Catching Up Part I.

 Cullman,  AL

 

Yes, we've been somewhat busy.   But not with Boondockers.   Since mid June we've only hosted folks from Boondockers Welcome one night and another for 4 nights.   We had reservations but all cancelled due to cost of gas and fuel.    We only have 3 reservations on the books.  Two next week and the other not until September.   Very unusual.

The same time the couple stayed for four nights our Granddaughter Tiffany, her husband Neal and their 3 children were here from Texas.   Look at this pic.   One RV held two retired folks, the other 5 people and a dog.  Can you guess which held whom?   Doesn't matter.  All having fun.

Son Lennie and DIL Lois invited all of us to lunch on July 17.    I surprised myself and remembered to take a picture.

On July 18 our granddaughters Charlotte and Abby came for their annual visit.  Daughter Amy decided to bring them down by train.  She rode with them overnight from Baltimore and planned her itinerary to return on another train shortly after.    The train was scheduled to arrive at 10:30 am in Anniston, AL, an hour and half drive from here.   She notified me that it was delayed and expected arrival was 2:30.   When we got to Anniston around 2, she texted it would arrive at 3:30.

In the meantime a woman waiting for another train was concerned about a kitten running around the depot platform.    She called her sister as she wanted to take the kitten with her.  Sister said absolutely not at her house.  

The woman left but the cute little kitten remained.   We picked her up and Len was holding her when Amy and the girls arrived.  They wanted to keep her.   Mom said no.  She could not take it back on the train.    We had planned to take Amy and girls to a restaurant prior to Amys return trip.  But since we had a kitten with us and it was hot we decided to eat at Arbys and Charlotte would stay in the car with the kitten and air conditioning.    It must have been raining kittens that day.  Running around the Arbys parking lot was

An even younger kitten.   Okay, she left with us too.

Amy checked the train schedule, and it was due at 8 pm.  It was then 5 pm.  She said she did not mind waiting at the station alone for the train.   I did not feel comfortable as it appeared to be in a bad neighborhood.  

 

There was no place to go inside to wait.  Just a platform and a bench.  And it was hot.  I told her we would take her to Birmingham station that was 60 miles away. She said she would be fine.  We left.

It was not 10 minutes later when she called me to come back.  She had been approached and asked for money.   Another man wanted to sell her drugs.  Another real loser on a bicycle came by and tried to pick her up to go with him.   And she had been notified the train would not be there until 11:00 PM.  She realized she was not in a safe area.   

We turned around and found her walking up the road away from the train station.  We gladly took her to Birmingham.   She went into the depot.  There were two security officers inside.  There were chairs and A/C.   We all felt so much better. She would be safe.

As for the cats.    We took them home.  With food and litter that Amy had picked up after having found the 2nd kitten.   Early Monday morning we took them to the County Animal Control shelter.  Being so tiny they would be adopted quickly.  

Sunday the 19th was Fathers Day and we all were back at Lennies for lunch.   Yup, this time I did forget to get a picture.

Tiffany and family left later that afternoon.  It was a treat having them camping here for 6 days.

Every year Charlotte and Abby like to go to Cooks Nature Musuem up in Decatur and McWane Science Center in Birmingham.   What is nice is that they are now of the age where we pay their admission and off they go.   We find a comfortable seat and rest.

Two of our ducks are nesting.   Penelope had 3 eggs she was sitting on but something got to them. Only shells remained.   So she has been sitting on nothing but feathers and stones for about three weeks.  I wish I knew what to do.    Elsie is in the nesting box on 16 eggs.  They both leave their nests for very short periods.    Charlotte kept checking on Elsie.   She put her hand in the box only to get stung by a wasp.

A trip to urgent care the next day and after a shot in the butt and meds the swelling went down.  She's decided to leave Elsie along.

Part 2 of catching up in a day or two.