Night Out!

 

So my good friends/neighbors had an opportunity for a planned night of celebration out and an overnight in another city. Situations changed and the Grandma that was scheduled wasn't able to come and stay with the kids.

Lauren ran an idea past me and I jumped at the chance of hanging out with the kids. Their 12 yr old has been vaccinated and the other two have been following the standard Covid precautions. Lauren teaches children in Wuhan China English as a Second Language. To say that she has insight on Covid 19, is an understatement. 

Okay. I will leave the Covid issue out of it from here on in.

The result was that I agreed to come up and spend the evening and sleep over while they were gone. Having a responsible adult around? A must in our minds. And besides, Rich goes to bed early and sleeps until about 8 or 9 anyway. 

Lauren will be the one watching after Rich in a couple of weeks when I go see my son Eddie. 

First thing Allie asked was 'Can we go buggin'? I jumped at the chance and we went up the road peering at different plants looking for crab spiders, moths, and various insects.

We didn't get far before the rains came. But we did find a few insects. 

Not the best shots, but fun anyway. Always more fun with a sharp eyed youngster along.

The brown marmorated Stink Bug is below. I have no idea why it liked the bird poop. 

This was a Little Sulfur according to the common name. The scientific name is Eurema Lisa. I think that is a really cute name. It wouldn't stay still and moved a lot as the raindrops hit it. I tried to get its face which appears to be green with tiny black eyes?
It sure was a challenge.

I can imagine it having something to say in the above photo.

I brought an adult coloring book that I'd found in my MIL's belongings and the two youngest kids sat down at the counter and we proceeded to chat and to color.

The Tween wasn't into that and politely excused himself to do other things in his room. 

Eventually it stopped raining and the kids asked to go out to their playground and play. They showed me how to use Alexa to play music and I colored while they did their thing. It felt strange asking Alexa to play songs for me, eventually I just opened Pandora and let the music flow while I colored.

I viewed Allie's Bug/Insect collection and admired it. She really does love insects and hopes to become an entomologist. 

The youngest treated me to some of his practice songs on his piano. 

The pups needed more attention from me than the kids. I gave out many belly rubs and Stella was even kind enough to snooze with me on the couch.

About 4 am the storms rolled in and dumped inches of rain in a very short time. Thunder rolled and rumbled. Stella moved closer to me. My smart phone said that 4 to 6 inches was expected out of this downpour and to watch for water over the road. 

I got up and finished coloring my picture and then as the storm subsided I went back to sleep with Stella.

By 8, all the kids were up and had something to eat. The oldest handed me some Kringle and said I should take some to Rich. I texted mom and dad to let them know things were all good and was it okay for me to go down the driveway?

I'd called and talked with Rich, he was fine. But I was dying for a cup of coffee. 

The folks said I was good to go and they were on their way home.

Huh.

My big night out.

I really did have a good time!

Stella:

...and Basil...

Total rainfall in our was 2 3/4. It rained lightly on and off the rest of the day which was exactly what we needed.

Dog Life

 

It can safely be said that Charlie rules all he can see from the porch.

He alerts me to the C-130 fly overs...

Yes, that is a huge plane and depending on the weather, these planes can fly just over the tree tops, sometimes once a day. Usually there are two of them, one follows the other. When they are really low, the mules pick up there heads and watch, then go back to their usual business.

To celebrate our Vac-a-versary [two week wait period after the vaccine], my neighbor and I got together for a glass of Champagne and some strawberries in her 'dog' yard.

Charlie has been a long time friend to her little dog Basil but had never met Stella, the mini labradoodle.

Lauren was concerned that Stella and Charlie may not get along and I told her that we just needed to let them be. There was a lot of sniffing and peeing to start with. Charlie seemed overwhelmed with both dogs at first.

When the girls crowded him into a corner he gave them a warning snap and immediately everything fell into place. The dogs quietly did their own thing while we had our Champagne and strawberries and caught up on face to face gossip.

When Allie came into the yard she grabbed toys and tossed them. The fun chases ensued and the dogs had a blast.

Action shots? These sucked but were fun anyway.

Charlie jumped higher than I thought possible!

Charlie: Keep your Eyes on the Prize!

Leader of the Pack!

Zoomie Time!

Things are slowly returning to normal which makes me so pleased. I have missed sitting with a friend and having coffee with conversation. 

Walking the...goat?

With the rapid warm up, things have turned to mush, the gravel roads are soup in places as is my driveway.
Patience will prevail and things will return to normal once the deep frost comes up and out of the ground.

Sven is such a hoot. My neighbors are still bottle feeding him and letting him out in the yard to play with the kids and go on little walks with him.
He'll come home in about two weeks.

Lauren and I decided to go for a walk on Thursday, we both took a break from our 'house' duties. I put Sven on a lead and off we went up the road. He is such a quick learner! I didn't put a collar on him but used what I call a slip. If he pulled and jerked the rope tightens a bit [no I would not let him choke himself]. As soon as he stops pulling it loosens.

It only took him about 100 yards to figure that out. He walked better than most dogs do on a lead!

We walked about two miles and enjoyed the fresh air. Basil and Sven and two ladies walking up the gravel road and enjoying the first day of Spring.

On the way back I wanted to see if Sven would follow me across some running water. He did, but mainly because Basil went first. We crossed again and he acted as if it were no big deal.
The arrow points to Basil's tail as she leaped over the water....

I can't wait to take him and Charlie on a walk together next. That may be a goal for this weekend.

The amount of yard work I need and want to do is almost overwhelming. Along with that I need to put up the fencing for the sunny side of Sven's new pen. My Kenosha Friends are going to help me with the goat stall inside the shed and the 'goat' doggy style door I want put in.
I have some old wooden spools to set out as well as some old broken plastic water tanks to use with planks to set up a play ground in his pen.

I intend to have Sven out on a tie out in the summer to clean up the nasty weedy spots in the yard. Goats are good for that.

So more goat walking is in the near future.
How about a trip down through our woods to the creek?

We visited with Rich's PCP for the VA this week. She noted the deep depression he had and suggested some more 'tests' for lung function and some therapy. I should have just told her to forget it. If you don't help the depression he won't care about the rest.

Though his latest set back was actually not a medical one.

All right. The sun will come up soon and I need to go for some feed and groceries!

I am an attack dog! by Charlie

So Val thought it was hilarious to put a winter coat on me. Seriously? A coat?
Oh.
And then she added the rest and as you can see, I laid quietly there on the couch and ignored her giggles.
Silly woman.
Silly silly old lady!

We went out to do chores and thankfully she did not try to make me wear the hat or the gloves. Too big.

I supervised the hay sleds and the sweet feed to Mica. I take a nibble just to do a quality assurance test before she gives it to the elderly mule. She says that this spring maybe I can ride with her on Mica.
We shall see, that is a far ways off the ground.

We got to the water pump thingy and she filled up some buckets.

I started to hunt around and pretty soon found a new playmate. It moved very slow and did slimy icky poops and hissed a lot. It wasn't one of Basil's cats it was something big and it had tiny eyes and big white teeth with a bare tail.
So I grabbed the tail and then it pooped and then I let go and then it hissed.

Suddenly Val did a shout and told me NO NO NO!
Oh my dear, I heard the first NO. You don't need to repeat as if I am a dolt with deaf ears!

I looked up at her and then back at my new play mate who had stopped in the yard. It did the poop thing again. It then laid down and was super still.

I sneaked up on it and was going to grab its tail because this was one of the best 'chases' I'd ever had in slow motion. Birds were fast, skunks were fast [yep I got yelled at for that one too], and chipmunks are amazing, squirrels go up trees...but this thing, it was slow and nasty. Much fun-ner.

NO CHARLIE!

Aww come on!

She whisked me into the house and then did something. She told Rich that the possum got away and was probably in the old red shed.

Next morning while we were feeding Dixie, there was my playmate again! It didn't move! Just hunkered into the deep snow and lay still as a ... Val... said still as a possum. And Dixie ignored it. Some hunting dog she is!

Well. My poopy playmate is gone. I don't know where it went but Val went around with a shovel and cleaned the slimy poo off the snow and chucked it somewhere so I won't eat and roll in it.

Instead I went on a walk with Basil and Logan. We walked with our people on the road as the snow was soft on top and very deep.

At least I did not have to wear that embarrassing coat. Basil wears hers because it keeps the sand and slush off her underbelly. Mine wipes clean I guess because I have a different fur coat.

The snow was deep!

We climbed snow mountains with Logan.

And then hurried home before then next snow came.

I hope my slow chase animal comes back. It was too fun and the poop would have been delicious.

Meanwhile, I think I will hold down the couch and dream of big adventures.

Magical....

 

This is what it looked like when I went to the ridge to get the mail. Inches of snow had fallen and more was coming down hard. I stuck my hand into the driveway to measure. The snow went from my fingertips to my palm.

In my best guess-ta-mate, that would have been about 4 inches. According to the NOAA, we should have been done. However. We weren't. It didn't really bother me that much. It was a welcome change to the constant rain/warm/ice/sleet weather we had been having.

At the mailbox I ran into my neighbors. Lauren and family had been out with their cross country skis, so had their dog Basil!

Basil was going back to the house but had enjoyed her first x-country ski adventure.

Lauren said the snow was a bit sticky but it wasn't too bad. I ran home and got my skis and was greeted by Allie and Lauren. The guys had enough and had gone into the house also.

And off the gals went on a snowy New Year's Eve ski adventure.

Allie decided that she would like to lead and take me to *The Tunnel* in the trees.
I was game and told her to go ahead.

She cautioned me that when we got into the trees I would have to crouch down and get low. It was like a secret cool place and she and her brothers had 'discovered' it.
I knew where she was going. I'd been through there before on my own but since it was her discovery, I was not going to ruin it by telling her I knew this trail already.

Besides, the snow had turned the box elders into fairy tale trees and the hush of the falling snow left only the swish swish of our skis to be heard.
And indeed....
It 
was
very
magical...

Hands down, this was one of my most enjoyable ski adventures yet.

Geocaching with kiddos and dogs

October 25th

"Do you want to go Geocaching with the dogs and the kiddos?" 
the email from my neighbor inquired.

I talked to Rich about it, asking if he wouldn't mind having a day of peace and quiet and if he would be okay with Charlie and I going off hiking for the day.
He said yes.
I typed a reply...YES! I have heard of geocaching, but have never done it.

After CrossFit, I hurried did the chores and made sure that Rich had what he needed to have lunch. I packed some snacks for myself and stuffed a backpack full of light items to bring along.

I've been to WildCat Mountain State Park a few times and have even done the Old Settler's Trail twice, but I'd always had a limited amount of time and never really explored the different outlooks or the trails. I just hiked the 3 miles of up and down hill trails and always hurried home.

The first stop was the Outlook. I'd been hiking here before and for the life of me I cannot figure out why I didn't take the time to look!

Really...? The view is something incredible!

After ohhhing and ahhhing, we set off to hunt caches.
Basil and Charlie tried to wrestle as we walked and often got tangled up. The kids ran ahead with the cell phone to look for treasures.

It was a great learning experience for the kids, as well as fun. At times the app would say that they were 100 or so feet from the next cache and they'd want to cross through the woods. Since I knew the trail I suggested they follow it as many of the spots were switch backs because of the steep terrain.

We couldn't find some of the caches, especially the one that was 'hidden' near a little quiet stream. The clues left said that we may get our feet wet. However that was not an issue for the dynamic trio.

We didn't find the cache and I explained to the disappointed explorers that we'd had some rather heavy rain falls this summer and flash floods...the cache may just have been washed away!

Basil and Charlie enjoyed the trip too.

They were super troopers and walked the whole distance along with all of the little side trips.
Both of them took instant naps when we did get back in the car to go home.

Geocaching.

An electronic scavenger hunt.
And the scenery was beautiful too!

Not Puppies and Kittens!

I have to say that I have the most interesting children living at the 'top' of our driveway.
Okay.
Mom and Dad are pretty darn cool too.

The kids got new pets.
And I am not talking about the 4H goats that they have. Nor am I talking about the chickens. Allie showed her chicken in open class at the fair because she couldn't show in regular 4H. Logan showed his goat in open class for the same reason.

I'm not talking about the cats that they have.

Nope.

Ever hear of Madagascar Hissing Cockroaches? No, I didn't either. But do you recall Allie, my neighbor's daughter who became fascinated with collecting insects for her Clover Bud 4H project?

This summer she discovered that fireflies ate slugs. So she collected them. And showed them to me...

When a little girl presents you with so much enthusiasm how can it not interest you? Allie went to a presentation to learn how to 'mount' her insects properly to show them at the Fair.
Can we just say that she is a budding Entomologist?

And Kudos for mom and dad for allowing her to explore this interest without getting grossed out.

Allie let me pet her Hissing Cockroaches.

I did not find them revolting, but actually very interesting. They eat dog and cat food and fruits. Any kind of fruits!
YES.
I did hold one and did not freak out. They were cool. They do hiss loudly.

I am amazed.

Then Carson pulled me into his room to introduce me to Sissilia. She is a Royal Python aka Ball Python. Known as a Ball Python because the will curl into a ball.

Here Carson takes Sissilia out and she curls around his wrist like an exotic bracelet. He told me it was OK to touch and pet her. And I do. Like the cockroaches ... I feel no revulsion at all. The snake is warm. Carson coaches me on how to pet her properly.

Not a great shot but here is a book image of the python and Sissilia.

We move upstairs were I can take turns petting and holding the Hissing Cockroaches and touching a python.

Let's not forget Logan's rabbits. They now live outside in a hutch. Their names are Medusa and... uh oh... OH! Skull! I didn't get their photos, but they are beautiful rabbits and soooo sooo soft!

Carson has a bath drawn for Sissilia.

It has to be just the right temperature. Baths are important as Carson tells me that Sissilia may have slithered through poo and a bath will keep her clean and healthy.

Whoa.

Stop the presses.

Basil.

Okay....she is .. just a puppy an ordinary doggy!

How on earth could there be a normal pet? Oh...gosh. Why not!

So while Carson and I were supervising Sissilia's bath, Basil peered over the tub edge.

Sissilia turned herself upside down as if to play dead to the sudden surprise.

I found a snake to have an incredible personality and learned so much from Carson regarding their behavior.

I hope I can go back next week and hold her.

I was able to witness a 'feeding'. I didn't record it. But watched with the whole family as we witnessed how a constrictor ate. 

It was not gross or disgusting. But a lesson in nature...and very educational.

Madagascar Hissing Beetles. Ball Python. Bunnies.

Goats.

Cats.

Basil [Charlie loves free time rough and tumble time with her...]

I am blessed.