He who mows and rescues stranded travelers also carries a Bubba Keg everywhere he goes. Take a look at this one. Appetizing? No, it is not.
Yummmmm. Look at the lid.
Closer, look closer! This particular one has been soaked in bleach water many times. He has several. Three in green and one in turquoise. If I don't hide them, he will mix the stained colors.
I have to get up early to claim the one he is currently using and reassign one that I will fill with ice for him. In case you are wondering, he keeps them filled with Diet Coke. That is all he drinks. No matter what I try to entice him with. Diet Coke. He should be their spokes person.
Does he listen to me when I tell him how very bad this is for him? No. Will he drink water? No. Will he try to take this nasty mug into a restaurant? Yes. Our baby girl sent her Daddy a new Bubba Keg yesterday. It is a beauty. Black. Dignified. And she is in hopes it will not look as dirty as the others. Since it goes on the tractor and the mower with him, I hold no illusions. Clay dirt and grass stains.
I wasn't quick enough to get a picture of the new one before it left the house this morning ......... filled with Diet Coke.
Emmy's ashes came home yesterday. Oscar is still sad. Wall-E is a comfort to all of us, especially me. He has abandoned he who loves him and come over to my side of the bed to sleep where Emmy used to sleep. He has taken over her grooming duties, too.
I am still pulling dandelions and other weeds as I continue to get the gardens in shape. The apple blossoms perfume the air and the hours just fly by as I work outside. That is how I got sunburned, I suppose. I thought it was about 2 o'clock when I headed in on Tuesday, it was 6 o'clock.
So, here I sit after getting up very early to perform my yard chores in the shade. I will sew the sunny afternoon away and venture out again late afternoon.
I was afraid that I had lost my sycamore tree, but it finally started showing signs of life. Today was another day of mowing. It is supposed to rain tonight and tomorrow, so we had to get it done. My legs are aching and my hands hurt from pulling weeds. Spring is so labor intensive. Seems like everywhere I look I see more things to do.
This maple tree didn't make it and will need to be removed. I have found one of the advantages of putting a garden around the trees is the seedlings have a chance to grow and can be transplanted. The biggest advantage to he who mows is less grass to mow and the obstacle (tree) is no longer in his way.
You can see the new pump house in the background. I can paint it now, even though it has no roof yet. The roof will be steel, like the main building. If I'm not mowing or weeding, I'm painting. Plenty of picnic tables await my brush.
Camper Harvey gave this wishing well to me for Christmas. He made it from some pallets that were to be thrown away. That always makes me happy ..... re-using resources. So, I need to plant something in it.
I hesitate to fill it with dirt, afraid it will eventually rot the wood. If I use a container that is too shallow, it will be difficult to keep the plants watered, as well as making the wishing well top heavy and prone to be blown over by the wind.
I want to use sweet potato plants. I tried putting them in hanging baskets last year and they did not do well until I took them down and planted them in the ground. Petunias come to mind. I can't decide if I want to stain it barn red or white wash it. It is cedar, so it will age to that grayish color and I like that, too. Things to ponder in the night ....... Any ideas are welcome.
I started the day with weeding. Dandelions plague my gardens. I pulled a bucket full out of this bed. My tulips are so happy with the space.
Then I weeded this little bed and planted some gladiola bulbs and mowed around my apple tree. I mow around all my trees and gardens. Makes life easier for he who mows. He is loathe to step off the mower and actually move things that may be in his way. If he is unable to push it out of his way with the mower, he will simply mow around it. If a limb is hanging too low ....... well he might just snap it off.
I managed to dig a trench around half this bed and then pull all the weeds out, mostly dandelions. I don't care how carefully I mulch in the fall, I still have them come springtime. The winds and water tend to shift the barrier under all that mulch.
This is the other half of that bed. I got tired of pulling and my muscles are aching. Mostly my butt muscles. I bend and pull and I kneel and pull. But either way it is my biggest muscle that aches.
Stray grass and dandelion fill the wheel barrow.
But, really, is there anything more satisfying than pulling the whole root up out of the ground? I admit to liking the snapping sound when using that tool that breaks the root. But I just love seeing the whole root come up. I wonder if it is edible. The leaves are. No. I am not going to wash and cook the roots I pulled.
I was pleasantly tired, but decided to push the mower through the grass. It is still wet here, but I swear I can see the grass growing. He who mows cautioned me about wet spots. Apparently, he does not heed his own advice. His mower stands marooned in the mud. He made matters worse when he almost got his truck stuck in the same wet area as he tried to pull the mower out. I waved occasionally as I mowed.
He finally freed his machine, loaded it on the trailer and left to take it to the car wash to get all the mud off. Soon as he left, my mower quit running and refused to start. I can't say that I was unhappy. I decided to take some pictures of my morning's work.
As I walked back to the house, I spied my next dandelion adventure. Tomorrow. The afternoon will be spent getting the new wall up that will insure my privacy; then getting ready to break through the store wall (break on through to the other side?). This will increase my retail space by 1/3. I lose my living room. I created a cozy seating area for us and our dogs. Just a love seat and a chair will fit, along with a couple side tables and the TV that resides upon my dresser that will not fit in the bedroom.
This is why the trim work in my bathroom remains unfinished. The bathroom is functional and I love the way it will look. Soon. Soon as I finish the wall and the new store area. I will dedicate one whole wall to my sewing projects. Kathy's Klothesline. I am going to display some things on a line with clothes pins. Some on hangers and some on display racks.
But today is all about the weed ......
Time is the only cure for grief. I keep expecting to see my little angel in so many places. Her favorite clump of clover where she liked to lay in the backyard, her pillow on the floor, her spot on the couch. When I handed out treats I expected to see her little face turned up towards me.
Oscar has been looking for her. He isn't frantic, but he keeps looking in all the likely places. Wall-E seems to know that she is not coming back. He has been my constant companion, sitting in her old spot on the couch, snug against my leg. He is a comfort. Toni Louise is oblivious. She didn't interact much with Emmy. Nothing seems to bother her and she makes me laugh with her daily antics. Comfort in a different way.
I woke early this morning with a heavy heart and took the crew out. It was raining and the temperature has dropped. I decided to go back to bed for just a bit. I climbed into bed and lay on my side and fell into a deep sleep. I came awake slowly as Toni was sniffing at my face. My belly was very warm and I reached down to pet Emmy, since that was her spot when I lay on my side. My hand found Wall-E. I was so disappointed as I came fully awake and remembered that my sweet little Emmy was gone.
It will be a long, sad day.
Twelve years ago a litter of tiny puppies made their way into the world. In that particular batch was an exquisite little girl destined to live her life with our family. She was so tiny and so perfect. Chosen to be a mate to our Oscar. I was totally smitten with Oscar. So much so, that I wanted a wife dog for him and a million little Oscars and Emmy's to award the world with.
When we arrived at the breeders home there were many miniature breeds to choose from, but I had my heart set on one that would match my Oscar. And that is how she was chosen by he who loves dogs as much as I do. She was so tiny that she rode home in his shirt pocket. I was busy reassuring my Oscar that he was still my most favorite dog in the world. He still believes this to be a truth today. Emmy was to be the dog of my husband. I already had three and they were all loyal to me first. My Collie protected me, the Saint Bernard ignored him, and Oscar was my baby.
Emmy changed the order of things in our lives from the start. She managed to be every body's favorite. She was happy to be loved by the one holding her. She was the puppy our old Saint never had. Louise loved her little charge and Emmy returned the favor by grooming the ears of all the dogs in our house. A vet once told me I had the cleanest ears of any dogs he had ever seen. There were times when I was afraid she had actually entered Louise's head.
Emmy gave birth to three little girls and they all found good homes where they were loved as much as Emmy and Oscar are. I was smitten with my tiny girl by then and wanted some pups that looked more like her, since all three of her puppies looked exactly like Oscar. We found a long hair doxie weighing in at 4 lbs (she weighed 6 lbs.) for her to mate with, but he died before they had a chance. Then Emmy jumped from the couch and broke her back. It was just not meant to be.
Emmy died this afternoon. She had been in pain for quite some time. Emmy never complained. Even when she had surgery and had to learn to use her legs again. But this past weekend she would cry out occasionally when she was being lifted or another dog would get too close. Last night she whimpered all night. She could not seem to get comfortable, even when I held her.
She fell asleep in my arms in the car. I think that was the only sleep she got in the past 24 hours. I held her while she went to sleep for the last time. I know I did the right thing, but my heart is broken today and I am missing her sweet presence.
Mr. Froggy has a big announcement ....... it is official, Spring is here!
See my two lips, oops, I meant tulips. The first ones this year. They stand straight and tall as the daffodils bob drunkenly in the wind.
More are waiting to bloom.
If that does not convince you, then this should ...... weeds are popping up through the pool surround. Round-Up is in my future.
Although it is still very wet, I had to mow the back yard. It was half-way to my knees and the forecast is for rain tonight and three more days. So I asked he who is manly and strong to start the mower for me (it is always hard to start the first time). He told me is was too wet. Emphatically. So, I had abandoned the idea and was about to go for a walk with my little old lady dog (I was walking, she was in my arms).
Then I heard the mower and went to the back yard. I had planned on picking up all the dog toys, but he who mows was pushing the mower through the deepest grass. I took control of the machine. Toni Louise was in crazy dog heaven as I carefully side stepped her many holes and bent down every few minutes to toss one of her toys out of the way. Wall-E, the wonder dog, followed in my wake carefully sniffing and looking for long buried treasures.
Yes, two lips don't lie. Spring is here. I have mud caked on my feet with grass clippings and paint under my fingernails. It is the mad rush to get the park ready for the season. I have two sheets of sheetrock laying on two pieces of cement board laying on the store floor. In front of the coke machine and ice machine. It is for the wall that will facilitate enlarging the store..............
Before you have the chance to even wonder, I will go ahead and tell you that the bathroom is still not done. As much as I want to enforce the finishing of one project before moving on to the next, I can't. I spent the weekend fetching sodas and BBQ sauce for people because I know where to step on the sheetrock without breaking it. I need to have ice delivered and I need to fill the coke machine and put merchandise up ....... You see where I am going with this.
In case you are wondering why it is in the store and not in the room it is going in, let me remind you that I have a cantakerous old dachshund who would feel the need to mark this new material to claim it for our dwelling. If he who fancies himself a carpenter had his way, he would go ahead and knock the wall out between the store and the current living room, then worry about putting everthing back together. He is impulsive, he who builds.
So, my new project is to facilitate the moving of the building materials ......... and mow between rain showers.
The clouds that gathered yesterday culminated in a major hail storm. Looks like mothballs on the ground, doesn't it?
The winds blew. See my drain pipe that is supposed to be attached to the gutter and rain barrel?
And the hail kept on coming down.
The puppy, Toni enjoyed the storm. She loves to eat ice, so to her it looked like treats raining down. She raced all over the yard and couldn't decide which one she wanted.
That was last night. Compared to my day that was calm. I shall share a helpful hint related to the taking of pills. I have one that is to be taken as soon as I wake. I will usually take it with a sip of coffee, or water. I was waiting for the coffee to brew, and out of bottled water. I spied my 2 litre bottle of Dr. Pepper 10, my new guilty pleasure. It was about 1/3 full. It is mine. I am the only one who drinks it, so I grabbed it and tossed the pill in mouth and took a sip straight out of the 2 liter bottle. I promptly tripped on a dog and the pill went into the bottle. I could see it floating and tried to tip the bottle just right to get it out. My efforts failed and the pill began to dissolve. I drank it all to get the pill. I wanted black coffee and this ruined my entire morning.
I know, you are wondering why I just didn't take another pill and throw the dosed soda away. Because I am cheap, that's why. I prefer to be called thrifty. But it never occurred to me to throw it away, even though my stomach hurt all morning. You would think I had lived through the Great Depression. I didn't.
In my annoyed state of mind, I answered the ringing phone. It was The Squatter. The Squatter took up residence here at the kampground one night while the rest of the world slept. I awoke to discover his small RV and stuff on one of my premium sites. I checked the drop box and found that he had left a registration form that I could barely read and a lone ten dollar bill. He indicated that this was a deposit and the amount due was "?". I offered to go clear the matter up, but he who is the man of the house told me to stay put. Over a week later, he has still not paid up. His new story was that he was going to change some yen into US currency and pay me .....
He wanted me to come and look at his yen, you know, so I would know he was telling the truth. I told him the only thing I wanted to see was him leaving the park. Another offer to be shown his yen only made me more emphatic about his eviction. Show me his yen, indeed.
I bumbled around and did a few chores, longing to be outside, but the ground is too soggy and keeps oozing up over my flip flops. He who was on a mission to purchase a sand blaster (he says it will cost more to rent one than to buy one) asked if I might like to tag along. We drove 60 miles to be told that they were out of them. Now, I assumed that he had checked and affirmed that the Harbor Freight store we went to had what he wanted in stock. I verbally attacked the poor sales person and indicated that they should update the website more often. Really, who knew there would be a run on sand blasters? There went two hours of my life I will never get back, not to mention the cost of fuel and the fact that I can still smell Harbor Freight. Smells like tires.
Came back home to find a message that indicated two campers had pulled in while I was away and they could not find any full hook-up sites. Irritated, I called the number they left. The man told me no less than 4 times that no-one was here when they came in and that we didn't have any full hook-up sites. I have over 50 full hook-up sites and over half of them are unoccupied. he told me they waited "for hours" and no-one showed up. I looked at the caller ID and time of the call and they left maybe 10 minutes before we got home and were here about 20 minutes. They had reservations and he wanted to know if I was going to charge him, saying there were no registration forms out. They took one (I count them, remember, I am cheap). He said there was nothing to indicate which sites were full hook-ups. When I told him there was a legend on the map, he said, "Oh, I see it now." Liar, liar pants on fire. No, I didn't charge them.
I know exactly what happened. When they made the reservations and scheduled the trip, they didn't anticipate stopping so early and my absence was a good excuse to travel further towards their destination. Not only cheap, I am smart, too.
I decide to prepare dinner, in hopes that the day might end. No sooner do I start to cup up a chicken and the phone rings. He who loves to be in my good graces asked if I would like for him to grill the chicken. I accept this offer and wash my hands again to continue with my task. A camper comes in. Wash, dry, register, take money. Wash dry, grab dead bird and knife again. Phone rings, wash, dry, answer. "I have a strange request ....." Go ahead, try to shock me. "I know some people who live way out in the country near where you are and I need a faxed document to be delivered."
Okay, so you did. I lied and told the man I didn't have a fax machine. Back to the chicken cutting adventure and my camper is back. The faucet doesn't work.
I am closed now. The chicken is in the oven and he who plumbs is fixing a pipe. I don't care if we eat or not. I swear I can still feel the Dr. Pepper sloshing around in my belly. I want a do-over!
