squares up to the store and started applying stain. The stain was very dark and the original squares were very light. Instead of sanding and re- staining the original squares, we just went with all new ones. I stained them with 4 coats each. Last night, he applied three squares using liquid nails, then we weighted them and left them overnight.

They were firmly in place this morning and he shooed me out to my sewing room so he could work in the bathroom. On one of my trips in to check on progress, I found a very disappointed plumber/carpenter. He had applied more of the squares, this time using a different product and they warped. No doubt from the liquid content in the tile glue he smeared all over them. Kept that thought to myself. He is done with this flooring project and has ripped up the warped squares. Tomorrow I will go to Home Depot and get some peel and stick tiles, along with the recommended concrete primer and do the floor myself. I will take along one of the tiles I had planned to re-use and find something that will compliment it to use along with it.

After making a trip to the bathroom that I am now referring to as the outhouse, I launched a search through the leftovers for our dinner. As I was heating up some kind of a pasta dish I created, I heard a noise from the bathroom that I had not heard for over a week. I heard the toilet flush! It is not my new high rise deluxe toilet, but the old model. I do not care, so sweet was the sound of that flushing toilet. The music of civilization! Never will I take the privilege of a warm seat for granted again!

As a reward for this task I ran into the store and grabbed a bag of stale marshmallows and made Rice Krispie treats. Not just any old Rice Krispie treats either. I added peanut butter and topped them off with a chocolate coating. No effort is too much for he who provides me with a flushing toilet!

Cold Shower

2012-01-13T17:21:00.000-08:00

The weather continues to lend itself to car problems, keeping he who plumbs too busy to work on the bathroom. In other words ......... still no toilet or sink or shower or running water in the room that should be the one to bathe in. I can't complain, we need the money. Property taxes and electric bills wait for no toilet to be installed.

Just so you know, I am not languishing in front of the TV watching soaps and eating bon bons. I put the last coat of paint on the ceiling and finished priming the walls. I kept the home fire burning (literally) and it is a toasty 73 degrees in here. Normally, I would complain that it is too hot .....

After preparing a delicious dinner of roasted chicken, mixed vegetables and various leftovers from Chinese meals past. I decided that I would venture out to the shower and luxuriate in nice hot water pounding on my back (I can boast good water pressure here in the kampground). I had already washed my hair this morning and just wanted to feel the hot water on my person.

I gathered my toiletries and a sweat suit, along with a couple of rugs to keep my tootsies warm. I fought the door open against the frigid wind and hurried along to the bathroom door. It is only about 20 feet, not too bad. I turned the electric heater on and locked myself in. I carefully place my sweat suit on hooks and got all my necessary items into the shower after adorning the floor with my thick cotton rugs. Then I shucked my clothes and shoes. It was like stepping on ice! I turned the water on and it hit me full in the face. Ice water. I adjusted the nozzle and finally got some nice hot water coming out and stepped into the spray.

I am standing there, starting to relax, when it dawns on me. I forgot the towel. It is 25 degrees out there, who knows what the gusting wind is making that feel like and I have no way to dry off. Did I take a phone with me? No. I tried tapping on the inner wall. The bathrooms share a wall with my pump room and there is no insulation. I know that if anyone is in the kitchen they can hear me. I have overheard some interesting conversations myself while cooking. I am in hopes that I will alert the dogs and they will bark and he who is playing with the wood stove will follow them into the pump room and I can ask him to bring a towel.

It was a good plan. Just didn't work. My silly dogs will bark at a leaf blowing in the wind when I am here alone. But, Daddy is home and all is well with their world. My world, on the other hand .......

I can't stay there under the water forever, so I turn it off and try to shake like a dog. I do not recommend this. I dried my feet with the clothes I wore into the bathroom and put my socks and shoes on. Then I pulled the sweatsuit on my wet body. I hurried into the house that is a cozy 73 degrees, stripped off the now damp sweatsuit, dried and put my pajamas on. Tomorrow will be better ...... won't it?

It Snowed

2012-01-12T16:31:00.000-08:00

No progress on the bathroom today. It snowed last night. Schools closed and the news coverage is phenomenal, considering it was a whopping two inches of the white stuff.

It is currently 10 degrees out there. This matters to me. The bathrooms are not heated. All I can say is that the seat is mighty cold! Like an outhouse. Very, very cold.

Speaking of news, another big story in national news was about the Marines who urinated on the the bodies of the enemy. I don't know which is more disturbing; that they did it, or that they made a video and decided to share it. I overheard someone who thought their actions were okay ...... like it is patriotic to defile the body of a terrorist.

That attitude is also disturbing to me. I am quite certain that a video of another countries' soldiers defiling the bodies of USA soldiers would be met with outrage. This is not an honorable act on either side. The news story did not make light of it; but did point out that the Marines involved were young. I suppose that says a lot the values instilled in these young men.

Progress is Slow

2012-01-11T18:02:00.000-08:00

The temperature today felt like Spring. Mother Nature is just toying with us, though. I just heard on the news that we are under a winter weather advisory for the next 22 hours.

What is that about red skies? Red sky in morning .... sailor take warning. Red sky at night .... sailor's delight. Wonder how that factors in the weather advisory as the sun is setting here with a nice pink sky?

Bathroom progress is painfully slow. He has encountered lots of plumbing issues. The new insulation is in and we are ready to put the tub in.

Work is interfering as he has to take calls. Just for fun I am going to suggest that I want the toilet moved to where he has it sitting. You can see the hole in the floor where it has to go. Still, it will be fun to freak him out.

Is this the weirdest drainage set-up you have ever seen? My whole house smells like that purple stuff on the pipes.

You may be wondering why we chose to do this in the dead of winter. It is the only time we have to get it done. As I sit here writing I hear him trying to get the tub into its space. I tried to offer assistance, but I was told to just stay out of his way. Happy to oblige.

He put the drainage pipe on the tub first, thus making the tub longer. Already a tight fit, I could see that it was not going to simply slide into the space. The 2 X 4 the tub is supposed to attach to is also jutting out. My suggestion to remove it temporarily was not well received, so I left the room to check in a camper. Do you suppose the nice lady camper knew that bucket sitting by the door into my home is my chamber pot?

I ventured in to check on him to see that he had decided to take my suggestion and remove the obstructive 2 X 4. I hear the saw and I smell the pipe goop stuff that stinks. Ahhh, the sweet smell of progress. Tomorrow the floor, then the toilet will follow.

Bathrooms and Bobbins

2012-01-10T17:45:00.000-08:00

I still have no toilet ....... or running water. Wonder what I have been doing? Well, without benefit of running water, my options are limited. I have been hanging out in my sewing room. No water required for sewing and my little lair happens to be closer to the bathrooms on the side of the building. I am limiting my fluid intake.

I pulled out some scraps and made a few little things for my great granddaughter, Jailynn. She will be three this spring. I made some leggings and a top out of the green and lavender stripe to go with a little lavender skirt for Christmas. I found this scrap of green lightweight corduroy after I had sent it. It was a little short, so I added a ruffle, then decided to make a little applique of a purse. I couldn't find any buttons I liked, so I just used the extra cording form the purse applique and made some little ties to pull through the button hole.

Then I saw another small piece of fabric. Is this just the happiest fabric? Reminds me of blowing bubbles.

I liked the idea of a circle in a circle, so I stacked the buttons that I found in my button box. I was looking for orange, but they were four hole and didn't work with the big button.

Another scrap. I call this the happy insect dress.

Happy buttons. I had some ladybug buttons in mind, but I made the straps too wide and they didn't work.

She will be able to whirl and twirl.

I fell in love with this fabric. This is for my 6 year old granddaughter. This is a combination of two patterns. I liked the rose, but there was only one ruffle on that one. My Jada is a multiple ruffle kind of girl. My main obstacle was that one of the patterns was for little girls and the other was sized for big girls. This was my trial run and I wasn't entirely happy with it. Then when I started looking for a top to match, I found an exact match impossible to find.

Not to be defeated, I made some more. I decided to stick with solids and do a contrast thread color that I know the girls have in tops and tights. The two-tiered skirts are for the youngest. At age 3, Zara is tall for her age, but three tiers would still be too long.

I really had to work to get all the pieces in this scrap of fabric. I altered the pattern completely and the tiers have no seams. At this point I decided to just make my own pattern. This fabric is shiny, but I don't know how it will fair in the laundry. I am afraid it may need to be ironed.

This is a lightweight corduroy and launders nicely. And ..... I paid a little over $1 a yard! I did two rows of a satin stitch on one, just because I wanted to see how it would look.

Two rows of different colors. This is a bottom weight twill. It wants to ravel. I am hoping the first laundering will eliminate the stringy look.

Another twill. A jumper for Zara. I liked the idea of a zipper on the outside. I had a lime green, but it was too long. The white works and she can pair it with lots of colors. It should go into Spring and Summer, too.

This pattern looked so cute. I was disappointed. I made this for Maya. Maya looks really good in vibrant colors. I only hope this looks better on.

Then I found some mending. I made this last year and it somehow got a hole in it. Good thing Gramma saves everything. I added another applique to cover it.

I made two more skirts today. Just trying to stay out of the way of he who fancies himself to be a plumber.

I Am No Squatter

2012-01-09T15:00:00.000-08:00

Almost eight years ago when we moved here, I told he who fancies himself to be a carpenter, that I would require a much bigger kitchen and that the bathroom was not acceptable. No, it did not look like this. There was a fiberglass tub and surround that covered the window. I kid you not. It was ugly and impossible to clean. I mean, I know it was clean, because I cleaned it. But, it never looked clean.

The kitchen had to be dealt with first ..... I couldn't unpack. There was no cupboard space to speak of. The kitchen continues to evolve. I did get a new stove right away. The one that was here had only two working elements and they had to be jiggled periodically. I arrived with two refrigerators and a freezer. Just nowhere to put them.

The laundry room for the residence was as big as the kitchen was small. It measured 11 X 11. The "kitchen" took up a mere 3 X 8 feet against the wall ...... and that included the stove. There was a window above the sink, so you can see that cupboards were minimal.

But, the bathroom has been a thorn in my side. Last summer my shy granddaughter whispered to her Daddy that she did not want to take a shower in Gramma's bathroom, because it was dirty. It really was that bad. I had spent most of a day scrubbing the offensive tub before they arrived. I am not a miracle worker!

I have been known to make up lyrics to songs. For a month I have been singing "All I want for Christmas is a handi-capped comode...." Really, ever throw your back out, or been really, really sore from some chore like weeding? Well a higher seat on the toilet would be very welcome. Of course he, who has indicated that I am not a great singer, realized that I also wanted a new tub and vanity to go with it.

I have been about the business of gathering all the necessary components for the re-do. I found a bath tub on Craig's list. I have had it for almost 3 years. Last year we bought the vanity and sink. The faucets are here and I looked at tile and have decided to re-use the tile I removed from the wall for the shower area. I already have some bead board from another project for the walls that had been tiled.

Just waiting for strong man to be as ready as I am. He awoke this past Saturday and announced that he was going to do the entire bathroom in just two days. He had a plan. I reminded him that we needed to be ready to put all the components into the space in a certain order. After removing everything, the tub should be put in place, then the floor, followed by the most important component of the bathroom. The toilet. I can brush my teeth in the kitchen, I can even give myself a sponge bath in the kitchen.

We have the campground facilities we can use. I can go out the door and into the cold air and enter the facilities to shower, if I choose.But ......... I refuse to trek out side in the middle of the night to pee! So, for this reason, I cautioned the man to be sure he was ready to move quickly after taking up the toilet. You may note that it is Monday. I never thought it would be done by bed time Sunday. We have made use of the showers in the public facilities.

I have wondered for all these years what we would find under all that fiberglass. Hickory nuts. No, there is not a tree in the bathroom. This means some critter has been dining under the tub. I choose to believe that these are very, very old!

I find it interesting that there was ceramic tile in the shower area at one point. It looks like it was applied directly on the Sheetrock. We found no mold or mildew. That was a surprise!

The old medicine cabinet will have to stay until I find one I like. The frame can be painted. I can live with it. What am I saying ....... I do live with it!

New switch and outlets. The old one wouldn't hold the plugs. Easy to fix, but we kept putting it off until the big re-do. The hole there will be storage. The 2 X 4's are true and this will afford 4" of valuable space.

See those 2 X 4's on the floor? The tub was on those. I knew I was standing on something, just never knew what. I had pictured a drain in the concrete floor, but, the tub was draining into that white pipe on the right.

Yes, the lights will be changed! I bought the new fixture over a year ago. As lovely as this one is ......

So, since the space is small, I have been staying out of the way. I knew we would run into unexpected surprises along the way with the plumbing. But, why did he remove the toilet this late in the afternoon? He could have removed the old vanity and I would have cared little. The sun is setting!

What will happen in the middle of the night when I head for the toilet and it is not there? Squat? Remember I want a tall toilet. I am too old and stiff for such shenanigans, I tell you!

I Am A Person Of Walmart .......

2012-01-07T11:42:00.000-08:00

Every month I have to get refills of one or another drug. There are two that we only get a 30 day supply of at a time, due to the high cost. They are both generic, but still costly. Mine is the one that has cost the most. Last year we spent almost $1500 on that one drug. It was supposed to keep me sane and it failed .......

Of course, looking on the bright side, it will be a big plus come tax time. My doctor had toyed with the idea of doubling my dosage, but, having no insurance, that would have doubled my cost. I vetoed that idea, not caring how good that would be for taxes. We added another generic drug that is on WalMart's list of 90 days for $10.

So, I had the necessary funds in hand for my monthly trek to WalMart. I am feeling so much better that I actually drove myself there and back with nary a twinge of panic. Even got a haircut. But, back to the title. I drove in and waited patiently at the crosswalk where pedestrians have the right of way. I always stop and let people cross .... always. You would think that a car stopped and people on foot crossing would alert the driver of the vehicle traveling in the opposite direction to at least slow down. Not really. Right after the other car flew by me, a young woman crossed. She was nicely dressed (and not just by WalMart standards). She was in business attire, heels and all. I was thinking she might be a vendor looking to acquire shelf space or a member of management from a much higher level than this little store is used to hosting.

My mind is always on, you know, just meandering along, wondering this and that and thinking how very lady-like her attire was ........... that is when when spit quite a large wad out the side of her mouth right before the doors whooshed open. Lady-like? I made a mental note of the spit landing, so as not to step in it when I entered, then parked the car.

I went to the window and handed the RX #'s to the one perched upon a stool. I had the numbers written very legibly, along with corresponding birth dates and the number of pills I required. I ALWAYS do this ...... always, and without fail, they have yet to get it right. It is always the same person perched on that stool with a look of extreme boredom plastered upon her face ....... always. Now, when I worked in the pharmacy in WalMart I remembered my customers and their particulars, especially those I saw monthly ......... and I did not perch upon a stool, but stood.

I left for my hair cutting appointment, figuring that would give them sufficient time to get my bag of drugs ready for pick-up. When I returned to pick-up window to find my two orders ready and she read out the total I was amazed. I made her open the bag so I could look at the bottle to make sure they had the right drug in it. It had dropped almost $100!! There was a long line of those waiting behind me, stony faced individuals totally unimpressed by the little happy dance I performed. I would have hugged someone, but I did not see anyone who looked approachable.

I am just wondering if there was a camera that caught me. Will I appear on The People Of Walmart? I wasn't even upset to see that they had filled only 30 of the one I had requested 90 of. Nothing can lift my mood like saving money!

Health Insurance .... or Lack of Health Insurance

2012-01-05T08:58:00.000-08:00

As I was catching up in the land of blog this morning, I clicked on a new blog and read about the dilemma of scheduling medical procedures. I commented about life being simpler without health insurance ..........

Made me remember an incident about 10 years ago when I had health insurance through an HMO. With this plan you were required to choose a primary care group of physicians who would then "manage" your care.

On a Sunday while cleaning debris left from a building project in our back yard (it was one of those wooden play sets with a fort and I thought we should enclose the underside of the fort as a dog house for our Saint Bernard, Louise. She never, ever entered it. She would stare at me as I sat inside on a blanket with a hot dog in my hand trying to entice her into what would be a luxurious dog abode ..... but, that's another story).

Back to my story. I somehow managed to get stuck in the hand with a jagged piece of a 2 X 4. The board was about 3 feet long and was hanging from my person, firmly attached to that well padded part of my palm near my thumb. I stood there for a minute, just looking at it. It hurt, but I knew it had to come out and I debated with myself about asking he who had left the mess there to pull it out or just do it myself. I decided that he would hurt me, so I attempted to do it myself and a piece about the size of a kitchen match broke off and remained firmly embedded in my hand.

My hand was throbbing and I could not move my thumb without enhancing the pain. He who loves me offered to take me to an emergency room (happy that we had to stop the clean-up). Having worked as a nurse in emergency rooms and being annoyed at all the people using it as a clinic, I decided my hand with a stick in it was not an emergency and we drove to an urgent care facility that was approved by my HMO.

There had closed about 30 minutes before I needed them, so I went home and toughed it out until morning. I called my HMO approved primary care facility and they invited me to come right in and they would see me in between appointments. The chart indicated that I needed a splinter removed. One of the newer doctors strolled in and took one look at my hand and told me I needed a hand surgeon. Then asked me why I had not gone to the emergency room the previous evening. Really, it was not an emergency.

The hand surgeon she was sending me to was not in his office that day, but at the day surgery clinic downtown in ST. Paul. Great. It was my right hand and I was not going to try to navigate one-way downtown streets while trying to find this place. I picked up he who drives me around and off we went. We finally located the facility and then a parking garage and trekked in to see this surgeon of hands. X-rays were taken and the surgeon determined that I should go right to surgery where an axillary block would be administered and the "splinter" would be removed. I was all prepped, given a tetanus shot and an RX for antibiotics .......

And then told that my HMO would not approve the procedure. Seems I was sitting in a facility not associated with my HMO. So, I was told to meet the surgeon at the emergency room near my house after office hours. My hand had been manipulated and radiated and was throbbing by then. There aren't an over abundance of hand surgeons, by the way.

So, 24 hours after jabbing my hand, I went to the same emergency room I would have gone to the previous evening and was told that axillary blocks were not allowed in the emergency room, only a shot of xylocaine. By then, the tissue was inflamed and infection was beginning to set in. I felt every tug as he finally removed what felt like a full term baby from my hand.

So, you see, this would have been much easier had I not had insurance. Because had I not had insurance, I would have dosed myself with a pint of Jack Daniels, made an opening in my hand with an exacto knife and handed the needle nose pliers to my tool man and been done with it. Neosporin and a band aid.

Spring Flowers and Firelogs

2012-01-03T16:03:00.000-08:00

A package came in the weeks before Christmas with my name on it. Inside was a basket surrounded with packing peanuts and Christmas wishes from my sweet friend, Debbie.

It did not look like this! But, a little water and sunshine .....

A heady fragrance was in the air this morning. These popped out overnight! They smell so good.

Red tulips are struggling forth and will soon be rising up.

I love flowers. I am not a fan of cut flowers, though. I have not decided which garden these will end up in yet. They will be in a garden outside, though. Debbie knows me well!

Everyone who knows me, knows I love to recycle. I compost everything I can and end up with good soil to add to my gardens every spring. I always have some project going that results in saw dust. I suppose I could add it to the compost bin, but some of the boards are treated and I don't want it in my vegetables.

One year, some helpful campers decided to clean out the barn and tossed a barrel of saved sawdust on a bonfire. I must confess that I was unsure of what exactly I was going to do with it, but I mourned the loss of my sawdust (I complained about it). In the back of my mind I was sure that this sawdust must have a good use.

I watch HGTV. I saw one episode that spoke of a man mixing sawdust with glue and using it between rustic timbers much like grout. Intrigued, I thought about this in the wee hours of the morning during a bout of insomnia. Now, it sounds like a good idea, but I am supposing you would have to have some sort of device to "pipe" it between the boards. Otherwise you would end up with a sticky mess that would be hard to remove should you get it on the face of the boards. I vetoed this use of my treasured sawdust. He who loves to try new things was all ready to give it a shot on a floor installation. He who likes to learn by experience is more adventurous than I am.

In addition to sawdust, I have lots of candles with no wick left. So, I put the jars holding the leftover wax in a pot of simmering water. When the wax melted, I poured it in an old dutch oven with a broken handle (I knew that old pot would come in handy one day). While the wax was still liquid, I poured sawdust in until it was too thick to stir. I let it cool a little, then tried to use my hands to shape some fire starter logs.

Don't do this. The wax will stick to your hands and you will waste a lot of it. I took several sandwich size zipper bags and spooned the mixture in, then shaped it into a log and put them in the freezer. We took the first batch out of the freezer before we tried to use them. They crumble apart when they thaw and really don't do much to help get the fire going.

Next batch was left in the freezer. This helps them burn slower. But, it distressed me to burn the plastic bag. I pondered thoughts of saving bags from food packages, but, that had a grossness factor .......... So, we carefully removed the frozen sawdust log and saved the bag to reuse.

But, today on the third batch of fire log making I hit upon perfection! Newspaper. I spooned the mixture onto a half sheet of print and rolled it into a log about the size of a pecan roll, then flipped the ends around it and rolled it again on the remaining half sheet and twisted the ends.

They are in the freezer now. No need for crumpled paper now, it is all in one tidy package. Just light one of the ends!

Did I Hear That ?

2011-12-29T08:30:00.000-08:00

Sipping coffee, half listening to the TV, I sat reading e-mail and feeding little old lady dog one morsel at a time when I heard the intro to the story about the 20 month old little girl that has been missing. I looked up to see the image of the child on the TV, then a statement was read that her father made. I gather that she was in his care when she went missing. Then they give the description of the clothes she was wearing and mention the cast on her arm. They go on to say that the broken arm was the result of an accident. Could be, kids do have accidents. But, then she goes missing.

So, I am then thinking of my own children and times in their lives when they had accidents happen that would have looked suspicious had they disappeared. The TV has my full attention now. The little girl is a little doll and I see the resemblance to the father. The parents aren't together and there is some talk about why the father has not given an interview to the media. A statement was offered in which he says that he is cooperating with law enforcement and is pleased with the efforts and then goes on to indicate that he doesn't want to add to the media circus. Says he put the child to bed and she was gone the next morning. Tastefully worded. Maybe he realizes he would not make a good impression and has wisely chosen to just release a statement. I don't know that I would even be able to be interviewed if my child was missing. Seems that the mother of the child is making a big deal about him "hiding".

Then, Matt Lauer interviews the child's mother. She is surprisingly calm. She seems to be more concerned about the father not talking to her than the fact that her baby is missing. She wants him to talk to her. She is not making a good impression with her appearance. She was in re-hab and the father was caring for the child. Matt asks her if she had anything to do with the disappearance of her baby. She doesn't appear to be disturbed by the question and replies in the negative. He then goes on to point out that she did not see the child for 2 weeks after being released from her stint in re-hab. She confirms this and then says that she saw her the first of November, then the 21st of November. She goes on to say that she was not filing for full custody, but was filing to get her parental rights restored ..........

She implores the father to just talk to her. She says that she needs to talk to him because he was the last person to see her daughter alive. Really, she said that. Wonder where she is right this minute. The mother, not the child. Why would she say that ............ unless she knows.

Are The Puppies Gone?

2011-12-24T16:34:00.000-08:00

I awoke to a shining sun this Christmas Eve morn. I stretched out as much as my canine children would allow and was rewarded with a pounce on my chest. I fumbled for my slippers and gathered the two elder dogs in my arms and took my crew out. I went about the business of water changing and filling bowls of kibble ...........

Then I remembered the overnight guests in my store! I quickly heated up some mushed up food for baby puppy and grabbed a bowl for bigger puppy. Bigger puppy is in heat, by the way and looks like she may already be in a family way. Poor little girl. They waited patiently while I brought the food. They are so afraid their food will be gone that they gulped it down without chewing or tasting. Then they went outside with me and took care of business and followed me back in. Wow, they are better behaved than my crew!

I left them in the store and was treated to some howling when I left to wake he who had to take them to the shelter. While he dressed I went in to tell the pups good bye. The older one gently licked my fingers, acknowledging that those were the fingers that fed her. She is a pretty little girl with a sweet face and long floppy ears. I allowed myself to cuddle the baby puppy and handed her off for the last time.

While he who loves puppies was gone, I wondered what I would do if he returned with them. My dogs were sniffing me suspiciously. Oscar was pretty indifferent, having been through additions to the family many times. Emmy wasn't even curious. Wall-E was wary and suspicious and would not let me pet his head. Toni was sniffing like a crazed animal. She loves to sniff and this kept her from paying so much attention to my eyes. She has an eye fetish.

We saw the truck at the same time. Wall-E was watching at the window and started barking right away to let us know that his Papa was home. Toni joined him and Oscar and Emmy stood watching as he opened the door ..........

I was watching closely for a tiny snout or paw. Toni had her head in the air sniffing and Oscar had a low growl rumbling. Emmy was tense as the door swung slowly open to reveal what was on the other side ..............

What are the odds that the shelter would be closed on Christmas Eve?

Ellen was wondering who had the odds on whether these sweet pups would make it to the shelter. My youngest daughter called yesterday while I was bathing the pup we called Sadie. She opined that I would end up on the reality show about animal hoarders. I did not tell her sister about the puppies, but I did tell her brother and also told him that his youngest really needs a puppy. She is a dog lover, my little Zara. And I did foster the puppy, Max, for Gavin .......

So what do you suppose was on the other side of the door besides my husband?

Nothing. No puppies. The shelter was open and took them along with the names we gave them. The woman who took them is confidant that they will find homes easily. We actually got our last dog, Toni, at the same shelter. She is a wonderful dog, sweet and affectionate .......well, if you overlook her eye fetish.

I know all my children are proud of me, cause we all know I could have kept those puppies if I wanted to.

Tis The Season ...........

2011-12-23T14:18:00.000-08:00

.....to dump your unwanted dogs on the side of the road.

Really, how could you put this little pup out? I tried to get a picture of her teeth. They aren't even in yet. She must be about 4 weeks old and doesn't eat kibble yet.

She was with this older pup. He who is an animal lover thought her to be the mother of the pup (we are calling her Sadie, by the way). She is in heat and is probably from a previous litter from the same mother. She is starving ...... well, not anymore, but she is bony and was trying to eat a dead, rotting rabbit when found. There was also a male dog, but he ran. My dog loving husband picked them up, because he was afraid they would be run over. Did he wisely head straight for the animal shelter?

No, he did not. He brought them home and fed the older one he is calling JJ. He likes her, she follows him. I was inside minding my own business of laundry and cookie making, when he walked into my line of sight with the little puppy cradled in his arms. Of course I reached for her, and oh my, did she ever stink! He announced his intention to take them to the pound, but was worried that they would not accept them, since they were found outside the city limits. But he wanted to feed the other dog first.

That is how Sadie ended up in the bath tub. Really, you did not expect me to cuddle a stinky pup, did you? She liked the warm bath and I found no evidence of fleas and one dead tick on her floppy ear. She is well nourished and very docile. Not affectionate, though. I would describe her as resigned. The other puppy growls at her, but I think it may be due to the fact that she has had to fight for food from the looks of her. They are both timid.

Yes, they are still here. Sadie is very content to be here, even though JJ won't share the kennel. They are in the store. The animal shelter was closed when he who reluctantly took them this afternoon. They will spend the night here tonight and we will try again tomorrow. I will make a little cornmeal mush with chicken broth for Sadie. JJ has already filled her little belly once. I am sure that both of them have worms and doubt very much they have ever been vet checked.

Wall-E and Toni Louise are not speaking to me. Oscar and Emmy are equally disturbed by the appearance of other canines in their midst. They need not worry. I have already explained to he who loves animals as much as I do, that 6 dogs is a bit much. What am I saying ........ four is a bit much, but I would never get rid of any of the ones I am already attached to. As tempting as it would be to swaddle Sadie and rock her, I will not! Really. I will not!

Scammers?

2011-12-21T09:04:00.000-08:00

If you are familiar with my blog and my work place, you will know that the kampground is the main source of my writing material. Winter is slow. As hunting season is winding down, we will have those travelers just looking for a place to stop for a night's rest.

This past week has brought two requests for month long vacation stays. There is not much to do here in the cold months. So, I was surprised by the e-mail requests. I answered the first one and confirmed that I do not have cabins or RV rentals available and have not heard back form that one, didn't really expect to. I am left wondering how they found the e-mail address. If they found it, then surely they found the website that would have answered those questions and the other questions about attractions in the area.

The second request was poorly worded in such a way to make me think that English was not the primary language of the writer. It was a request for a family vacation for a month in January. With 3 children aged 6, 9 and 11 and two adults in an 18 foot travel trailer.

Strange enough yet? Just imagine being house bound with 3 kids in less than 150 square feet. I dutifully answered all the questions about my rates and the activities (or lack of) available that time of year and did not really expect a response.

Last night when I checked the site, there was a response. They want to arrive Friday and present me with a credit card to pay. Okay. Nothing unusual about that, you may be thinking. But ........... they want me to charge $1250.00 and be responsible for paying a caterer to bring their food daily.

I answered. I was polite with my refusal to pay the caterer and did not let my alter ego take over and accuse them of scamming me. They have not responded.

This past weekend was highlighted by a drunken driver in my park. He managed to plow through the railroad ties that line the side of the road meant to keep you out of the ditch. The truck ran over the foot bridge for walkers to use on the way to the pool. I know who did it .......... but can't prove it. So we just have to eat the damages.

Not fair? Life is not fair.

In Sickness and In Health

2011-12-17T11:29:00.000-08:00

1974 was a very good year. I graduated from nursing school and landed my first job as a nurse in the emergency room. It was there that I kept seeing a particular EMT. I made it my business to be available to take whatever patient he brought in. Look at him, he is so cute. Brown eyes. I always wanted a brown-eyed child .........

I chased him until he caught me. That was 37 years ago. Today. Doesn't seem like 37 years. I look in the mirror and wonder why I see my dad looking back. I see all the years on my face, but I don't feel them. When I look at my sweet husband, I still see the man I married. I hope he still sees me as I was then.

Crabby

2011-12-14T09:12:00.000-08:00

This feels like the roller coaster ride from hell. I never know what my mood will be when I wake up. Some days have been great and I think that I am on level ground again. Then the most insignificant thing can knock me down. I know that my sleep pattern is out of kilter, but it has been most of my life.

Besides that, all I did was sleep for a few weeks. Sort of. Like a series of naps. But, a lot of them. Sometimes I would fall asleep sitting up with my hands on the keyboard while writing. I did not post those rather lengthy and rambling epistles of doom and gloom. I would re-read them in my more lucid moments and decide to just delete them. You may thank me.

I have been unable to fall asleep lately. I toss and turn and get up with the animals I have made equally restless. I have deliberately kept the temperature low in hopes that the chill air would chase me to my covers and hopefully sleep. I have the thermostat set at 60. The fire builder has taken on the challenge of warming the house. We burn hickory wood from the downed trees on our property. It always smells like I am cooking a wood smoked chunk of meat in here.

The ill-fated trip to WalMart left me anxious and that sense of impending doom is back. The happy light didn't help yesterday as I counted the hours until bedtime. I have resolved not to crawl back under the covers in the morning and sleep until 10, or 11. No matter how little sleep I have managed. This does not mean I want to be up at the crack of dawn either.

He who drags his cell phone to bed can sleep through anything. Little things like the tiny light glowing on his charger do not bother him. He does not lay in the sleepless hours and try to make images out of the shadows it casts upon the ceiling. He can let it ring incessantly before lazily reaching for it.

He always makes a show of trying to be quiet. His efforts are pretty much in vain. He seldom succeeds. This morning, the phone rand around 7. I had been up at 1:30 and again at 3:30. I was hoping to sleep until about 8. Two of the dogs jumped out of bed with him. Did he take the two dogs out? No. They tapped danced across the floor as they followed him to the bathroom and then to the kitchen to retrieve his bubba mug, then back to the bedroom. All this with a million lights turned on. The lights hit the mirror in the hall and reflected into my face.

With all the lights one would think that he could gather the items necessary for dressing without much ado. No, he managed to bang open drawers and doors and knock items to the floor. It is my own fault. I have been known to lay all his clothes out for him and I should have done it last night. I didn't and I am truly sorry.

During his percussion performance I gathered the two dogs still in bed and took them out. He still had not taken out the two following him .......... they had peed in the floor. I saw the puddles and the footprints of he who stepped in it and tracked it through the house. Can't really blame the dogs, they were not the ones who had me up in the night. What is the very first thing you want to do when you get up in the morning?

For me it must be mopping, cause that is what I did. I usually take the dogs out, then take care of my business and then let them in. Seems like the logical thing to do. Then I get coffee and wake up to start my day. If my mate is sleeping, I do all of it quietly and with just the light of day to lead my way. I am, oh, what is that word ....... considerate? Okay, sarcastic, too.

So, having accomplished mopping, two loads of laundry, bed making, dog feeding, and removing some of the tile on the bathroom floor (yes, I meant to), I take a quick shower and dress for the day. My hair still wet, I see a car in front of the store. It is only 10 am and I have another hour, but I go to see if I can help the gentleman. It is the tax accessor. He wants to know if I have built anything this year. Since a bad attitude does not count, I answer in the negative and wish him a good day. He apologizes for waking me up.

My hair is obviously wet. Does he think it is greasy? And, just how bad do I look? It is true that I have yet to apply make-up, but I am freshly scrubbed clean. So much for my self-esteem. Why did he think I just woke up. I am not in my pajamas and robe. I am fully dressed. I even have a stupid holiday sweat on, proclaiming joy to the world. Now I am annoyed at two men. Somehow, I don't think today will be all that great.

Shopping and Other Things

2011-12-12T19:43:00.000-08:00

Feeling better means that I have to get out and run my own errands. He who has been my errand boy left early this morning on a job that will keep him from home until a lot later this evening. He is on the road and unavailable to go to the store. His prescriptions need to be filled. He only has one day left on one of them. I want to do some baking and I need supplies, mostly butter and flour.

So, I get ready to go out into the big wide world. Don't want to, mind you. The memory of my last panic attack still too fresh in my mind. But, I drink my coffee and convince myself that I can do this all by myself. Errand boy extraordinaire has my little bug all fueled and ready for me (remember, I do not do this, being delicate and all). Dreary skies follow me all the way.

I have been ensconced in my sewing room with my happy light ablaze (thanks to my daughter and son-in-law) every day for at least 5 hours. This dull gray light is a little disheartening. I spy the state troopers positioned all along the interstate and I keep my speed just two miles over the speed limit. I make it to WalMart and turn in the prescriptions with instructions on how many I want of each one, then prowl the store for bargains and my list of necessities. I arrive back at the pharmacy an hour later and join the others in the long, long line.

Finally I reach the front of the line and am excited to be nearly done and on my way home. Because there were so many waiting and I was anxious to get home, I did not open the bag and check each prescription like I normally do. I was started to get that little tingle at the nape of my neck and knew I had to be on my way.

I loaded the car and got in and started the engine, carefully waiting for the glow plug light to go out. It can be a little cantankerous in cold weather. The gear shift did not want to come out of "park". It has done this before. I turned off the engine and tried again. It worked. I wanted to pick up an iced tea to drink on the way home, so I pulled out of the back side of the parking lot in order to go through McD's drive-thru. Two big trucks were blocking access, so I pulled into the parking lot of my favorite consignment shop ...... who knows, maybe they had a bargain I could not live without.

I did not linger long in the shop, not finding anything I wanted to give a second glance to and went outside to see that the street I wanted was clear. I was ready to be home and the shop had been stuffy and hot. Got in the car and it stuck in "park" again. I tried all my trusty little tricks. I tried everything I could think of. No luck. So, I called he who cannot hear. He is in Illinois picking up a truck. He shouts instructions to me (why do people who can't hear you assume that you can't hear them?). He tells me to do everything I have already done and nothing is helping. If I turn the key part way I can get the gear shift to move ...... But, unless you are in "park" or "neutral" you cannot start the engine and when you start the engine it won't move to reverse or drive. I was almost in tears and the panic was coming full on. I was blubbering about my butter melting and how I just wanted to go home where my happy light waits for me.

I finally agreed to wait for a tow to come get me and my butter and drugs. I started stuffing everything into as few bags as possible to be able to unload quicker. Then I decided to pick up all the trash that had accumulated. I pulled the emergency brake and after cleaning up and releasing the brake I decided to try again. For whatever reason it started and went into gear and I was able to drive home. I cancelled the tow (in case you were wondering).

Made it home and only two dogs escaped as I brought in the bags. Fortunately, it was the male dogs and they have had too many swats from my fly swatter to disobey my command to get back inside. I opened the bag with the drugs. As anyone who watches TV knows, there is a list of drugs that WalMart will fill a 90 day supply of for only $10. Knowing this, why would you get a 30 day supply for $4? And yet, I always have to tell them. Always. One of the drugs he takes is $70 a month, so I only get a 30 day supply. I am always hoping it might go down in price, since it is already the generic. They got that one right. They got all of them right except the cheapest one. It comes in those hated prepacked blister pack things. There should have been 3, there was 1. I checked carefully and the amount was right there on the 1 package as 90. I pulled it opened and counted to make absolutely sure that the packaging had not changed, but there were just 30. It happens. I called and asked to speak with a pharmacist, since I know that this is the only person who can fix the error. I must have gotten a newbie. She listened carefully as I told her what had happened, then she told me to hold on.

She did not put the phone on hold and I could hear her as she asked how to access the information relating to the prescription in question. She wanted to know how to tell if I was lying ........ Then she pulled up the screen with the image of the RX the doctor had written. She then decided that I had only gotten 30 because it was written for 30. Having worked at WalMart before, I could have answered all of her questions and told her how to pull that information up. While it is true that the doctor had written #30 on the prescription with 5 refills, the customer can buy as few or as many covered in that prescription as long as it is not a controlled substance. And if I was going to try to rip WalMart off for some pills, let me just say that it would not have been the cheap ones, but the ones that cost $70 a month.

She finally came back to the phone and told me to bring "it" back and she would fix it. I had just driven 46 miles to get them and was loathe to hop into a car that had already sent me into a panic attack with gear issues and go back over what amounted to less than $10 worth of something. I simply told her that I was not willing to do that and she handed the phone to the other pharmacist who verified the name and RX# and my address. They are sending the other 60 to me.

A cup of tea, a happy light and a fire. I am feeling better.

Angels Watching Over Me

2011-12-04T10:58:00.000-08:00

I am back ..... almost normal again. My recent vacation from sanity was enlightening. I chose not to blog, as I tended to be viciously honest. My meds have been adjusted and I am feeling much better. Thanks for all the e-mails of concern.

This is not my first experience with my disease. I am bi-polar. They have some very effective drugs for this condition nowadays. The stigma that used to be affiliated with mental defects no longer exists (does it?) and I am happy to embrace my defect. Well, maybe not happy .......... but resigned and grateful to recognize what is happening and be able to seek help.

I am not 100% yet, but I can cope now until my brain decides to play nice. My friends and family have rallied round me, and shielded me from the world while I recover. It has been nice to be cocooned here in my lair. I have mastered spider solitaire and spent many hours shopping on-line. I shop to my heart's content, then delete the entire thing. I have noticed that even in fantasy shopping, I still looked for bargains. I found that to be interesting. Nothing is quite so satisfying as a good deal.

So today as I was half listening to an infomercial hawking a handy dandy slicer I heard them say it had a handicapped container. Really, that couldn't be right ...... I turned my attention to the TV and sure enough there stood a woman slicing a 5 lb. bag of potatoes ............. blindfolded. Really. I hit the button on the remote and backed it up. Why would you want to prepare food with blindfold on? And yet there she was pumping that lever and feeding another potato onto the slicer. Is this why the word "handicapped" was used? Was she going to fill a pan with oil and fry those slices blindfolded?

I had heard correctly. They did say handicapped . But they were saying handy capped. Like I said handy dandy. This handy dandy container had a handy cap. Poor choice of wording, I suppose. I wonder if anyone else heard it the way I did? Maybe they should have used the word "lid" instead of "cap". I wonder if I could get a job editing commercials ............ I wonder if I am as well as I think I am? Good thing my angels are still watching over me.

I'm Not Crazy, I'm Just A Little Unwell ......

2011-11-22T20:41:00.000-08:00

Gray skies fill the horizon. The sky is gray and drab, the clouds are gray and drab. A chill is in the air and I can't seem to get past this gray funk I am drowning in.
No lights grace the entrance to my home. There is no tree to adorn. I feel gray inside. All I want to do is sleep. Don't want to eat, don't even want to shop ..............
Wait, did I say that out loud. No, you say, it cannot be. A woman who does not long to shop and fill her home with wonderful values.
I lolled the day away in my sloppy sweats yesterday. I reheated the same cup of coffee twice and sat, hunched over the keyboard, clicking my childhood away. Did not even shower or wash my hair. By the end of the day, it was standing on end.
So, this morning, with grave determination, I arose, drank my single serving of coffee and showered, dressed and even put on make-up. Unlike the people of WalMart, I try hard not to frighten small children when I am out and about.
I forced myself out the door and started my trusty mode of transportation. I heard a rumor. The Walmart in Mexico (the city, not the country) still had a fabric department. Will wonders never cease? Just what the doctor ordered. If chemical therapy fails me, surely the touch, the feel of fabric will suffice. I hold that thought of self medication as I navigate the almost 40 miles to get my fix.
I march smartly past the greeter and grace him with a beautific smile. I am humming "Anticipation" as I meander slowly towards my habit. First I make myself go down the pet aisle. I grab a pink ball for Oscar, soft treats for Emmy and Beggin strips for the younger ones. This WalMart has a bigger selection and I am drawn to the remedies. I spy a treatment that will prevent the eating of poop. Really, I am not kidding. Emmy has been known to treat herself to already digested dog food. Nasty little habit and for $3, I can prevent this. Amazing. Whatever, I will give it a whirl.
Feeling smug and satisfied, I push my cart along. I made use of the handy-dandy disinfectant wipes at the door, so I also feel healthy. Well, maybe that is pushing it.
I stop in linens. Just looking to see if they have decent sheets with a high thread count and deep pockets. They do, actually. But I am loathe to part with $75 for sheets when I need a fabric fix. Instead I compromise and score a set of sheet garters. The elastic is losing it's grip and the fitted sheet won't stay taut. I hate wrinkly sheets. The garters should do the trick.
I am getting close. I can smell the fabric! I push my clean handled cart along as I run my hands over cottons and blends and polyesters and I am in my happy place. Then I see it! The clearance section. I suck in my breath and dive in. I got some nice twill for jumpers and corduroy, too. ALL ON SALE. Full price, even a decent price does not make me happy, it must be dirt cheap to make me feel noble. And may I just say, that I am very noble.
I get the pieces cut and head off to get the necessities of a Thanksgiving feast for two. Celery and chicken stock. Because the store is unfamiliar I am forced to go up and down each and every aisle. My fabric elation is wearing off. I am finding things I forgot I needed and it isn't too crowded. I should feel fine. I should.
But, there it is, tickling my spine and waiting to attack. I have not had a full panic attack in years. But I know what is about to happen if I don't get out of this place. If not for the precious bundle of cut fabric nestled in that cart, I would simply have walked away and driven home. I made it to the check out lane and the closeness of the merchandise stacked on either side of me saved me. The calm descended and I was able to pay and get out. The cold wind in my face was refreshing and I made it home just fine.
It has occurred to me that maybe my dosage needs to be adjusted.

Mulching, Creep-Master and Biting

2011-11-16T07:49:00.000-08:00

My computer has been finicky of late. So have I. As the temperature is dropping, I have been taking advantage of those sunny afternoons to work in my gardens. I am hoping that this will make the spring clean-up a little easier. Hoping.

Since the marigolds have turned brown, I decided to collect more seed. At this point I have enough seed to start my own business, yet I still feel the need to pinch the heads off as I pull the plants. They need to be free of seed to go into the compost bin. No matter how diligently I pinch those dead heads off, I always end up with some volunteer plants in the compost. So, I got to thinking and decided that I should run the dead bushes through the mulcher and mulch the beds that I want marigold in. Some times I really impress myself with my own ingenuity!

The hunters have been out in force. I don't hunt. I don't understand the "sport". Stalking and killing an animal would not be thrilling or fun for me. My opinion, that's all. I do not condemn those who enjoy the sport. I stay inside when they are staying here in the kampground. Not because they have guns blazing. I just enjoy my solitude while I work in my gardens and don't really want to explain what I am doing. I tend to get advice from those who are wont to track down deer. Advice like, "why bother with all that, why not just pour gravel and make the parking lot bigger?" I don't tell you how to hunt .......

But, the number one main reason I make myself scarce is the hunter with the holistic medical advice. I have dubbed him the creep-master. He makes me uncomfortable and I keep the store locked whenever he is in residence. Last time he came in to pay I actually carried my meanest dog into the store with me. My dogs always growl and bark at the creep-master. He actually asked why I would want Oscar (mean dachshund), since all he seemed to do is make noise. "He does more than that." I say, "He will bite you if you get close enough." That did not deter him, though. He lingered in the store and asked after my health (fine) and then wanted to know if my husband was around. I answered with a question, asking if he needed a propane tank filled. I was loathe to admit that I was all alone here, save a pack of miniature dogs that were barking their heads off at the intruder. Oscar had that deep growl going the entire time he was in the store. I have found Oscar to be a good judge of character .... and he bites.

So here I sit, sipping my morning brew, happy to see no hunters here, the sun shining brightly in the sky ........ let the mulching begin.

What Else Can Go Wrong?

2011-11-13T10:44:00.000-08:00

It has been a quiet weekend here at the kamp. Hunters were out. I wonder if they are here to hunt or to sit around drinking and telling lies about past conquests. Doesn't really matter to me.

Well, it does matter when they use the men's room trashcan as a spittoon to accommodate their chew habits. The splatter ends up on the wall beside the trashcan. Then when they insist on having me let them in the store at 7:55 am to pay me for the weekend. Before I have enough coffee in my system. It just starts the day off wrong.

But, they paid and left and the day is balmy, if a little on the windy side and I get my coffee ........ Then the stomach-ache hits me. I always pronounce it the way Ray Romano did on that episode of "Everybody Loves Raymond". He sounded it out and proclaimed the word to be "sto-ma-cha-chee". I knew I needed to eat something, but nothing sounds good; well, nothing that I have here in my house. I ponder what is available to stuff in my gullet and come up blank. I finally decide that pancakes sound okay. I have mix in the cupboard.

I drag out the electric skillet and pour the mix and the water in the bowl. As I stir it with the wisk, I sling it onto my shirt. Grace, that's me. So I grab the dish towel to wipe the shirt and drop it in the dishwater. I am determined, though. I clean myself up and wring out the towel and put it in the laundry. Then as the skillet is heating up, I bump into the bowl and knock it over, losing about 1/3 of the batter on the counter. Still determined, I pour the batter on the skillet and then clean that mess up.

Spatula in hand I watch the tiny bubbles pop and prepare to flip the cakes. Plastic spatula for the non-stick surface. Yeah, they stuck. Like I super-glued them. With a lot of effort I manage to get them up and turn the mangled globs of batter over. So much for light, fluffy pancakes. I drizzled Aunt Jemima's best atop the mess and managed to eat around the chewier parts. The dogs enjoyed them immensely. I am thinking about just going back to bed.

Health Advice ......

2011-11-06T19:16:00.000-08:00

I love unsolicited advice. I was outside gathering seed from my zinnia, cosmos and marigolds to store until next spring. I saw them drive up and I went into the store. This couple stays here during the hunting season and are ....... odd? The man makes me a tad bit uncomfortable. He is not very nice to his wife when I have seen them interact. One time he got a cup of coffee for her, but when she tried to put cream and sugar in it he was impatient and told her to hurry up, then sat in the truck blowing his horn until she ran out the door. Really rude man.

Today he came in to pay for the evening and gestured to the ziploc bag in my hand. He asked what I was doing ..... I thought it was obvious, but replied that I was gathering seed. He looked at me like I was lying and asked to smell it. It was a gallon bag of cosmos seed. He looked a little disappointed when he took a whiff and commented that it looked like something I would be selling on the street.

I don't know if this was an opening for him to tell me that I needed to look into holistic medicines. He advised me to go to a particular website and order a wonder drug (?) that would change my life. He said that it had changed his life. He has more energy, has lost weight, and his sex life is great. I listened politely as he relayed all this to me and wished he would leave. His wife was waiting in the car and not blowing the horn impatiently. He was intent on spouting the sales propaganda about the product and telling me that the medical community did not want the public to know about this, since it would put them out of business and repeated the web address as he left.

Because I am the curious sort, I looked up his supplement. It consists of vitamin A, aloe vera and fiber. I wonder which ingredient gave him his surly attitude? He did not look all that fit to me with his pot belly and chronic cough. I won't be ordering this magic elixir.

Black Eyes, Insomnia and Pumpkins

2011-11-04T13:00:00.000-07:00

I have a shiner!! It has nothing to do with my insomnia. The insomnia is the fault of he who likes to build fires. It rained yesterday and there was a damp chill in the air. I was feeling much better than I have all week and I gave the man permission to build the first fire of the season in the wood stove.

I gave him instructions. A small fire. Just to take the chill out of the air. No raging infernos that he is so fond of. He likes to get a raging fire going and then leave the house. I am beginning to think he wants me to sweat. He was gone most of the day and I let the fire dwindle as I worked around the house. When he came in for supper he brought with him a load of firewood. He got the embers going and I warned him, once again, not to add too many logs before bedtime.

Might as well have been talking to myself. Went to bed and could not get comfortable. My bare feet out of the covers were too cold, but under the covers, I was sweating. I got up at midnight with some restless dogs. There is a thermometer next to the drafty back door. 70 degrees there at the door. Wonder what it is in the room with the wood stove ....... 77. It was a couple of degrees cooler in our bedroom. I tell you, had it been 75 degrees and summer, he would have wanted the air conditioner on. The man is trying to drive me insane!! I did not go back to bed until 1:30.

Back to my black eye. The puppy called Toni, with the freakishly long legs is a sweet girl. She is a little strange in appearance and in behavior, too. She likes to sniff my eyes. Every night while we are sitting in front of the TV at the end of the day, she will insinuate herself into my lap ...... no, that's wrong. She likes to sit on my chest, effectively blocking my view of the TV or my laptop. She wants my full attention. She wants me to hold her face in my hands and talk to her. While I am talking she investigates my face with her nose, paying undue attention to my eyes. She doesn't go nuts licking my face, she just sniffs. If my glasses are on, she will gently nose her way under them. It is very strange and it tickles.

Last night, as she was trying to assume her seat upon my chest she lost her balance and her paw ended up under my glasses in my eye while the rest of her legs and body fell onto my face. I did mention those legs that are freakishly long, didn't I?

I meant to take a photo of the mangled glasses before they went for repair, but forgot. These were my new glasses. The glasses I got after my eye exam and new prescription. The glasses from my favorite eyeglass store and my favorite camper/optician Barb at HERE'S 2 EYES in Troy, Mo. Thank goodness I had the foresight to get two pair!! Two pair I got for what most places would have charged me for one pair! Not only that, but personal, friendly service. My glasses are no doubt already in Barb's hands. Barb's magic hands, I should say. He who has a second job had to go right through Troy and dropped my glasses off. If anyone can salvage them, Barb can! The lens are okay, the frame may have to be replaced.

The puppy called Toni not only has freakishly long legs and an eye fetish .... she is a clumsy, too. And that is how I came to have a shiner. I actually didn't see it until I washed my face. It doesn't hurt. I wonder if I could get some mileage out of this injury. Maybe dinner out and a nice foot rub?

The sun is shining again and I ventured out to check on my turnips. This is the only pumpkin to survive and I didn't even plant it .... it was a volunteer from the pumpkin I tossed in the compost bin last year. Is this the tiniest one you have ever seen?

Too small to carve ...........

Party Time ....

2011-10-31T11:40:00.000-07:00

It all starts with fresh hot, ooey, gooey breakfast rolls. See the bacon in the caramel, the sweet with the savory .....

My pumpkin vines blossomed and formed the beginnings of pumpkins, then withered and died. No pumpkins for me this year. Just this little one that Harvey gifted me, so I stuck some foamy stickies on it .......

But, I do have gourds!

Trick or treat.

Enter, if you dare!

Witches take flight on the night of fright!

The kids loved the bouncy house.

Then they donned costumes to trick or treat.

Not just kids, either. Is that Elmer Fudd I see behind the lovely good witch?

Um, I see a winner for the adult costume! Beetlejuice won. My second choice would have been the priest ..... but, unless you know Rich, the irony is lost. That and the fact that his wife disallowed most of the props he wanted to use, lest he offend the masses (pun intended). She did let him drag his bottle of wine ...... Boone's Farm strawberry, no less. He must be from a poor parish. Oh, and he was not depicting a good priest!

Hello, Kitty.

Is she cute or what? She won the pumpkin carving contest.

The crock pots are coming, the crock pots are coming!!

Some of the pumpkins for the carving competition.

Site winner. These folks are really into this!

Really into it.

Very competitive .....

Sound effects, too.

I was not the only one without a traditional pumpkin to carve. And using the name of the kampground..... a wonderful feat of ass-kissery!! I appreciate that quality!

They came, they ate and a good time was had by all! I have tons more pictures, but blogger is a little tired of me now.

I am tired, too, and still not feeling great. Juice, aspirin and chicken soup. I was going to watch LMN, but all the movies are scary today. I want mushy romance or comedy.
You know, so I can doze off.

The Day After .....

2011-10-30T15:31:00.000-07:00

We had our annual fall celebration yesterday. The ending of another camping season. Camping buddy Deb came out Friday night and spent the night in order to handle the store while I carried on with all the necessities involved with a big party. I went to bed early while all the rest of the world watched the Cardinals win the World Series. I knew I had to get up early.

I arose a little later than I planned, but still managed to raise the dough for the cinnamon buns and sticky buns. Sticky buns that were sweet and savory with the addition of bacon instead of nuts. After sitting with coffee and my favorite campers I kicked myself into high gear and got my tables set up and covered with covers and all the electric sources for the crock pots to come.

Trick or treaters made the rounds and the food started to arrive .... along with those who would want to stop and camp for the night. I have discovered that no matter how much prep work I do, in the end, it never goes smoothly.
Good thing I can adapt to chaos easily.

I managed to sample all the dishes before I escaped on the golf cart to look at all the site decorations before choosing a winner. It was then that I had a sudden chill. The temperature was dropping as it always does when the sun goes down, so I didn't think too much of it. I grabbed a jacket and the prizes and using my best Mom voice made all my announcements. All the prizes were awarded and chairs around the campfire were occupied with those eager for a hayride.

While he, who is in charge of all things mechanical, entertained the hay riders I managed to clean up the pavilion and get everything inside. I was really feeling crappy, but pushed myself to finish my task. I was looking forward to sitting in mindless oblivion in front of the TV. I was drinking hot cider in an attempt to stay warm.

I don't recall what position the moon was in last night, but, it was definitely a night of dog mischief. Our soup winner was absent when the winners were announced, so I delivered her prize. She was dealing with her little dachshund. He decided to tear the screen out of her window and rip it up while she was at the festivities. Her dog was not the only dog up to shenanigans.

My oldest dachshund, Oscar, was about the business of doing his business ...... in the house. Oscar, who is our alpha dog and must think his middle name is "Dammit" is a true tyrant in every sense of the word. He was upset because I was busy all day yesterday and refused to go outside. I came in, not knowing he had wiggled his way through the gate blocking off my bedroom, and stepped in his business and tracked it throughout the bedroom and bathroom.

No rest for the weary. I was mopping when the last hayride was over. After showering, we both went to bed. I was asleep immediately. I woke at midnight when I heard a dog whining to go out. It was my tyrant, Oscar, and I took them all out. I was a little dizzy, but, I was tired, so I didn't think too much of it. At 2 am my tiny dachshund woke me. Emmy had her little spine fused when she was only 2 and has developed arthritis now that she is almost 12. She has lost the feeling in one leg and really has difficulty walking now. She is 6 lbs. of pure love and has rarely ever done anything bad. She gets upset when she has an accident and let's just say that last night's event was monumental. She had to be bathed. At 2 o'clock in the morning. By me, of course. Her event was on my side of the bed and he who sleeps through everything would not get up to pull the sheets off, so I cleaned up around him and got in the other bed with my sweet little dog shivering in a towel. I cried myself to sleep, because I know she won't be with me much longer. I held her close to me to keep her warm and let her lick my arm with her stinky old dog breath.

I had just gotten warm and was dozing when the rest of the dog kingdom came in search of me. Had to get up and lift the tyrant, Oscar into bed. No choice, he would just sit next to the bed and whine all night. Then I felt Wall-E hop in and sniff all of us, then leave to go back to his master. Just as I was about to doze off again, Toni, who has been described as looking like a moose with her freakishly long legs jumped up and onto my hip. She walked all over me while wagging her tail to express her joy at finally finding where I had gone. She is still a puppy and a very enthusiastic one at that.

I could see the clock from my new bed and I woke every two hours. I got up at 8. I didn't want to, but I did. I remembered at 2:30 that I had forgotten to take my blood pressure pill yesterday, but was loathe to walk into the kitchen to take it. I felt pretty crappy, but I had a pretty crappy night. I opened the store, but only because I had to. I made it okay til about 11:30 when I sneezed and realized how raw my throat was. Every muscle in my body hurts. I feel like I have started an exercise program and tried to conquer it all in one day. Then I blink, my eyeballs feel hot to my eyelids.

I am sick .... and tired. I normally close at 5 today, but think I need to stay down, since I am really dizzy. I have been dosed with aspirin and sit here sipping orange juice and watching the food channel. Sweet Genius. I have no appetite, just want to be left alone and quiet. I have to jump up every 20 minutes or so and tell the world that I am not well and to please use the night registration. It is too much to hope that my husband will take care of things. He is blowing out the pipes in the shower house to close it down for the season. No nap, I am resigned to watching as cooks compete to bake with seaweed and jump up and down like a jack in the box. At 5 I am going to bed!

Indian Summer

2011-10-24T14:13:00.000-07:00

What gorgeous weather we are having! Here I sit in my shorts and flip flops, having just finished mowing probably for the last time this year. Saturday was just as beautiful as we drove north to deliver Max, the puppy to my grandson, Gavin. While we were driving north, my daughter was driving south. We met south of Des Moines, slap dab in the middle of nowhere, Iowa.

At one point I had all five dogs in my lap ....... We met Adrienne's new beau for the first time. He must have been so impressed to meet her parents. Drew was in his orange day-glo hat he favors, with his giant turquoise Bubba mug in hand. Me? Oh, I was equally impressive in my hot pink shirt with puppy pee stains on the front. At least we were colorful.

No matter, all I wanted was to see Gavin's face when he met his puppy. I remembered the camera. Too bad I didn't check to see that the battery was charged. Gavin reached for Wall-E first and Wall-E was excited to see his boy. Max, the puppy charmed everyone by peeing as soon as his feet touched grass. Adrienne was thrilled, thinking I had already trained him in only one week. I am sure she knows different by now.

Gavin was enchanted and I am told that Max fell asleep with Gavin in his bed the first night. I won't miss getting up with a baby dog at night ....... but, really, is there anything more precious than a sleeping baby in your arms? Human or canine, a baby is a baby.

Happy Birthday, Dear Martha,.........

2011-10-21T10:59:00.000-07:00

This picture is from 2009. Witchy Woman Martha celebrates another year today! I do know that is a wizard costume. But, Martha is wise. Martha is opinionated and outspoken and afraid of nothing. She is someone you want in your corner, as she is fiercely loyal. She is a good sounding board, too. She will listen and hear what you have to say, then tell you what she thinks. If you ask for her opinion, be prepared to hear it ...... she will pull no punches!

She handed me a box on my birthday. Before I could open it, she told me that she bought it with me in mind. But .... went on to say that she liked it, too; and that if I didn't like it, I could give it back to her for her birthday. Who knew that Martha would be a fan of re-gifting? No, she cannot have it back, I am keeping it.

Instead, I started this garden project. I was just going to put some trees in to offer a little afternoon shade. Then I got a little carried away.

Not quite done yet, but it is getting there. Thirteen tiger lilies have been planted and should be magnificent next season.

Til then I added a couple of mums. Still need to add mulch and more rocks in the border. My trees are looking sad right now. Not to worry if they don't make it I will plant more ..... because as I live and breathe ...... there will be shade for Martha!

A Life In A Basket

2011-10-20T09:48:00.000-07:00

I refuse to post pictures of my messy house. You can use your imagination. I will say that I do keep up with the kitchen, the bathroom and the bed linens during the season. I mop the floors a lot because of the dogs. Most other things fall behind. That means that every fall finds me re nesting for the winter.

Earlier this week I tackled the area by the back door and my personal laundry room. I painted the alcove walls and ceiling and cleaned up everything except the work area of he who loves clutter. His "workbench". Supposed to be a workbench, but it is piled high with clutter. I confess that I am guilty of adding to it when I look for a place to put something out of my way until I can get to it, but the bulk of the mess is his. And he has never cleaned it up.

But, that was earlier in the week. This morning I decided to tackle the table by the front door. More specifically the basket atop said table. This is the basket I placed there to hold keys and cell phones and wallets, etc.

Perhaps I should limit the size of the basket ......... This is what I found in the basket, the basket I never use, the basket that is all for the convenience of he who keeps everything.......

$49.46 in loose change, 2 checkers, 4 latex gloves, a set of nail clippers, 2 drill bits, an oil filter for his truck (wrong size, he was going to take it back), a drawer pull, 2 use up tubes of Orajel, a tube of Vaseline lip therapy, a bulb from a set of Christmas lights, a box cutter, a cup hook, every list I have made and given him since May, various receipts, 2 cellophane wrappers from his favorite peanut butter crackers, a Reese's wrapper, two pairs of work gloves, lots of pocket lint, .......... and a partridge in a pear tree.

Oh, there were keys, too. A lot of keys. Some of them I am quite certain he has no idea what lock they belong to. I will be keeping the money. I did, after all, work for it by picking it out of all the other stuff. I deserve it, don't you think?

Designated Driver?

2011-10-18T07:35:00.000-07:00

Sitting here watching the morning news and sipping coffee, I hear a story about the father who used his nine year old daughter as his designated driver .......

Okay, I was not sitting peacefully, holding my warm cup in both hands and listening intently. I had four dogs on the couch with me and one at my feet whining to join the rest. The resident puppy was chewing on my fingers as I was trying to swaddle him for a nap. One was on the arm of the couch staring daggers at said puppy, while one is wedged so close I feel the need to scoot over. The older puppy is walking back and forth on the back of the couch and dancing on my shoulders.

The puppy is asleep now. He likes to be swaddled like a newborn, then held close and patted on his tiny bottom. Goes right to sleep. The three older dogs have settled down and Toni, the big puppy is playing with a toy. So, I back up the news to listen again as I sip the lukewarm coffee.

The story does not say that the man is drinking, but shows him telling the store clerk that his nine year old is driving and he is obviously impaired. It occurred at 3:00 am. The vehicle was pulled over to find the nine year old driving while sitting in a booster seat. Sounds like she needs a designated parent.

Wonder where her mother is? Wonder what happened after they pulled the vehicle over ....... did they put the child in foster care? Is the father in custody? Will a judge be impressed that he was not driving drunk and that he had the good sense to employ the use of a booster seat so that the child could see as she drove? Will he take into consideration that it was 3:00 am and traffic was light?

My coffee is cold now and it is time to get my day going as I wonder all these things.

Goodbye Spooky

2011-10-17T08:13:00.000-07:00

Seven years ago, when we bought this campground, we discovered that a cat came with it. She simply showed up one day about six years before we came along. I think she was a Blue Russian. She was a bit aloof and at first would only allow me to pet her when I would put her food out. As our first winter winds started to blow I worried about her being outside. She refused to come inside, but she did allow me to pick her up and hold her.

She was quite independent and caught her own food. She seemed to like birds the best, but she was also a good mouser. I lined an old hooded litter box with a wool blanket and she began spending her nights and nap times in there. I was resigned to her not taking me up on my offer to come inside.

We would wonder, from time to time, just how old she might be. She must have been spayed, because she never had any kittens. But, like most proud females, she kept her age a secret. No tell-tell signs of gray ........ she already had gray fur.

Last winter was extreme and she finally decided to come live inside. Only at night. She began depending on the catfood I gave her as the main part of her diet and bird feathers no longer appeared on the front porch. I still kept her food outside to prevent the dogs from eating it and witnessed her sharing it with an old possum. The older she got the more docile she became. She would hop into my lap if I sat on the front porch and purr contentedly.

For the past few months, she preferred the indoors and seemed to be fading away. She was losing weight, not matter how often I would feed her. I resorted to offering special treats to her. She loved canned tuna and she snacked on dog food when ever she found the bowl without canine presence. When I held her she felt like just skin and bones. But she still purred contentedly. I knew she was not going to be with us much longer.

I did not see her yesterday morning when I went outside. I didn't see her all afternoon. She would usually come to the store door and slip in with a customer. Late yesterday afternoon, after closing the store, I decided to walk out to the barn with the new puppy. He is like a baby, motion will put him to sleep.

I saw the still form of the old gray cat right under the front of my car. She looked like she was catching a nap. I called out "kitty, kitty" and she did not move. She looked like she simply lay down and went to sleep for the last time. Still, I was sad that she died all alone.

She had a proper burial and I called the only other person who loved her as much as I did. Debbie had renamed her Smokey and we both were sad, but Deb reminded me that Spooky/Smokey had a really good life. Still, it was sad not to see her on the porch this morning.

Max

2011-10-15T15:16:00.000-07:00

Meet Max. My newest grandpuppy. Max will only be here until I can get to Minnesota and deliver him to his new owner, my grandson, Gavin.

I was minding my own business here at the kampground, sitting here in my broken chair at my desk, nimbly playing spider solitaire and thinking about taking a bathroom break. A woman that I only know from pool season entered in a cloud of perfume. As my sinus pain was in remission and I did not want it to return with a vengeance, I was concentrating on finding out what she wanted quickly.

She started her tale of woe about her granddaughter having surgery and needing to leave in a hurry as I half listened and made appropriate murmurs. She got to the part of a litter of puppies in her car and I saw my opportunity to go outside! She was on her way to the animal shelter in town to give the puppies up. They are Chihuahuas (she pronounced it shihuahua).

I had no intention of getting a puppy ...... none at all. I just wanted to get outside in fresh air. My sinus pain is making the left side of my jaw feel like I should grab some pliers and yank out my teeth. A little pressure, you know.

So, she pulls this kennel out and opens it up to reveal five little puppies, one of which was white and looked a lot like Wall-E. Wall-E, Gavin's first dog. Wall-E, who came to live with us when Gavin could not keep the dog in the apartment. Wall-E, the dog that Papa would not give up when Gavin moved and could have a dog. So, what was I to do? I mean she was headed to the dog pound, for heaven's sake!

Being wise beyond my years (okay, maybe that is a bit of an exaggeration), I summoned he who is a sucker for puppies to the office and literally stuck the puppy in his face. "Are you thinking what I am thinking?" I asked. We both said "Gavin" at the same time. And that is how I came to be writing this with a little white puppy against my bare skin in my shirt.

He was scared of my scary scarecrow, which is good, since that is the very definition of what scarecrows are supposed to do ......

He slept for awhile in his kennel, but is missing his litter mates now and wants the company of myself very close to him. I will not get attached to him! The scent of puppy breath is in the air and my sinuses have no problem with that!

Wall-E graciously gave up his own puppy blanket and wrote his boy a letter asking that he give the puppy without a name something to call him by, other than "it" or "puppy".
His name is Max and Gramma is planning a trip north to unite Max and Gavin.

The Circus Is Coming!

2011-10-13T13:24:00.000-07:00

No kidding, the circus is coming. I came out the door to see he who is always curious talking to these clowns.

They were here to let everyone know that the circus was coming. They were very excited, as you can see. Even the circus car was sporting a clown nose.

The clown ride encountered a bump along the way and was sporting band-aids.

I just opened the weekly paper and saw the ad for the circus. Those clowns were right!

Trick or Treat?

2011-10-12T09:14:00.000-07:00

It is that time of year again. My gourds from two years ago are ready to be used. White paint and some scary faces for these ghosts.

Red eyed demons ........

Sweet faced scarecrows ....

here and there ...

A wicked graveyard cat.

and a charming witch. Setting the stage for the end of the season party. October 29th. Chili/soup cook-off, bonfire, hayride through spooky forest. Did I mention there are fabulous prizes? There are.

My Book

2011-10-10T11:24:00.000-07:00

Okay, the book is in the early stages right now, but we hope to have it in print by January. I am just excited. The book is in the voice of a dog and is three years of letters to his boy, my grandson. I will definitely be broadcasting the release far and wide as the end of this process draws near. I will blog about writing a book!

In the meantime I will blog about closer subject matter and he who provides so much inspiration .......

My hardworking husband always has an extra job on the back burner for our down time in the winter. He was working at the gas station at the end of the road here until the owner decided to subtract ride-offs from his meager paycheck. Ride-offs are those folks who decide to pump fuel into their tanks and simply ride off and not pay. The higher the cost of fuel, the more often it happens. So, when he confronted the man about the deduction, the man did not want to talk. He wanted to fight. Really. I tell you, you cannot make this stuff up! The man is known for his hot temper and rather colorful use of language. He who is a lover, not a fighter, simply drove away.

He has a new job. He takes calls to go out with the wrecker and tow or haul the wrecks in. This not only allows him to drive a big truck and play with equipment, but he gets to wear safety green and orange day-glo colors. He is kind of cute, I must say.

But ........ when the phone rings in the wee hours of the morning and he proceeds to talk to the dispatcher while still in our bedroom, not four feet from my head and then turns on every light in the house to find his clothes, he is not at all cute. I get up out of bed when I cannot sleep and quietly leave the room under cover of darkness so as not to disturb my mate. I only ask for that same consideration. I am a very light sleeper and once awake find it difficult to get back to sleep. I suppose he thinks it must be okay not to even try to be quiet, since I will wake up anyway.

He got a call around 4 this morning. I had already been up once to take the dogs out and find out why the cat was yowling. Of course, when I got up, I did not talk on the phone or turn on the lights and I made no unnecessary noises. I may have grunted when I heaved the fat dachshund back into bed. Did I cry out when I stubbed my toe on the fan that he insists on positioning right in the normal walking path? No, I did not. Did I throw the dog toy I stepped on against the wall and say a few choice words to the animal responsible? No, I did not. If I need some illumination, I turn the closet light, not the overhead light on.

He got out of the bed while talking in a normal tone to the caller and left the room as he talked and turned on every light he encountered. The dogs thought it was great time for an excursion and stood waiting patiently at the end of the bed to be lowered to the floor. Two of them, anyway. One tried to push me out of the bed to overtake my warm spot and the puppy called Toni jumped in and out of the bed to let me know she was ready for some outside time. So, I got out of bed to accommodate the dogs and ran into him as he came back through the house turning on any lights he may have missed on the first pass. He was looking for some jeans. Not in the closet where they hang, but in a stack of folded laundry ..... or previously folded, I should say. So, I followed the man and directed him to clothes and turned out lights. When he left, he told me to go back to sleep. That helped a lot.......

Life Is Good

2011-10-09T09:53:00.000-07:00

I just might be a wee bit hung over ........

It all started when I bought this lovely bottle of wine. I actually was buying it for the bottle. I liked the bottle, It was tall and it was a lovely shade of blue. Very tall. I had been working on emptying this bottle for quite some time. I want to give the bottle to my daughter. She needs it. I know just where to put it in her house. I can see it in my minds eye, nestled on the shelf next to her fireplace.

So, you can see that I was doing this for her. I suppose I could have given her the bottle with the contents intact, but being the good mom that I am, I was willing to sacrifice my sobriety and empty this lovely bottle and prepare it for display.

The bottle had several glasses left in it at the beginning of the evening. I am not sure how many, because I did not use a wine glass. I did not drink from the bottle! I have more class than that! I drank from my insulated cup that goes into the freezer and keeps your beverage cold. This comes fully equipped with a straw to sip from. After the first cup and sharing with others, there wasn't much left. Didn't look like much to me ....... so I polished it off.

Not so perky this morning, even after the half a pot of coffee. But, things are looking up, here at the kampground. My old pink phone adorned with the bejeweled frog is holding a charge and working. Good thing, too, since I never got the other one to turn on. It is a beautiful fall day, warm and breezy.

Oh, and my first book is being published!!

My New Cell Phone

2011-10-04T17:16:00.000-07:00

I have found the cell phone for me! I tried to describe it to he who purchases electronics ........ he couldn't hear me ... the TV was too loud.

Simple Cell Phones

2011-09-30T11:09:00.000-07:00

I get my new glasses tomorrow. This is good, because I need them to see the buttons on my new cell phone.

I accidentally washed my old cell phone. The cell phone that I was used to. The cell phone that I knew how to turn on and off. I don't text. I don't want to text. I don't want to get my e-mail, I don't want to take pictures. I just want to talk on the cell phone. I don't even do a whole lot of that. I only use it when I am not in the kampground. When I go somewhere I like to have it with me in case of an emergency.

My old cell phone went through the entire wash, rinse and spin cycles. It did not survive. I had hopes for it. I left one of the house phones outside and found it weeks later in a wheel barrow full of water. I took the battery out and left it alone for a couple of weeks and decided to see if it would charge. It did and I am able to use it. I was not so lucky with my old pink cell phone with the jeweled frog on it. I liked it because it was easy to find, being hot pink with a green jeweled frog on it. Not only that, I knew how to turn it on and off.

So, he who is in charge of all things electronic ordered a new phone for me ..... and one for him. I specifically told the man I wanted a simple phone without any gee-gaws. The new phones came. Mine is purple. A deep, dignified color that looks like it belongs to an adult. His is black. This new phone has a keyboard that will pop out, sometimes quite unexpectedly. It has a touch screen that I apparently don't know how to touch properly. Of course it has a camera, I found this out quite by accident. Can I just say that I hate this phone? Hate it. When I try to answer it, I accidentally hang up. Same thing happens to he who ordered these phones, so it is not just me.

Today I took the phone from my purse and put it on the charger. I was going to go run some errands and would need to take it with me. I was all set to go and took the phone off the charger. I pressed every button on the stupid thing, but for the life of me, could not turn it on. No, I did not read the instruction volume that came with it. I don't do that. He who bought the phone is responsible for that, then relaying the information to me. This is how we do things here at the kampground.

He who loves to drive hither and thither was delivering a junk car to a scrap yard. I called him from our land line. "How do you turn this stupid cell phone on?" He proceeded to tell me how to turn it OFF. So, I repeat my request, a little louder this time and make sure to enunciate every word. Once again he tells me how to turn it off, telling me there are two ways and to pull the keyboard out and telling me that "end call" will appear on the screen. He who needs a hearing aid was really starting to annoy me. Now I shout my request and spell the word "on". I explain to him that I am calling from our land line and that the phone was on the charger and now I want to turn it on.

"You don't have to shout." Really. You heard all that and even got the whole meaning of what I shouted. Didn't really help, though. His phone has never run out of bars and never been off since we got them. I am not the only one who does not read instruction manuals. He just bumbles his way along, pretending to know what he is talking about. He is also bumbling his way along and responding to what he thinks is being said because he can't hear and won't go get a hearing aid. He wears that same sappy grin my dad has on his face when he has no idea what the conversation is about. I won't even go into the volume of the TV, but we can all assume that I will need a hearing aid, too.

I hope the hearing aid manual is easy to read and not as thick as this cell phone manual. The phone is still not on.

Big Boys Love Big Toys

2011-09-22T15:34:00.000-07:00

Cattails have invaded the pond. They are invasive, these cattails cause some problems not easy to solve.

Not only do they made it hard to fish, but they hide snakes. I am not a fan of snakes and we have had some pretty aggressive ones this year. A copperhead grabbed a fish being reeled in and after being shaken off, it went after the people on the other end of the pole!

The main problem with the cattails is that muskrats like to nest in them. The muskrats like to tunnel and this creates a lot of water run-off issues. Can you see the excavator in the background. We have tried burning them, but the roots won't burn and they come back with a vengeance. So, he who loves anything that makes noise and a mess decided to dig them out.

He took the excavator back and came back with a bobcat and moved all the mounds of dirt and clay into the empty field. It is quite impressive, his dirt blockade.

The hydraulic lift came home with him yesterday. See the dead tree next to him? He managed to take down some of the big branches with his handy-dandy chain saw yesterday.
I try not to watch these events, as they make me very nervous. Yesterday he told me that he got stuck about 8 feet up and had to climb down when one of the hydraulic lines burst.

"Why didn't you call me to get a ladder for you?" I asked. Because I knew you would bring your camera and post it on your blog.

Today, after fixing the hose (or so he thought) and testing it, he got stuck about 10 feet up. And he had no good foot hold in sight. Had to call me.

Never one one to pass up such a good opportunity, I grabbed my camera and hiked down to the site with the big dead tree. He looks pretty resigned. He had a ladder close by, but he couldn't reach it. He tried to call others before he called me ........ I was his last resort!

My Toes Are Cold

2011-09-17T09:44:00.000-07:00

I think everyone can agree that it has been a crazy weather year. One of extremes. Labor Day weekend started with 100 degree weather and overnight dropped into the 70's. I like mild weather. 70 is good. I like cool evenings. Makes for cozy sleeping. So, I was happy that the heat wave broke and was looking forward to getting lots done outside in mild weather. But, it is downright chilly out there. I am not ready to stop wearing flip-flops. I like walking along and hearing the satisfying slap of the shoe on my heel. Open toed slip-on shoes are comfy ..... but not when your toes are cold.

What happened to spring? We jumped right into summer after a wicked cold winter and it now looks as if we are going to by-pass autumn. I am not liking this. Where are my Indian Summer days? I did not vote for this weather!

Now is the time to camp if you like a roaring camp fire. I have been busy making reservations for October. Every body suddenly realizes that camping season is coming to an end and they want to get that last trip in. It is also Octoberfest at the wineries close by. So, I answer a lot of questions as I make these reservations. How far are the wineries? Do we have firewood for sale? Is there taxi service available? ........

The strangest question I have had so far (this year, anyway) is a man who wants to know if my pool will still be open. He has called several times in reference to his reservations and has asked me each time if the pool will be open. I always tell him my standard answer the pool is open from Memorial Day through Labor Day. Last time he called he wanted to know if we would keep it open until the end of October ........ no, it would be too costly. He wonders why it would cost anything .... just keep the water in and leave the cover off. He is truly baffled, even though I explain the process of keeping the stability of the water intact for him to get in. But, beyond all that, it is cold outside and will only get colder as the days go by. Even if we have a few warm days, the night temperature drops and the water is very cold. Why don't we heat it? I finally just said because we don't want to. I give up. He seemed to accept that answer.

I finally finished my memory garden for my friend, Paul. I even managed to plant some young maples yesterday. No pictures, though. It is raining ........ and my toes are cold!

Maintenance and The Law of Murphy

2011-09-13T16:10:00.000-07:00

As much as I love this time of year, it is also a very busy time of year. Now is the time to close down the pool and tackle all those maintenance chores before winter weather sets in and prevents me from doing them. When I lay my head down on my pillow at night, I know I have earned the sleep.

I painted the big sign that proclaims us to have a camp store with bait, ice and propane in the spring. I slathered two coats of my favorite yellow green paint on. It was peeling and fading. I could still see the faint outline of my lettering and knew I would not have to drag out all the equipment to re-letter it. Before I knew it, the pool was open and I ran out of time to get the sign done. The conditions need to be just right to paint the letters. I use oil paint. If it is too windy, little droplets will blow from the brush and plop where ever they will. If you try to wipe it, the black paint smears and makes an even bigger mess. If it is too damp, the paint won't stick. And if the sun is shining on it, the paint will run.

This morning I awoke to optimal conditions to get this one task done. I got the ladder in place and climbed up with my brush in my mouth and the paint can in my hand. All set. I figure I have just enough time to get the letters painted so the paint can st before the sun hits the sign. I get two letters done before the phone rings. I ignore it, but it niggles away at the back of my mind. What if it was a reservation? What if it was one of my children and they need me? I paint all the letters I can reach from the ladder in its current position and decide to go check the call and grab a bottle of water. It was a telemarketer.

I finish that side of the sign and reposition the ladder. I am in a painting zone now. You know what I mean. You have the feel for the brush and the amount of paint to put on, the swirl is just right to create that letter. I am painting on plywood and the surface is not exactly smooth. You have to get a feel for it, or you can easily go way beyond the line you are trying to follow. So, there I am, three rungs high, knees locked in place as I lean into the letter that is at the outer edge of my reach. I hear a vehicle coming down the drive. It is the man who puts the brochures in the store. I don't need any. He calls out that I am doing a good job and I call out that I am not open ......... meaning that I have no intention of getting off my high horse and opening the store just for him to determine that I have no need of his service. He answers that he will wait. What? He drives up to the store and I have to get down and go to the store and explain to him that I am trying to complete a task and am not opening until I am done. Finally he gets it and I am able to mount the ladder once again. Precious time is slipping away and I can feel the sun on the back of my calves. Can't hurry, though, any mistake would be a pain to fix.

So, I am finally back on task, but, not in my zone. It is just not flowing along. A motor home pulls in. He pulls up to the LP pump. He who mows is doing just that. He is mowing the front field, so he saw said motor home come in and he knows the man. Did he stop his task of sitting upon a mower and drive up to assist the man? NO! Once again I come down to earth and walk around to the man to tell him that we are waiting for our delivery of propane. This is when he who dawdles decides to come flying up on his mower.

Now when I climb back up, the sun is bearing down on me and my legs and as I paint the last letters, the paint is beginning to run. I am not at all happy, knowing that I have a big touch up job in my future. It did not help that he who stopped mowing to look at my sign told me it looked good from a distance. Sometimes one should just not speak. Really.

Then , as I am about the business of trying to get the paint off my person, the truck comes in to empty the dumpster. He lifts it, not having secured it properly and drops it on its side. I got into the shower. I figured it would be better if I did not see how much damage he did .......... the sign I just painted being right behind it. Fortunately for him, he did not knock my sign or my fence down and he picked up all the bags of garbage he dropped. I will let him live .....

I decide it is pointless to try to get anything else done before my appointment to get my hair cut, so I just leave. I am in hopes that a change of scenery will lighten my mood. It didn't help much. The battery died in my key fob to my car. Not a small annoyance when your arms are full and you try to unlock the trunk. I am not sure who Murphy is ..... but I have had enough for one day. The backs of my legs are sunburned and the sign looks sloppy.

Progress .....

2011-09-09T18:56:00.000-07:00

As you can see, the bench is in place and more mulch ...... a lot more mulch.

I should be finished by the end of next week. All the rocks and mulch should be in place.

I have a couple more stepping stones to put in place to lead you to the bench.

I could smell rain in the air, so I planted some tiger lilies. Iris will flank either side. I really wanted to get those in, but I was so tired. I could not muster up any more energy.

My goal this week was to make it to the peach tree and around. I did that and then some.

The end is in sight!

This is one long garden!

I like the bench. I sat on it today to catch my breath while I was digging up some lilies to transplant. The breeze was cool with a hint of rain and I could hear the leaves rustling on the trees. I put some solar lights in strategic spots and will go out when it is dark to see where I will need more. It was very peaceful, there on the bench, in the garden of Paul.

Today we heard more sad news. Another friend and camper passed away last night. His wife was kind enough to take the time to call and let us know. She was shaken, but surrounded by family and friends. It was not expected and I am sure she will need their support in the coming days, as the shock fades away. I asked if I could do anything, all the while knowing that there is nothing that can be done to ease her pain. Just sad, so very, very sad.

Building Up and Breaking Down

2011-09-09T06:36:00.000-07:00

I find baby trees all the time. Sometimes I can transplant them. Of course, sometimes they die. They need to be moved when they are dormant. In the fall. Sometimes I am not patient and that usually results in a dead tree.

I lost my cherry tree this past winter. It was a big producer of fruit and an anchor for the corner. I needed to put something in place of the cherry tree and I also wanted to honor my friend, Paul, with a memory garden. I wanted to do it when I wanted to do it and I planted the two small maple trees in the middle of a summer heat wave. They have taken root and seem to be quite happy with the new location. It was meant to be.

Last fall, I planted two small maples with great care. I amended the soil and carefully dug them up and planted them with much attention to the roots. I watered the hole and then I watered them daily. I mulched around them and put cages around them to protect them from he who mows. They look so sad, these carefully planted trees. I weeded them and added more mulch this week, but I am almost certain that one of them is pretty much gone. I suppose I will just stick with my impulse planting.

This is the front of the garden as you enter the park. See how happy those little maples are? That free mulch is being put to good use.

This peach tree will be in the garden, along with all the trees you see up to the front. It will be almost 45 feet long and about 10 feet wide. That is a whole lot of mulching, let me tell you! I made it around the peach tree yesterday. I am laying the barrier and spreading the mulch that he who loves his tractor and bucket delivers to me. I am also digging a small trench around the entire garden to make a definite break in the grass growth. Or, if you prefer, it is a moat around my kingdom that the mowers dare not throw grass!

I am putting rocks in my moat ... just for looks. Two frog planters have made their way to the new garden. More will follow as I find them. Paul was a frog lover.

I like this frog. He looks happy. He had an accident over the weekend when a little girl tripped over him and broke his leg off. Her Grandmother brought her in to tell me and insisted on paying for the damage. He survived, thanks to he who loves Gorilla glue. The money will go towards another frog. Who knew a gorilla would save a frog?

The weather is so nice to work outside in that we don't know when to quit! I did not start supper until 7:30 and then I just heated up some leftovers. The only time I have been in my office this week is to check in campers and take reservations. Have not even sat down in there for three days. Good thing, too, since he who relieved me for a mere hour this past weekend broke my chair.

He was adjusting it and now it just sinks to the lowest position. The chair that I have to sit in from 11 til 7 nearly every day when the pool is open. The chair that did provide a measure of comfort ....... before he broke it. Nobody has been able to fix it, since he does not know what he did to it. Harvey offered to fix it with a wooden brace that would limit movement in the chair. I declined his offer. Good thing the season is at an end.

End Of The Season

2011-09-08T12:17:00.000-07:00

Labor Day weekend. This is the face of Labor Day weekend.

Snow cones were a big hit. The weekend started hot and sultry. The pool was busy all day Saturday, then a storm front came through with a steady rain all night and provided cool relief. I know my campers in tents were happy! By Monday, the jeans and jackets began to appear.

It was hard to get a good picture with the sun in my eyes, but a kite is flying.

No major problems occurred and it was a great weekend to officially end the season. Not that camping season is over. Now is the perfect time to have a campfire. The weather is perfect for tent camping. Warm during the day and cool at night. But, the pool is closed, so our list of daily chores is shorter.

This is my favorite time of year. Time to gather seed and clean up my gardens. Time to get projects done that have been put on hold. This just might be the year that gets my new bathroom done!! I have all the components, just need to rip out the existing fixtures and get the new stuff in. Sounds so simple, but I am sure we will hit a snag or two along the way.

Right now it is time to take in the laundry that has been dried by the wind ........ stop and smell the laundry.

Master Of Improvisation??

2011-09-03T08:17:00.000-07:00

I mentioned the strange couple passing through yesterday. The man bought swim wings ......... for himself. Now for the rest of the story.

I did not see him come in, so I do not know if he was driving, but he entered the store with a woman and they asked if they could pay to swim. The woman was nondescript, in a t-shirt and shorts. He was wearing yellow pants and a polo shirt, glasses. He looked like a cartoon character. Somewhere in my memory is the name of the character, but I cannot recall it right now. They asked where the restrooms were, so that they could change and I promptly forgot about them.

The man came back and approached the counter, underwear in hand. Yes, seriously. He wanted to know if I had nose plugs. I have sold out and won't get more this late in the season. He purchased water wings, a tire tube ring float (child size) and ear plugs ...... all the while holding his underwear in his hand. I explained to him that every thing he purchased was geared to children, but he said his arms weren't that big .......

I waited a few minutes and then went out to the pool area with my camera in my pocket to "check" the trash cans. I wanted a picture of a grown man in hot pink swim wings. He was in the water, sitting in the tire tube floating device ..... kicking his feet. I was busy, trying not to laugh. He turned away and I pulled my camera out and looked up just in time to see him emerge from the water IN HIS UNDERWEAR. They were wet and sticking to his body, fulling outlining his, um, package. I wanted to shout, "Dude, get back in the water, this is a family park!!" But, can I just say that the water wings were not the only child sized things he had.

I did not take a picture of this ......... I bent down and started pulling weeds along the fence so I could laugh. Harvey had followed me out there and he was bent over pulling at grass and laughing, too. One of my seasonal families were in the pool with their children ....... all smiles. They were cowering in the deep end and waved and called out a greeting to me. I looked over and saw that Mr. Underwear had managed to squeeze himself into the tire tube and I saw him jump into the shallow end ....... the water did not reach the floating device. I had to go inside.

The man and his companion, who was in a swimsuit, did not stay long and he came in the store again in his yellow pants and bought a t-shirt. I watched as the woman took the wheel and they drove off. I am so glad she was driving. Now, maybe she will buy him a swim suit.

Paul (my kamper) came in a bit later and told me that the man left the pool toys for the kids. The ear plugs .......... well the man stuck them in his nose. Remember, I did not have any nose clips.

Labor Day Weekend

2011-09-02T12:47:00.000-07:00

Ready or not, the holiday weekend is here. Our mower crapped out on us and we begged, borrowed and rented to get the grounds cut. Even my push mower died yesterday. I didn't get a chance to mow my side yard, but the hot dry weather has kept the grass low.

I have tried to keep every thing watered. The sunflowers seem to like the hot days.

The gourds are late this year, but have started climbing fences and blooming. These are just volunteers from last years crop. I didn't plant them.

They are spreading at a rapid rate. I planted pumpkins, but they all died off in the heat despite the watering. That free mulch is coming in handy. There is lots of cedar in it and it smells wonderful when I walk through it ....... carefully, it will stick you in the toes if you are wearing sandals.

My marigolds seem to thrive on neglect. I never water this particular spot.

This garden is hard to water. It takes 100 feet of hose to even reach it. We need a good rain. Anybody out there know why my apple trees all lean to one side? And not in the same direction, either.

My time pulling grass out the garden has paid off with some nice blooms!

More volunteer gourds on the front porch rail.

This sunflower is located right under the down spout hole on the gutter. That's right, I said hole. No actual down spout yet. These things take time, you know. I have an eye out for another rain barrel to sit in the spot now occupied by the sun flower. I really thought it would have been washed away by now.

Baby gourd.

All set for the weekend ........ I hope. It is already interesting. Supposed to be near 100 today, so maybe it is the heat. A grown man just came in and bought some swim wings ....... for himself. I first thought that maybe he had a child he did not pay for, so I asked if he knew they were for toddlers. He said that he could make them work for him ...... he doesn't know how to swim. The pool is only 6 feet deep.

A Book Cover

2011-08-26T08:00:00.000-07:00

Times are tough. No one will dispute that. When I see someone struggling I feel the need to reach out and give help. I have had times in my life that others have lifted me up with a little boost. If one lives long enough, I suppose we all find ourselves in that position.

That being said, I admit that I am selective about it. I had a young man approach me yesterday. He pulled into the park in a big van and approached me with a proposition to "work for free". He did not make a good presentation. He was dressed in a nylon running suit and his hair was half shaved and multi-colored. Not clean shaven and his teeth were bad. He told me that he had lost his job and that he had tried to stay at the state park and "work for free", but they sent him to me (note to self: need to have a chat with park ranger).

I told him that I already had some work campers and could not afford more. He assured me that it would not cost me anything since he would be working "for free". I informed the young man that he would not be working "for free" and told him to stop saying that. He would be working for his stay. His terminology was starting to annoy me.

He told me that he would be sleeping in his van and that he had food, so I wouldn't need to feed him, so his labor would be free to me. Really? What about electricity and supplies? He assured me that he promised not to plug anything in. But, will you use the toilet and the shower? Will you turn the light on when using the restroom? Will you use toilet tissue and paper towels and hand soap? He looked at me blankly. I sent him on his way.

I really did not have anything for him to do. But, more than that, I could not afford to have him in my park. Imagine arriving here and paying to camp or park your RV and encountering this individual. He looked like a drug user with his bad teeth and attire, not to mention the bizarre hair. He could have been a very nice person with bad discolored teeth from some childhood medication faux pas. He may have been a very productive individual in spite of the fact that he did not project this image. I can't afford to have folks not want to be here. I need the business.

I know, you can't always judge a book by the cover. But .... if you want to sell that book, shouldn't you make every effort to make that cover appealing?

A Matter Of National Security

2011-08-23T14:55:00.000-07:00

As you can imagine, I am approached by marketing salesman all the time. Sometimes I will listen to the whole spiel and let them down gently, sometimes I will actually purchase an ad if I think it will be beneficial, but most times I just tell them I have already exceeded my advertising budget for the year and simply hang up.

Last winter I received a call from a publication that was distributed to veterans. The man had a nice approach and told me that he had noticed that our park extended a military discount. He went on to say that some veterans who had actually stayed here had recommended our park. He offered me a rate that was a mere third of what the ad space was worth. He even offered deferred payment. I fell for it hook, line and sinker. I have yet to see this ad and they billed me incessantly before the agreed upon due date and added late charges. I paid for the ad, as agreed. No late charges, though.

Fool me once ........ Today the phone rang and he who happened to be inside refreshing his ever-present bubba mug of diet coke, answered. I was folding laundry and heard him say that he would let the caller talk to the person in charge. It was a man identifying himself as an active duty major with the travel department for the military. He was trying to secure reservations for some generals and admirals. Okay, I can take care of these reservations. I ask how many and he says 72. I only have 73 sites and 24 of those are not full hook-ups. But, he tells me they will only be coming in groups of two or three and staying by the week or by the month. So I ask how he intends to make these reservations if he does not know when the parties will be arriving and departing ....

Well, it seems that in order for me to have these wonderful reservations that will make me wealthy for winter, I will have to run an ad in his publication. He saw my ad in Veteran's View (glad he did, since I haven't) and that is all well and good, but for national security reasons, my ad will need to appear in his publication in order for the admirals and generals to feel safe using their credit cards here. Huh?? The ad will only cost me $325. I laughed ..... a lot. This is when he assured me that this was no scam, that he worked for the government and that he could tell by talking to me that my park was nice and reputable. So much so that he thought "the government" had priced the ad too high and that he was going to give me a break and only charge me $100.

I am thinking I must have sounded dim witted. So, let us recap here. If this man is to be believed; he is active military and my tax dollars are paying him the rate that a major makes so that he can call businesses and sell them ads. He would be a very special major, since, by simply hearing the sound of my voice he can know that admirals and generals will be safe here in my campground. That is, indeed, a special skill. At one point he told me that this is how the government makes money (through ads). I told him that I had no advertising dollars left in my budget and that due to our current economy, I was loathe to spend any money unless he could guarantee the reservations. He could not, of course. He who loves me hung up on the scam artist and even took the call when he called back to say we had been "cut off".

I redialed the number he called from and asked what the nature of the business was. It is really a publication for active military, but not a government owned one. They employ retired military personnel. I let the woman know that her sales staff, at least one of them, was misrepresenting himself. She apologized, but did not seem to be upset. I really couldn't tell, since I lack those special skills the Major had ....

2011-08-17T18:39:00.000-07:00

Every time I think I have seen it all and heard it all ....... life proves me wrong.

Oftentimes folks will call and tell me how far away they are and ask about checking in after hours. I will usually ascertain their needs and tell them which site will suit them and tell them to fill out the night registration package and drop either the money or credit card info in the drop box. If they take the time to call, they will usually follow my instructions.

Yesterday morning I woke way too early with a puppy on my face and after taking the dogs out crawled back into bed to sleep until a more reasonable hour. I slept until 8:30 and was about the business of making coffee when I heard the store door chime. I slipped into the store and checked the drop box and saw the envelope waiting inside. I checked it and it had the correct amount, so I did not race to the bedroom to don clothes. As I watched the camper leave, I noticed the message light blinking on the store phone and hit the button. It was a resident camper calling to say that he wondered if Drew knew he had left his tractor running .......

What? Drew is in bed asleep. Did he leave it running all night?? Inquiring minds want to know. He who sleeps in a wind tunnel was in blissful slumber when I turned off his loudest fan and awakened him to inquire about the running tractor. The key is in the house .... I think, so why would he start the tractor before bed and leave it burning fuel. And, if he didn't start the tractor ..... who did? Asking him anything as he bumbled around pulling his clothes on and looking at me like I was crazy was pointless.

He went out to the barn and confirmed that the tractor was indeed running, but that the engine wasn't hot enough to have been running long. We were both puzzled. As he was filling his bubba mug with diet coke he asked about night registrations and I reported that not only did the people pay, but that they actually listed the seven children and paid for them. Will wonders never cease?

They may have paid for the offspring, but they did not supervise them. One of the seven hooligans started the tractor ....... without the key. They also helped themselves to firewood. I guess they figured if they paid to stay, they could do what they wanted.

A Piece Of Quiet

2011-08-16T07:37:00.000-07:00

The weather has finally calmed down and is back to normal. Warm during the day and refreshingly cool at night. I have been sleeping well, but can't seem to get enough. Like being so thirsty, yet unable to quench that thirst.

Things have been quiet with plenty of time to reflect. Good for me, bad for business. School starts today and the pool will be empty, save weekends. I am ready for fall and a slower pace.

Peace and quiet? I like it better the way my baby girl used to say it ............ Mommy needs a piece of quiet!

Let Me Be

2011-08-12T13:35:00.000-07:00

These are a few of my least favorite things. It is true that this does not happen every day, but often enough to make me wonder why I strive to keep the park looking clean and nice for my visitors.

Perhaps I should provide an ashtray?

Or maybe I should just be thankful they did not throw them on the ground. It is so dry here that the ground is cracking open.

I feel like that today. Dried up and hard. I need to have some solitude. Solitude is in short supply here. I have to hide to get it. There are times when the only thing I want is to be left alone. To be able to think a thought without interruption. To just be. Let me be.

I will tire of the solitude of winter soon enough, but right now, this moment ......... I long for it. I am not fit to be around people in my current state. He who knows me best can confirm this.

Weeds

2011-08-10T18:44:00.000-07:00

This was my garden this morning. In spite of the fact that I had been pulling weeds for two days. The temperature was perfect and the sky was overcast ........ and I was determined!

I had already filled and emptied that wheel barrow twice. The hose was out to wet the ground so that I could get the shovel in under the big clumps of grass and a mulberry tree that had volunteered to grow there.

I love hollow stumps. Natures planters.

The cool breezes blew and it rained on me several times. In spite of interruptions and muscle pains I completed my project. Should you ever wonder if it is possible to get a charlie horse in your butt muscle ....... the answer is yes.

I am feeling quite pleased with myself. The sun is shining now and it looks like it has always been there, doesn't it?
See the big rock in the lower right corner? At some point a big rig decided to exit via the entrance drive and drove through my grass, moving the rock several feet, leaving big trenches in the ground. I consoled myself thinking of the damage they sustained.

Sweet potato vine in my hollow stump looks content.

My marigolds and zinnias are really tall and leggy. I am hoping they will fill out now that all the grass is gone. They will bloom through October.

Grass slinger Harvey happened by while I was at work. He stayed in his truck to receive his tongue lashing. Guess he figured he could outrun me if I decided to make a statement with the shovel. He swears he didn't do it. Told me that Drew mowed last time. Drew did mow last, but the grass in my garden took awhile to grow ......... Oh, Harvey, did you really think you could engage in a verbal sparring match with me and win?

Take Me To Your Leader

2011-08-10T06:20:00.000-07:00

The hot, hot weather that has kept me from weeding and Harvey the grass slinger have conspired to make a huge bed of grass in my garden in the entrance drive. The grass is choking out my marigolds and zinnias. Not a very inviting sight. So, for the past two days I have been pulling the grass out when I get more than ten minutes at a time. After closing the store at 7 tonight I was diligently yanking grass out of my garden and silently cursing Harvey. Harvey, who I have told on more than one occasion to steer clear of my gardens with the mower. Harvey, who will be on the wrong end of a broom handle if I catch him near a garden bed again. He who has learned to not sling grass into my gardens always warns those who are want to help with the mowing.

He will only warn them once and then lets me take over. I think he secretly enjoys watching me chew someone up. Harvey seems to be a slow learner to the ways of my kampground gardens. He need not think the gift of rocks he made to me this morning will get him off the hook should I witness another grass slinging session.

But, I digress. I was minding my own business of weeding when a car entered and sped by me, not bothering to obey my stop sign. The female driver pulled up to the store and stared at the door. The door with the store hours clearly posted. Then she put her vehicle in reverse and backed up to where I was still weeding. "We can swim, can't we?" The pool closes at 7 o'clock. "No, it doesn't, it closes at 9." No, really, it closes at 7. "Are you sure?" Quite sure. "Well, doesn't Drew own this place?" Yes. "Well, where is he?" Not right here. By the way, you ran the stop sign. Know why that stop sign is here? The stop sign is here because I have children in the park riding bikes and I don't want them to get hurt by a driver who thinks it is okay to come into my park and disregard my rules ........ "Oh, are you Drew's wife?" Yes, that would be me. "Well, I guess the pool is closed and we should go." Don't forget the speed limit is 10.

I guess my reputation precedes me.

None Of My Business ......

2011-08-06T09:23:00.000-07:00

Okay, this was NOT the color on the box! Really. I was not trying to celebrate the 100th birthday of Lucille Ball. I was just trying to cover some gray and this is what I got. Oh well. Time will take care of it, I suppose ..... or another box of color. In the meantime I have red hair.

So, I took my red haired self to the drop box yesterday morning and pulled this out .......

It says: Hello, I got in at 3:30 AM, and need to sleep so badly! I was so happy to find you! I will come to the office when I get up ( I had brain surgery 61 days ago, and not doing very well ...) Thank you so much, Robin & doggies. Site 67

It had the registration in the envelope as well as the money to pay for the site. I had a call the night before from a man inquiring about a discount for coming in late. I told him that I didn't and he asked if I was sure ( I almost told him that there would be an annoyance surcharge), and I asked if he were staying at a hotel if he would expect a discount for arriving late and he replied in the negative; so I said "well, there you go, you have your answer." I was pretty certain that I would not see this man in my park. But ..... Robin could be a man or a woman, right?

At any rate, I sought out he who is the performer of all unpleasant tasks, and showed him the note. Then I sent him to site 67 to make sure there were signs of life. Brain surgery ..... not doing well ........ had me a little concerned.

I am always torn with indecision when I discover a camper parked that I did not check in. Most will leave the info and money or credit card info in the drop box (that is, after all, what it is for), but some do not. I assume that they are sleeping and I don't want to rudely awaken them, but I don't want them to skip out without paying. I can't just sit and watch them, I have other things to do. And that is how we end up having folks drive off. Most people are honest and will stop and pay, but there are always those few that just drive away. But, this one has already paid .........

So, do I go check on the brain surgery survivor? Or, do I let the person sleep? The note did say they needed sleep ....... and there is that old saying about sleeping dogs ........

The woman, Robin, did come in upon awakening and was a very likable person. Hard to tell if she was blond, since she was bald after the brain surgery. That sounded mean and I didn't mean it in a mean way. I just don't know that I would take off on my own after having had brain surgery and admittedly not doing well. She had left Tennessee and was on her way to Washington. Kind of a long trip to be taking on your own after any kind of surgery that has stressed the body.

She did have her dogs with her, but they can't drive or call for help on a cell phone ........ Really none of my business when you get right down to it. But she did tell me that she was not doing well and her fiance is in Afghanistan .......

Heaven, Get Ready

2011-08-04T11:04:00.000-07:00

Our friend, Paul died this morning. I am so glad that we went to see him yesterday. His wife, Patti was in good spirits and we laughed and talked, remembering times at the campground. I think maybe Paul was listening in. We talked to him, too. I told him to just rest and he did. He was getting ready for his trip to heaven.

The angels will have to be on their toes with Paul, the trickster, in their midst. I bet he has his halo on upside down already. We looked at pictures yesterday. We have only known Paul for about 6 years and it was fun to see him as a small boy with his dog, then as a handsome young man. Always that big smile on his sweet face. The robust man we knew was already gone yesterday, as he was preparing to leave this world. He will be missed.

Yesterday was very emotional for me. I knew that I would not see Paul again and the tears kept welling in my eyes. Patti demanded that we have no crying and I did my best, but the rest of the day found me to be more than a little weepy. I am relieved for him to no longer be in pain, but still very sad to lose him.

Now, Patti will begin her journey with grief. I can hug and I can listen. I hope that is enough. I suppose the pain of losing your mate is something that can't really be shared. The only one who could share it is gone .........

I Had a Happy Birthday!

2011-07-27T12:06:00.000-07:00

My big night out! We actually left the park and met our friends, Deb and Butch, at a restaurant for my birthday dinner. We had so much fun. Laughing and talking. It was so ......... normal.

My favorite birthday card came from my Dad. A frog, of course. The message on the inside:

I can just see my Dad laughing out loud in the store, while Mama is trying to make him put the card back and telling him he is not going to send that to me.

I really made a haul with Deb! Journals to write thoughts down, a candle to help me relax as I write and a cookbook holder. Also a couple of pictures. She framed a picture of our new puppy and there were pictures of me and her granddaughter, Kiley, from last year. Deb and I are convinced that Kiley and Gavin will marry one day and we will share beautiful great grandchildren.

The candle smells good enough to eat!

Suppose it is just coincidence that the cookbook is open to cake recipes?

He who knows me all too well presented me with a bucket of treasures.

Six ounce bottles of Coke! In their very own bucket, ready to be iced down. It even came with a bottle opener. And a new cordless drill that is light weight. For my arthritis challenged hands. I think. Or maybe he thinks I will stop removing walls and such if my tools are smaller?

And a Coca-Cola clock with a neon light! Chrome on the outside. Love it!

He seems to be quite pleased with his sweet self! Yes, my pupils are dilated. Yes, I had a drink. Hey, it's my birthday! The men were driving, so the ladies indulged.

Life Can Be Sticky

2011-07-26T11:27:00.000-07:00

Okay, this image does not capture my subject matter and you will have to look closely. I took two pictures, same camera and downloaded to the exact same folder, but when I try to add it I get a server rejected.

Anyway, today is my birthday. I am having a good day. Started the day with a leisurely cup of coffee and a chat with my my dear friend, Deb. I will be meeting her later for dinner, then he who loves me will be taking me along to WalMart to get a new battery for the tractor! I just bet he will buy me a trinket if I fancy one. Kind of like dinner and a movie, if you like to people watch.

But this is not what I am writing about today. If you read me fairly regularly, you will recall my ongoing battle with the flies. Remember my ill-fated experience with the fly trap that fell and exploded its contents at my back door. Even though I pour a bleach solution almost daily on the stoop, that powerful fly bait continues to beckon to all the flies in a 100 mile radius to enter this door. This being the door that leads the dogs to their yard, it sees a lot of action.

In an effort to help me, he who shops more than any woman I know, bought a package of fly tape. You know, the kind that is in a little tube and you pull slowly to unwind the sticky tape that will holds bugs captive. So, I put one near the back door and it finally got some flies. I still have plenty to swat. The store door is opened and closed a lot, too. This brings flies in. So, I decided to employ a second line of this sticky tape. I wanted to put it somewhere that wasn't so noticeable, so I hung it with the stained glass stuff hanging near the window.

This was also near the table and when Johnny chose the seat on the backside of the table I was afraid it would stick to him. I handed it to he who solves all my problems and told him to hang it outside. He did. I did not ask exactly where he hung it and promptly forgot about it. Until today.

Look closely at the photo and you will see edges of the tape behind the frog. I had a clear shot of it, but ..... When I am outside I am usually mowing, mopping, mulching or weeding. Not walking along the sidewalk. When I water the hanging plants I am usually on the outside of the porch. But today, I was watering from the inside. I did mention that this tape that traps flies is very sticky, didn't I? So sticky that it will easily grab your hair and hold on.

So, after disentangling my hair, here I sit. I have shampooed twice and put gobs of conditioner on the hair involved and it is still sticky. I guess I could always use the old chewing gum in the hair remedies ...... as soon as I decide if I would rather smell like peanut butter or mayonnaise.

Surprise!!!

2011-07-24T13:48:00.000-07:00

I looked out my window as I opened the door. I see Crazy Tom and Buddy headed towards the dumpster. What are those two up to, I wonder ....

Look, here comes Patrick, Julie and their dogs ..........

My Johnnie and Sue are out with their dogs, too!

Is this a parade? No, this is just what kampers do on a hot evening here in the kampground.

It has been a wonderful day. The same campers out for a ride with their dogs had surprised me earlier with cake and ice cream and birthday wishes along with Jim and Yvonne and a nice bottle of wine. I am all a tingle from the attention as I watch the sun set.

I had a 45 minute nap while he who loves me watched the store and then he went to China and bought take out. I am feeling the love tonight!

1975 Was A Very Good Year

2011-07-22T11:51:00.000-07:00

And all the years since. Yes, they are twins. No, they are not identical ...... one is a boy and one is a girl. Do they look alike? You tell me.

Same eye color is about all they share. Jill looks like her Dad and Jeff grew to look like my Dad.

I think this their thirteenth birthday party. Little sister Adrienne thought it would be cool to throw a surprise party. Too bad that she could not keep a secret.

This is a picture I stole from Jeff's Facebook photos. High school. They appear to be very happy. Do I want to know why? No, not really. I did not take this picture and had not seen it until today.

Thirty-six years. I have known them for thirty-six years. And, yet, it seems like only yesterday that I was wiping sticky little hands and asking if homework was done. I am working on their story. It may take awhile, this stroll down memory lane. I suppose it will be done when it is done. I miss them today, but am happy to know they are spending time together and with their little sister.

Today is my friend, Patti's birthday, too. Has to be a bittersweet day for her as she is still caring for her mate as he succumbs to cancer. Wish I could go give her a respite, but will have to wait until mid week. She sent birthday wishes to the twins when I called to wish her a happy day.

Funny, I still call my kids "the twins" when I talk about them. Life is funny.

Meet Toni Louise

2011-07-20T10:01:00.000-07:00

New pup here at the kampground. Saw her on-line at the shelter in Montgomery, so I called and the adoption fee is very low. I debated with myself. Puppies are a pain, but it doesn't last forever ......... I told he who loves dogs as much as me about her and showed him the picture. We just kind of let it go, then the lady called to tell me that the shelter had gotten a few more dogs and was over crowded. This is not a no-kill shelter. So, he who loves dogs went to just look at this puppy ............ and here she is!

Don't let that sweet face fool you! She has been up to no good! See the mud on her face? She dug a hole so deep she hit water! Then proceeded to get herself into a fine mess. Good thing my furniture is leather and I can wash it. She managed to get mud all over Wall-E, the wonder dog. He got scolded for something he didn't even do! She got poor Oscar in the eye with her muddy paw. She is named after Louise, my old Saint Bernard. Louise possessed an easy going disposition and was hard to stay mad at. Louise ate a coffee table when she was a puppy ....... Toni was chewing on my coffee table yesterday.

Hard to get mad at that dirty little face. I guess she will get yet another bath tonight!

Weed Puller Extraordinaire

2011-07-16T06:30:00.000-07:00

I awoke to overcast skies this morning. Still very humid out there. I enjoyed a solo walk around the garden this morning. I finally harvested two tomatoes! The baby limas should be ready to pick next week, the pods still aren't fat enough. I am watching one yellow squash grow. All the other blooms seem to wither and fall off before fruit can form. The corn has tassels.

Last year I planted asparagus. You get nothing the first couple of years. It looks like dill right now, all ferny. Last week I spent a whole evening pulling all the weeds and grass out of that bed. I then drove four stakes into the ground, two at either end and using twine I made it all stand straight and tall while I mulched it in. I felt very accomplished when I finished. As I was admiring my handiwork this morning, coffee cup in hand, I spied a sprig of grass and spilled the contents of my cup as I lunged forward to snatch the intruder out of my garden.

I ambled on with my empty cup dangling in my hand. I stopped a couple of times to pull a weed here and there. My caffeine deprived mind wondered if weed pulling could be a marketable talent ............ Yes, I know, gardeners. Duh. I did lose my coffee in the asparagus bed, remember? I was picturing a bill board full of weeds, save one small spot with the ad in it. Kind of like the billboard boasting the poop scooping business I see on I-70 when I drive towards St. Louis. I think I would rather pull weeds, although weed pulling could lead to an encounter with poop from a critter.

What am I saying! I already do both! Somehow I don't mind picking up my dogs' poop. They are, after all, mine. I can even identify whose poop is whose ........ that may be a little too much information. I detest finding the poop of another dog in my yard, though. Kind of like changing diapers. My babies diapers were never as bad as the diapers of other babies.

On that note I think I should refill my coffee cup before I go on ..........

Heading For A Meltdown

2011-07-15T09:50:00.001-07:00

Hot weather, lack of sleep, and constant irritation. Today is Friday. Only 9 more hours to go here in the office, then I will excuse myself from the world at large and hide in my humble abode. I am not fit to be around people today. I am not pleasant and not even trying to be. As luck would have it, most of my clientele won't notice.

The fly bait from yesterday continues to attract them to my door, despite the fact that I have doused the area repeatedly with bleach. I resorted to fly tape hanging just inside. Hung it last night, but it caught not a one. That's okay, I am deriving a certain amount of satisfaction with the fly swatter (or in my case today ..... fly smasher ).

I was cleaning the area around the dumpster and sorting out the cans. This is nasty work and it was hot and I was sweaty and irritated. I am no longer amazed at what I might find in the recycle cans, but it doesn't make the task any less disgusting. I was doing this to help out my husband who does so many things for me and other people. I bagged the cans and threw the nasty stuff in the dumpster and cleaned up the area, then started spraying Round-Up on the weeds and grass in that area. This was after I had mowed my lawn and put the soaker hose on in my vegetable garden. It was beginning to get dark .......... here comes Harvey, our helper, with one of the chairs from the pool. These were new last year. My pal, Deb, bought them and gifted them to me. She also wanted to purchase 6 loungers at $100 each and I told her I would not accept them. Yes, I want the area to look appealing and I want my campers to be comfy ........ but I know my clientele ..............

I think I might know how this happened.

And ........ I am pretty sure I know who did it. Through my great powers of deduction, I think it would have to be the slew of children that were here all week. Same thing happened Memorial Day weekend. I was upset, since these chairs were a gift and nearly new. Same group was here then and twice I had to pull chairs out of the pool. I think the children were placing the chair in the water, front side down and using the back as a diving board. From my vantage point, I would be unaware of this when I looked out to check on things. It would just look like they were jumping into the air and playing in the water. The people in question had already left when I discovered the first broken chair, but they were still in their campsite last night when Harvey brought the second broken chair to my attention. I proceeded to have a small fit right there in the parking lot ........... and I am quite certain they heard me.

These would be the same children wandering the park in a pack. It is several families and they are cousins. They overheard one of the adults say my name and now they think they are all on a first name basis with me. These would be the same children who trampled through my flower beds and gathered my blooms, leaving them on the checker table on the front porch of the store for me to find the next morning. These would be the same children who wanted to know if they could help me weed ...... absolutely NOT! These would be the same children, who I suppose may have been bored and played with the four way connection on my hydrant in my yard. My private personal living space, a space I should think I could escape to and call my own. Remember the soaker hose I turned on at 7, when I closed for the evening? I did not remember to turn it off ............. and I did not know that the other hose attached that was in my back yard was turned on. My back yard is flooded now. A soaker hose left on all night wouldn't be such a big deal.

Now, I could be wrong about the identity of the culprits. They did confess to picking my flowers and I asked them not to do that again. He who knows not to bother my garden equipment would not have touched my watering set-up. I have not noticed any other kampers lurking about in my private area (gee, that sounds a little dirty .....).

If your child breaks something, what do you do? You own up and offer to pay for the repairs or a replacement. What happened to taking responsibility for your actions?

It is Friday. In a campground. The busiest day of the week. Now I have 8 more hours left until I can lock the door and hide.

Round-Up the Fly Catchers

2011-07-14T16:09:00.000-07:00

Everybody knows I don't like to use chemicals. I pull weeds by hand and mulch. I carefully thin my seedlings and redistribute them throughout my gardens. I keep a shallow dish with water and place them in the water until I am ready to move them. It works great.

Due to this global warming that has been accompanied by humidity, I have been in a war with the weeds. I refuse to give up just yet. The flies are flocking at my door. It is even too hot out for them! And, the poison vines have gone berserk. I am spraying them, but they refuse to die!!! Last year someone told us to mix Dawn dishwashing liquid (original formula) with vinegar and spray weeds and grass with that. It does work, but you have to be diligent and spray quite often. Now that I think of it, Dawn dishwashing liquid is in a lot of home remedies. A few drops in apple cider vinegar will rid your house of fruit flies ..........

But, I digress. The poison ivy on the fence has got to go. Can't burn it, don't want to breathe it and the fence is made of wood ...... that wouldn't be good. He who wanted to save money bought this stuff called Eliminator. It eliminated nothing. I did save the bottle since it had a dispenser on it and bought some concentrated Round-Up poison ivy killer. It is supposed to kill other hard to kill shrubs and bushes. I will let you know about that. I mixed it double strength and sprayed everything along the fence and the out buildings. It seems to kill ants on contact, so I have high hopes.

Ants have been another problem, so I have ant bait and ant traps everywhere. For back up I have little mounds of cornmeal all about, since I read that they will take it back to the nest and they are unable to digest it. While on my mission to purchase the ivy killer (and pick up the correct prescriptions for he who has not a clue about his medication) I spied this fly trap. Not fly tape, but this contraption that you simply add water to and hang. The flies are attracted to it and go in, but can't get out. And then you simply toss the entire unit. At less than $5, I thought it would be worth a try. He who loves gadgets was so excited. He filled it and hung it right outside the back door. Every time I let the dogs out I would look closely to see if there were any flies. There were flies printed on the bag itself, so it was hard to tell. It had some granular looking stuff that mixed with the water and I wondered what it was. I detected a faint odor. Smelled a little like the Round-up I had been spraying hither and thither ...........

Being fairly busy with swimmers and the phone I had not bothered to do much in my house, just let the dogs out and back in at appropriate intervals. When all the swimmers left I went out to tackle the aluminum can situation. I won't even go into what was in the recycle receptacles, but when the phone beckoned me back inside I was not very happy. The dogs wanted out as I was washing my hands and sniffing the air. I looked around to see if one of them had left a present on the floor. Floor was clean and dry. As I opened the door the smell was overwhelming. Vomit, smelled like vomit. The handy dandy fly catcher had fallen and burst right outside the back door. This thing lasted two days. It does attract flies, but so does a corpse.

So there you have my product reviews for the day. Eliminating the need to even try Eliminator and the fly catcher? Don't waste your money. I have thoroughly scrubbed the back stoop with bleach. It smells like a pool in here now, but, that is so much better than vomit!

Manners?

2011-07-13T09:19:00.000-07:00

See the bee busy at work? They will usually tolerate my presence and go on about their business. Wasps aren't as cooperative ............ bad manners!

The mums are beginning to bloom.

Looks like I missed some of those wildflowers when I pulled them out of the front garden. A happy accident?

I was so very tired last night. I was at that level of fatigue where you think you can no longer exert the energy to breathe. It was 9:15 and I was preparing our supper after weeding my strawberry patch. I worked in the great outdoors until I could no longer see. I had a book on audio and was unwinding while washing dishes and trying to come up with something quick and delectable to eat. I had just decided on a fritata using the fresh eggs that were given to us by kamper #35. I had some ham and cheese and a handful of leftover green beans, along with a vidalia onion. So, as my mouth was watering, the phone rang. A lady wanting to camp. Would I keep the office open for her? I explain that there is a night registration procedure and instructions on the front of the building. She has no cash and is only 8 miles away. He who mows was putting chemicals in the pool and finishing with the closing down for the night chores, so I agreed to wait. At 9:40 she still had not arrived and I was tired and hungry, so I locked up and cooked our feast. We both felt better after eating. We listened to the news and went to bed.

I awoke at my usual 7 am and made coffee and was happily sipping away and catching up on blogs and e-mail ......... in my favorite threadbare nightshirt, when there came a knock at the door. I had told the lady from the previous evening that I would be around in the morning and she said she would find me to run her credit card if she missed me upon arrival and that she would be leaving LATE. I took care of her in my nightshirt and this was how my day started. Perhaps it was bad manners for me to subject the woman to the sight of me in my nightshirt and ungroomed?

I went out after that to rake up all the weeds I unceremoniously slung into the yard. I dug up some grass around a new garden and mulched the beds I weeded the evening before. Washed two loads of laundry and hung them out before I jumped into the shower. I opened the door to the store two minutes early! My hair was still wet, but I was dressed and smelling much better. A woman came in with three young girls and a little boy of about 4 or 5. The girls paid and signed in, then headed to the pool. The little boy was busy banging a plastic truck on my glass display case. After I determined that the mother was oblivious to the danger of broken glass (not to mention the wrath of a crazed storekeeper), I told the little darling to stop hitting the glass before he broke it. That is when he looked me in the eye and demanded a toy. I assume he was referring to the sock monkeys on display. I told him that he could purchase a toy, but that I would not be giving him one. The mother was on her phone and not paying any attention to this exchange. She finally paid and signed in and as they were walking towards the door, the child looked back at me and said, "Thanks for nothing, butt head." Nice. The mother looked at him and said, "That wasn't nice, now let's go swim." Manners? You have to teach them manners.

Poison Ivy and Eyeballs

2011-07-11T08:52:00.000-07:00

Hot, really, really hot and humid here. The heat index was 105 yesterday and supposed to be even hotter today. It is hard to keep up with the mowing and I tend to take care of my back yard after the rest is done. We mow twice a week here. No, are not fanatics, but there is a lot of clover in the open fields and we don't want our campers to get stung by a hungry bee ............. and snakes are easier to see when the grass is clean cut. Okay, maybe I am a little bit of a fanatic, because I like for the grounds to look well cared for. My back yard was neglected last week and it had been 8 days since I cut it. It was getting a little shaggy and I wanted to cut it early this morning before the heat set in with a vengeance.

He who fuels things for his wife was sleeping. Not only was the mower in need of gas, so was the gas can. Getting the mower to the back yard is an adventure. He who sleeps had nailed the gates closed after the wind had flung them open and actually pulled one side off the hinges. This solution has been in place for quite awhile and won't be addressed until the season is ending. In the meantime, the mower has to be dragged (literally) through a storage shed and into the yard. Said storage shed has been cleaned out and organized only twice in 7 years ......... by me, of course. I went in today and created a better path for the mower and busied myself in the vegetable garden until he who finally awoke went on a mission for fuel.

I was up at 7 and ready to attack my chores, but didn't get to mow until 9. The heat is so oppressive that sweat is rolling into my eyes and stinging them, blurring my vision. But after my last encounter with the poison vine I am ever vigilant and noticed that it is growing ON MY FENCE! He who gassed up the mower is now on a mission to purchase concentrated Round Up that will be sprayed without diluting on this vine that dares to encroach upon my space!

While the internet was down for three weeks; three very annoying weeks of talking to one, then another representative before they finally sent a crew to the tower that was struck by lightning and replaced the co-axial cable and then credited our account with a whopping $10 .......... I was unable to download pictures and comment and it was a lengthy task just to respond to e-mail. I am now down to less than 50 unread e-mails! That is in my account, I took care of the business account first. Anyhow ......... he who loves to collect the mail brought to me a mystery envelope during this time. He was curious about the contents and waited while I opened it.

It was addressed to the campground and was from Wonder, Oregon. I mused that I didn't think I knew anyone in Oregon. He who is geographically challenged thought that maybe our son had sent it when he went to Montana. I know, I know, but I love him anyway. We have a daughter who was struck with this same gene and is directionally challenged herself. I looked at him and gently explained that even though both states were far away from where we were, they were still not close to each other .......... and our son had not gone to Montana yet.

I did not ponder long and opened up the package. The smell was enticing ........ a bar of soap!

Oh, not just any soap, but AAH. Relief Poison Oak Soap! From Follower Lu at the Wonder General Store. I feel so special. Smells much better than the laundry soap I have been using and drying my skin out with. I wonder ...... what sort of place is Wonder Oregon? Not to mention the Wonder General Store. If you, too, are wondering go to www.wondergeneralstore.com and take a peek. Thanks, Lu, I feel much better knowing I have the soap for my next fight with the ornery vine!

Eyeballs. Kamper Barb has a business in Troy, Mo. She sells glasses, contacts and repairs glasses. Her shop is Here's 2 Eyes. Like me, Barb sees the world differently. She participates in the Lincoln County Fair parade and wanted to make a definite statement. She asked me if I could make two eyeball costumes using hoola hoops. Of course! I was happy to make them for her and I modeled the costume for a picture to post. She had a couple of suckers to wear these and walk in the parade Sunday. Two medium and on large hoola hoop and a drawstring at the top and bottom and 6 yards of white fabric with a blue iris and black pupil, drawstring is shoelaces and more shoelaces attached to the inside to hold the hoops in place .......... and there you have it ................ here's 2 eyeballs. Traveling through Troy and break your glasses .......... Barb is a genius with frames! Traveling through Kan-Do Kampground and break your glasses on a weekend ........... chances are she can fix them right here! We are a full service kampground, people! Need new glasses? Go to www.heres2eyes.com and check it out!

This concludes my advertising for the day. I sold snow cone #200 this weekend!!!

Tis A Strange World ......

2011-07-08T15:46:00.000-07:00

The heat and humidity have sapped my strength. It has also brought some strange folks about, too. I don't officially open the store until 11AM. Until then you can find me at work in one of my gardens. Weeding and edging, transferring seedlings to better spots and mowing. Sweeping the pool surround, emptying trash cans, scrubbing toilets and showers, mopping floors or doing my laundry. I like to stay busy. I really earn those hours from 11 until 7 when I am in the store with air conditioning. Lest you think I am leisurely sitting around, playing solitaire or reading ...... this is when I sneak in some housework and sewing. I sneak out to the clothesline and hang my laundry and sneak out later to remove it and fold it. Usually takes 4 or 5 trips in and out to hang one load. I can't hear the buzzer outside, so I grab a handful and run out and hang it, check the store and repeat until I am done. I figure it can be counted as exercise. Keeps the old heart rate up.

The rest of the time is spent either waiting for or waiting on customers. Yesterday I woke to a wonderful overcast sky. A promise of rain was in the air and I had planned on painting a sign. Rain and paint aren't such a good combination, so I decided to build a little garden plot, instead. I had asked Harvey, handy man extraordinaire, to add a piece of fencing to block the view of the collection of junk visible from the pool that he who will accept whatever another man is tossing away had accumulated. Harvey is a new tenant. Being a carpenter, he has skills with which to barter for rent. He helps mow, too. But ........... if he keeps mowing close to my trees and breaking branches and skinning trunks, he might not be long for this world! There are some places that are not to be trespassed upon in this land of kampground gardens. One should not presume to weed-eat my tall grasses ...........

But, anyhow, I dug a trench and created a border, using the stump ends from the trees at the stave mill. This is where they make the staves that are used to make whiskey and wine barrels. When they get the trees in they cut the ends off to have a straight edge. You can purchase these for a nominal fee. We buy them by the trailer load and use them for landscaping. They are of varying widths and I have found that you can break a round in half with a few good whacks from a good sized hammer. I put the flat side in the trench and end up with a sort of scalloped edge. Very rustic and biodegradable. Last season we had used a roll of heavy duty weed fabric to create a shade topper on the pavilion. It withstood storms and wind quite well, but the weight of the winter snow did it in. It was hanging down in a ghostly fashion and would have created the perfect atmosphere for a Halloween party, but we had to remove it. Harvey was about to toss it in the dumpster when he was told that I wanted to save it. He was doubtful that I would find a use for it, but I did indeed use it yesterday. I stole a clump of day lilies and thinned a bed of marigolds and manged to fill in a narrow little bed about 20 feet long. Got the mulch on just as it started to rain. The mulch is free. The local utility company had men out clipping tree branches in our area. We let them park the big equipment here and they gave me all the cedar mulch they made from the limbs. Barter, again.

I am getting older and yesterday was a challenge to get it all done, so when the rain came down I had intended to lock up and take a nap. I took a quick shower and answered all the phone messages that I missed. The phone rang as I was finishing up. Is your pool open? Well, no, it is raining and the forecast is for a thunderstorm ......... Really? Before I could lock the door and retreat to my lair, I see a car coming in. Swimmers. Ummmm, are you open? We got some other people coming, cause today is my daughter's birthday and we want to have it here. It? I have had these people here before and let's just say they aren't overly educated. I try to discourage them, but they are persistent, so I let them pay and explain that if lightning should occur, they will have to get out of the pool. Only one other child showed up for this event. They had been out there for about an hour when the mother came in and told me that she had purchased an ice cream cake and that it was melting! Gee, think it could be because it is hot outside? I suggested that she bring it in and let me put it in the freezer for her. Never got my nap.

I am sitting here at my desk, resting and reading, having accomplished all my domestic tasks; and I hear the buzzer. The door is closed, but not locked. The air conditioner is on and I want to keep the cool air in the building. The man is standing out side the door with the storm door open with a look of confusion on his face as I open the door for him. He is looking for a site for the evening. I encourage him to enter the building and shut the doors. I present him with the registration form and he says he will need to go get his glasses ........... I tell him not to bother, that I can fill it out for him ( so much quicker if I just do it). Name, address, etc. Then, how many people. Two. Well two, if you count my little dog. Just me and my little Yorkie, but she is like family. Okay. I love my dogs, too, and find this to be an admirable quality. As I am finishing his credit card transaction and chatting with the man, he tells me that "she" had wanted to drive on to Kansas, but that he was tired. I am confused now. Does the dog talk? My dogs can let me know what they want, but I don't think they know which state we are in. Well, Wall-E, the wonder dog, does. But he is exceptionally smart. The only thing I am thinking is that the man thought I would charge extra for his wife. Tis a strange world we live in.

Internet Service

2011-07-05T14:25:00.001-07:00

Just one of the many faces I love. Jada is 6 ........ going on 36. She is special to me. We just seem to connect on a different level than her sisters and I do. Don't know why, really. She is the one I didn't really get to meet as an infant, so it can't have anything to do with a bonding at a very young age. I don't love her any more than I love her sisters and I can't find words to describe what it is that makes her touch my heart the way she does.

Those eyes are tired. I can tell just at a glance what her little mood is ...... and she has lots of them. She is a talker and loves to share everything going on in her world. Smart as a whip and talented, too. I have told her just how pretty she is, so she must know. She tells me how much she loves me, too. One of my favorite memories is of her combing my hair and in a sing-song voice saying, "So soft, so pretty." I feel so fortunate to have this little girl in my life.

The internet is back up and running here in the kampground!! Finally, after almost three weeks of intermittent service. I will be able to comment!! I could read some of my favorite blogs, but couldn't comment. Sometimes I could comment and then I would get over-confidant and type in sage wisdom and wit, only to lose it before I could actually post it. I, no doubt, could have rid you all of your most pressing issues had those comments not been lost in the big void of unpublished comments!

Thanks to all of you for thinking of me as I went to see my friend, Paul. Kamp buddy Yvonne stepped in with her usual gusto and took care of the kampground today so that both of us could leave and go see him. Cancer is a horrible thing. We did get to talk to him and he recognized us. Patti is in pretty good spirits, all things considered. I think it will hit her hardest when he is actually gone. It was incredibly sad seeing our friend wasting away. I am glad that we were able to see him, though.

Now I am going to read ..............

Sad

2011-06-30T15:50:00.000-07:00

In our second season here in the park we met a wonderful couple. She was fun and outrageous and he was full of wit and insight. We hit it off immediately and became fast friends. He who is not likely to remember names gave them new names. Pete and Paula. All I can say is that the first letters are right. He does this a lot.

Pete and Paula came to the hospital and sat with my husband while I went under the knife and came out with our dinner when I was came home from the hospital. Just wonderful caring people. We stayed in contact with each other after they decided to no longer have a seasonal site. Just phone calls mostly. It is so hard to get out of the park for any appreciable amount of time. I was thinking of them earlier this week. Paula had said that they might try to drive out and visit for an afternoon in the spring and it occurred to me that I had not seen them or heard from them. Pete was diagnosed with stomach cancer last year, but was doing okay last I had talked to them.

They were camping here for the very first time when the rogue hillbilly bunch was here that stole all our firewood. They were in the site next to them and were entertained greatly. They were here when the naked lady made her debut. Paula has a wicked sense of humor and can tell the story so well with her New York accent. Pete is full of dry wit. I miss having them here and coming in every afternoon for their ice cream after they nap.

I am reminiscing with a heavy heart today. I talked to my friend who's real name is Patti this afternoon. She called to let me know that Paul is in kidney failure and will remain at home with hospice in attendance. She was in fairly good spirits as she told me this awful news. Of course she has had time to digest it. Paul also had Alzheimer's and Patti has been his caregiver all these years. Not an easy task to watch someone you love fade away. I have watched her be patient and kind and also seen her at the end of her rope. I am hoping to be able to go visit him one last time next week. I don't know if he will remember me, but I want to go.

I am crying as I write this. I can only imagine how hard this must be for Patti. When we were first married, Drew and I would talk about what would happen should one of us die. We agreed to simply die together. But we had kids, so that wouldn't work out so well for them; so we agreed to wait until we were old to die together.

When he had his heart attack and I realized that he could actually die and leave me here ........ well, it was sobering to say the least. I can't imagine which way would be more devastating......... to know and have to watch and wait or to not know and be suddenly alone. I am not fond of either option. I am just sad.

Cameras ........ I Need Cameras

2011-06-29T06:52:00.000-07:00

The internet is still iffy out here in the middle of nowhere in the great state of Missouri (or misery) I can sometimes open other blogs I like to read and even comment. Commenting requires a lot of patience, though. I am long on patience and short on time, due to constant interruptions.

After talking to three different men at Sprint and explaining the problem, he who handles the phones and the internet accounts talked to a woman this morning. Oddly enough, she was able to ascertain the necessary solution to the problem. She put in a work order for an engineer to come out to the tower and do whatever it is that engineers do. It has been determined that lightning struck the tower during the a thunderstorm and now the triangulation is off. He who has chatted to all these folks incessantly found it amazing that a woman would be the one to get to the root of the problem. Last night's call involved some long drawn out down load of software and I was scolded for having the TV too loud, so I went to bed to watch TV.

Aside from the internet problems, business is slow. Fuel prices and the current economic situation has conspired to make for a very slow season. Today the pool is busy. Good and bad. I will have to patrol the area constantly to make sure every one is folowing my rules. The young woman who just came in with cigarette dangling from her lips is my target today. I have a sign at every entrance to the building that says NO SMOKING. Nowadays most places do. So she saunters in and inhales deeply and as I am telling her that you cannot smoke in here she exhales as she very slowly makes her way to the door. She doesn't look old enough to vote, and had that youthful insolence that I detest. Not a really good idea to rile the lady behind the desk. One could be ejected as the lady behind the desk is watching the smoker with an attitude.

The swimmers started arriving before the pool opened and my confinement began almost an hour early. As if that wasn't enough to make me crabby, the restrooms were really disgusting today. Food waste in the trashcans, causing a trail of ants. The mens room was especially bad. It looked like someone had a haircut and I hope all that curly hair was from a beard. Really, it looked like Osama had a good clipping in there. The sink was covered and the lid to the trashcan had hair all over it. Things I never want to touch. Everything has been thoroughly bleached now, including the trashcan.

Another Easter lily bloomed and was quite magnificent until someone yanked it off and tossed it to the ground. Cameras. I need surveillence cameras everywhere. We have one on the night check-in area ..... or we did. I need to check and make sure it is still there. It is all set up so that we can watch the front of the building on the TV in our bedroom. Right after he who installs such gadgets set it up, he spent many sleepless hours watching the grainy image of the front parking lot and front door. I would wake and see it on the TV. He wanted to leave it on all night, but I like darkness when sleeping. He soon tired of it and went on to another project. I should take a look and see if the camera is still there.

I think there might be some sort of law preventing me from putting cameras in the bathrooms, but I think one outside the doors would be nice. Then I could see who is taking all the bath tissue and paper towels. So ..... say I see the culprit on the screen. Do I just march over to their camper/tent and knock/call out and demand my paper product back? Or .......... do I create a bill and present it to them? Maybe, if I see it while they are taking it, I could intercept them, red-handed, so to speak. Will they run with their stolen paper and quickly leave the campground? Will I have to tackle them to the ground and wrestle for my toilet paper? I like to anticipate and think ahead.

I had a nice surprise in the mail from a follower. I would love to post pictures, but that won't be possible until the engineer tinkers with the dish atop the tower. I don't think he has to actually climb the tower and manually turn the thing this way and that way while asking "Can you hear me now?". There is a little building on the ground beside this tower of satellites and I suppose he will be inside doing his engineering. As soon as this happens I will be posting some pictures. Just a little teaser to pique your interest.

I am off to make my walk round the poolside. Last time I did this I found many violations and just gave warnings. I admit that I did ask one father "What is wrong with you?", as he was encouraging his children to dive. There are signs posted that warn against this. The pool is only 6 feet deep at the deepest point. I suppose that the minute your feet touch the water, you become illiterate

Friday At The Kampground

2011-06-24T14:02:00.000-07:00

Fridays are always busy for campground owners. End of the week and every body wants to get away for the weekend. Dogs woke me early, at 5:30. Too early, so I went back to sleep and slept longer than I wanted to. So I was dragging with that "too much sleep hangover". I grabbed the coffee and was putting my day together in my head. I had some garden work I had wanted to get done early, then shower and go to the grocery. The ice truck arrived as I was heading out the door with a huge bag of potting soil draped on my shoulder. He who is most always absent from the store operations took over for me and I loaded my soil and a plant in my trusty wheel barrow. The golf cart remains stationary as it has been waiting for some mystery "part" for the last month. I came back to make sure that I had actually been excused from desk duty. I stopped and pulled a couple weeds along the way and upon reaching my big yellow wheel barrow found the petunias to be missing. I remember putting them in, but, I still go back and check. They are gone and by then the phone is ringing and he who took pity on me is acting like a little boy about to wet his pants. He leaves and I am stuck in the land of eternal camp desk hell.

Unlike he who I am married to, I can do more than one thing at a time ......... so I took the phone and went to address the restrooms. I only have two tenters and they are men, so I am assuming the ladies side should be pretty much the way I left it yesterday afternoon. It is not. The toilet is running and has been giving me a fit all week. I can fix it temporarily, but I have asked he who plumbs to change out the guts in the tank twice and it has not been done. Sensing my mood he is treading lightly and starts helping me clean. This is only making me more irritated. Finally he notes that I have not been out of here in "awhile". It has been weeks and I need a change of attitude, as well as scenery.

I went into "town" and spent a lovely hour in the grocery. Paula Deen has a Tex-Mex casserole recipe I wanted to try and I indulged in a coconut cream pie from Mrs. Smith. She makes a fine pie with a flaky crust and I salivated all the way home. Swimmers were arriving as I unloaded my bags of frozen veggies and I ended up just dumping the whole bag in the freezer. I will put them up correctly later. I managed to build the casserole, cook the pie and put all the other groceries away while checking in weekend campers and shaving ice for snow cones for swimmers. As it approaches 5:00 I find myself with minutes of inactivity. Dinner is all ready to pop into the oven and I am taking a short rest.

I should be booked, but find that I am not. The big holiday weekend has too many open slots, so I am happy when people without reservations arrive and want to stay two nights. I hear the door and a couple with a young girl, maybe 9 years old or so, come in. I can't tell if she is the daughter or granddaughter of the couple. All three look pretty unkempt. The man tells me that they need to stay for a few nights because his transmission has gone out. I looked out and the fifth wheel looks decent, the truck looks okay. But between the two of them they probably don't have three good teeth. Both are smiling and talking as the odor of decayed teeth hangs in the air. As a business owner I am always cognizant of appearances. I don't want to have something parked here that makes it look like a homeless camp. I can't afford to discourage guests from wanting to stay. On the other hand, I feel bad for those caught in the tsunami of economic misfortune.........

The child in this instance is very bright and inquisitive. She seems to be well-fed and is clothed in clean clothes. They are staying, they seem to have money to get to where they are going (Ohio). They don't have an address, since they are moving. I hope that they have a job waiting for them that has dental coverage. But, who am I to judge? I don't have health insurance, much less dental coverage.

The pie with its' enticing aroma beckons to me as it sits cooling on the counter. So I have a piece. I did, after all buy it for me. One of the joys of being of a certain age, I suppose, is eating what I want when I want it from time to time. He who eats a Hershey bar every night will not begrudge me a piece of pie ............ By the way, "he who" is my husband and his name is Drew. The regular kampers have taken to calling him "he who", too.

Pools Rule or Pool Rules

2011-06-20T12:15:00.000-07:00

POOL RULES

1. Children Under the age of 14 MUST be accompanied by a responsible adult. A responsible adult would be someone over the age of 21 who has a drivers licence and is sober (most of the time).

2. No eating, drinking or smoking in the area around the pool (within the fence). We have provided a pavilion for that purpose. We have also provided trashcans in which to place your refuse (trash, stuff you don't want). We have provided a receptacle for your ashes and butts. Please refrain from grinding them out on the decking or simply flicking them onto the surrounding grassy area. If you violate this rule you will be asked to leave and no refund will be forth coming ........ this means I will keep the three dollars you gave me. I will no doubt question your lineage, too.

3. Do not send your small children to the office to beg for food. If you cannot afford to feed your children, you should not be spending money to swim ......... or on the cigarettes. If you insist on sending the tots up to beg, be prepared for some public humiliation ..... or what would be humiliating for most law abiding, sane folks.

4. Accompany your small children to the bathroom. If your child has an accident and, for whatever reasons, smears feces on the seat and the floor, be a sport and clean it up ...... or at the very least, alert someone in the office to take care of the mess so that others won't encounter it. This is assuming that your children don't do this at home ........

5. The laundry room is not a baby changing station, nor is it a dressing room. Please do not put dirty diapers in the waste basket that is intended for dryer lint. This is disgusting and you should be ashamed!

6. No glass containers of any kind are to be around the pool. I am sorry that you prefer beer in a glass bottle over beer in a can. I will explain the reasoning behind this rule once again. Glass is breakable. People tend to be barefoot in the pool area and can sustain a cut if they step on it. Should the broken glass make its way into the pool, the pool would have to be drained to remove all of it. Common sense should prevail here, but I have found that quality to be sorely lacking in those who are drinking the beer and the wine coolers. Rule #2 should cover this issue, but there are still those folks who think they are exempt from any restraints on their lives. A violation here will also result in being expelled from the pool without a refund and being banned from further pool excursions.

7. The pool is open daily from 11 am until 7 pm, weather permitting. The pool is closed during thunderstorms. No, you may not sign a "release" stating that you will not sue me should you be struck by lightning. The pool is not open during storms, even with said release.

8. When 7 pm approaches and you are getting ready to leave, please take everything you brought with you. Do not leave clothing and towels draped on the fence around the pool. It will not be there when you return in the next few days.

9. Do not drop coins in the pool. We sell dive sticks and pool toys in the store. The coins will get caught in the pool cleaning equipment and cause it to malfunction. Purchasing new equipment will cause the cost per person to increase.

Like sand through the pool filters, such are the days of my life ..............

Painfully Slow Internet

2011-06-20T07:18:00.000-07:00

Patience is a virtue ..... or so I have heard. This weekend is teaching me to be extremely patient. We had a small tornado pass through early Saturday morning. I slept through the entire incident. It was one of those freaky selective eddies of wind that will make you appreciate the power of Mother Nature. Since then, the internet connection has been sporadic and s l o w. Painfully slow.

I can't download pictures to show you. Well, maybe I could, if I made many attempts and patiently logged back on every time I lose connection while attempting to do so. But I will try to describe things adequately. We have a kamper, who stores his canoe on his site. Never has the wind ever bothered this canoe. But, this wind that visited early Saturday morning picked this canoe up, flipped it over and took it across the road, through a dog pen and into the side of a fellow camper's fifth wheel. The canoe missed a huge tree and surprisingly, missed the window of the unit it hit. It wasn't nearly as bad as it could been, but it did puncture the outer layer of the unit. I sent a cryptic e-mail to the owner of the canoe. You know, the good news/bad news message. Told him that the good news was that his RV sustained no damage, but that his canoe was in his neighbors living room. I did exaggerate a bit, but this particular kamper lends himself to a certain amount of word play.

This was the only major damage we had here, I learned later that two semi-trailers were flipped over on the interstate close by. I suppose this same wind messed with the tower with the Sprint satellite receiver and resulted in my internet agonies. So, even though I have pictures, It would take hours to download them ........... I tried.

The baby birds were just too new to survive and they were both dead by Sunday. I won't miss breaking apart worms and squishing them up to feed them to the little open beaks. I was going to call the feisty one Amelia. In just two days, it was amazing that their pink skin was already covered in the gray fuzz that would turn into feathers. I imagine some mother bird out there lamenting at how fast they grow up and leave the nest. One mother bird is out there telling about the wicked human who tossed her nest and babies.

It is hot and humid here at the kampground and I am manning the desk that separates people from the pool. I expect to be busy all day, then mow as soon as the sun subsides. In the meantime I will see how long it takes to actually post this .........

Who Does This?

2011-06-18T10:36:00.000-07:00

See the baby robins? Wonder why they are being hand fed? Because Good Samaritan, animal and bird loving Barb discovered them in the dumpster. Someone went to the trouble of putting the whole nest inside a WalMart bag along with three newly hatched babies and one unhatched egg before tossing the lot into the dumpster. Who could be this cold hearted?? Barb and Nan had come up to toss their trash and heard them chirping. I grabbed the garden rake and Barb fished them out. I say fished because it had rained buckets and they were in a few inches of water at the bottom of the almost empty dumpster. One had already drowned and the remaining two were putting up quite a racket.

This was late yesterday. We had a doozie of a storm blow through last night ........ I slept through it. But this morning I found the box with the baby birds had fallen from the top of the Pepsi machine. We put them up there because it was warmer outside than in. On top of the machine they would be high enough to avoid being a tasty delicacy for the cat and hot air rises. And ...... there was always a chance a motherly bird would adopt them. They survived the fall and have been fed and warmed in the palm of my hand (that has been washed and sanitized since). They are snuggled together in the nest in the box ......... in the office.

It is only noon and the day has already been filled with many strange things. Not so many of my regulars are here, so I didn't do the dough thing and served muffins instead. Cherished that extra two hours of sleep. So, while the coffee was being consumed and the talk was on, a lady and a child came in to purchase firewood. We don't pre-bundle the wood here at our kampground and I have been told that our bundles are generous. We deliver the wood to your site. This is a service we provide to those staying here, in our kampground. This lady was staying at the state park down the road. We are happy to sell wood and other necessities to those camping there. I took her money and called he who delivers wood and asked that he bring a bundle of wood to the office. Just like I always do. I sat down with my coffee and my friends and watched as the lady and her child got into her car and drove away before the wood arrived. We all looked at each other, kind of surprised. I suppose I could have run after her, but I haven't run much since I did the splits on Thursday. Not because I am that sore, I just don't want to do them again. I am actually a little surprised that I am not in a whole lot of pain from my amazing feat.

She returned several hours later, wondering why we had not delivered her wood. She was a little put out with me. I tried explaining that we only deliver within our kampground, but she was thoroughly miffed. I suppose she won't be staying here in the future. That's okay. She drove out the entrance drive and I would no doubt have to explain all the signs to her. It is for the best.

He who delivers firewood had news when he brought the wood up. The wind picked up the canoe that was stored on site 1A, flipped it right side up and drove it through the fence on site 2 and into the side of the 5th wheel on that site. I am waiting for Marshell to call me. I sent him a cryptic e-mail this morning about good news/bad news. Told him that we had powerful winds last night and the good news was that his motor home was fine, and the bad news was that his canoe was in Yvonne's living room. He will either call or just suddenly appear. In the mean time, I can take a measure of pleasure from messing with his head.

I noticed that the sun was a big blazing ball of orange as it was dipping low in the sky last night .... was that an omen?

Boys Love Toys

2011-06-16T17:35:00.000-07:00

This is my sweet son, Jeff. He was helping his dad clean out fire rings and empty trash. These are some of the things that folks who come out for a weekend of camping never think about. I had never thought much about it until we bought the kampground.

The tractor makes life a little easier for he who loves all things that have a motor and roll on wheels. I usually just take a bag at a time out and sling it into the dumpster. I can always leave the bags at the end of the sidewalk and he who loves me will pick them up with is tractor for me, though.

Boys never really grow up, the toys just get bigger.

Frustrations and Pain

2011-06-16T11:08:00.000-07:00

Today is Thursday. I start to get ready for the weekend on Thursday. This is the day to mop the store and give it a good once over with a dust cloth. My family left Monday and I was a little weepy that day. I did laundry all day ...... lots of towels. Tuesday I cleared the fence around the pool to get it free of vegetation and ready for the new boardwalk to be constructed. I already had some patches of poison oak on my person from the re-stacking the firewood event, so I figured I would just go for broke.

My dad had told me to purchase a bar soap that was used for laundry purposes. He said my Grandmom would make him bathe with this soap to prevent and help clear up poison ivy. I had searched for this soap and could not find it under the name he had given me. I did happen upon a bar of Fels Naptha soap in the laundry detergent aisle on a trip to WalMart. Figured it had to be very similar to the other and bought it. For a mere 97 cents. I have been using it since the last out break. It won't make the rash disappear, but it does keep it from spreading. It makes you feel squeaky clean. The only drawback is the dry skin, but that can't be helped until the rash is gone. It has occurred to me that I mention WalMart often enough to be paid!

So, I awoke this morning feeling a lot less itchy and ready to get going on my chores. I prepared the mop bucket and quickly mopped my living quarters, changed the water and moved on to the store. I was ahead of schedule and was thinking about doing a little rearranging of some merchandise. It was then, while totally distracted, that it happened. My right foot slipped and I went down on my left knee. Still holding on to the mop and trying to catch myself, the mop slid away from me and the handle whacked me in the head while my right foot slid out in front of me and my left leg, bent at the knee, went behind me. I did a split! First thing I did was to look around and out the window to make sure no one witnessed this amazing feat. Then I managed to pull myself into a sitting position to access the damage. My knee was a little bloody. That's all that is visible. I thanked the good Lord for my good fortune ....... since He knows I don't have health insurance. I am sore from stretching all those muscles, but I did a split! You may laugh now ............

Frustration? The frustration is with blogger. I can comment on some of the blogs I follow, but some just keep asking me to re enter my e-mail address and password. When I do, the comment disappears. Very frustrating. I am open to suggestion .........

Determination

2011-06-15T19:02:00.000-07:00

Meet Zara, my three year old granddaughter. She is one determined girl. She likes my cinnamon buns, it seems. Just look at that happy face!

After breakfast, Papa got the riding toys out and she was off. I cringed at those bare little feet on that gravel. Didn't seem to bother her ..... or any of the kids. I remember preferring my bare feet when I was a lot younger, too. She was headed down the drive with her daddy right beside her. Now she needs to turn around.

She likes to do things for herself, so we just watched as she did it her way.

She is very determined.

I wasn't close enough to hear her.

Seems she finally has it in the position she wants .....

Sweet success!

Early Morning Walk and Season Passes

2011-06-10T11:28:00.000-07:00

I wake with the sun most mornings. In the winter months, it is easy to roll over and go back to sleep. But, during the spring, summer and fall, there is too much to do. After being house bound all winter I am ready to be outside anyway. So, while the coffee was brewing I tossed the laundry in the machines and found the bathrooms to be as clean as I left them the night before. Coffee cup in hand, I took advantage of my reprieve of not having to scrub toilets and took a little walk around my world. The happy frog windsock was a gift from a kamper passing through.

This old porch swing was left after the garage(less) sale. I dare not hang it, lest it become a liability. But, with some tree stump bottoms, it becomes a bench. I thought about painting it, but I kind of like the green ........ Thanks, Julie!

I have finally managed to get out all my froggy decor that has been stored inside all winter. Every year I tell myself that I will remember where I put it ........... and every year it is an adventure to find it all. Oh, well. Sweet Nan made this one for me and it holds a special place of honor.

Finally ...... my Easter Lily bloomed! A little late?

The marigolds are popping up every where. Soon I will be thinning and replanting them to fill in "holes" in my other gardens.

The cone flowers are getting ready to put on a colorful display..........

Tiger lilies and iris are popping ...........

Love iris!

"When are y'all gonna have season passes to your allses' pool ready?" Um, never. " We don't do season passes." "How come?" "Because you would pass the pass around to all your friends ..... " "Oh, you can't do that?"

Really, really can't make this stuff up. Maybe I should offer season passes for half of what it would cost to swim every day that the pool would be open for the season. That would be Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day weekend ....... or 102 days. Subtract 22 days for rain and that leaves 80 days at $3 or $240. Half would be $120. I asked one person what they thought a fair price for a season pass would be and was told $30. Big gap there. Then consider that the entire town would be swimming on maybe ten passes. I think I will pass on the season pass. But .......... my gardens are lovely to look upon.

Put Up A Clock At The Pool??

2011-06-08T18:29:00.000-07:00

It has been hot and the pool has been busy. The pool is open to the public daily from 11 am until 7 pm. I have said those words at least one thousand times. I also say, "No eating, drinking, or smoking inside the pool area; we have provided a pavilion for that purpose." There are signs on the restrooms to remind you not to smoke in them.

Signs, words .......... no one is listening or reading. Some days are just that way. Today was one of them. At 6:45, I put a sign in the door and slipped out to the side yard to stack the wood pile and attack some weeds. I worked until almost 8:00. I noticed that some of my swimmers were still at the pool, so I walked over and said, "Hey you guys, you do know that the pool closes at 7, don't you?" One man didn't even turn to look at me, but said, "We'll get ready to go in just a bit." Like he was dismissing me. So I told them it was almost 8:00. The other gentleman informed me that he knew Drew and that maybe I should put a ***damn clock up. He also told me that he would tell Drew. I just looked at him. Tell Drew what, I wondered as I walked away to go clean the restrooms. I also wonder what he will think the next time he tries to sign in to swim and I tell him he is banned from the pool.

The very first thing I notice as I approach the restrooms is the lights on and the doors open. I go into the laundry room to gather my supplies and notice the foul odor, then see the nasty swim diaper in the trash can along with half eaten food. This is a small trash can for things like dryer lint, etc. I clean that mess up and go on to the men's room. The disgusting odor of cigarette smoke greets me. As if I wasn't already in a crappy mood, someone has peed on the toilet seat. I am assuming it was a child, but having met the nice gentleman demanding a clock at the pool, I can't be sure. The ladies room was a real treat. A swim diaper full of poop is in the shower stall along with a cigarette butt. The water was running in the sink and it looks like someone had a water gun fight.

So, I decided I needed to take a walk through my gardens to calm down .........

The peaches are coming along nicely. Looks like I will have lots, too.

This garden is on the side of the building, I see it when I wake up each morning from my bedroom window. Know what these are? This is one of those happy mistakes. I planted onions here last year and didn't harvest all of them before it got cold. I had no idea they would survive the winter, but they did. They aren't fit to eat and I could have pulled them up and added them to the compost bin, but I decided to let them go to seed.

I like them. They add height. There is rosemary and basil planted here, too. I can just go out and snip what I need when I am cooking.

This hosta looks like it is on steroids!

My tiger lilies have started to open. The weedy looking stuff on the ground is marigolds just coming up.

These tiger lilies are very hardy and I have found that they will grow just about anywhere.

Day lilies are circling the flag pole.

I weeded Gavin's garden last week and added more day lilies. He will be here Friday!!

Lots and lots of day lilies. I feel better now.

Mint has taken over my hollow log. I think I will have a glass of iced tea with mint, then I will feel much, much better.

Clean Dirt

2011-06-07T13:59:00.000-07:00

For some reason known only to blogger, I am unable to post more pictures. This garden is 4 years old. It started as a low spot of the lawn that I hated to mow. Any amount of rain would result in a soggy ground that was difficult to mow and easy to lose one's footing in. If he who only rides to mow tried, it resulted in deep grooves from the weight of the mower carrying him, so it was left for me to handle with the push mower. I don't mind pushing a mower. I need to walk anyway and I might as well push something as I go. Mowing is kind of like painting ......... you get to see the results right away.

But, this low area was hard to mow and when it dried out, the grass was sparse and unsightly. So, I decided that it needed lots of dirt brought in to create another spot for a garden. I wasn't sure what the shape would be or what I wanted to plant. I like to let these things evolve, you know. I commissioned he who loves his loud equipment to climb upon his trusty tractor with the bucket on the front to go forth and bring me some dirt! He had told me that he had a spot in the field that had some nice rich dirt with no weeds. I believed him.

He brought load after load of this "clean" dirt to the designated spot while I was busy with swimmers. I happily anticipated leveling my dirt and planting some flowers. At closing time I eagerly grabbed the hoe and garden rake to get started............ You can only imagine my disappointment when I saw the weeds sticking out of each and every pile of soil. "Um, I thought you said this was weed free ......" "Those are wild flowers!" "No, really, those are weeds."

We went back and forth, but nothing could be done at that point. Some one had given me one of those giant packet of wild flower seed, so I strewed them about and waited to see what would happen. I didn't like the results. The flowers were tall and leggy and looked all weedy and scraggly. So, I pulled them all up and started over. It has taken four years of constant weeding and mulching and finally it looks the way I want it to. Tiger lilies are in the middle and the area facing the front is lined with day lilies. Hostas circle the area near the maple tree and the ground cover, that I do not have a clue as to the name, adds a lovely yellow hue. The iris in front of the tiger lilies is just beginning to bloom. Soon there will be marigolds popping up every where. I save the seed every year and simple toss it on the ground before I add mulch every spring.

The sycamore tree started out as nothing more than a stick coming out of the ground. That must have been in the "clean" dirt from the field. I suppose the tree makes up for all the weeding ......

Invasion of the Cicadas

2011-06-03T08:54:00.000-07:00

I overslept. It was almost 8:00 when I dragged myself out of bed. I was cranky and out of sorts as I stumbled around trying to organize my thoughts. I needed coffee, but I also needed to get the rest rooms cleaned and mopped. And there was a little issue of dog incontinence to deal with.

As I brushed my teeth, I prioritized. I grabbed some laundry to toss in the washers as I scrubbed bathrooms. I decided that coffee would have to wait until I opened the store and was stuck firmly behind that counter. He who is making the major trip to Sam's to restock the store had left me sleeping while he did his morning drive through the park with Wall-E the wonder dog in tow. Upon finding his wife up and about when he returned, he set about to annoy me with questions. I am not nice to be around before the magic of caffeine has soothed me. Did you make a list? Where did you put my list? No, don't stop mopping the bathroom, just tell me where you put it ............

I did stop what I was doing so I could get him on his way. I went back out to attend to my morning chores. Without the sound of his voice firing questions at me, I noticed another sound. It sounded like a diesel engine running. I looked in the direction of the sound and saw nothing, just empty sites. It was the chorus of the cicadas singing in the trees. They are out there just waiting to see the lights come on ............. then they will invade the rest rooms!

The lights outside the rest rooms illuminate the building for night time relief. Campers will use the facilities, neglecting to flip the switch that will douse the lights in the bathroom and leave the door wide open ............. inviting all manner of insects and critters to come on in. And they do. I have been seen encouraging frogs out the door with my broom. Anything bigger will have to be a job for he who is my hero (I am delicate, I tell you). The mosquitoes love the warm cocoon of the lighted space and apparently, so do the cicadas.

People will smack mosquitoes onto the wall and leave a smear of mosquito goo on the walls. Some very tall people will take on the task of smashing bugs up high, out of my reach. In the past I have had to drag a step stool out with me to clean this up. But, I had an epiphany the other day and decided that a sponge mop would do the trick. O'Cedar makes a good mop. The sponge side is down, but there is a scrubbing strip on the side that is easy enough to access by turning the handle. I cleaned the ceiling and most of the walls in the men's room this morning. The ladies room will have to wait until tomorrow. The tiny little speckles of night bugs came off the ceiling easily, as well as the smeared mosquitoes .......... but, cicada juice is not easily removed. Rusty colored cicada juice is every where. I will now spend my free time researching ways to clean up cicada juice. The carcasses land on the floor and are easily swept away. I am thinking I should put them in the compost bin.

My Little Girl

2011-05-31T13:33:00.000-07:00

Adrienne, 2011

Adrienne, Kindergarten 1982

Today, June 1, 2011, my baby is 33 years old. She was such a precocious little girl. Always outspoken and still is. If you meet her, you will remember her. I am of the opinion that she inherited all the loudest genes from both of us.

This is an excerpt from The Book of Adrienne:

Captured in my mind, a picture in time ............. too bad I didn't have a camera in my hand. Adrienne and her friend Carolyn standing on the curb, waving goodbye as we drive away. Both dressed to the nines and giddy with laughter. They think her dad bears a close resemblance to Fred Flintstone as he drives my little VW bug.

My baby. She will always be my baby. When she laughs, she laughs loud and when she cries, she cries hard. She does everything that way. Only way she knows how. She came into the world demanding the full attention of everyone in sight .... and got it.

When Adrienne was in second grade, I was PTA president at the elementary school she attended. This a thankless task that every parent should be made to endure at least once. But, like all children will, Adrienne made the most of her status that year. Our house was only three doors down from the school and I could hear her voice clearly when her class was outside during recess. She possesses a strong will and is adept at making others see things her way, but that year, she was often heard saying "My mommy is President of the PTA, so you will do it my way."

Her teacher had also taught her older brother and was apt to complain that Jeffrey talked too much. Mrs. Chester wasn't a strict disciplinarian and never did separate Jeffrey from his best friend, so he talked all year long. She never complained about Adrienne that year, but she did retire at the end of that school year. Adrienne made all the decisions about who sat where and drew up the seating chart for Mrs. Chester. Her class always won the attendance award for the parents visiting on PTA nights. I don't even want to know how she motivated her class mates to encourage the parents to participate. A little overbearing for a seven year old? Perhaps ........

Happy Birthday, Adrienne