I cleaned my house today!! The entire living area. I swept, I mopped and I vacuumed. I dusted and sweated and I think I may have collected enough dog hair to make a rather large dog. Now that I think about it, maybe I could have used that dog hair in my Halloween creations ….
It all started when I decided to make my own spider web. I have used those stringy things you buy in a package before, but I hate the clean up. We get pretty strong wind here, so it will blow chunks of it onto the grass, along with my spiders.
I researched and pondered possibilities. One suggestion was to use cotton clothesline and white yarn. While the clothesline would definitely be strong enough, it seemed like over-kill to me. After all, isn't it supposed to be thin and gossamer-like?
I like to think about things as I go about my day and it should come as no surprise that I found just what I was looking for. A used water filter. The kind that look like twine wound round the core. Stronger than yarn and not as stretchy. Worked great and cost nothing!!
A work in progress. The child in the cage. I visited the thrift store and scored the outfit, plus shoes for $1.37! The clothes baskets came from the Dollar Tree and I always have black spray paint. You can see the can right there in the picture! Today I added some chain and a padlock. Changed up some stuff and added a cauldron for the witch to stir. Final pictures in a future post.
Back to the skeletons and spider webs. HeWho bought a dog skeleton for me! He knows I am too cheap to spend $8 on it!
My skeleton bride always makes an appearance this time of year. She is old. She made her very first appearance at my daughter, Jill's bridal shower. Almost 20 years old, she has held up well! Could that be her groom behind her? Under the "groom" is a rat skeleton. Another spider web to hold the spider skeletons.
Kamper Stacy found this frog skeleton for me! Love it!
This side is finished. I have four sections on the front. Another spider web is full of spiders with bats coming soon. Another section will feature witches and cats and the fourth will be all about jack-o-lanterns.
I added some creatures to sit in the rockers today. I am having fun with this and I still have the pavilion to decorate ……. not to mention Spooky Trail.
We will be having a Halloween celebration on October 26. Great fun, good food and scary times around a bonfire coming soon!
Meet Maisy. Maisy is a resident in good standing here. She is a sweet girl, Miss Maisy. She visits me from time to time. Her head reaches me about chest high.
Always friendly and happy to have some pets and love from me, She seems to like HeWho loves dogs the best.
He does share crackers with her. Here they are making out. Am I jealous? Not so much. After all I have been his main squeeze for almost 44 years.
Maisy is easy to love, until she whacks you with that lethal tail! I do have a bruise or two that was dealt by her. All worth it to have a hug form her.
This is one of my happy places. It is cool in the shade and a slight breeze wafts by occasionally. If only I could sit for a spell.
This is a weed. What kind? I do not know. It started growing at the edge of my yard a few years back and a neighbor told me I needed to pull it up, as it was a weed and an invasive one at that. I decided to let it be and see what it would do. I like this weed. I installed an app on my phone that identifies plants, but it failed to identify this one. It is about two and a half feet tall and blooms late summer. I like it, it provides some nice color this time of year. Invasive? Sort of, but it invaded an area between the lawn and the road that fails to grow anything else, so I am kind of happy about that. It helps define the yard and prevents people (HeWho) from driving on my carefully tended grass.
I found a pair of frog planters long ago. They now sport a wonderful patina that would be hard to duplicate. They have no drainage holes. I actually broke one of them when I tried to lightly tap a hole in the bottom. I still use it, I just sort of shove the two pieces together and plant something in it.
It is time to change the season. My red, white and blue theme has to go to make way for spider webs and skeletons. These are hard to see, but they were the tall zinnias that were in the giant planters in front. They are still blooming and there was no way I was going to lift the planters they were in, so I transplanted all of them, finishing this morning. They seem to be happy in their new location. Time will tell.
Yes, I did sleep last night. I am still a bit grumpy. I have decided I prefer the company of my gardens or my dogs over people. Maybe I just need a vacation.
While I was hanging sheets on the line this morning, the phone rang. Nothing new about the phone ringing. The caller inquired about a site for tomorrow night. I asked if he would need 50 amp or 30 amp. If you have an RV, you know what I am talking about.
I confess that when we were simply RVers I could not have answered that question. HeWho does all things electric and sewer related was in charge of that. I was in charge of the inside stuff. Cooking, cleaning, dogs and such. I am not ashamed to admit that I like it that way.
That was then, this is now. I need that information in order to place the RV in the correct site. I can't really answer the question about having availability without knowing this. I have no 50 amp sites available for this weekend. I have had people tell me that it really doesn't make a difference, they can use either and I will tell them how many of each I have left.
The caller says, "It is just a typical RV." I took a deep breath and explained that I have only 30 hook-ups available for this weekend. He again tells me that it is typical. I ask for particulars as I try to determine his electrical needs. "How many air conditioners?" I ask. He replies, "It has air conditioning." I try again, "How many units?" He does not know. I try a different tactic. "Does the plug have three prongs or four prongs?" He is unsure, I hear him ask someone else (wife?). She tells him it is just a plug-in. He tells me it is just a typical RV plug.
So many questions fill my head. "Have you ever seen the plug?" "Have you ever used the RV?" "If so, who helped you with that plug, perhaps they know what it looks like?" I can usually figure out what the camper needs with a few questions if the answer is not "typical".
I sincerely hope that I am in a better frame of mind when this typical camper comes in tomorrow. I may have to let HeWho take care of this one.
I am so happy this day is over! Had a super productive day yesterday. Got all the mowing done and transplanted about 100 mum seedlings and still had time to bake a cake and make a pizza. Checked the app on my phone to find that I had walked 12,733 steps, or 4.9 miles.
You would think that I would be tired enough to sleep, but I was still up at 3:30 this morning looking for something to make me sleep. My mind would not close down. I went to bed and finally drifted off. I have no idea how long I slept before Martha, the boy cat, still inside for whatever reason, decided to pounce on Eddie and wake me.
Note, I said that Eddie's yelp woke ME. HeWho is oblivious to his surroundings when sleeping, grunted, and turned over. He slept on, while I struggled to recapture my dream. I was up by 8 to tend to doggie bladders. I toyed with the idea of crawling back in bed. Instead I decided to cancel my plans for grocery shopping and stay here.
It was pleasant outside, a light wind and overcast. I walked out to clip the huge spent sunflower from it's stalk and ended up weeding around the fence that contains the pool. Since I chose to stay home, HeWho "needed" to make a trip to Walmart for new tires. He took off with Kevin and they spent half the day waiting on the tires. He did bring me a meatless whopper from the Burger King. My big reward. Ended up being my breakfast, lunch and dinner. Indigestion for dessert.
I will admit that I have been less than pleasant to be around and was happy to be left to my own devices. I stayed outside as long as I could after the clouds blew over and sun shone down with a vengeance, then I came in, hoping to have a nap. I half-dozed while listening to Hot Bench dole out some justice. Then went back outside to attend to more gardening chores.
I dragged the hose across the parking lot to water my fledgling mums while I transplanted more plants and strung some fairy lights in one of my gardens. Sometimes I wish I was invisible, even though it was past closing time and I was intent on my task, I was hunted down. For quarters. I was on my way back in to the office to fulfill the quarter order when I saw that someone had run over the connection of two hoses and the parking lot was flooded, while the mums were dry.
Annoyed, I turned off the water and gathered up my hoses. I decided to call it a day and come inside and get showered. I got the water going and wet my hair. I applied the shampoo and had the bottle in my hand, the lid between my teeth when suddenly there was NO hot water. I was not expecting ice water to cascade down my back.
I gasped and the man who never hears anything demanded to know "what's wrong?". I was trying to get my hands free to get to the shower head. He kept demanding an answer, so I yelled at him while still holding the cap to the shampoo bottle in my mouth.
I am so happy the day is over and now I am going to bed. Maybe I will sleep, maybe I won't.
We had Cub Scouts for the weekend. A former seasonal kamper is one of the leaders and made the arrangements. Everything was so organized! The kids were very polite and so cute.
Saturday morning I went out to check on the bathrooms and found a couple of boys waiting to brush their teeth. I told them to use the ladies room, since it was not occupied. The look of horror on the faces!! They declined, telling me that the sign on the door said "WOMEN"!!
Sweet innocence, why can't they stay that way? Kudos to the parents of this group of children. I kept the pool open for them and the weather cooperated for a lovely weekend. And now the pool is closed for the season. Time for a break!
Every time you think you have seen it all ....
and heard it all, you discover you haven't.
I was on my way to my annual visit with my cardiologist when the news came on the radio. Walmart is about to open their very first stand alone health clinic. I was blissfully unaware that some of the Walmart super stores have clinics in them. I knew that some of the Target stores had them. One stop shopping on a whole new level.
Is this the newest approach to health care? When you go to a clinic or an emergency room, you are well aware that you might be exposed to some very sick people and could possibly get even sicker. I have been to some facilities that have separate waiting areas. One for those who have are there for a check-up and then another for those who are sick.
I wonder what will distinguish this Walmart clinic form other urgent care facilities? The one-stop shopping will not factor in. I am sure they will be similar to other clinics and accept insurance in any form. Will they offer roll-back prices? They already administer flu shots and other vaccines in the pharmacy.
Will the Walmart medical clinic slowly start to add merchandise? You know, just a few items related to taking care of yourself. Pain relievers and cough remedies, then a full aisle of vitamins and supplements. Bandages and heating pads. Then, before you know it, deodorant and shampoo. The "waiting area" will slowly be taken up with aisles of goods pertaining to your health and well being. they will start with just baskets to haul your merchandise in and soon carts will appear. Outside the clinic, of course. They will have to add a structure for the carts. About that time, the "manager" of this new facility that was to be dedicated to health care will decide there should be a small aisle for chicken noodles soup and juices (drink plenty of fluids) and the entire facility will have to grow to accommodate all the merchandise and a waiting area for all those ailing people who flock to this Walmart health care facility thinking they will get some health care on the cheap, what with the name of the facility including "Walmart" on the front of the building.
I ponder things while driving. My cardiologist is located in Washington. Washington, Missouri, that is. They have a clinic in the hospital in Hermann, Mo. It is a pleasant drive, about 20 miles on a two lane road meandering through farmland and woods. On the way you are on a decline as you slowly make your way to the Missouri river. Once over the bridge, you find yourself in the quaint little town of Hermann.
Bed and breakfast, bakeries and antique stores line the streets as you drive very slowly through the town and begin the ascent to the road leading to the hospital and a winery. Even though my check-up found me a few pounds lighter with an excellent blood pressure, I did not decide that a wine tasting was in order. It was only 9 am, after all.
As I exited the hospital through the main door on the front of the building and headed to my car, I looked up to see a black truck parked right there at the entrance in what I thought was a handi-cap space. The windows were open and in the driver's seat sat a man engaged in the process of brushing his teeth! His mouth was all foamy with agitated toothpaste. I sorely wanted to whip out my phone and snap a shot of this, but he was looking at me, as I was looking at him.
I got into my car and sat there watching out the rearview mirror, all the while wondering where he was going to spit out the foamy toothpaste, which triggered my gag reflex, so I started home.
The weather acts as if it is confused about the seasons. Actually this happens every year and we all comment about it. Old people talk about the weather a lot and always have. I used to make fun of those old people and now I am one of them.
Back in the day, when HeWho baffles me incessantly, was a young man, he rarely succumbed to weather. Hot weather, cold weather, didn't matter much to him, he was usually in a pair of shorts and barefooted. All of our Christmas photos have him in shorts while the rest of us were dressed more appropriately. Not coats, we lived in Georgia and it was usually in the 70's, but we still had more appropriate attire …. and shoes.
He is old now and prone to chills and such. But, why the man was wearing wool socks recently is a mystery to me. It has been in the upper 80's and
90's and he has donned jeans and a T-shirt every day, but WOOL socks?
I may have complained mentioned a time or two that he is quite fond of the wood stove and will frequently have the temperature in the upper 80's. There have been many nights when I have waited for him to go to sleep, then opened the window so that I could sleep.
As much as he loves heaters in the winter, he loves air conditioners in the summer. After a morning of mowing and weeding I came in to shower and sit down. I use cool water in the shower as I am usually drenched in sweat. After my shower, I dressed and came in to sit down for a spell. After about 10 minutes, I was freezing! He had the thermostat set on 62. Said he was comfortable. Must have been the day he wore those wool socks!
I was weeding along the side of one of my many gardens with my bare hands. Gloves just get in the way. I am rethinking that now. I had my handy limb loppers with me as I was cleaning up the trees, as well. I think I actually TOUCHED the snake when I grabbed a handful of weeds and woke him. I lifted him with the loppers and I must have put too much pressure on them, because I cut his head off. OOPS! Alex took a good look at him and told me that he was harmless. He is definitely harmless now.
HeWho was playing on his newest toy (Bobcat) found this flat rock and brought it to me. I used a couple of stumps and a 2X12 that was laying in the wood pile to create a nice little bench to sit and contemplate the world. I think it would make a nice setting for a family portrait.
I added some mums to this garden by the exit for some nice fall color. The creeping Charlie has filled in nicely around my rocks.
Another garden near the entrance needed some color as well. I think another flat of mums would be nice.
A close up of my little bench. I still have some more weeding to do behind that bench. Lavender lilies will be back come spring, then the red bee balm will fill in with more color. There is always marigolds. They provide lots of color into October.
To the right of that bench was a huge cluster of poison ivy. I bit the bullet and attacked it head on. I even used a shovel to get to the root of the problem and pulled it up! Then I rushed inside and hit the shower with some ivy wash. I am keeping my fingers crossed that I will not develop a full rash. Hope runs deep.
I have been lazy since the holiday weekend and things have been slow. We would normally close the pool by now, but I have a cub scout troop booked for this weekend, so I have decided to keep it open for them. After that, I will be done with the pool for the season.
Not that the pool maintenance has been an issue for me. Kamper Craig has things well in hand. Looks like we will be painting again in the Spring. So much for the paint that was supposed to last for 6 years.
Now I am off to another day of cleaning up garden beds and to see what kind of mess I can get myself into.
I woke early and prepared for a trip to the grocery in town. A meat sale was in progress and I was still in need of the elusive celery salt I have been searching for.
It is Friday, the busiest day of the week for campgrounds. Since I needed only a few things, I was sure I would return before I was needed in the office. While at Walmart earlier in the week, I did not get a few things, as the shelves were bare. Not only that, despite the fact that the store was not that busy with shoppers, it was hard to navigate the grocery section with all those big shelves of blue bins on wheels blocking aisles.
Personally, I would not want someone else choosing my groceries for me, especially the produce. I arrived home only 10 minutes later than the store was to open. Unloaded the car and escaped to the kitchen to repackage all the meat. And put the celery salt I found for a mere 99 cents on the spice rack.
I headed to the freezer with my meats all packaged for 2 people. I was all set to rotate the stuff to the front of the freezer while putting the just purchased items in the back. This is when I discovered that the freezer was not working properly. The stuff was cold and the compressor was on, but some items were thawed.
This turn of events was just uncalled for!! I took the still frozen items to the ice cream freezer in the store and threw away all the questionable items. Took several trips to the dumpster and lots of rearranging in the ice cream freezer to put all my stuff behind the ice cream.
HeWho mows was doing just that. I texted him " freezer died, so I emptied it and put good stuff in store freezer, tossed the rest and unplugged it" He replied "OK, be right there." For what? Did he think I needed help. Or maybe he wanted to check to see if I did it right? Congratulate me?
I could almost hear a deep, put upon, poor me sigh as he texted that he would be "right there". Just imagine his happiness at not having to lift a finger to assist me. I even cooked a decent meal! It has been slow today. No complaints from me. I even had the opportunity to change our sheets and vacuum the entire house and the store.
I am thinking it is a good time to change my store hours. Do I really need to be here until 9 pm? I usually change my hours after October, but where is it written that I can't do it now?
Despite feeling pretty crappy, life goes on and I had to fill the shelves left bare after the holiday weekend. The main item I needed was an air filter for my mower. Usually the job of HeWho, obtaining parts and installing them, I voluteered to go get one after he failed to find one in our tiny town.
He was busy, after all. Digging up the sewer pipe at the shower house. We limped through the weekend without the men's side. Thank goodness for the one stall on the main building.
Did I really want to go to Walmart? No. But who am I to stop a sewer excavation? Last time my car was used, it was for a trip to the hospital for Kevin and Alex and HeWho drove. I dispatched him to get all of his crap out of my car and make sure their was plenty of fuel, then to start the car and turn the air on. I wash his clothes and cook his food!
But I am off track again. For whatever reason, people will ask me for help while shopping. No, I do not have a blue or yellow vest on sporting a name tag. Maybe I just look like someone who knows a lot. While that is true, I don't know everything ... yet.
I was looking in the spices for celery salt. It is one of those spices I always keep on hand. But I have been unable to find it lately. While carefully reading all the labels, even though they would appear to be in alphabetical order, I heard a woman ask where she could find vanilla extract. since it was right there in the same area, I pointed it out.
After a couple of minutes of unsuccessfully searching for my celery salt, I heard her again. She wanted to know where she could find one that did not contain alcohol. Is there such a thing? I thought all extracts had alcohol in them. Maybe the imitation extract, but that label showed alcohol, as well. She was making Rice Krispie treats. Healthy ones, she said. Once again, I wonder if there is such a thing and why it would matter if there was alcohol in the extract. Is she using the entire bottle?
I didn't voice my questions out loud. But she was quick to exclaim that she had NEVER heard of celery salt. I have always had a small can in my spice rack for my entire married life and I promise, it really exists!
When last I posted I mentioned a c-pap machine. HeWho has one. Lots of people I know use them and I am quite certain that if we all submitted to a sleep study, there would be many more c-pap machines in use.
When I went for my initial check-up on Medicare, I was offered a sleep study. I declined. While it might well be beneficial for me, the thought of the scuba gear contraption stuck to my face and head does not sound like something I would want to do.
I was chastised about saying that the breathing apparatus was "just" a c-pap. HeWho says he sleeps much better with his and I believe him. But, be that as it may, the lack of the apparatus is far from life-threatening. It does not "keep you alive".
Okay, now on to the stories of the weekend.
You might recall the outdoor game we added in early July. Golf Billiards. Really more for adults than children. Children seem to want to hit the balls too hard. Early on, the cue ball was hit so hard it broke in half. The kids who did it, brought it to me and apologized.
Cue balls are sold separately and relatively inexpensive. I will admit that I did try to super glue it back together, but there were small chips missing. I was told it would just break again the first time someone hit it. I had all intentions of saving it to use somehow in one of my fairie gardens, but HeWho likes all things disposable threw it away.
The game was in play all weekend and seemed to be a big hit. You have to come into the office to get the putters and the billiard balls, so I sort of know who has it at any given time. You SHOULD return the items to the office when done, but on Sunday, they were just turned over to some kids.
The youngest child whacked the 9 ball and broke it. I will be forced to buy an entire set again. On the bright side, we will have lots of spares!
Sunday seemed to be the day for mischief. Some other kids were walking around with a bat. For whatever reason they decided to use the bat to hit my apples into the pool and all over the grounds. No reason, they just wanted to and there was the tree with all the apples just hanging there. You can have an apple and eat it, but don't hit them just to be destructive. The father disciplined them and I am okay with that.
Other than the noise from the evicted campers, the weekend was quite pleasant. Over cast on Friday and Saturday, it kept the temperature down and the young swimmers were not discouraged at all. We sold lots of firewood and Pringles. Ice cream, too. I still don't get the attraction of Pringles, but that is just me.
I can't seem to summon up much energy since the weekend. It is Wednesday and there is plenty to be done, but I am just blah. A little dizzy, a little queasy and very worthless!
Finally, the most wonderful day of the week has arrived! I am really tired today, as I watch campers leaving. I wave and tell them to come again and smile. I will be ready to see all these people again by Memorial Day, really, I will. Most of them.
So, last night was awful. Two disturbances that woke me, then sleep evaded me. First disturbance was the family being evicted. They could not leave until today because they were blocked in. So, not only did they not pay their rent, they prevented me from incurring revenue from the site they sit upon and created a hostile environment for those around them. The camper in front of them, having actually paid for his site did not want to break up camp and move for them to get out.
They spent their time bad-mouthing me to anyone who would listen. And those they spoke to came right up to the office to tell me what they said. Late last night as I was drifting off in the land of slumber we got a call about the son creating a lot of banging noises outside their camper. I dispatched HeWho to the site and then could not regain my drowsiness. I managed to doze off much later, then woke with a start. No sure why I woke, but realized the other half of my bed was empty.
I got up to investigate and found Toni Louise in a tither at the office door and HeWho nowhere to be found. I looked at the monitor to see the parking lot and his truck was gone. Then I looked at my phone to see 10 calls from the same number and two sarcastic voice messages. The caller had apparently tripped a breaker and he was saying that he had no power and "the breathing machine that keeps me alive" would not work without power. I was tempted to text him back and tell him that if he needed a ventilator he might need to reconsider camping. I am sure it was just a c-pap.
In any event, HeWho handles electrical problems took care of it. Most men would have simply gone over to the power box and located the breaker and flipped it back on. Even I know how to do that.
I can hardly wait for bedtime and it is only 11AM. I might need a nap today.
As I sit here, sipping coffee and trying to wake up, I glance at a magazine cover on my desk in the stack of yesterday's mail and see that Kelly Clarkson never thought she would be this happy. I never thought I would be this tired!
We are filled to capacity and I am facing another long day stuck in this store. I wonder why being in here makes me so tired? I am not this tired on the days I mow and tend gardens. I am free to sit here doing nothing when I am not busy with customers. I would much rather be busy. I did manage to paint another sign while confined to the building. But I was so tired when I finally was able to lock the door last night.
My work kampers stepped up and have been a God send the past few days. My buddy Alex loves to deliver wood to sites and he has had a workout this weekend. It is cloudy and dreary in the 60's and 70's. Perfect for a campfire. We have made a huge dent in the huge woodpile. Thanks to Craig and Alex for their hard work splitting and stacking wood. HeWho has been kept busy with electric and sewer issues.
For my part, I always carefully chart out the sites and do my best to accommodate everyone's needs. It is not easy, this positioning of campers. I will always fail to make someone happy. This time, though, I really messed up. Last week I spilled a cup of coffee on my desk ….. on the chart. I had to re-create it and parts of it were illegible. I did my best and made some calls to verify the number of sites in a party, but like I said, some were illegible.
I managed to turn a party of two with the same last name into a party of one. I apologized and put them in sites together in the non-sewer area where I had cancellations and gave them a huge discount. Due to all the cancellations I had some wiggle room and was able to let another party of two call a friend who had not made reservations and get him in a site next to them. Oddly enough, this is where all my complaints are coming from. They keep tripping the breaker and swearing they are not using any appliances. Air conditioners are not needed and the only thing I can think of that would pull on the power load and trip it is an electric heater. The man just called me again and said his wife was still sleeping and they were not using anything and the breaker tripped again, not 15 minutes after HeWho went over and turned them back on.
Back to work kampers. I never ask a work kamper to do something I would not do myself. The shower house and the bathrooms on the main building are a constant. Have to be attended to daily and sometimes twice a day when we have a full park. So, when people express an interest in working off their rent, this is one of the jobs I offer.
I can tend to the main building easily enough. But the other bathhouse is across the park. I used to do that one before I opened the store and after I closed, but that extended my work time to 14 hours a day on the weekend. That is if everything was running smoothly. Nowadays, I turn over that responsibility to HeWho has more help than I do. I am old, you know!
Seems like every time I get a worker to clean bathrooms, they start off like gang busters, then slack off completely. I never just assume the job is being done, I will look into the bathrooms when I am outside and make sure their is paper and hand soap and the floors will always tell the story. So, of course the person who accepted the responsibility just stopped cleaning them altogether last week. I tend to think she quit before that on the day she interrupted me while I mowed to ask to be paid in cash for her "hours" and I refused. We had paid her the month before with cash to help her get on her feet, but her rent was late and work camping is about taking that money off the rent.
So, the rent has not been paid, was due on the 12th and they have decided to pull out today, having no regards for what they owe. Cutting our losses, I am just happy to see them go. I sure could have used their site to actually make some money and help with the bathrooms would have been great on a holiday weekend. Karma ….
Such is life. I really miss one of my old work kampers. She went a little crazy cleaning, but I always knew the job would be done and done to the extreme. You could have eaten off the floor when she finished! She would watch that bathhouse all day and rush in to clean after every use even though I tried to convince her that was not necessary. Miss her!
