Visitors ....Humans, Fowl and Canine

Cullman,  AL


I find myself looking for "what next".      I read about how dangerous it is for ducks.  They are faced with so many predators.     We found this to be true as one morning last week  instead of 3 ducks swimming in the pond, just two.   We suspect it was one of the hawks we frequently see on our property.     Every morning I get up and holding my breath look outside.  We still have the two.

Then last week I saw not only two ducks but a pair of Canada Geese.

Cool!   The next day they were still there.  WOW,  no longer two geese but FIVE!

What a joy to see this family walking around near the pond and taking their swims.  The ducks seemed not to bother the geese.  They would be within a few feet of each other.

On Friday our friends Carol and Jerry Wright arrived for the weekend in their Motor Home.  When they arrived, the geese held great interest in what was going on.  Papa and Mama stood still observing as the diesel driven motor home pulled into one of our RV sites.

Once Carol and Jerry were parked and settled, I looked for the geese but they were gone.  I suspect they walked over the levee and into the creek that runs along our property line.  The parents are very protective of their young, too much activity and noise.  Someone told me since they were hatched near the pond there is a likelihood they will return there.  We hope so.

Carol made dinner for us on Friday and  we had a lovely catching-up visit. 

Last weekend while daughter Terri was visiting we drove to the town of Trinity to Roden Surplus Imports where I purchased material for a hanging in our master bathroom.    I got a call during the week that I had won a $100 gift certificate to their store.   So on Saturday we made our way there where I purchased a few items. $100. worth of a few items.  Then we returned to the Amish restaurant that we went to last week.  Every bit as good the second visit.

Easter!    Sunrise service starts at 6:00 am.   It was a wee bit chilly.  Look at Carol and Jerry.

We watched the sun rise above the distant hills.

Daybreak as our Pastor, Paul, gave the message.

After the service it was breakfast at the nearby community center.

Later it was dinner at our house.   Carol provided a lovely pineapple cake.  Daughter-in-law Lois the cole slaw.   And we had ham, mashed red skin potatoes, applesauce, glazed carrots, rolls, pickles.  I kept thinking "what's missing???"    Later Carol went to get the cake from the refrigerator and called me over.    DEVILED EGGS!   I knew something was missing!    Okay ..... desert was the cake, brownies, cookies and deviled eggs.

Following more visiting it was time for Carol and Jerry to pull out.  They had an appointment for the yearly check up of their Tifflin Motor Coach over at Red Bay, AL the next morning.  So... good byes until probably next year about the same time.

It was then I remembered something else I forgot.  A picture of all of us together at dinner.  So here is a picture of Leonard, son Lennie and DIL Lois and Maddie and Jordan.

It was shortly after Jerry and Carol arrived that the geese left.    It was shortly after they left that this sweet boy showed up.

As you can see he needs some good meals.  What you can't see is the many ticks that are attached to him.   I am taking care of both.    Already I am in love with this lovable pup.  This is the 3rd day and he's still here.   I've asked around a bit but no one has claimed him.   I've always loved Beagles.

 Granddaughter Abby named him Biscuit.  Uh oh.... feeding and a name.  He doesn't seem to be in any hurry to leave.

Until next time.....

That's why I had her.

Cullman,  AL

Daughter Terri had business meetings up in Nashville, TN starting last Wednesday until Friday at noon.  She then rented a car and drove about 100 miles down to Decatur, AL where she left the rental and we picked her up.   Decatur is about 45 minutes from our home.

Her plan was to fly back to Harrisburg, PA today.  More on that later.

While here she kept looking for ways to help.    So, after dinner at one of our favorites, Jim and Nicks BBQ she set about pruning our fig and pear trees.   This was OK with Leonard

On Saturday we took a ride of about 40 miles each way to Trinity, AL where we went to Roden Surplus Supplies.  They have a bit of everything there.   I purchase a wooden scoop and some silk flowers.   Later in the day Terri made an arrangement to hang in the master bathroom.

As it was past lunch time we decided to go to a restaurant that I had picked up a brochure about a week or more ago.   It is an Amish buffet only open Thursday, Friday and Saturday.   I punched  in the address in the GPS and off we go to find it.   Well, if someone did not know about this place doubtful they would go there.   It was back a dirt road, between a business selling storage buildings and around a few curves.   Aha!  There it was:

Talk about off the beaten track.   Whew!   We will go back.  If we can find it.

Once home it was time to release my ducks.   They spent the last few weeks in a pen Leonard had make under a partially enclosed shed.    Len opened the top of the pen, the ducks ran to the other side, Terri would grab one and hand it to me.   I would drop it into a container.  They lived up to their names Poopsie, Stinky and Craps.

To the pond and freedom!

They love it.   Even though to pond is green with pollen and algae (we are working on that issue) they took to it like ducks take to water.     We just hope they are not sitting ducks, with there being hawks in the area.   Sorry for the puns.

While Len and I porch sat, Terri cleaned out and refilled one of my bird feeders.

Terri had decided I needed some cookies made for Easter dinner.  So she did.  Yum Italian Lemon cookies.

After a busy day we were all sleeping soundly.  UNTIL..... all 3 of our phones went off.  Take Shelter Immediately.    You guessed it.  Tornado warnings.   We got up, dressed, prepared to go to the basement.  I turned on the Birmingham news station.   Cullman was once again in the predicted area.  We were fine.  None came down.   So back to bed.  And try to sleep.  And worry about the ducks outside in the winds.

We got up this morning and all ducks were fine.   After church and lunch it was time to drive Terri to the Airport.   She was concerned as her flight was to Harrisburg, PA with a connecting flight in Chicago.  Chicago was getting hit with snow.   It looked like her flight would be delayed.  We dropped her off, got half way home and she called.  Flight cancelled.  Back to the airport.

So here we all are.   Terri is now scheduled to leave tomorrow.   I sure don't mind her being here another day but I know she was anxious to get home and settled in before work tomorrow.  Not going to happen. 

Well time to close this chapter of our life and make us some supper.   Soup and salad it will be.

Oh, and about the title to this blog.......   Did I really have her to do all these things for us in our "old" age?    It doesn't hurt.

Until next time.

Touring North West Alabama

Tuscumbia, AL

Being a nice day we thought it would be a good time to visit a few (somewhat) local sites.  Also a good time because our friends Jim and Darlene, full-time RVers, were visiting us on their way back from the west coast to Pennsylvania.

Their rig on one of our sites:

This is Darlene and Jim

We started off stopping at our favorite Amish Bakery Dutch Oven for a few goodies.  Biscotti for me, Jalapeno bread for Leonard and chocolate covered pretzels for us both.

Then we drove the 80 or so miles to Tuscumbia to the Alabama Music Hall of Fame.  Some of the artists from Alabama:

The group Alabama (of course)

Hank Williams

Hank Williams Jr.     He's from our current hometown of Cullman

Sonny James

William Lee Golden from the group Oak Ridge Boys

Nat King Cole

We found that Tammy Wynette, Jim Nabors, Lionel Ritchie and the Commodores, The Temptations were from Alabama.  And so many others.

Here are the 4 of us

Just a couple of miles away was our next stop.... Helen Keller birthplace and home

Helen was not born deaf nor blind.  She was sick at about 18 months with a virus that left her deaf and blind.    Her parents knew they needed help with her so hired Annie Sullivan age 20 who had just graduated from a school for people with those afflictions in NY.  Annie was with Helen for the next 50 years.

The house was built in 1820 by Helen's grandfather.  At that time it sat on 640 acres.

Most of the furnishings in the house are original.

If you saw the movie The Miracle Worker with Anne Bancroft and Patty Duke you might remember the scene with Patty Duke as Helen would walk around the table and take food off anyone's plate.  This is the table and same dishes where that actually occurred.

Annie realized that she could only do so much for Helen with the parents protecting her.  So she and Helen moved into the Birthplace Cottage a small building next to the main house.  Their clothing.

Also if you saw the movie you will remember when Helen first connected the word water when Annie had her use a pump and feel the running water.   This is that pump.

If ever in the area it is worth worth a visit.   A guide will take you through the downstairs of the house and explain various items.  Then you are invited to see the upstairs and other buildings and gardens on the grounds.

By this time we were ready for lunch.   We found a Lenny's Subs.  We've had them once while in Mississippi.   These were good but not as good as the ones we had in MS.

Our next visit was about 20 miles away.

Yes!  A cemetery for Coon Dogs ONLY.

Time to head on home.    Winding narrow roads.  A detour.   Took a while.   But we got here.  Darlenegot busy making chicken and rice and vegetables in her Instant Pot.  When done she and Jim brought that plus salads and Whoopie Pies she had bought at the Amish Bakery to the house for dinner.

We so much enjoy the company of Darlene and Jim.  They pulled out about a half hour ago headed for a few days in Nashville then on to Kentucky and back to Pennsylvania.   We hope to see them sometime this summer when we plan to be in the Hershey area.

Until next time.

Feeding frenzy

Cullman,   AL

A few months ago a neighbors duck started flying over to spend time in our pond.  I would take duck food out for it and after I left he would waddle over to eat it.  Gradually it got to the point that he would come as soon as he saw me and would let me pet him.  He  would follow me around the yard.

Then we went away for several days.   When we came back I would look for him but I never saw him at our pond.    I asked his owner where was "my" duck.  He assured me the duck was still coming to the pond.   Still I didn't see him.   And I looked.  Often.  I missed him.

On Saturday March 9 we were in town.  Len pulled into Tractor Supply and said we were getting me some ducks.   Okay.   We temporarily  put them in a large Rubbermaid container in my office.   I quickly found that ducks poop a lot.  A LOT. 

People suggested names.   None fit.   I named them Poopsie, Stinky and Craps.  That fits.

Len got busy in his shop building an enclosure for them that we planned on putting in an open shed in our side yard.    Just long enough that they would be safe until they were bigger and got used to the area.   We have many hawks in the area.

So, he was out in the shop building the pen.  My phone rings.  He says come out to the shop.  Genius that he is, he placed a steel four legged short stool on top of a wheeled gardening wagon that he built.   The stool slipped off.  He landed face down on the shop floor.

Bottom line, he has a large tear in his left shoulder.   He will be seeing the orthopedist on Friday regarding surgery.    The pen sits undone.  The ducks are growing and still in the container in my office.   THEY STINK. I clean the container several times a day.   Only so they can stink it up again.

And they are messy.   Being ducks they love water.  As soon as I place their water feeder into the container they not only drink but they splash around.  Within minutes it is empty, their bedding is soaked, and they are screaming for what I suppose is more water.  More water means more fun for them and more cleaning up for me.

Oh, and about the neighbors duck not coming here and being the reason we bought these three joys, he showed up again the very same day we came home with the ducklings.  And he now comes up on the porch the eat.

And  brings along two friends who also are looking for a meal.

 There are others looking on from across the road.    I am now feeding four ducks and two peacocks.   With these I draw the line.

Until next time.

Our tiny RV park

Cullman,   AL

Our house sits a bit back from the road here in Cullman.   When we purchased the property there was a double wide trailer closer to the road.  The mother of the woman we bought the house from lived there.   We were asked if we wanted to buy the trailer also.  No.   So they sold the double wide and had it moved before we took ownership of the house.

The porch was left behind.   We agreed to give it away.   Just move it!

Arrangements were made to have it moved.

Turned out to be an all day job.   In doing so, our water connection was run over.  No water.  The crew said they would be back the next day to fix it.    It is 26 months later.  Still waiting.  (Don't fret...it was fixed the next day without them).

Lots of trash was left so our first job was to clean it up.

Since there was electric, water and a septic tank already available, we decided to convert the area to two RV sites.  One site would be 50 amp electric and water and the other site 50 amp electric, water and sewer.

Setting up the electric system:

Then running sewer lines

Next we had a load of stone spread over the area.   We were ready for guests:

April 2017.   Carol and Jerry Wright.   They were on the way to Red Bay, Alabama to have their yearly check up on their beautiful rig. 

Their motorhome below.    It was then we decided we needed more stone so had another load delivered the next week.   We look forward to Carol and Jerry again over Easter weekend on their way north following a NOMADS project in south Alabama. 

In October 2017 we had a few days visit from George and Lauren Owen who were on the way back from California headed to Pennsylvania.  You can barely see a bit of their fifthwheel to the right behind the shop.

On October 25th our friends from NJ Dan and Carole Baxter stopped by after a RV trip out west and before returning home to NJ.   The next day, October 26th, another couple of friends from NJ pulled in.   Adam and Helena Cerquoni.

From the left Carole, Dan, Leonard, Adam and Helena

Dan and Carole left on the 27th.  Shortly after they left RVing friends Carol and Jerry Pearson pulled in.  They were headed to Texas after camp hosting in Virginia and Tennessee.

From the left  Helena, Adam, Jerry and Carol.

That was a busy few days.  WE LOVED IT.

In March 2018 we got a call from a couple just finishing a NOMADS project in Florida.  They were headed to their home in Illinois and looking for a place to overnight.   In their search they looked at the NOMADS website and found us.  We were right on their route north on I-65.   We welcomed Greg and Karen Batt.    If I took a picture I can't find it.   Shucks!

Also March 2018 we welcomed Jim and Darlene Price.   We met this couple prior to their going fulltime RVers when we were in Pennsylvania a few years ago.   We are excited as they will be here again in a few weeks after their trip west.

In May 2018 our great-niece Emilie had a tour scheduled at University of Alabama.  Coming down to our house at that time was my sister Debbie, Niece Kelly and Emilie.   Debbie used our guest room.  Kelly and Emilie used our guest house.... our RV.    This is a perfect guest house for visitors who prefer more privacy or when the guest room is in use.

In September we attended the NOMADS annual meeting in Memphis.   A week following the meeting we were going to a project at a location just 55 miles from home.  We would be volunteering with two other couples.  We live in a direct line between Memphis and Gallant, AL where the project was located.  We invited the two other couples to stay on our sites. 

Cheri and Butch Frey and Dennis and Nancy Williams along with Leonard

November, 2018.    Again friends we knew in NJ.   Linda and Bob Webster are now retired and living in Maine.   They also serve as NOMADS.   They were on their way back north from volunteering in Texas.   The Websters and their sweet little RV.   We are hoping they stop this way on their trip back to Texas again.

February, 2019    Lon and Billie LaBumbard are NOMADS volunteers who live in Wisconsin.  They were scheduled to work along with us at Dooly Campground in Georgia.  Their route was down I-65.  Great!!!  We were so glad to have them visit here for a few days prior to the project.   Didn't get a picture of them and their rig either.      They have to come back here so we can get that picture.  However, here is Billie at the project.

Speaking of the Dooly project.  While there I fell in love.  A neighborhood dog hung around the campground every day.   She would follow us everywhere.  She tried to get in our rig.  When I got up from my lawn chair she would climb up and lay there.  I would have loved to kidnap her.  Such a precious lady.

Well.... that is the story of our tiny RV park.  So Far.   Looking forward to many more visitors.

Until next time.