In just over an hour, we'll be at the lake for the first time of 2013, and it is going to be an absolutely gorgeous weekend! We'll be coming back next week to stay for spring break, so today I'll probably do a good end-to-end trailer cleaning. It shouldn't be too bad because we did a good, deep cleaning at the end of the season last year. I know we'll have to spend time in the yard next week (yuck!), but I hope we can get that done early so we can enjoy most of the week.
I hope to do a better job of documenting our time at the lake this summer. Hopefully, we'll have lots of little visitors this year. Sam and Layton will have a blast, and I'm sure Camille will enjoy it as much as a 6 month can. :)
I definitely plan on spending more time as a lake resident this summer than I have the last couple of summers. I would love to paint the kitchen. It needs it, badly! And I really want to build a fire pit. Roasting marshmallows would be a perfect way to end a fun day playing at Pop Pop and Grana's, don't ya think?
I guess that's it for now.
Keep dreaming!
Saturday, March 16, 2013
Tuesday, June 12, 2012
Welcome to Crider Shores!
This past weekend, we had a community project at the lake. The guys built a new fence, so the old green fence (that could have been pushed over with no effort...literally!), and the old red cattle gate are no more. Mom said it looks like a REAL gated community now. And it does! LOL I wish I had gotten a picture of the BEFORE, though. It was uuuugggggllllyyyy!!!!
Bev suggested Crider Shores as the name of the neighborhood because before the lake was backed up, the land there was known as the Crider farm. She thought it would be neat to have some of the history included, and she thought "shores" would be nice because it's different from all of the other places that use "point" or "landing". Amy and I agreed, so that's what it's going to be. :) I've always wanted to have a "name" for our neighborhood.
We still have a few things to do before the project is completely finished. The fence and gate need to be stained, of course, and we are going to redo the garbage bin (which will be a HUGE improvement over the one that has been there for who knows how long!), and we're going to plant some crape myrtles behind the fence. When everything is done, it will look so nice. And then people will come down the hill and see our trailer and wonder who the redneks (misspelling intentional) are. LOL Someday...someday...someday...
Pictures of the work the guys did:
Fence posts set!
Jay, Tristan, and Dave worked hard! The poles will be trimmed and capped later.
This one makes me laugh. How many men does it take to cut a piece of lumber?
Putting up the brace.
Hmmm...the brace didn't look right, so after a discussion, we decided it needed to be nailed to the back side. Back up the ladder, Jay.
The finished product! The original plan called for the fence to be just like the gate, but after some discussion, the guys made a decision to go with four boards straight across. To do it RIGHT, it was going to take a LOT longer because of the angles that would have to be cut, and they probably wouldn't have finished on Saturday. Since rain was coming, we didn't know if we'd have Sunday to work or not. I like it just the way it is.
Once the wood has had time to dry, we're going to stain it a dark reddish-brown. We're planning on putting the solar caps on the top of the posts by the gate so we'll have some light at night.
John and I have to finish up our walkway project this coming weekend. He has two sections to grind (and I to paint) on one side, so it shouldn't take all day like the others have when he's had sections on both sides to do. Once that's done, I think our projects for the summer are done. Well, except for getting a port for the SeaDoo installed. :)
As always, KEEP DREAMING!!
Bev suggested Crider Shores as the name of the neighborhood because before the lake was backed up, the land there was known as the Crider farm. She thought it would be neat to have some of the history included, and she thought "shores" would be nice because it's different from all of the other places that use "point" or "landing". Amy and I agreed, so that's what it's going to be. :) I've always wanted to have a "name" for our neighborhood.
We still have a few things to do before the project is completely finished. The fence and gate need to be stained, of course, and we are going to redo the garbage bin (which will be a HUGE improvement over the one that has been there for who knows how long!), and we're going to plant some crape myrtles behind the fence. When everything is done, it will look so nice. And then people will come down the hill and see our trailer and wonder who the redneks (misspelling intentional) are. LOL Someday...someday...someday...
Pictures of the work the guys did:
Once the wood has had time to dry, we're going to stain it a dark reddish-brown. We're planning on putting the solar caps on the top of the posts by the gate so we'll have some light at night.
John and I have to finish up our walkway project this coming weekend. He has two sections to grind (and I to paint) on one side, so it shouldn't take all day like the others have when he's had sections on both sides to do. Once that's done, I think our projects for the summer are done. Well, except for getting a port for the SeaDoo installed. :)
As always, KEEP DREAMING!!
Sunday, May 13, 2012
Spring time at the lake
Spring time at the lake is one of my favorite times of the year. First, because it isn't so hot you can't stand it unless you're in the water or under the air conditioner. Second, because you never know what you'll see in nature.
Over the last couple of weeks, the oak leaf hydrangeas have bloomed out, and Saturday morning, I saw a flower I'd never seen before. Thanks to Google, I learned that it's called Indian Pink. I'm thinking I might dig it up and transplant it. I want to give rooting a hydrangea a shot, but from what I've read, I need to try that later in the summer.
While I was painting the walkway rail yesterday, John called down and said that a hummingbird had found my feeder. YEA!! I was enjoying coffee on the porch this morning, and saw not one, but two, hummers! I'm going to get more feeders this week.
SO FAR, my plants haven't keeled over, so maybe they'll make. The fern I dug up has hung on for three weeks now, and the elephant ears I transplanted from Patty have hung on for a couple of weeks. The hosta and coleus I planted last week still looked good, too.
Walkway rail before...
Over the last couple of weeks, the oak leaf hydrangeas have bloomed out, and Saturday morning, I saw a flower I'd never seen before. Thanks to Google, I learned that it's called Indian Pink. I'm thinking I might dig it up and transplant it. I want to give rooting a hydrangea a shot, but from what I've read, I need to try that later in the summer.
While I was painting the walkway rail yesterday, John called down and said that a hummingbird had found my feeder. YEA!! I was enjoying coffee on the porch this morning, and saw not one, but two, hummers! I'm going to get more feeders this week.
SO FAR, my plants haven't keeled over, so maybe they'll make. The fern I dug up has hung on for three weeks now, and the elephant ears I transplanted from Patty have hung on for a couple of weeks. The hosta and coleus I planted last week still looked good, too.
I love this picture of John. I took it when we were at the lake for spring break.
His two pound crappie. This baby is still waiting to be greased. :)
Walkway rail before...
Walkway rail after...We're only about half way finished with the rails, and then we have to do the actual walkway. When the water goes down this fall, we'll finish up the area under the walkway. This has been a chore!!!
Foggy morning on the lake. We couldn't even see the other side, and it isn't THAT far! I love the lake when it's like this. It is so quiet.
Now that the hummingbirds have found the feeder, they're drinking the nectar down pretty quickly. I probably should have refilled it before we left today.
Indian Pink. They are GORGEOUS!
This fella was on the porch screen when we got there Friday night, but I couldn't get a good picture of him. He was hanging out on the underpinning of the trailer Saturday morning. I wish he'd have found a prettier place to light.
My coleus and hosta. The fern and the elephant ears I transplanted are on the back side. I moved my rooster to this area today. If I do dig up the Indian Pink, I'm going to put it in this bed, too.
I took this picture last weekend, so it hadn't fully bloomed. I love hydrangeas! They are one of my favorite flowers.
Two more weeks of school (and then three days the following week for teachers...ugh). We're doing our Big Ass Road Trip 2012 to Memphis with Susan and Tim right after I finish up with school, and then I plan on spending as much of the rest of the summer at the lake. I know I'll have to come home every week since I'll be starting allergy shots this week. What I hope to be able to do is to keep Layton one day a week, too, so that will work out just fine. :)
For now, I'm going to call it a night and let Mr. Sandman come for a visit. I think Ali and Bama have already made it to dreamland.
As always, KEEP DREAMING!
Monday, April 16, 2012
The water Harley
When we first got our boat, we were really in the market for a pontoon, but honestly, the ski boat was such a deal, and we weren't finding a pontoon that was, we didn't think we could pass it up. And we had fun on it. It was such a huge hassle, though, to get it in and out of the water.
We do have a launch in our "neighborhood" and we launched it and loaded it from there once, but because our road is a curvy and only one lane, getting the trailer back to our place was not easy. We don't have a great place for turning a trailer around, so John had to back it from the launch to the trailer. Not fun. We usually kept it in dry storage at a launch about ten miles from the trailer, but that meant going every weekend, hooking it up, taking it to launch, taking the trailer back to the unit, and then doing the reverse every Sunday. A couple of summers ago, we did leave it in the water at Danny and Linda's boat dock. Talk about gross when we pulled it out!! Lance and Jess were up that weekend, so Lance got the fun job of helping John clean it off. With the SeaDoo, we can launch it at our place with the four wheeler, so it is much, much easier and quicker.
We took it out yesterday for about an hour. I've ridden on a PWC only a handful of times, and I had never driven one until yesterday. At first I was a little nervous, but once I got the hang of it, I. LOVED. IT. I would have NEVER taken the boat out by myself, but I won't have any reservations about taking the water Harley out by myself.
Until next time...KEEP DREAMING!
Monday, April 9, 2012
Gorgeous weekend!
Of course, any weekend at the lake is gorgeous as far as I'm concerned. :)
We got there about 7 Friday night, so we didn't do much. At least it wasn't yet dark, so we got to enjoy some porch time. Saturday was so nice! I went out on the dock about 10:30 and ended up dozing off, so my face got a little red. OOPS! I try not to let my face burn anymore.
My amazing grill master did steaks Saturday night, and as usual, they were fabulous. We cleaned off the table on the porch and dined al fresco. Heavenly! While we were eating, I saw the ducks swimming a couple of lots down. I can't wait to see them up close again.
The only negative was the pollen. When I swept the kitchen floor, there was a very distinct yellow tint to the dirt I swept up. And the furniture had a nice yellow coating. Joy.
I have only six more weeks of school before I can go to stay. All, six weeks and three days. We have professional development days on May 29-31. Yuck! We're taking our trip to Memphis the first weekend in June, but once we're back from that, I plan on being a Winston County resident as much as possible!
Guess that's it for now.
KEEP DREAMING!!
Friday, April 6, 2012
Open for Business!
John and I went to the lake a couple of weekends ago to really get things up and running for the summer. Or that was kind of our original plan. After spending a week or so working on the bathroom at home, we decided that we were going to do nothing for the days we were at the lake during spring break. Nothing is pretty much what we did. And it was great!
We left on Saturday morning to go up, and so by the time we got there, it was early afternoon. We did only what was necessary...unloaded the truck, turned on the water, flipped the breakers...and then we enjoyed the late afternoon quiet. Better enjoy it now because there won't be many weekends when it is quiet. Even though the water was still quite cool (I dipped a toe in), a few brave souls tubed.
On Sunday, we went to visit Billie, and then we took her back with us to spend the night. Even though she wouldn't remember it now, she has a great time. She fished and caught a nice size bass, and that tickled her to death. I wish I had thought to take a picture of her and her fish so she could put it on her bulletin board at the nursing home. Maybe we can take her back another time or two over the summer, and she can catch another one.
John did some fishing and had some good bites. He caught a couple of bass and one really nice stripe. He hung two (maybe the same one??) but he couldn't get them in. It took about ten minutes of work to get the one he did catch. He got three crappie too. Those are in the freezer waiting to be fried up. YUM-O!!
We left on that Thursday morning for home. Talk about depressing! We had planned to go to Memphis with Susan and Tim, but the weather got pretty yuck with lots of rain, so we rescheduled that trip for June.
As soon as I get home and we load up, we're heading up for the weekend. This will be another do nothing weekend! John deserves to rest after the hard work he put in on the bathroom. :) Maybe the fish will be biting again.
I'm gonna go get my stuff ready so I can be out the door as soon after the bell rings as possible because I am ready to be lake bound!
Remember...KEEP DREAMING!!!!
We left on Saturday morning to go up, and so by the time we got there, it was early afternoon. We did only what was necessary...unloaded the truck, turned on the water, flipped the breakers...and then we enjoyed the late afternoon quiet. Better enjoy it now because there won't be many weekends when it is quiet. Even though the water was still quite cool (I dipped a toe in), a few brave souls tubed.
On Sunday, we went to visit Billie, and then we took her back with us to spend the night. Even though she wouldn't remember it now, she has a great time. She fished and caught a nice size bass, and that tickled her to death. I wish I had thought to take a picture of her and her fish so she could put it on her bulletin board at the nursing home. Maybe we can take her back another time or two over the summer, and she can catch another one.
John did some fishing and had some good bites. He caught a couple of bass and one really nice stripe. He hung two (maybe the same one??) but he couldn't get them in. It took about ten minutes of work to get the one he did catch. He got three crappie too. Those are in the freezer waiting to be fried up. YUM-O!!
We left on that Thursday morning for home. Talk about depressing! We had planned to go to Memphis with Susan and Tim, but the weather got pretty yuck with lots of rain, so we rescheduled that trip for June.
As soon as I get home and we load up, we're heading up for the weekend. This will be another do nothing weekend! John deserves to rest after the hard work he put in on the bathroom. :) Maybe the fish will be biting again.
I'm gonna go get my stuff ready so I can be out the door as soon after the bell rings as possible because I am ready to be lake bound!
Remember...KEEP DREAMING!!!!
Thursday, July 28, 2011
Not quite the last hurrah
I came to the lake yesterday to get in a few R&R days before school starts back. Originally, I had planned to come up yesterday and stay until NEXT Sunday, but Connie and Libby are going to see Layton on Monday, so I'm going home Sunday so I can go with them. The plan right now is to come back on that Tuesday and stay until that Sunday. That will be the last hurrah for my summer. :)
After I got everything unloaded and put away yesterday, I took my camera and went down to the dock to get some late afternoon shots. I love sunsets on the lake. And I really love the way the sun is peeking from behind the cloud in this one. One of these days, I'm going to invest in a really good camera and take a photography class. Photography is a hobby I'd really like to develop.
Relaxing on the dock is another hobby of mine, but I've pretty well developed it. I think I'm almost at pro status. I spent about three and a half to four hours basking in the sun today. It was hot, but being able to take a quick dip makes it bearable. After having left the pups inside, they've been stuck to my side/lap since I got out of the shower. :)
After supper I'm going to sit on the porch with my book (and the fan) and enjoy the quiet. And probably an adult beverage too...
As always, keep dreaming because you never know when those dreams just might come true!
After I got everything unloaded and put away yesterday, I took my camera and went down to the dock to get some late afternoon shots. I love sunsets on the lake. And I really love the way the sun is peeking from behind the cloud in this one. One of these days, I'm going to invest in a really good camera and take a photography class. Photography is a hobby I'd really like to develop.
After supper I'm going to sit on the porch with my book (and the fan) and enjoy the quiet. And probably an adult beverage too...
As always, keep dreaming because you never know when those dreams just might come true!
Sunday, July 24, 2011
Fun with the fam
We had a mini-reunion at the lake this weekend. A few weeks back, Tisha called and said Connie was missing her big brothers and wanted us to all get together sometime soon. Since Billie is in the nursing home, we don't make it to Hartselle very much. Usually on the weekends that we were up there, we'd see most everybody at some point, but I don't think we've really seen Tim and Tisha since Christmas. We ran into them one Sunday as we were leaving the nursing home. I know we haven't seen Libby, Jay, or the kids since Christmas, and it's been even longer since we saw Luke.
We decided that this weekend would be a good time to get together to visit. We still didn't have everybody there, but it can be hard to get everyone's schedules to mesh.
Connie, Zac, and Billie got there first. We were so excited to see Billie come crawling out of Connie's car! John said on the way up Friday that he wished she would come. Not long after they got there, Tim, Tisha, Libby, and Gavin got there, and then Katy, Phillip, and Sam were right behind them. Danny and Linda came up a little later, but Danny wasn't feeling the best, so he rested.
We didn't do anything special--John grilled burgers, we sat and talked, Phillip and Katy took Sam and Zac to the water and let them swim. Billie really seemed to enjoy herself. She was a little confused about whether it was Katy or Jessi, who Libby had married (she kept wanting her to have married "the Caldwell boy'), and who the boys belonged to. Connie said that when she got her back to the nursing home, she told everybody that she'd gotten to spend the day with all her kids and her grandkids (almost all!) and that she'd gone fishing. :) She didn't fish one time, but hey, if she thinks she did, then that's fine with me! She has fished out there tons of times.
Sam sure had a good time. He swam for a while, and then he played with his tractor and was covered in dirt. Bama chased a beagle around the yard, and Sam "barked" and ran after them, laughing the whole time. Then he decided he wanted to walk, so we walked. We went from one end of the road to the other and back to our place. On the way back, he saw a mud puddle. He stopped, looked at it, and looked up to me. I looked at him and said, "Sam Pate, no." He then proceeded to jump right in the middle of it with both feet. I couldn't do anything except laugh. I mean, what little boy doesn't like mud?? He also got to ride with Pop Pop on the four wheeler. John had gotten it out earlier in the day. Katy was sitting on it, so Sam climbed on with her. We had walked down to Danny and Linda's dock for a minute, and when we came back up, Katy told Sam to ask Pop Pop for a ride. In his cute little voice, he said, "Ride please, Pop Pop." Of course Pop Pop couldn't tell him no. I'm not sure who loves whom the most. :) Katy gave him a quick bath and then they left about dark.
I love the time we have to spend together with our families. The memories are priceless.
Keep dreaming!!
We decided that this weekend would be a good time to get together to visit. We still didn't have everybody there, but it can be hard to get everyone's schedules to mesh.
Connie, Zac, and Billie got there first. We were so excited to see Billie come crawling out of Connie's car! John said on the way up Friday that he wished she would come. Not long after they got there, Tim, Tisha, Libby, and Gavin got there, and then Katy, Phillip, and Sam were right behind them. Danny and Linda came up a little later, but Danny wasn't feeling the best, so he rested.
We didn't do anything special--John grilled burgers, we sat and talked, Phillip and Katy took Sam and Zac to the water and let them swim. Billie really seemed to enjoy herself. She was a little confused about whether it was Katy or Jessi, who Libby had married (she kept wanting her to have married "the Caldwell boy'), and who the boys belonged to. Connie said that when she got her back to the nursing home, she told everybody that she'd gotten to spend the day with all her kids and her grandkids (almost all!) and that she'd gone fishing. :) She didn't fish one time, but hey, if she thinks she did, then that's fine with me! She has fished out there tons of times.
Sam sure had a good time. He swam for a while, and then he played with his tractor and was covered in dirt. Bama chased a beagle around the yard, and Sam "barked" and ran after them, laughing the whole time. Then he decided he wanted to walk, so we walked. We went from one end of the road to the other and back to our place. On the way back, he saw a mud puddle. He stopped, looked at it, and looked up to me. I looked at him and said, "Sam Pate, no." He then proceeded to jump right in the middle of it with both feet. I couldn't do anything except laugh. I mean, what little boy doesn't like mud?? He also got to ride with Pop Pop on the four wheeler. John had gotten it out earlier in the day. Katy was sitting on it, so Sam climbed on with her. We had walked down to Danny and Linda's dock for a minute, and when we came back up, Katy told Sam to ask Pop Pop for a ride. In his cute little voice, he said, "Ride please, Pop Pop." Of course Pop Pop couldn't tell him no. I'm not sure who loves whom the most. :) Katy gave him a quick bath and then they left about dark.
I love the time we have to spend together with our families. The memories are priceless.
Keep dreaming!!
Monday, June 20, 2011
Duck duck GOOSE
The ducks will come to the dock/shore anytime anybody is around,
hoping somebody will share a snack with them.
The geese get their fair share of snacks, too.
This is the first week I've been able to come to the lake and stay so far. Between my trip to the beach, dentist appointments, baby showers, and getting pampered, I've not had time. I knew I better grab this week because Mr. Thomas Layton Caldwell could be making his appearance at any time. IF Jess goes the whole time, he'll arrive three weeks from today via c-section, but she is hoping she doesn't have to wait quite that long. Yeah, three weeks isn't long for most people, but poor Jess...she is so swollen and miserable. But she looks beautiful, despite what she thinks. :)
Mom and Dad came up Saturday, and we grilled out for Father's Day. John put a pork tenderloin on and let it slow cook for a couple of hours. Oh my! It was delicious! As a matter of fact, I'm having the leftovers for dinner in just a little bit. :)
We had a nice, relaxing visit with Mom and Dad. Fortunately, it wasn't miserably hot. Once we just knew we were about to have a downpour, but it went a little west of us. My poor elephant ears sure could have used a good rain!
I sat out on the dock for about three hours today. It wasn't TOO bad...a nice breeze would blow every once in a while...but it would've been much nicer to have floated for a while. We still haven't put the ladder back on the dock, but that's okay. John hasn't been able to take care of it. I could have walked over to Danny and Linda's dock, but I was just too lazy. ;) I may have to tomorrow.
Not much new to share for now. But always remember to
KEEP DREAMING!
Monday, May 30, 2011
Sunday, May 29, 2011
Memorial Day weekend 2011
Because I was working graduation Friday night, we didn't head up to the lake until yesterday. I was awake at 3 AM yesterday. (John says it was because I was too excited to sleep, sort of like the little boy in the Disney commercial a few years back.) I finally got up at 3:30, make coffee and biscuits, put the cold stuff in the cooler, and dressed. We'd planned on getting up at 4, anyway. John got up a little before 4, and we were on the road by 4:30.
By the time we got the boat out of storage and got the trailer back in storage, it was almost 8:30 when we got here. I had a couple of projects I wanted to get done early, so I tore in to those once we unloaded.
We got some mulch to put around my elephant ears, and we (okay, I) wanted to make a bed around the ones by the front steps. I moved about 10 nice size rocks for the bed. When I say nice size, I mean carry with two hands because they weighed in the neighborhood of 20 pounds each. But I got them done and got the mulch spread, and I think it looks pretty darn good. I think I'm going to get some hosta to plant in the bed with my ears. It would look a ton better if we had a beautiful green lawn. Someday!
After doing all that, it was time to soak in the sun. Since we had to take our ladder off our dock in the fall, I went over to Danny and Linda's dock. I didn't think I'd be able to make it all day without getting in the water. The first dip was pretty cool, but to quote the kids, once I got used to it, it wasn't so bad. I ended up dozing off, so I got a little more sun that I really wanted. Today will be a sunscreen day for sure! I would hate to be burnt and unable to enjoy the beach this weekend!
Susan and Tim are coming over sometime today to chill and grill. Because some lovely creature decided to use our boat as a place to enjoy a dead fish, we had to go out early and clean it up. It wasn't an easy job, but it wasn't as hard as I thought it would be. We have it gassed up, so we'll be ready to ride later. I can't wait to spend the day with the Kings. We have a lot to catch up on. :) Maybe I'll have some pictures to post later. It time to start the Lake Memories 2011 album!
As always,
KEEP DREAMING!
By the time we got the boat out of storage and got the trailer back in storage, it was almost 8:30 when we got here. I had a couple of projects I wanted to get done early, so I tore in to those once we unloaded.
We got some mulch to put around my elephant ears, and we (okay, I) wanted to make a bed around the ones by the front steps. I moved about 10 nice size rocks for the bed. When I say nice size, I mean carry with two hands because they weighed in the neighborhood of 20 pounds each. But I got them done and got the mulch spread, and I think it looks pretty darn good. I think I'm going to get some hosta to plant in the bed with my ears. It would look a ton better if we had a beautiful green lawn. Someday!
After doing all that, it was time to soak in the sun. Since we had to take our ladder off our dock in the fall, I went over to Danny and Linda's dock. I didn't think I'd be able to make it all day without getting in the water. The first dip was pretty cool, but to quote the kids, once I got used to it, it wasn't so bad. I ended up dozing off, so I got a little more sun that I really wanted. Today will be a sunscreen day for sure! I would hate to be burnt and unable to enjoy the beach this weekend!
Susan and Tim are coming over sometime today to chill and grill. Because some lovely creature decided to use our boat as a place to enjoy a dead fish, we had to go out early and clean it up. It wasn't an easy job, but it wasn't as hard as I thought it would be. We have it gassed up, so we'll be ready to ride later. I can't wait to spend the day with the Kings. We have a lot to catch up on. :) Maybe I'll have some pictures to post later. It time to start the Lake Memories 2011 album!
As always,
KEEP DREAMING!
Saturday, May 14, 2011
Grading like a crazy woman
We came to the lake this weekend just to get John out of the house. Since his surgery on the 4th, he has been pretty much stuck in his recliner, and it is really getting to him! It's one thing to stay at home if you have the option to leave, but it's quite another to be stuck. He has gotten out a couple of days and taken the pups on a ride around town, but until yesterday, he hasn't been out and about for very long at all. And what has he done most all day? Napped in the recliner. He is snoring as I type. hahahahaha
It is rather yucky today. It's overcast, breezy, and pretty cool, and he can't fish, so he really doesn't much else to do. I, on the other hand, have been grading research, but that is making me crazy. I'll grade a couple papers, and then I have to take a break. It's good that it is yucky because I'd be so tempted to be down on the dock. I don't have many more to do to reach my goal for today, so I should probably get back to them. I wouldn't mind reaching my goal and then doing a couple more. It's still early in the afternoon, so I may be able to do that.
As always, KEEP DREAMING!
It is rather yucky today. It's overcast, breezy, and pretty cool, and he can't fish, so he really doesn't much else to do. I, on the other hand, have been grading research, but that is making me crazy. I'll grade a couple papers, and then I have to take a break. It's good that it is yucky because I'd be so tempted to be down on the dock. I don't have many more to do to reach my goal for today, so I should probably get back to them. I wouldn't mind reaching my goal and then doing a couple more. It's still early in the afternoon, so I may be able to do that.
As always, KEEP DREAMING!
Friday, April 15, 2011
Stormy weather
Today has been stormy most all day. Thankfully our weather here hasn't been as bad as it has been (and still is) in other parts of the state. It has rained enough, though, that the lake is about two feet over full pool and the run off continues. We have a little branch at the edge of our property. Most of the time, it's dry, but tonight it sounds like a waterfall. I'll be very surprised if the water isn't over the rip rap by in the morning.
Mom and Dad rode up Wednesday and spent the day. It was a wonderful visit. John and Dad went fishing, but they didn't catch much. While they did that, Mom and I just visited. :) I can't wait to be here more this summer so our visits can be more frequent. Three hours isn't all THAT far away, but it's far away enough that going to visit for the day is hard. I mean, a one day visit would include a 6 hour drive (round trip), and that's a lot of road time.
Yesterday I was quite lazy. I sat on the dock most of the day. John was pretty lazy himself, but he sat on the porch at our place or over at Danny and Linda's. About 3, we took the boat out for a short ride. It was a perfect day for a ride, but I lost my new Lake Girl baseball cap. :( It blew off, and before we could get back to it, it sank. I was almost within grabbing distance when I saw it fade away. **sigh**
Just a few more pics to share.
This little guy flew in the door and kept going to the bobber lights. We think he must have thought they were feeders. I pushed the screen out and he finally found his way to freedom.
Mom and Dad rode up Wednesday and spent the day. It was a wonderful visit. John and Dad went fishing, but they didn't catch much. While they did that, Mom and I just visited. :) I can't wait to be here more this summer so our visits can be more frequent. Three hours isn't all THAT far away, but it's far away enough that going to visit for the day is hard. I mean, a one day visit would include a 6 hour drive (round trip), and that's a lot of road time.
Yesterday I was quite lazy. I sat on the dock most of the day. John was pretty lazy himself, but he sat on the porch at our place or over at Danny and Linda's. About 3, we took the boat out for a short ride. It was a perfect day for a ride, but I lost my new Lake Girl baseball cap. :( It blew off, and before we could get back to it, it sank. I was almost within grabbing distance when I saw it fade away. **sigh**
Just a few more pics to share.
John went out yesterday morning and did a little fishing. He didn't have much luck...
But he did catch this guy. According to the Carl Scale, it would have been a five-pound bass. LOL John decided to let him go. :)
As always...KEEP DREAMING!
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Stick a fork in us...we are DONE!
Our butts are dragging tonight! We spent the entire day working in the yard. I think we raked at least 9.5 billion leaves and probably about that many pieces of pine straw. Fortunately it was a very pleasant day. A nice breeze blew all day long so we didn't get miserably hot. What we did get are blisters, aching backs, and for John, an bum shoulder. We were almost finished for the day...only three more loads to go...when he slipped down an embankment. SCARED me to DEATH! He hit the ground and rolled over. I didn't know what had happened, so I threw my rake and ran, yelling "ARE YOU OKAY??" the whole time. He wasn't answering, so that scared me even more. Then I saw him move, so I knew he was still alive. :) But the way he moved made me think he'd broken an arm. He didn't, but he did hurt his shoulder. I asked if we needed to go have it checked, but being the stubborn man he is, he said no. I did tell him that if it isn't any better by Monday, he better have it checked out at work. We did finish the yard, and now the rest of the week, we can play. Or relax. Or whatever we want to do!
Before I go, I want to share a few pics. :)
The lake after an afternoon storm
Donald Duck...he swam right up to the bank when I was taking his picture. Think he's been fed by humans? LOL
Donald's ladies
My first elephant ear to make an appearance! So tiny!
The blisters are proof that we raked 9.5 billion leaves...
Remember...KEEP DREAMING!
Before I go, I want to share a few pics. :)
Remember...KEEP DREAMING!
Saturday, April 2, 2011
Addicted to sunshine
Seriously, I think I am. I even googled "can you be addicted to sunshine." I didn't get any hits that indicated that a person can be addicted to sunshine, but I know how much better I feel when it's sunny.
For the last week, we had some of the grayest, dreariest, gloomiest days ever, and my mood matched. I was so blah all week long. Finally, yesterday it started to perk up, and so did my mood. I noticed the difference in how I felt on my way to work. Even though I was stuck inside all day, I just felt so much better knowing that I could look out my windows and see blue skies.
I had to grade some note cards today (fortunately, Ashley is grading them too, so it only took me half as long as it would have if I didn't have an intern!) but once I finished, I put on a swimsuit and headed to the deck. It was quite breezy at times, so I would wrap John's flannel shirt around my shoulders until the wind stopped. Even though there were those breezy moments, just having the sun warm my skin felt so good. Tonight my face is a little red, and I have a white strap mark across my feet from my flip flops (I didn't think to slip them off), but I don't care. I'm just so happy to have had the chance to enjoy the beautiful day.
And beautiful it was! Not a cloud anywhere all day. I hope we have these kinds of days when I'm out on spring break.
John grilled steaks for supper. As usual, they were delicious. Now I'm sitting here with the pups snuggled up next to me. Ali is trying to get covered up, except I don't have a blanket, so she's trying to get inside my shirt. Silly girl :) I guess I should go so I can get a blanket for her,
Remember, never stop dreaming!
Saturday, March 26, 2011
Dreary day at the lake
The sky is gray, the wind is blowing, the air has a chill to it. The forecast is calling for possible thunderstorms. I'm glad I'm here.
So what if I can't relax in the sun. So what if it might be too cool (for me, anyway) to sit on the porch. I would just as soon be here on a wet, gray day as anywhere. What would I do if I were at home? Probably the same thing I'll do here...read, nap, watch a good movie on TV.
John has breakfast ready, so I'm gonna go eat and then I'm gonna enjoy this stormy day.
Remember, KEEP DREAMING!
So what if I can't relax in the sun. So what if it might be too cool (for me, anyway) to sit on the porch. I would just as soon be here on a wet, gray day as anywhere. What would I do if I were at home? Probably the same thing I'll do here...read, nap, watch a good movie on TV.
John has breakfast ready, so I'm gonna go eat and then I'm gonna enjoy this stormy day.
Remember, KEEP DREAMING!
Saturday, March 12, 2011
Full pool and then some!
Full pool on Smith Lake is 522' msl. What this means is that once the water reaches 522' above sea level, it will begin to go over the dam. Right now, the level is at 515.9'. Fortunately, it has stopped rising.
Last year in the later winter/early spring, we had some huge rains, and the water got right to 515'. It's amazing how much difference that extra foot or so makes. In our "subdivision" (very loose meaning), the only walkway not under water is Danny and Linda's. The distance between the bottom of their walkway (land side) and the top of the water ain't much, either. The nice thing about all of the rain is that we shouldn't have to worry about getting the level up for summer. It's already there. The not-so-nice thing is that now we have a ton of debris that will be left in our slough and will have to be cleaned out. Yea...
I had hoped to sit out on the swim deck today and soak up some sun, but unless I walk over to Danny and Linda's dock, I won't be doing that because I'm not going to wade out to our walkway. Brrrr!!! I meant to bring my camera this weekend, but I forgot it. I did take some pictures with my phone, but I don't want to walk around until I find service so I can email them to myself. I'll post them later.
John and Ali are napping in one recliner, and Bama is snuggled with me in the other one. I think I'm about to grab my Kindle and read for a while.
Remember,
Keep on dreaming!
Last year in the later winter/early spring, we had some huge rains, and the water got right to 515'. It's amazing how much difference that extra foot or so makes. In our "subdivision" (very loose meaning), the only walkway not under water is Danny and Linda's. The distance between the bottom of their walkway (land side) and the top of the water ain't much, either. The nice thing about all of the rain is that we shouldn't have to worry about getting the level up for summer. It's already there. The not-so-nice thing is that now we have a ton of debris that will be left in our slough and will have to be cleaned out. Yea...
I had hoped to sit out on the swim deck today and soak up some sun, but unless I walk over to Danny and Linda's dock, I won't be doing that because I'm not going to wade out to our walkway. Brrrr!!! I meant to bring my camera this weekend, but I forgot it. I did take some pictures with my phone, but I don't want to walk around until I find service so I can email them to myself. I'll post them later.
John and Ali are napping in one recliner, and Bama is snuggled with me in the other one. I think I'm about to grab my Kindle and read for a while.
Remember,
Keep on dreaming!
Monday, February 21, 2011
Come on it! The water's fine!
Mom and Dad gave us a picture for Christmas that has "Life is better at the lake" on it. We hung it up yesterday, and I meant to take a picture of it so I could use it in this post, but I forgot. I tried to find the same one online, but I couldn't. I found the one at the right, though, and thought I'd use it.
It was after dark before we got there on Friday, so we didn't do much except unload and turn on the water before walking over to visit with Danny and Linda for a bit. We were thrilled to find NO BURST WATER LINES! This was a first! We don't think they would have burst last year, but apparently someone turned on the water after we'd drained the lines. (John, for some reason, didn't leave the line open at the boat house, so after it was turned off again, the lines didn't drain.) When we closed up for winter last year, we left that line open AND we put a note at the valve saying NOT to turn the water on. Before we left yesterday, we drained them again, just to be on the safe side. This is Alabama, and it has snowed in April. Can't take any chances. :)
Saturday was quite overcast and cool. John needed me to help him attach the "new" swim deck to the walkway, but that didn't take long. Once we finished, I got a chair and my Kindle, but it didn't take long for me to realize it was just a little too cool for me. Plus, I was still feeling crummy from my cold, so I decided to sit on the porch and read, and John got his hammock out and napped for a while. Doesn't that sound like a perfect way to spend the day? (Aside from the cold, that is.)
Yesterday, we sat outside with Danny and Linda for a while. (I hope we didn't share our cold germs with them! If we did, we are SO sorry!) The weather was much nicer than it was on Saturday, so that made packing up to come home so much more depressing. Hopefully, we'll be able to go most every weekend from now on. That's the plan, anyway. :)
I guess I should run for now. I read over this, and boy, did I ramble. I really don't care, though. This is my blog, after all. LOL
Just remember...
Keep on dreamin'!
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Lake time is winding down
EXTENDED lake time, that is. My summer is quickly coming to an end. This is the last of my extended stays here, and I'm feeling really depressed.
Next week we have orientation. Since I have seniors, I have to be at the school Monday by 8, and Mr. Reyes has requested that we come back on Wednesday for the make-up day, so I'll be there then, too. I'll probably go back Thursday, and maybe Friday, to get everything back in place and make some copies. Then the next week will be our inservice/professional development days on August 3, 4, and 5. More than likely, I'll be there on that Monday (2nd), too, but unless I feel like I HAVE to be there on Friday (6th), I'll enjoy my last day of summer at home. Maybe John can take that day off and we can come back on Thursday. (That may not be possible though because he just had to let two of his techs go because of financial reasons.)
I planned on coming up Sunday, but I was so tired from all of the wedding festivities, I knew I couldn't make it. It isn't that I was running around like a crazy woman (she didn't come to the wedding), but there are always those last minute things that have to be taken care of. And on Saturday, I ran a couple of quick errands for Jessi. Anyhoo, if you read my other blog, you know I was worthless on Sunday. I decided to clean house on Monday so I'd have that out of the way, so the pups and I didn't get here until mid-afternoon yesterday.
One of the first things I did when I got here was to check on the wrens. Either they have flown or something got them. I'm not sure they were quite old enough to fly, but I can't stand to think that something bad happened, so as far as I'm concerned, they flew. (Hey, this is my blog and Momma Wren made their "nursery" outside my window, so I can think what I want. LOL)
It is HOT and HUMID, and the lake level is falling. The level is down almost three feet. By next weekend, unless we have a monsoon, we should be able to burn the brush in the slough. I hope so anyway...I don't like anything that looks snaky, even if we haven't seen any so far. (Knock on wood!!!)
I'm staying here until Friday, and then I'll meet John at his mom's for our weekend. I haven't been since April. (Bless her heart. She won't even remember it's been that long either.) We swapped with Danny and Linda in May--they did their weekend and our weekend that month, and John did their weekend in June since Linda was supposed to have gone to the beach with us. Then we had Christie (Billie's neighbor) stay on our regular weekend in June because that was the weekend of Lance and Jess's couple's shower.
Hopefully, the next couple of days will be sunny. I want to get as much sun as I can while I can. I know...I'll look like a piece of old shoe leather by the time I'm an old woman, but John will still love me. :)
I think I'm about to get an adult beverage and sit on the porch for a while.
Remember, KEEP DREAMING!
Next week we have orientation. Since I have seniors, I have to be at the school Monday by 8, and Mr. Reyes has requested that we come back on Wednesday for the make-up day, so I'll be there then, too. I'll probably go back Thursday, and maybe Friday, to get everything back in place and make some copies. Then the next week will be our inservice/professional development days on August 3, 4, and 5. More than likely, I'll be there on that Monday (2nd), too, but unless I feel like I HAVE to be there on Friday (6th), I'll enjoy my last day of summer at home. Maybe John can take that day off and we can come back on Thursday. (That may not be possible though because he just had to let two of his techs go because of financial reasons.)
I planned on coming up Sunday, but I was so tired from all of the wedding festivities, I knew I couldn't make it. It isn't that I was running around like a crazy woman (she didn't come to the wedding), but there are always those last minute things that have to be taken care of. And on Saturday, I ran a couple of quick errands for Jessi. Anyhoo, if you read my other blog, you know I was worthless on Sunday. I decided to clean house on Monday so I'd have that out of the way, so the pups and I didn't get here until mid-afternoon yesterday.
One of the first things I did when I got here was to check on the wrens. Either they have flown or something got them. I'm not sure they were quite old enough to fly, but I can't stand to think that something bad happened, so as far as I'm concerned, they flew. (Hey, this is my blog and Momma Wren made their "nursery" outside my window, so I can think what I want. LOL)
It is HOT and HUMID, and the lake level is falling. The level is down almost three feet. By next weekend, unless we have a monsoon, we should be able to burn the brush in the slough. I hope so anyway...I don't like anything that looks snaky, even if we haven't seen any so far. (Knock on wood!!!)
I'm staying here until Friday, and then I'll meet John at his mom's for our weekend. I haven't been since April. (Bless her heart. She won't even remember it's been that long either.) We swapped with Danny and Linda in May--they did their weekend and our weekend that month, and John did their weekend in June since Linda was supposed to have gone to the beach with us. Then we had Christie (Billie's neighbor) stay on our regular weekend in June because that was the weekend of Lance and Jess's couple's shower.
Hopefully, the next couple of days will be sunny. I want to get as much sun as I can while I can. I know...I'll look like a piece of old shoe leather by the time I'm an old woman, but John will still love me. :)
I think I'm about to get an adult beverage and sit on the porch for a while.
Remember, KEEP DREAMING!
Sunday, July 11, 2010
River Rat
Phillip and Sam came up to the lake today to visit. Katy was in PCB with Jessi and a few of her friends for Jess's bachelorette party, so it was just Phillip, Sam, Pop Pop, and Grana. Right after they got here, we took a short cruise on the pontoon, and then we came back to swim. Let me tell ya what...Sam LOVES the water!!! He must have been a fish in a previous life. LOL
We got in to swim/float about 11 or so, and we didn't get out until about 1. Sam was NOT a happy camper (fish??) when we had to come in, but it was lunchtime. I have never seen him pitch a tantrum like this, but pitch one he did. I had a hard time not laughing at him. Once Phillip got him changed, though, and he realized he was hungry, he stopped. Pop Pop fixed him a delicious PBJ sandwich, some chips, and a cup of milk, and then Pop Pop gave him a Nutty Bar. (John had grilled burgers for himself, Phillip, and me.)
After lunch, we just sat and talked and let Sam entertain us. This is the third time we've gotten to see him in the last three weeks, and we're loving all the Sam time! We'll get to see him again this coming weekend because of the weekend. He sat with John and "shared" his milk. Actually, John pretended to drink it, and Sam would just cackle. John is in HEAVEN when Sam is around. So am I. He was very generous with his lovin, too. Hugs, kisses, and snuggles were there for the taking. :)
After Phillip and Sam left, John got his stuff together and left soon after. I came in and checked fb, only to learn that the daughter of someone I taught with years ago had passed away. Kara was just 20, but she had CF. She went into the hospital on June 13 and had surgery on June 18, but she lost her battle today. Karen posted this on Kara's Praise Page (on fb) yesterday at 8:02 AM: "Kara had another good night last night. She is responding well to everything. A slow process most definitely, but she is following Matt Crenshaw's advice to "keep on keeping on!" That is the plan today because. . .well, she's IN IT TO WIN IT!! Keep thanking God for the GREAT work He is doing in Kara! Happy Saturday! ~kc" I'm not sure what happened or why...only God knows that...but my heart is breaking for Karen, Kara's dad, step-dad, and brothers. I know this part of this post has nothing to do with the lake, but I just felt compelled to include it. Take a minute to hug your child, your husband, your wife. Tell them you love them. Please pray for this family as they walk this difficult path.
As always, keep dreaming...
We got in to swim/float about 11 or so, and we didn't get out until about 1. Sam was NOT a happy camper (fish??) when we had to come in, but it was lunchtime. I have never seen him pitch a tantrum like this, but pitch one he did. I had a hard time not laughing at him. Once Phillip got him changed, though, and he realized he was hungry, he stopped. Pop Pop fixed him a delicious PBJ sandwich, some chips, and a cup of milk, and then Pop Pop gave him a Nutty Bar. (John had grilled burgers for himself, Phillip, and me.)
After lunch, we just sat and talked and let Sam entertain us. This is the third time we've gotten to see him in the last three weeks, and we're loving all the Sam time! We'll get to see him again this coming weekend because of the weekend. He sat with John and "shared" his milk. Actually, John pretended to drink it, and Sam would just cackle. John is in HEAVEN when Sam is around. So am I. He was very generous with his lovin, too. Hugs, kisses, and snuggles were there for the taking. :)
After Phillip and Sam left, John got his stuff together and left soon after. I came in and checked fb, only to learn that the daughter of someone I taught with years ago had passed away. Kara was just 20, but she had CF. She went into the hospital on June 13 and had surgery on June 18, but she lost her battle today. Karen posted this on Kara's Praise Page (on fb) yesterday at 8:02 AM: "Kara had another good night last night. She is responding well to everything. A slow process most definitely, but she is following Matt Crenshaw's advice to "keep on keeping on!" That is the plan today because. . .well, she's IN IT TO WIN IT!! Keep thanking God for the GREAT work He is doing in Kara! Happy Saturday! ~kc" I'm not sure what happened or why...only God knows that...but my heart is breaking for Karen, Kara's dad, step-dad, and brothers. I know this part of this post has nothing to do with the lake, but I just felt compelled to include it. Take a minute to hug your child, your husband, your wife. Tell them you love them. Please pray for this family as they walk this difficult path.
As always, keep dreaming...
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