Out with the old, In with the new

 Cullman,  AL

Something New  Part One

    Last week our friend Stephanie called.   She has a friend that had a few Pekin ducks.   A predator got into them and killed all but one.   Penelope was lonely.   She was looking for a place, preferably with a pond and other ducks.   Stephanie thought of us.   Yes, our Pekin duck is lonely when our Muscovy and Muscovy/Mallard fly off to visit other ponds.  Pekins can't fly.   So, two problems solved.   Stacy brought Penelope over.   She ran straight to the pond.

Penelope and our Pekin, Baby Duck, are inseparateable   Too much sometimes, if you get what I mean.

Something New Part Two

We were finding we needed a closer place than the lawn mower shed or shop to store some garden supplies and other stuff.     We found what we liked at a Lowes up near Huntsville.   

First of several assembling projects just these last few days.    This cabinet came in parts that were easy to snap together

This is now on our back porch.   Makes us more organized.

Out with the old/In with the New Part One

When we bought the house in December 2016 the refrigerator that was here was ok but the water and ice dispenser never worked.   We had it repaired three times.   Nope, still didn't work.   Then two weeks ago it stopped making ice.   So every few days we would buy a bag.   Didn't take long before that was getting old.   I put an ad on Cullman Facebook Yard Sale page.   I guess it was a bargain. Even with no ice maker I had 48 replies to my $60.00 fridge.

The Old:

The New:

We had replaced the microwave just about a month ago. Wish I had gotten stainless.

Out with the Old/In with the New Part Two

I had bought a small used hutch I kept in the laundry room.  I knew we would have to move this before the new fridge arrived.   So instead of just moving it, again Cullman Yard Sale.   Several responses and I sold it to  the first.    So I got $40.00 and this left.

The Old:

What to get?    That's why I have Amazon Prime.   Always quick delivery.  So another assembly project.

The New:

We really like this:

 We liked it so much which led to Out with the Old/In with the New Part Three

Leonard made a table for me many years ago.  I love it but really have no need or room for it after the replacement.   So we gifted it to DIL Lois as a side table in her crafting loft.

The Old:

The New:

This kit came today.  Already assembled and our DVDs inside.

 We love it.

 A few weeks ago we planted some blackberry plants.   Where we put them just will not work.  We needed a trellis.     Since Leonard had all those tools out this week and had a few (very few) spare minutes I ordered this from Overstock.com.     We still need to transplant the blackberry plants.  

More assembly work:

We like it.

Whew!   What a week.  Poor Leonard needed a break.   Only short lived.

He is out in the shop now.   One of our current Boondockers asked to he could help with anything.  As a matter of fact, oil needs changing in the Tractor.   Ideal!   He was a diesel mechanic.  

While out there our 2nd Boondocker arrived for the weekend.   We have a crowd now.   One couple, another couple with Five kids.   And a total of 4 dogs.  (Not counting the host Biscuit). 

We had a Boondocker couple leave today.   The two here now are here  until Monday.  Then another couple arrive on Tuesday.    We are busy.

Until next time.

Mothers Day and critters

 Cullman,   Alabama

Last Sunday being Mothers Day I received several cards.   Thank you Terri and family,  D'Juana and family and Charlotte and Abby.    And a big thank you to son Lennie who invited us to lunch.  He was the cook.      Enchiladas.

        And from Lennie and Lois

I appreciate and love each of you.    

As far as critters here:     I went to plant some flowers and found this looking back at me.

I have to note that it can be quite noisy around here at night with the many frogs at the pond.   We have not only frogs there but schools of blue gills in varying sizes.   When we toss fish food into the pond for the blue gills we know the catfish will take over.   Some of them are to be getting eating size.

We had a BoondockersWelcome guest here last week for 4 days.   He travels with Duke.   I fell in love with Duke.   

He spent lots of time on the front porch.   Duke is a playful dog and loves chasing balls and frisbees.  Unlike Biscuit who really doesn't play.   Duke wanted to play, Biscuit wanted to sleep.

We have often had trouble with critters (probably Raccoons) getting into dog or duck food.   I keep Biscuits food on the back porch.   The raccoon knows how to open the can.   I have learned to put the handle up tight making it more difficult.   This is what I found this morning.   The can still with the lid on was moved about 2 feet.    

The container for recycling was upturned and the lid off.

And plastic that covers the chair seats was ripped.    Think this critter was angry or just determined for a handout.

Until next time.

Gifts, Yard work and Friends

 Cullman,  AL

Here we are in the first week of May.  Weather is still rather cool.  That's alright.  We know the heat is on the way.

This morning we said Happy Traveling to our 38th Boondockers Welcome guests.  This is the first time since December we have no reservations scheduled.     Maybe the Spring rush is over.  We had a lull during December also.   We are thinking in both December and again this time of the year people are where they want to be.   

I want to share two things that recent guests presented to us.   One couple live in a famous town in Pennsylvania and gave us this wine.   I didn't know that Groundhog beside predicting the weather also has a winery.

Guests we hosted last week are on their way to Paradise, CA to work with Habitat for Humanity building houses that were destroyed by the wild fires.   Their daughter is traveling across country with them on this trip.   She lives in NYC and is a freelance cartoonist (think Marvel comics).

We ask our guests to sign our guest book.  This was their entry.  We LOVE it.

There is always work do to in our yard, especially in the Spring.   As we had a cool night a couple of weeks ago and we did not cover our raised bed, we lost our tomato and peppers plants to frost.   We have since put in replacements.   Leonard thought it would be a good idea to rig up a sprinkler system.  That is all well and good but he gives me heart palpations doing so.

While he was at it, we had a Mimosa tree that died and needed removal.   He did that again with the help of his beloved Mahindra. 

Biscuit overseeing the project.

I like the looks of flower beds but I don't have a green thumb.  Perennials are my friend.

By front porch:

Back porch area.

This leads to my inside project.   Finally I am getting around to making a family picture wall.  I want a few more hung but need to get more frames and also have requested recent pictures of each of our children and their spouse.

Several years ago when we were still fulltime RVing we met a couple while in Texas.  We have stayed in contact and get together whenever our paths cross.    Carol and Jerry have a Tifflin motorhome and come to Red Bay, AL once a year for servicing.    This past week we met about half way between at a Mexican Restaurant.    And what better day to have Mexican food than Cinco de Mayo.  Here we are.

That's our latest.  

Until next time.

Boondockers teaching us and more stuff

 Cullman,   AL

We are still enjoying the visits of our Boondockers guests.    Some recent guests remarked how they love to visit waterfalls and would be seeing some in the local area.  Waterfalls?   Here?   Where?   They told us about Larkwood Falls.    So, a day or so later I Googled it.  Oh my gosh, almost right in town.  

It's in the subdivision named Larkwood.   These falls are a natural spill over from Lake Catoma.   What a view from several of the homes.   This home is around the corner and does not have a view of the falls but I am impressed.

I think I have mentioned before that we found a small cafe in the nearby town of Eva.   We drove over on Friday for their daily special.

Chicken filling, cranberry sauce, cole slaw, mashed potatoes, a roll, green beans, ice tea and cake.  Cost is $5.50 plus tax and tip.  Why cook when we can eat like this for $15.00.

I was so pleased that we got the raised vegetable bed set up and cabbage, tomatoes, onions and peppers planted in it.   Two nights ago the temp got down in 27 and there was a light frost.    No more tomato and pepper plants.  Here we go again.   

We all know who is the boss around here so we got a welcome mat admitting to it.

We currently have  Boondockers here on their way back to Indiana from Florida.   They are staying 3 nights as his step-mother lives in the area.    Another Boondocker is arriving in about 2 hours.   We thought we had a 2 and a half week interval between those that left earlier in the week and those arriving not until May.   That was short lived.   Three more reservations made in the last few days.

Our son Lennie is the President of a Christian motorcycle group.  They have monthly meetings.  Today was their April meeting at his and Lois' house.  It was also our great-grandson Jordan's 10th birthday. We were invited to join them all for lunch.

It poured all night.  Heavy rains.   Thankfully it stopped late morning and the sun came out.  Can't imagine all these people in their house at one time.   It is always a treat to observe this group.  The women sit and socialize.   The men do the preparation, serving, cleanup etc.   Cool.  

I just heard thunder again.   And there is Biscuit on the porch running in circles.  He stays close to me when he hears those noises.   And now the weather alert just went off.   Severe thunderstorm headed this way.    Biscuit is close by me.

Until next time.

Busy Times

 Cullman, Al

These last few weeks have been busy ones.   Mostly due to hosting Boondockers.   Our 31st rig pulled out yesterday.   Quite possibly we are through with a rush for the next two weeks.   We have folks arriving on May 1 and another on May 3.    Nothing in between now and then.   But we know that could all change.

Lately our sites have looked something like this:

Biscuit is loving it.   Especially when other dogs are involved.  Well most of the time.  The nice folks who pulled out yesterday had two small dogs.   One really did not like Biscuit so they were separated.  Quite a different story with one that was here a few days ago.   A four month HUGE Golden Retriever.  

Murphy is a very active pup.   Biscuit would play only until he had enough of the pouncing and running.  Then he would take to the porch to get away.

Last Sunday son Lennie and DIL Lois stopped over for lunch.  Joining us was Murphy's parents.

We had invited Lennie and Lois to come over after they got out of church.   They were already here before we got back from church.   What a surprise when we pulled in and found our guest Mark was out at the pond raking in some string algae that was starting to spread.  So much appreciated.  Our simple lunch was small payment for all Mark did.

Speaking of help.   Our guests that left yesterday also helped.   I had bags of mulch to spread.  They saw the bags laying there so came up to ask if they could help me spread it.   Sure enough.  

Last week our friends Darlene and Jim who we met a few years ago while in Pennsylvania dropped by while on their trip from Florida back to Pennsylvania.    We put Jim to work.   He changed two overhead light bulbs in the master bathroom that had blown out.   Len can't lift his arms and I get dizzy doing overhead work.   Then he carried a chair to the basement that we had replaced with a new one.  He also replaced a strip of door trim that Biscuit had damaged when left alone in the house the first time.  Then he and Len placed some trim around the microwave cubby.

 When they are here we like to go to Jim n Nicks barbecue.   So once again we made time for that.  Both couples ordered a rib platter and a fried catfish platter.  Both couples had enough left for their next days dinner.   Jim and Darlene, pre getting served the meal.

We have noticed that our Muscovy Elsie is only around about an hour a day.   That leads to us believe that she is brooding.     We have seen her fly across the road to the neighbors pond.   Yesterday I texted Ashley.  Sure enough she is sitting on her eggs over there.    Then yesterday I saw this.   This is Frances that Elise hatched last July.    She is sitting on eggs at a corner of the house and the front porch.  Oh my, ducklings on their way.

Until next time

As Spring moves on.

 Cullman,  AL

Our small garden continues to grow.  We had to cover it one night when temps got down to freezing.  Luckily all is well.

Our RVing guests continue to grow also.   It is seldom that not at least one site is taken.   We currently have one guest who will leave tomorrow.   Then two come in later in the day for only for one night.  On Wednesday our friends Jim and Darlene arrive for a couple of days on their way back to Pennsylvania from their winter in Florida.   

 Being Easter yesterday and our current guest is a retired pastry chef, he presented us with this.

Speaking of Easter, we were invited to  lunch yesterday by son Lennie and his family.   Ham, cheesy potatoes, rolls, green beans and bacon sautéed Brussel sprouts.   I contributed deviled eggs.   Lois always boxes up leftovers.   So no cooking for me today.  This makes 4 days in a row I got out of cooking.  On Friday Leonard made chicken gumbo.   Leftovers on Saturday.  

Our NOMADS friend Jill stopped by in her little Mercedes RV for a few days and left yesterday.  Always a pleasure.

Biscuit gets excited when we have guests pull in.  Especially when he senses they have a dog with them.   Here he is getting acquainted with a 19 year old blind and deaf Chihuahua.   

Finally have our natural gas fireplace in place and working.   The plumber came last Monday and ran the lines.   In addition we have the tankless water heater and a gas heater in the basement.  

I gave up going from furniture store to furniture store looking for a chair I liked.   So, online is was.  I had purchased a bench two years ago from Wayfair.   The bench sits out by the pond.  I was well pleased with it.   Looking online I found a chair in seafoam color also from Wayfair.  I was a bit nervous buying a chair online but they have a good return policy.  It was delivered last week.   Here is the fireplace and the chair.  I like them both.   

Leonard is always cold.    He cranks up that fireplace. He roasts me out of here.   I hate to do it to him but I just might have to hide the remote for the fireplace.   

About Leonard, I need to go get him moving.  I need gas for the lawn mower for the ever growing lawn.   Seems a good day to do it.

Until next time.