Unpredictable...

I'm really tired of posting about me and my everyday life, and sorta wondering if I'm not boring you as well.  

Sooo...

 

Let's delve into bells: 

Back in the day

1 bell trimmed into the tail meant the mule was broke to pack, 2 bells meant he was broke to drive, and 3 bells meant he was broke to pack, drive, and ride. This way, when looking at a corral full of unknown mules, it was easy to identify which one to select for the job!

In the old military a new mule had his tail head shaved. So every one could be aware that the mule was unpredictable until it was known better.

That is why a new lieutenant was known as a shave tail.. unpredictable until known better.

Mother's Day 2019...

It was pretty quiet around here for Mother's Day. After I got home from mass, Sean came over to give me a card, take me to lunch & help me with the  travel trailer. While we were getting ready to leave the house Sean asked if I had heard from Marymine.

"Not yet, but I'm pretty sure she is busy and will call when she gets a chance."

Sean got a shit kicker grin on his face, and said he would wait for me to go upstairs and change out of my church clothes. Later as we were walking into the restaurant, he again asked if I had heard from her.  "I don't know, let me check my phone."  Sure enough there was a text from her saying 'she loved me 'more', was busy on a project with the kids, and would call later that night'. Sean started laughing, he had texted her before we left the house and told her he was now #1 and she was going to have to step up her game if she wanted to stay in the running... Kids!

We had a nice lunch and then went out to were I have the travel trailer stored,  removed the cover, installed the batteries, tested the generator, and checked the systems & the tires. After I give her a bath, coat her in 303, and flush the tanks, she should be ready to roll.

Come to find out Marymine and the grandkids were busy

 Marymine's pool April 2018 badly in need of resurfacing

resurfacing and painting her 70 year old swimming pool.

Marymine can do anything she sets her mind too, but this was no small task.  Good on the grandkids for helping with this huge project. 

One more coat and they can fill it, and be set for the summer. 

Oh, and according to my oldest grandson, Cody... this is what they are most likely going to look like after swimming in it... LOL!

Vintage Garden Market...

Saturday my SIL and I went to the Vintage Garden Market in downtown Camas. There were lots of vendors selling crafts and plants at the one day event. The weather was glorious, and so many plants, antiques, garden items, and a 4-H booth with goats.

We got there early, there was much to see.

Our favorite shop, Camas Antiques was busy outside and in.

Their vendors have a great eye for display.

So many friendly vendors with beautiful healthy plants.  I bought two zonal geraniums, and a multi blue clematis because you know you can't have too many plants.

Just before we saw this gal my SIL mentioned that she could spot the Wives of Camas by their eyelid, lip, and boob jobs... lol.

This firepit caught my eye, made from a disk blade, a tire rim and ???  I really need to take that welding class at Columbia.

We had a nice lunch at a sidewalk cafe and then headed back. It was a good day. 

The Mother...

Some days we have to take small triumphs where we can get them. Actually that's most days around here.

The upstairs toilet clogged up for the third time in as many months.  The other times I tried a few things but none were successful.  The plumber was called, and as much as I enjoy his company, he's a damn expensive date.  

The last time he came for a clogged toilet I watched him and actually paid attention. He went out to his truck and came back with the Mother of all augers. He augered out the clog, and after I emptied out one bank account into his hands, he was on his way to his next date.

This time, I again tried all the tricks in my small repertoire,  it remained clogged.  I decided that the prudent thing would be to get my own Mother of all augers.  Headed out to the big box and got the one that had the best reviews.  Took it to the checkout lady, and the first words out of her mouth were, "Your guy is going to be glad you got this, it really works!"

"That's good to know, but there is no guy, just me."

"I'm sorry about that, but you can handle it." she said.  

Got home, worked the Mother of all augers a couple of times and 'wallah' the toilet flushes.  The Mother of all augers was cleaned and gently placed in its new home beside the washing machine, as it deserved for saving me from another expensive date.

New words, old places...

Saturday found me on the road North to watch granddaughter, Jacey play soccer in Puyallup. (It is pronounced ‘Pew al lup’ as I learned after Jacey quit laughing from my mispronouncing of it). 

 

Jacey is the tall one in the back row, second from the left.

Jacey went up to her mom's (in Chehalis) the night before so she could be on the field on time.

The soccer field in Puyallup is two hours away from the hovel if the traffic is good, it was not, there is road work going on in the N bound lanes.  So what should have taken two hours to drive, took nearly three. Still I did get to see most of Jacey's game.

 As I was watching her race down field, I had an epiphany of sorts.  Each of my grandkids has an individual style of movement, and I can tell each one from a distance within a pack of kids. Is this a skill set that just comes to grandparents, or is it developed via years of watching them from the time they were babies? 

On the journey back to the hovel I got a better look at one of the roadside attractions.  I'm inexplicably drawn to old things, lol. There was no time for me to stop and take photos, but I did find some recent photos online.  Next time I'm up that way, I want to stop and get a closer look-see...