Hot Day

SUNDAY was a very hot day. Even tho we woke up early, it finally took us until 10:00am to get going. It was because hubby had his burrito for breakfast, then I had to make the dogs their Sunday dog-grog. Eggs, milk, bacon, rice, wheat buns, cheese. Yummy.

Went for a bike ride up to Round Lake State Park. The east side is still flooded; so we went out on the road. I got a low tire about 1/2 way into the ride, but finished. It was very difficult to pedal. 3.8 miles.

We returned home and hubby dug a ditch out to our pond for the electric while I put blocks around a tree in the backyard. Also watered all my plants & picked up dog poop for the 2nd time this morning. Trimmed back some of my plants.

Afterwards, we went to Spirit Lake grocery for ice cream fixings. Came home, hubby made hamburgers on the grille while I made ice cream. Dogs got fresh bones from the grocery store. They LOVED the bones as they were devoured. Bravo growled while attacking his bone if anybody came near. . .

*I posted all new pics on FLICKR of the dogs after the intense play & running session yesterday. For some reason they were all excited to get outside & play in the heat of the day. Bravo & Harriet both barked at the neighbors, some passing deer, and a bunch of squirrels.

We relaxed to Jesse James Is A Dead Man on television.

My BPPV is getting worse. I am pretty scared right now. It might be the sign of something more serious. I am even dizzy sitting here typing my blog. Am frightened to tell the hubby as he is SO concerned about me. Keeps asking me if I'm o.k. I tell him I'm feeling pretty good. But this is very distressing.

POSTSCRIPT-Mr.Cheesers has STILL not opened his eyes. We are afraid he might be blind. I looked up catblindness on the internet. Blind cats will compensate with their other senses - hearing & sense of smell. He is 13 days old today.

A Blanket of Green

Pollen descended upon us overnight. It covers everything. Cars in the garage; plants; rocks; people; dogs; cats; ponds; everything.

My vertigo is not getting better. It is pretty much the same as it was before. The constant nausea, the whirling dizziness if I move. I think it is time for the Valium.

FRIDAY we got the canoe on the new trailer & headed to Farragut. However, the water was white-capping. Too rough to take out the canoe. So instead we headed to Spirit Lake. Baby Bravo came with us and as I was holding the canoe & Mr. B while hubby parked the truck "B" decided to plunge off the dock right into the water! He even attempted to swim UNDER the dock, but I pulled him back with the leash. Thank Goodness that we had the forethought to put the leash on him. Hauled him back up - and he was dry within minutes. What a great fur coat!

He got into the boat OK, but tended to leap from side to side which rocked the canoe more than the hubby liked. After about an hour, we came back from the relaxing sunshine. Drove home and dumped the boat & dog. Went by ourselves into CDA town. Got Wendy's cheeseburgers for the dogs; returned a couple things at D&B; then got an additional post for the backyard & more dog food; hit Walgreens for bath salts & windex wipes; washed the truck carpet mats at the Car Wash as the laundry was busy. Then came home.

The kids called later after we had got everything unloaded from the vehicle. They are going to be incommunicado for a while - no internet; and their phone has been disconnected in preparation for the UK move to the US.

Hubby went down to the shop to work for a while.

I did the normal SATURDAY chores; picked up a gallon-size bag of dog poop; watered all my plants; fed the dogs & fish & cat. After we got our morning lattes, hubby went down to the shop to work; I swept out the patio downstairs, vacuumed, and turned on the air conditioning. It looks like I will be able to start biking in the mornings again as it is finally warm. Almost too warm.

Angus is wrapped around the toilet in the bathroom to keep cool. Might have to have her shaved - she has so much hair. Though her hair is soft & silky since we started the GOOD dog food. I also kept busy by making all the dogs a huge concoction of dog-grog - eggs & cheese & bacon. Yum. Isabelle has been walking back&forth from the shop to keep daddy company. Right now she is trying to cool off upstairs by taking a nap!

I ordered another hammock for outside as Kelsey's butt broke our other one last fall.

53.3

I have been learning to take things easier in the last couple days. Any sudden movement of my head will send me into a whirly gig of vertigo. Even walking - or sitting can cause a sudden whirl of my dizziness.

On Wednesday, we ran up to Sandpoint to get plants, landscape blocks, and a gate to complete the backyard remodel. Alternately routing ourselves back through Priest River, hubby was able to title the vehicles that he had gotten through Auction; and then a quick stop at Ben Franklin. By the time we got back, it was time for hubby to get working in the shop to finish the canoe trailer. It came out quite nice.

Thursday found us getting up late - since it is still Greg's vacation week, he slept in until 9:30. What a lazy bum. We got lattes, went for a bike ride in Farragut Park, drove down by the boat ramp & then through BayView to see all the changes down there. A major developer bought most of the town and is putting in all new condos, float homes, & RV sites.

When we got back around 12:30, I thought I had enough time to clean & vacuum the truck out; but I lost track of how long I had been working. Coming into the house around 2:20PM to get a drink of water, I realized that we had missed Angus' 2:00PM appt at the vet. Called the dr. & re-scheduled. We flew down to town to take her to see Dr. Mike where she got the balance of her puppy shots & rabies. Doc said that the spots on the bellies of all the doggies are some chigger that is only out for a limited instance around this time of year. Seems like they are bitten while lying on the grass.

Angus weighs a healthy 53.3 pounds so far! I really don't know what we are going to do when she weighs 130-150 average! She is so big & clumsy now.

Continuing with the kitten milking & Angus cleaning off Mr. Cheesers. The kitty-cat still has not opened her eyes yet. I am anxious to see what color they will be.

Because I rushed to get Angus to her vet, I had shut all the doors to the truck after cleaning it, but the back door hit me on my head. Formed a really BIG bump. It is all black & blue now. Hope I don't have a concussion. Along with my vertigo problems, this is not good. Trying to keep from going to sleep. Hubby should be home soon from the shop, so he can watch over me.

I.Am.Never.Cleaning.The.Truck.Again.

Dizzy

I was flat out on my back for most of MONDAY due to dizziness. Extremely dizzy. I couldn't get into bed, I couldn't get out of bed. Bending over, anything made me woozy. There was also associated nausea. Didn't eat anything or drink much most of the day.

So I am going to the doctor (along with hubby to check his melanoma) to find out what is wrong.

It sucks getting old.

Hubby got my lawnmower trailer built; I planted my seeds & put in the new solar lights when I was feeling better early in the morning. The dizziness didn't seem to hit until noon.

Tuesday is a beautiful morning so far. Isabelle got up at 4:30AM and was whining-she was letting us know that the baby kitty wanted to be fed. It was so cute.

Angus has turned into quite the assistant - she licks the baby kitty clean. What a sweetie. She even wags her tail & you can see her smile while she is doing it.

Hubby has been taking care of the early morning feeds for Mr. Cheesers. Thank goodness. I can't navigate the stairs in my condition.

While I rest in my chair on the deck, hubster is getting the canoe trailer ready for this afternoon after our doctor's appt. Hope I feel better by then.
______________________________________________________
Later Tuesday
At the doctor's appt 3PM, the doc froze hubby's ear again. It was mostly healed from the melanoma, but they decided to zap it once more. Dr. diagnosed my illness as BPPV - Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo. Prescribed Meclizine (which the pharmacy could not fill) and Valium. Yippee. Valium. I can sell it on the blackmarket!

If the prescriptions (and bedrest) do not resolve the BPPV within a few days, Dr. will refer me to physical therapy for manipulation - Epley Maneuvers or CRP.

When we got back from the doctors at 5:00PM, we found that Dave, the landscaper was working on the pond & mowing grass.

Gave the puppies sausages that we had purchased at the pharmacy. Isabelle had gone with us in the vehicle to the doctors and had stopped with us at McDonalds. She already had 2 cheeseburgers as her treat.

Foster Mothering Day 6

We arose bright and early on Sunday as the alarm clock rang at 3AM for a kitten feed. I am thoroughly glad that I don't have to do this for a real child, as I won't be able to last much longer with these late night feeds.

I stumbled downstairs to get the milk warmed as the hubby got comfortable in a chair to feed the little bugger. Barely able to navigate the stairs again, I passed out on the bed hardly able to remember that I was supposed to be sleeping.

We arose for good at 7:30, got dressed for bike riding and went to Round Lake. It was flooded at the east end, so we could not do a full loop. It didn't really matter as we were both screaming in pain after 15 minutes. Obviously, we are not in as good condition as we were last year. I was surprised to find that even with all my elliptical exercising, I was barely able to make the first hill without my calves burning! Hope the mornings get warmer soon so that I can start up my 15 mile biking every day.

ChaChi made a brief visit around 10:00 as he is let loose from the wedded noose of matrimony for this holiday weekend. His spouse is visiting relatives and won't be back til Tuesday.

Packing up Bravo & Angus in the truck, we went into town for groceries at Wally-World; tools at Harbor Freight; burritos at Taco del Mar; and puppy baths at the Car/Dog Wash.

On our way back from Spoky-Jo, Bravo stood on my lap and stuck most of his body out the window as we were speeding down the backroad at about 55mph. I finally drug him in, advising - "mommy will not understand if you fall out of the truck on the interstate!"

Upon arrival at home, we fed the baby kitty yet again; unpacked groceries & misc. Let Isabelle & Harriet out to play; while Bravo & Angus made up in play for the time they had missed.

I am pleasantly tired by 9:30PM and am going to bed.

CatSitting ICU Day 4&5

The dogs just adore their yard with the fence. They run around playing; are able to go inside or outside whenever they want (per hubby - "they do what they wan!"); and tumble about with each other. It is great to see them enjoying themselves.

I would like to get some dog agility equipment back there for them, eventually.

Mr. Cheesers is coming along quite well. Hubby got up last night for the 3am & 6am feedings; thank goodness. Because I was out of it with a few baby aspirins. In the photo of him/her you can see the pretty little pink feet & the cute little ear. It has still not opened its eyes yet. From what I ascertain from sources, kittens open their eyes at 10 days. We have been massaging him, and Angus even gave it a tongue bath, so the poor little orphan is getting its share of mothering.

Friday late afternoon, we got the bikes - along with Bravo & Isabelle we went down to Farragut Park to ride. On our usual course, we noticed that horses had torn it up more than usual. All the downed trees have been taken off the trail so it is cleared. But it felt more like an off-road motorcycle track than anything! But it was fun to get out to ride. Both of us felt that we were in poor shape from the winter; the dogs were also totally exhausted. Isabelle had foam coming out of her mouth, Bravo looked beat. Poor guy. He needs the exercise to lose the extra weight he packed on during the winter months.

Afterwards, Greg went down to the shop to work with the guys while I went for walks with the dogs. Hubby came home at 9:15 - quite late.

We actually slept in until 8:15 Saturday morning; then went to get lattes with all the dogs; and then came back to clean up the yard. I am picking up all the sticks and branches. Then will mow it. Next week sometime Joe (our friend) is coming with lots of dump truck yards of fill dirt for the back yard & the circle drive. Then Dave (the landscaper) will get the grass going, the pond finished & plant my lilacs. It will look fabulous.

Also cleaned out Angus' kennel & bedding. I hope to do some vacuuming, too. Already got 3 loads of laundry done. Kitten bedding, our clothes, & towels.

Fence!

Tim came over early this morning and got the fence done in the backyard. He worked quickly and efficiently.

I managed to keep the dog barking to a minimum during the time that he was here.

After it was completed, I let the dogs out to play. They ran, jumped, growled, barked, slobbered, and had a great time out there. It was as if we had given them the best gift in the world. All of them played like they were puppies again!

It was a delight to see.

Hubby was happy to see them playing when he got home.

The vet's office attendant called and asked if Isabelle's eye was any better. They suggested giving her Benadryl as it might be spring allergies. Silly dog.

Mr. Cheesers is still alive & kickin' - growing a lot. It is adorable to hold him while he drinks. I can feel the sucking throughout the bottle & feel his little belly filling up.

Cat ICU Day 2

So the weirdest things happened last night. . .
After we got home from obedience classes wherein Harriet was so freaked out that she did not even want to participate-Angus did a great job performing all the commands perfectly. The other mean instructor was not there and the atmosphere in the class was more relaxed. Joy helped everybody and the class even went over 20 minutes instead of being dismissed promptly at 7:00PM.

We picked up the bread bowls at Dominos on the way home. New kitty cat Cheesers had come with us so that we could take turns feeding him during class. However, he got quite cold on the way home even after being buried in 3 warm rags.

Got Cheesers home to the "ICU" and warmed him up; got more warm milk into him; and set him on the heating pad. He settled down quite well. Took a long nap.

Then 10:00pm came around. We were getting tired and the dogs decided they needed to go out to potty one last time. After hubby had just gotten all the pups inside, a knock on our back window came. ODD. Somebody coming around that late at night. In a rural area. . .

It turned out to be a junior high school kid who gave the story that his parents had kicked him out, taken his cell phone. He was walking from one town to another and as it was so cold & late, he saw the hubby out with the dogs and decided to stop to ask for a ride. Hubby asked if the kid could call his friends in Spirit Lake, but the kid didn't know their phone number. Another odd thing. Hubby looked up the kid's friends' last name on 411- no listed number. Another odd thing. Hubby came in and talked to me, wanted me to go with him. So I got my jacket on, hubby picked up his gun to tuck into a jacket pocket and we went outside. The kid had vanished!

Now we got suspicious. Did he have friends out there in a car, hidden away and had tried to pull a prank? The hubby will help just about anybody. I am more questioning. Why did the kid just leave? It was all very odd & scary.

We then drove in both directions. Did not find the kid. Another odd thing! So I told the hubby to call the police. A cruiser came out at about 10:45PM with a police woman. She took the hubby's info. Told us this is the time of year when school is almost finished & kids will get into arguments with their parents. Typical teenage runaways.

However, BRAVO decided to poop out weird stuff in the living room. I got that cleaned up & as I examined it, appeared to be long strands of grass; afterwards I went to look for him. Mr. Bravo was in the kitchen acting weird. I picked him up, AND HE HAD AN 18" PIECE OF POOP CORD hanging out his butt! Gross. This dog is gross. Just gross. He eats bad stuff and tries to poop it out. He is disgusting.

So, I opened the back room door to where the hubby & the police officer were talking and excused myself for interrupting, but told the hubby that he would have to assist in pulling out the poop cord as I did not want to damage B's internal organs. The officer just laughed & laughed. Hubby pulled out the rest of the POOP and we disposed of it in a bag. Sorry, folks. No pics!

But Cheesers is doing well. He only woke me up once in the night at 3:00AM. Hubby got up and took over the 6:00AM feeding. Cheesers is pooping out quite large turds for such a small kitty. He also peeing on his own as evidenced by the yellow stains on his rags. It appears that he might just make it to maturity!

Angus is making excellent progress in her potty-training. She will come get me, bark, or stand by the door. Only very rarely does she get really excited when playing and accidentally pee. I am so proud of her for her improvement.

Cheesers

After almost an intolerable heat yesterday, TUESDAY dawned cold, windy, & rainy. It was a relief from yesterday when even the dogs were seeking out the coolest rooms in the house. Angus buried herself in the bathroom; Bravo snuck into his kennel in the corner, and Harry stretched out on the living room floor. Isabelle seemed unaffected as she stayed upstairs most of the day while coming down to whine for "out" when she wanted to touch up her brown-dog suntan!

It was an effort to get through my time on the elliptical yesterday. I had all the fans concentrated in my direction, and still I sweated a river.

While I was getting laundry sorted, hubby came home. He had already gone up to Sandpoint to pick up supplies for work and found a ragged, abandoned kitten. It was a surprise to find the little thing in the rolled up t-shirt he handed me. A quick stop at the local vet had provided us with kitten milk. It appears that there was one other kitten that had passed away in the warehouse and an extensive search did not reveal a mother. So hubby brought it home for me to nurse. Am having to feed it every hour; make it poo & pee with a wet washrag; and keep it swaddled in blankets near a heating pad!

Maybe we can pass this kitten off to Matt & Kelsey as the one they left here before they moved to the UK.

The little thing still has the dried up umbilical cord on it; and doesn't have its eyes open yet! We haven't settled on a name yet. I want to see if he survives. Hubby wants "Cheesers".

We have our dog (human)-training classes tonight. Might pick up one of the new Domino Pasta Bread Bowls on the way home.

See Ya!

Toe-Mah-Tos

This will be my first venture into tomato growing. We picked up German Queen & Big Beef. When we lived in Denver, Colorado, I had very large terraced gardens at the side of our home. I grew lots of vegetables- peas, carrots, squash; fruit- watermelon; and flowers-sunflowers, roses, daisies.

Monday morning was warm, a beautiful typical spring day. The smell reminded me of FRESH. Air currents were still. Almost like the days when I was biking last year. It looks like time to break out the bike. Wonder what trouble the pups will get into when I am gone for an hour a day. Hmmmm.

The dogs just adore the new water feature developed just for them. It is dog-height. The water dribbles constantly out of the pump and is very cold. Wonderful to go get a long drink on these warm summer days. But Angus has a horrible problem with it. She decided that it is fun to JUMP over it. She knocks over the pump, so it will have to be installed with a better clamp (or nail it down!) and she landed in it last night. Her backside was soaking wet when she came inside. Funny dog. If you look at the picture carefully, you can see the digging holes that all the dogs have been working on!

Not looking forward to obedience classes again tomorrow night. Harriet the boxer, is supposed to restrained with a haltie. We will have to purchase one for her and get her used to it prior to class. She needs more work than just to be told that we have to "confine" her. Poor dog. Already traumatized.

Yesterday, it was so warm outside that all the dogs could barely bring themselves to come into the house & collapse. Maybe we should have had the groomer SHAVE Bravo. He has so much hair.

BRAVO LIKES

Strawberries. With whipped cream on top. Cut up into Bravo-esque bite sizes.

He also enjoys raisins.

And ice cubes.

After we went into town on Sunday morning to shop at Costco - for strawberries, raisins, and tortillas (more burritos). . . we also stopped at Wendy's to pick up bacon cheeseburgers; and then to Lowes for tomato plants, lilacs & wood chips to sprinkle around the water feature in the back yard.

We only took Angus & Isabelle as 4 dogs in the pickup has become somewhat hectic. We won't leave just one home alone. So Bravo & Harriet were the ones to be left behind this time. It is better to trade off. So nobody feels left out. The day got quite warm at 73F degrees. Quite pleasant, but no air movement. I brought the fans up from the basement. Will have to install our swamp cooler today.

After their baths, Angus went to sleep. She was slightly cold again, so I put a blanket over her.

Worked on our fence in the backyard for a while. Wanted to go boating.

REMINDER-Tell Matt about the dog beer; when he gets back to the US, he and Bravo can both drink together!

Whatever

Thursday

Walked the dogs, made more banana nut bread.

Picked up dog poop, picked up pinecones.

Went to bed early after suffering intense cramps. Too much bending over - ribs hurt & back hurt. Had to sleep with a heating pad & heated rice pack.

Friday

Picked up the newest release from Coldplay free - LeftRightLeftRightLeft.

Took Isabelle into the Vet to check out her weepy eyes. She has a slight infection in her optic organ. Was prescribed medicine for not only her, but the rest of the troop.

My beautiful baby - Harriet.

Today was warm 62F degrees even tho there were storm clouds in the sky.

Made chili breadbowl for dinner.

Angus didn't make any messes in the house yesterday nor today. Yippee!

Just before going to bed; Angus, Harriet & Bravo all had ice cubes. It turned into a shark-feeding frenzy! They love their frozen water.

A New FRONTIER

wednesday So the hubby and I have been predicting what has come about for quite a while - since VZ has been sucking dry all the profits from this lucrative area for years. Secrectly selling off valuable good assets; refusing to invest in long term plant; treating the employees as nothing more than dirt. VZ finally sold their "rural" areas to Frontier Communications. The hubster will have a new employer. King Ivan finally achieved his first part of the plan to conquer the world - sucking dry a good company that was GTE and spitting out what was left.

tuesday night We took Angus & Harriet to dog training class last night. The instructor was in a foul mood-snapping & not being very helpful. I couldn't hear most of what she said during class as she was on the opposite side of the room and didn't repeat for our side of the building. When I asked her to repeat-she asked if I was actually listening. Gee. Shit. I'm. Not. A. Little. Kid.

Harriet was moody & morose - probably picking up the aura from the trainer - and Harriet ended up snapping at 2 fellow dogs. So the instructor threatened that we would not be able to come back to class unless we had a "haltie" to restrict Harriet's problem. Without even explaining what a "haltie" was, she was quite rude. I complained to the hubby as he was trying to work with Angus and he was lost for explanation. Maybe she was on the rag this week. Last night we traded dogs quite a few times so the pups would get used working with both of us. So it wasn't like she was misbehaving for one of us or the other. The first time she acted out was for hubby, the second time it was for me. Which is highly unusual behavior. She has never done that to any other dog!

Forgetting the string cheese & blankets we were supposed to bring we showed up to class without them & the instructor made some snide comments about "walking out of the door without our heads on"; which I felt did not need to be said. As I have said in the past, I have pre-onset Alzheimers and forget quite a few things. Plus, my vision is going & my hearing. GOD. It sucks getting old.

So to alleviate all the problems, I am going to get everything collected ahead of time for next week. We need two 30-foot long lines, one blanket & string cheese for next week. Plus the haltie for Harriet. This class is costing quite a bit in just "accessories"!

On the way home, we stopped to pick up dog shampoo on sale at Albertson's Grocery Store and hubby wanted something to eat, so we picked up KFC for him.

Isabelle & Bravo greeted us with whines & yelps at the front door - it was so nice to be back home - finally get someplace warm. It was to get down to 28F degrees so we put the plants inside to prevent them from freezing.

Cold & Rain, Rain & Cold

TUESDAY

When I first woke up, the sun was shining slightly. But now the clouds are dark again. It is raining. I can hear the pelting of the drops as they beat against the windows. The dogs don't want to go out in the rain to go potty.

Another dog training class tonight from 6-7PM; before going we need to stop at Starbucks to get drinks. (REMINDER-dress warmly due to weather and the ice-cold building!) Will also have to get choker chains for the dogs-this was a requirement that the trainer failed to mention b4 the first class. Also need to take the trailer to pick up the fence panels for the back yard.

Hubby went into the doctor this morning. I am getting concerned as he has not called to report what is happening. He has something wrong with his ear. Hope they didn't have to cut it off!

Featured is the Heart Template Action by Designs by Arisu at http://www.thedigichick.com/

All my puppies are featured.

*12:15PM - While stopping at home for a brief lunch, hubby said that the Doctor had diagnosed Melanoma on his left ear tip. The Doctor burnt off the part with liquid nitrogen. Hubby is to return in 2 weeks to see if this worked. If not, he will be referred to a specialist.

Spring? Don't Think So. . .

It's supposed to be spring here, but the temps are still ranging in the winter weather arena. The other night it got down to 32F degrees. I was so cold that I broke out the heating blanket on our bed. Got cold chills so bad that I couldn't stop shivering. Even snuggling up to the ever-warm hubby didn't help! By Tuesday night the weather is predicted to be down to 28degrees F. Brrrrrrr.

Moyie Springs mudbog occupied the hubby most of Saturday. He and ChaChi went up there & returned late. They carried spare parts. Also got to ride in a 4WD to climb a few hills at the site. $20 to get in and hubby had a pass that carried the number 2060!

On Sunday the puppies got me a very nice Mother's Day card; Got a brief phone call from the son & daughter; hubby got me two rocking chairs for the deck; along with a few beautiful hanging plants for the patio and an outdoor thermometer/clock. Dogs & hubby also sang "happy mother's day" to me.

We hung outside most of the day yesterday until a storm cloud came up and it got very cold. All the dogs had lots of fun wandering around & digging holes while we did various chores outside. I planted my new flowers, and after he was finished putting together the new rockers, Greg even managed a cat-nap in the sun! He also trimmed his beard, mustache & cut his hair on the deck. Looks much better now.

Before the storm came, we had a chance to wash all the dogs. Angus got a little cold chill and I had to cover her up with a blanket in the back room as she was shivering. She didn't like the blow dryer, so I thoroughly rubbed her down with a towel to make her feel better.

While the storm was raging outside & raindrops were beating down on the roof, we finished hubby's burritos for the week. He made 8 and has fixings to create about 6 more!

Monday is a rainy day and cold again. The landscapers were supposed to be here for the circle driveway, but I think they have postponed until it is sunny again.

I am going to make more Banana Nut Bread for the guys as they ate the other batch up already.

*LATER - The landscapers Dave & Jennifer did come today; they worked inbetween raindrops! The yard already looks much better. We have scheduled them to come every week.

Hubby stopped home early to have lunch - just popped out the banana nut bread; "it was delicious" he said. After a quick nap on the couch, he went down to the shop to work on welding the brackets for VZ digging.

Shopping List

Purina ONE Dog Food
Snaps Dog Cookies

Peppermint
ZipLoc Sandwich Bags
Hanging Baskets

Albertsons
Suave Dog Shampoo 10 for $10
Eggs 99¢

Rathdrum Drug
2 lb Bag of Sausage Ends & Pieces

Super1Foods
28¢ Eggs Limit 1
Xtra Laundry Detergent $1.98ea
Tillamook Butter $1.68ea
Outdoor Wall Clock $7.99

Lowe's

Deck Rockers $88

Costco

Brown Sugar

Pound Cake

Strawberries

Onions

Shredded Cheese

Salsa

White Vinegar

Yoshida's

Walnuts

THURSDAY night a horrible thunderstorm came through. There were reports of funnel clouds everywhere. A loud burst of lightning scared us. The dogs all howled & Isabelle along with Bravo ran down into the basement! Big wind. Some trees fell down, but nothing bad.

FRIDAY night hubby decided to light up the fireplace with the newly installed super thick glass. After about 15 minutes we heard a shotgun-like explosion. The glass had shattered from the heat! Looks like we'll be returning that mess to the glass store. Maybe we are not meant to have heat this year. Brrrrrr.

MOTHER'S DAY

Mother's day is only two days away. I can barely wait. Hope I get a card just like hubby did for his birthday! LOL!

Or maybe somebody will take me out to breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Maybe I will get some white roses delivered.

I'm sure that whatever happens, it will be very special.

Let's Go!

Sunday was a complete waste of time. Everything we attempted decided to to awry. After going to the dump & getting lattes, we tried to install the gates; only to learn that most of the hardware was missing. Have to make a trip to Sandpoint to replace the equipment. I picked up more pinecones, but with the wind blowing - a lot more fell than were picked up! The new driveway alarm only works if it is within 5 feet of the house; it won't ring if it is further away than that!

Hubby surprised me by drawing two kitties on our bananas. See attached pic*

Most of Monday was spent cleaning up the house and walking the dogs. It rained a great deal and there was a lot of wind. When he was out & about working, hubby spied the Idaho Dept of Transportation weight scales set up down by Spirit Lake on Hwy 54. The huge semis have been blasting by here at excessive speeds as a detour since they are working on Hwy 95. Thank goodness somebody else (besides me all the time) complained!

Cinco De Mayo Tuesday continued in the same weatherly manner. Lots of wind. Cold. Rainy. I hyped up Angus & Harriet in preparation for their dog training class. Explained to Bravo & Isabelle that they would have the run of the house that night by themselves and they were to behave.

As there were over-ripened bananas available, I made Banana-Nut Bread for hubby. He thought it was delicious when he came home to sample it.

After stopping at Starbucks for drinks and a quick potty stop for the dogs, we made our way over to North Idaho Dog Obedience by 5:45pm; it was fun & informative. Sandy & Joy were very helpful. I was astonished to see the dogs responding after only a few attempts. Our class was held inside the big building as it was cold & rainy outside. Both hubby & myself failed to wear jackets & got cold chills.

By 7pm class was finished and we stopped for groceries in Rathdrum on the way home. Greg got all the prep for his burritos. He only has one left before he has to make more.

Wednesday is again cold & rainy. The weather prog·nos·ti·ca·tors indicate that there will be precipitation for the balance of the week. There is road washing & cleaners on our Hwy today! Spring must truly be here.

I am busy making 2 lbs of bacon for hubby's burrito concoctions; later we might have time to run up north for parts.

Nap Nap

On Saturday morning the puppies decided to take an early morning nap. We were up by 6AM, but by 7AM they were flaked out on the couch.

Later, I picked up all the pinecones in the circle drive. There was a whole truckload. Dave is going to start working on the landscaping & pond work this coming week.

I will be working on the picking up pinecones (as usual for this time of year)the next few days.

Hubby took the day off on Friday so he could take me to get my nails done. While I was occupied there, he washed the truck & got me a rose. I was so surprised when he picked me up!

We stopped to compare prices on the french doors for the house and insulation for his shop; then picked up the drycleaning.

When we got home, our friends Ron & Belinda drove into the driveway on their motorcycles. Chatted for a while, then they left.

Hubby had several people coming to the shop that night. I unloaded groceries & walked puppies.