Just Ducky

While waiting for the fog to burn off so that I can go out and play in the dirt I was catching up on my reading in the Land of Blog. Over at Casa Hice there were geese!! A little video to watch and the sound of honking roused my fur babies out of their nap. Took me back in time .........


We lived in Albany, Georgia, many, many years ago when my children were in elementary and middle school. One year was memorable ....... I think I will call it the year of the duck. Jeff and Jill were in middle school, with a duck pond close by. We lived within walking distance, although they would no doubt disagree with me on that.


Jill's science class took on the project of hatching ducks that year. I am sure that the eggs were harvested at the infamous duck pond mentioned earlier. I was vaguely aware of this endeavor as we would hear talk around the dinner table of school happenings. I was working at a fabric store during this time. I started part-time for the discount on my purchases and eventually became the manager, then a district manager; but that is another story. Like all working moms, my day off was devoted to house cleaning.


One particular day I was tackling Jeff's room. Actually his room was the easiest to do normally. This day I was pulling the sheets off his bed ........... his water bed. (Hey, it was the 80's!!) I noticed that the sheets felt really warm as I grabbed them and started pulling. Puzzled, I checked the thermostat and noted that he had it on the highest temp. I fixed that and made a mental note to tell him later and ask why he wanted it so high. As I pulled the sheets and pillows I discovered the reason ............


A duck egg. In the bed. In the hot bed, under a pillow. He was going to try to hatch a duck. He was no doubt sleeping on top of the comforter, careful not to disturb his treasure, sweating all night. He had risked being chased and bitten by a duck to grab this egg. This egg that his mom disposed of unceremoniously. All I could think was the egg rotting and cracking in the bed. I did admire his ingenuity while I was tossing out his treasure, in a house that already housed too many pets.


Ironically, when Jill's class witnessed the ducklings break out of their shells and make their debut into the world she volunteered to take one home. She named him Howard and he was, without doubt, the meanest animal in our unlikely menagerie of pets. He loved her, but would chase and bite anyone else. The poor meter reader was always under attack at our house. He was initially scared of our St. Bernard, Nicholas (yes, his name was St. Nicholas and was a Christmas present to the kids). Little did he know that he would eventually be bitten by a duck and chased by a guinea pig named Harriet.

Cans, Trashcans, and Bulbs Arising

The current weather has left me uninspired. Dreary is the only word to describe the day. All weekend it rained. A steady miserable drizzle of rain. Just enough to keep you indoors. Wasn't that cold ..... unless you got wet. I have plenty of indoor projects, but I want to go outside!!!!


The sun peeked out at times today and I was able to pull some weeds and clean some flower beds and .......... I saw some of my bulbs poking up through the ground!!!!! I am excited to see my garden come alive. The phone beckoned and I had to go inside and take some reservations. By the time I finished the sun was hiding and it has been dull and dreary since. I can smell rain in the air and the forecast has promised two days of it.


Not to be confined, I went back out side and proceeded to empty trashcans that have thawed. I donned my gloves and separated the cans that can be recycled before dumping the contents into the dumpster. It is a nasty job, but I almost filled a huge contractors bag that will fit a 45 gallon can. We have recycle containers throughout the park, but ............. I suppose when you are "vacationing" it seems like too much trouble. I just hate to fill the dumpster with things that can be recycled. Not that I am the Green Queen so much as I am .............. cheap. I installed a larger dumpster last year to accommodate all the pipeline families living here, now that they are gone I want to take advantage of the size and pay for fewer pick-ups.


Everything is strangely "on schedule". I am almost afraid to relax, though. We are almost finished replacing all the broken water lines (when I say we, I mean He Who Plumbs). The most I actually do to help with this is turn the water main on and off for him. But, I have projects of my own to accomplish and they seem to be going smoothly. The new food bar area in the store has been painted and installed and is ready to receive the microwave and popcorn machine. I have reviewed four different mini golf manufacturers and chosen the one I want to install. I am hoping to have it in place by May 1, but will settle for having it up and going by Memorial Day. We always have the pool ready by that weekend and we have some major repairs and painting to do this year. It is being drained as I write. Drained into the wet and soggy ground that is slow to drain............



While the pool drains and all the water pipes are working, He Who Plumbs will transform into He Who Plows and start rebuilding the roads. Tons of gravel will soon start to appear and the sound of the tractor will be a constant hum. I will be scrubbing and cleaning the bathrooms and painting the laundry facility. A new deck is to be constructed near the pool to hold the ginormous picnic table I found this weekend. This will be where you enjoy a snack or a smoke. This year I am banning food, drink and cigarettes in the pool area. Hopefully this will eliminate fun things like hours spent skimming tobacco out of the pool because some one thought the skimmer baskets would be a good place to dispose of their cigarette.........


Times a wastin', so I am off to apply a second coat of paint.

Novacaine....Revisited

Ironically, my very first post was about Novocaine. Yesterday I spent three hours in the dentist's chair. My mouth was hinged open wide for at least two and a half of those hours. Today I have an earache and my jaw hurts. I am in a foggy haze as I drink coffee and wait for the allergy meds to hit me.


I arrived bright and early at the dentist office with a smile on my face and a list in my pocket of things to pick up on my way home. I wasn't looking forward to the needle, but wasn't dreading it either. When I was 14 I lost two molars. The dentist my mother took me to shoved a bite block in my mouth and proceeded to try to numb the area around the abscessed tooth and yanked it out. He kept a running conversation with himself and laughed like a maniac as he presented the offensive tooth to me as a souvenir. As a result I am always anxious when I go to the dentist and especially so when I visit one for the very first time. My current dentist is all about alleviating anxiety and the comfort of his patient. So, while I am not thrilled about going, I am not in a cold sweat with anticipation...........



Yesterday began benignly enough as I eased myself into the comfy chair that was lined with a vibrating back massager. After the assistant chained the paper bib around my neck, another assistant arrived with a pre-heated neck pillow and asked if I would like a blanket. So I was all in my happy place when the big guy arrived to numb the chosen area. First he applied the surface number as he talked about what "we" would accomplish on this visit. Then he inserted the needle and I waited to feel the heavy numbness start. Instead, I felt a chill as my heart began to pound rapidly. The chill was followed by a rush of warmth and my heart felt like it was in my throat pounding erratically. I could actually see it beating as my eyes felt like they were bouncing in the sockets in sync with the rhythm. I was light headed, at one point I thought I might lose consciousness. Never had this happen before and don't ever want to experience it again. It only lasted a matter of seconds and left almost as quickly as it came. I was left a little shaky, but okay. The biggest insult was that it did not numb my jaw! Another injection of a different anesthetic was needed to proceed.


Three hours and over $1000 later I arose from the chair and went on my way. I didn't feel particularly good, but wasn't willing to simply drive home without completing my mission. I wondered through WalMart gathering supplies and what not and then drove home. Unloading the car was exhausting and even though I sat down and rested a bit I still felt crappy. I have three more mercury fillings to be removed and replaced. The fillings that came out yesterday were the oldest ones. They had expanded with age and cracked the teeth, requiring an overlay on one tooth. Hopefully we will remove the others before they damage any more teeth.


Today I am sore, but I now have to accomplish today's list as well as finish what I didn't do yesterday. It has occurred to me lately that I am not as young as I used to be! Profound, I know.

Spring Madness

Time is of the essence here at the campground. The snow has thawed and the race is on...........


This is without doubt the busiest time of the year. This is when we fix everything that has broken during the winter and get the park ready for the upcoming season. We will start having campers this month. Already have reservations for said campers. In addition to being outside and helping........ I also need to be with the phone to take reservations.


With daylight savings time about to begin, I will be going to bed early and rising equally early. I stacked firewood all weekend and readied my garden beds to receive seed and plants. Yes, spring has sprung here in my life and so begins another season. I won't be posting with any regularity. Comments on my favorite blogs will be few, but I will be reading.......... I take my laptop to bed instead of a book!


I am quite certain that material too good to ignore will be presenting itself as he who plumbs is getting the pool ready for a new paint job, so stayed tuned, my friends.....

Girls Night Out

On Thursday night my daughter-in-law hired a sitter and all the big girls went out to eat. We went to a place in Stillwater called Marx. The food was fabulous. Even the trip to the ladies room was fun. Check out the "sink".

Where is the sink? It is that slab of granite tilted toward the "drain". I am so glad Diane told me to take my camera with me! Not a stranger there, that is granddaughter, Kenzie.

Kenzie is big sister to the three little ones I was watching.

We were clicking away with our cameras. I really like the green wall. The "sink" was outside the bathrooms between the men's and women's and a two-way mirror from the kitchen overlooks it. I imagine the staff gets a big kick out of watching the patrons try to figure out how to wash their hands.

Two way mirrors on the stall doors, too!

Layla was included with all of us older girls in this adventure. She found the bathroom to be as fun as the rest of us.

Kenzie is 19 and technically falls into the "angst" category. She was at odds with her mom, but we were sitting in a round booth and had no choice once we all sat down! This is Diane, the best daughter-in-law ever! I have truly been blessed with wonderful in-law children.

Love these smiling faces!

Here we are, the seven of us. A very nice gentleman offered to take this shot of our group. From the left is my daughter, Jill, her daughter, Layla, me, Kenzie, Diane, her mom, Barb, and my daughter, Adrienne.

Back to the sink. I bet them all that the minute I let he who plumbs see the pictures he would want to make one just like it. Wish I had bet some big money ........ cause I was right!

Teenage Angst

While I was off duty with watching the three little girls, I went to my daughter's house for dinner and fun with her family. This is my son-in-law sitting in his daughter's lap. He is my favorite son-in-law! Layla is my favorite nine year old granddaughter!

She is sweet and helpful, and an absolute joy to be around. Lovely and creative, like her mom.

I really wanted a family photo, but not everyone would cooperate.

Here is my grand-dog, Georgie. She is 6 months old and already weighs 92 lbs! She has no idea how big she is!

She is very loyal .......... even to my grandson, Gage. Gage is a teenager. He will soon be 15 and his life is full of teenage angst. Remember those years? Every simple thing was complicated and nobody understood you. Well, except for Georgie. He is such a handsome young man when he smiles. I did get some smiles before I left, but didn't have camera in hand.

He doesn't read my blog and I could have put the really funny picture of me and him in here, but I love him and don't want to tempt fate. Teen years don't last forever. Thank goodness!

Big Sister

She is ready for sleep with her new buddy Mr. Sock Monkey!

It was a little hard to get a picture of Maya alone. Jada sees the camera and manages to put herself in the picture whenever possible. All set for bed on the first night with Gramma. I confess that we tricked Jada so that Maya could sleep with me!

She was "helping" cousin Gavin with the big snow ball. This is how I like to help .......... watching, lounging and giving instructions.

Just hanging out and watching.

Holding baby sister. Maya is the quiet one....... or the quieter one. A little sneaky, too. She is a Daddy's girl and the only time we had a conversation we were in bed in the dark. Pillow talk? She rambled on and on about her friends and school and what she was going to do.

She wants a cheer leader costume. We went online and found a pattern and discussed colors. Finally she asked, "What does a cheerleader do?" I told her they lead the crowds in cheering for a particular team and sport. She just liked the costume and has no plans to actually cheer......... The last thing she told me before I left was to not forget that she needs that costume by October. I think I can handle that!