BEAUTIFUL BLUE-SKY DAY

Today was a beautiful blue-sky day …

… so, I decided to start prepping the castle’s garden space.

The humidity was high, but I did not have to use my inhaler – thank the Lord. Birds were singing, lawn mowers were buzzing over lawns, neighbors were chatting back and forth across lots … life seemed almost normal.

As I pulled my garden tools out of the shed, and started turning the soil over in my garden boxes, I was missing my man. Big time. I am still not used to having him gone from my life. Bob should be here, smiling and watching me enjoy his designs, specifically crafted for me to enjoy.

Maybe Bob was present and I just didn’t know it. I believe Scripture tells me that Bob can still see me – it’s not the same of course because I am not aware of his presence now; but I do believe he sees me. All around me, life was unfolding. Everything seemed almost normal.

I had turned over 4 boxes before coming to the leeks bed:

The violas have re-seeded prolifically all over the lot, so I yanked them out of the garden boxes, and didn’t bother to transplant them. Some of the over-wintered leeks were beefing up pretty nice – but some had struggled among the viola patches, so I lifted those and transplanted them among the larger ones. The bed looked pretty tidy, and the struggling transplants should take, and shoot up healthily …

 A little further down the line, I was able to glean a nice bit of over-wintered ‘Mascara’ lettuce and a few over-wintered scallions: I hustled those gleanings inside to keep fresh in a cup of water until I was finished prepping the garden boxes. I was a little breathless from the high humidity, strenuous labor, and dust floating in the air … but I wasn’t concerned enough to use the inhaler. I wasn’t feeling the onset of asthma. I am determined to live my life uninterrupted by asthma concerns. The steroids in the inhaler can cause cataracts – I need my eyesight. And my asthma is controllable with little reliance on the inhaler.

Coming to the last garden box, I saw that the over-wintered parsnips were ready to be harvested; so, I pulled those, and took them inside too. I like the scent of parsnips – clean and crisp like a breath of Spring air. I think I’ll make a batch of parsnip soup with these roots:

Parsnips, Lettuce, Scallions, & Miner's Lettuce

As I turned over the soil in each box, I covered them with plastic netting to keep neighborhood cats out of the soil – and to keep birds from stealing seed once I start seeding my garden area; I couldn’t seed today – and I didn’t weed the Lot either: I’ll do those things another day. My main concern today was prepping the garden area …

All garden boxes are now ready to receive transplants.

Yesterday, I pulled my geraniums from under the front porch; watering them and setting them in place again, on the front steps and along the porch railing; there is new growth on some … but some don’t look so good – seeing that I may lose a few, I was glad I kept the Fall pruning’s and rooted them in the house over-winter: ALL of these geraniums are well over 2 decades old, and many of them have special memories connected to the receiving of them. I hope they ALL rebound, but if some don’t, I have the rooted transplants from the mother plants, and I bought a few more at the Adna Floral Market when I was there Wednesday afternoon. I love geraniums, and can always find room for new ones ;-)

New geraniums bought April 15^th, 2020

Geranium cuttings trimmed & repotted - September 12th, 2019. Some of the mother plants are 25- & 20-years old.

The garden area prepped and netted, I put my gardening tools in the shed, ate Supper, dropped off into a 2 hour catnap … and started painting one of the plant stands after I returned from the ‘Land of Wynken-Blynken-and Nod’ ;-)

I wanted a color to match the terra cotta bird bath I always set on it, in my garden area. But I didn’t have any ready paint colors that would give me the desired effect, so I blended 2 paints on a sturdy paper plate to make the color I wanted … and I applied the paint with a sponge wedge (I quartered a round bath sea sponge), and touched up a few spots with a tiny paint brush:

Blended entire contents of both 'Sweet Potato' & 'Chestnut' paints to make a terra cotta tint.

It took time to finish the project, but the acrylic paint dried pretty fast, and I’m happy with the outcome :-D

All I need to do now is spray it with a clear paint sealer so the rains don’t wash the water-based paint away.

I'm liking it!

Close match. And my hands are so red (you can see it in the picture) - they burn too, from all the hand washing and use of sanitizer: I'm going to STOP doing both 24/7. My hand skin is literally cracking & bleeding. I can't have this much chemicals on my skin every day.

All it needs now is a sealer.

Tomorrow – maybe – I’ll paint the other plant stand ;-)

WHEN ~ April 15th, 1974

46 years ago, when Bob & I first met face to face, it was on Main Street in Catlamet. I was passing by Kerstetter’s Grocery Store, and a mutual friend saw me, and was quickly hustling Bob out of the Arcade – directly across from Kerstetter’s – and running him across the street to introduce us to each other, saying to each of us, “You should get to know each other – you’ll like each other.”

I wasn’t interested. I was already dating someone else. I gave Bob a cursory glance; and moved on. Out of sight: out of mind. I can’t speak for Bob, but that’s how it was for me.

The next time Bob & I met face to face, it was at his house. In Cathlamet. It was a fluke meeting … and we were both caught off guard. I was at a house party (in Bob’s house, where Doug rented a room) with Doug – my steady fella since the 6^th Grade. We had an understanding, if not an official engagement. Everyone KNEW we were going to make it final one day. Bob had been visiting his son in Portland, OR (he and Gloria had been separated since November 1973); he walked through the door, I carded him, we laughed: it was love in the making. We started talking and spent the remainder of the evening together, comfortably learning more about each other until my midnight curfew. Bob walked me home, and kissed me tenderly.

Bob was always gentle with me.

I told him I didn’t date married men. I didn’t want to hear from him again as long as he was legally married. He knew I meant it.

I walked into my parent’s house and put that night out of my mind. I was 17, but I wasn’t stupid. I knew that married people talked about divorce – and sometimes it happened, but most often it didn’t. Bob was 24 and had a 4 year old son. Married people usually tried to work things out when a child was involved. Bob was legally married even though his wife was openly living with another man since their November 1973 separation.

I loved Bob – I had loved him when I first saw his face in 1967 … 7 years earlier when I was a love-struck 10 year old, pathetically waiting for him to walk past me at the corner of the school building: he never even noticed me. He noticed me at his house, though, in 1974. I loved Bob: I had always loved Bob, and I knew then that I would always love Bob. BUT, I was not interested in becoming a corner to a love triangle.

I put Bob out of my thoughts: out of sight, and out of mind.

Married people talked about divorce.

I wasn’t going to get caught up in that.

When I heard from Bob again, it was tonight – 46 years ago. A Monday. He called my parent’s house around suppertime, after he got home from work. I don’t know how he got my phone number, but I thankful he did :-D

But, I have to admit, when I picked up the receiver and heard his voice, I did not know who was calling. Even when he said his name … I didn’t know (out of sight; out of mind); until he said, “Gloria filed divorce papers April 1^st; I’d really like to see you Friday night if you’d like to do something together.” THEN I KNEW!

And ((((YES!)))) I would like very much to see him Friday night :-D

Bob was the love of my life.

A face without a Name.

 

Now the face had a name.

And the face with a name wanted to spend time with me.

I was on Cloud 9 :-D

But I was also stepping out cautiously.

Married people talked about divorce: sometimes it happened, but most often they made up and stayed married.

Bob had told me that though he’d been married for 6 years, he and Gloria had only really been {married-married} for a ‘maybe a year’: she was always leaving him and running home to her mother. They had gotten married very young: Bob was 19 and Gloria was 16. They were basically children playing house, and Gloria got bored with being a housewife quite a lot - they both hurt each other; spiteful things people do when they are miserable. There was a lot of hurt with plenty of blame going both ways. This separation though, she was openly living with Dale – her soon to be 2^nd husband. And she had filed the papers.

I was stepping out Friday night cautiously.

Hoping my comfortable Cloud 9 didn’t dissipate.

I was 17.

Bob was 24.

MY HAUL :-D

I went back to Adna this morning to complete what I set out to do Monday morning (https://jeastofeden.blogspot.com/2020/04/a-good-change-of-plans-d.html).

I woke up to rain, and prayed the rain wouldn’t continue all day: I slipped 'the silver fox' into the disc player, and off we went.

(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d6dpIEtUhRg)

I did see some fallen limbs and other roadway debris along the way – but by the time I made Winlock, the rain had dried up and stayed gone. I was thankful.

Getting to Adna Floral was uneventful, as I’d been that way Monday; so getting there this morning was a cinch. Seeing how busy it was, was an eye-opener. It was never this busy when Bob and I wet together … of course, we always went a little later in the day, like around noon. But I was there around 10 AM. It was a hive of activity.

I found an available spot and parked:

There were a few people milling around with masks and gloves ... but not too many.

Busy place!

As soon as that pickup vacated his spot … I backed up and reparked my car; I wanted to be sure I could leave when I wanted to. The old guy who pulled in, and parked alongside me in my original spot, had nearly hemmed me in with his crooked parking. And more people were zipping in and out, and diving into any available spot that would fit their vehicle: I didn’t want to be stuck there all day with haphazard parking – or a parked vehicle cutting off my escape route – trapping me in place.

I said a ‘Thank YOU, Yeshua!’ and carefully backed out and re-parked where the getting out would be easier.

Inside, there were SO MANY PLANTS TO SEE and choose from!

I love the heirloom Brandywine & Russian tomatoes … and I did eye them quite a while, mentally weighing the pros and cons of buying one: but there is not enough space on my lot here, at Heron Pointe, to let them sprawl and tower. One year on Sparks Drive, I planted a Russian Tomato plant, and it kept growing, up-Up-UP – and I kept adding more support to shore the trunk up: I finally had to clip the top off at 6 feet and pinch the sprawling suckers back to a manageable 4 feet, propping the limbs up with sturdy support posts so they wouldn’t snap under the weight! candy would have a conniption fit if anything like that happened here.

And though my garden beds were perfectly acceptable (I kept everything compact size) in August of 2108, ron cook did bitch and moan to candy about ‘the possibility of tomato trespass’ …

… and the stressful interaction with candy on our front porch due to ron’s continual paranoid bitching, directly led to Bob’s death.

And ron’s tomato plants DID encroach on our Lot; and candy did nothing about THAT. My husband died over stupid shit while the manager pampered her pet friend.

Stuffing the emotion rising up at that memory (I do not want to give way to hate – justifiable as it may be), I quickly moved on to find more suitable tomatoes that wouldn’t give the neighbors – or the Park manager, heart burn:

The best tomato, hands down! Someone else will enjoy them ...

Also excellent. Another family will reap their bounty ...

Goliath Tomato plant.

Romano Tomato plant.

Tumbler Tomato plant for hanging basket.

Candy Onions. Won't make the eyes water too much, and they taste sweet.

Red Ring Onions.

My selections made – the veggie transplants I set out to get … and some extra things that caught my eye: and tallied, I overshot the budget.

But I didn’t care; I’ll just rob Peter to pay Paul with financial adjustments when I get home, and eat beans and rice for a while if I have to ;-)

I tripled what I estimated spending ... more than I've ever spent here before. But worth every penny!

The extras are important ‘necessities’ to my way of thinking right now. Retracing my route instead of taking the long way home, shaved off an hour's time. And I parked with 3/4's tank of gas - saved $$ too, which is important considering the $$$ I dropped with my haul.

Slipped Van Morrison in the disc player and headed home (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XOmSNfgXy14)

Coming into Vader a little out of Winlock, on the way home; I was following a loaded log truck, and realized there were no wrappers on that load. So, I eased back the “2 car lengths” … and then some. If that load decided to shift, I didn’t want to be anywhere close to it ...

Bob was applauding my safe distance stance ... he always nagged me about creeping up on backsides. Today, I wasn't creeping - I was worried enough to stay back.

I was glad to park in the car port at home and unload my haul ;-)

Now, I can get started preparing my garden beds for planting :-D I had been putting that off until I made the drive to Adna – I know once I start prepping beds and transplanting seedlings, I’ll be stoved up for a few days; driving that long a distance with a miserable lower back and aching legs/shoulders would not have been enjoyable.

But now that I have my tomato and onions transplants – as well as the seedlings I started on my window sills, I can get busy outside. And if I’m moving in slo-mo, and ‘ooh!ing’ and ‘ow!ing’ following a day in my garden area, it won’t put my overall plan on hold:

My haul.

BIG box of colorful flowers: I like trailing petunias in my garden beds. And there is no such thing as ‘too many’ geraniums ;-)

The tomatoes and onions I actually went to Adna for ... LOL

The Adna Floral open-market is a bit of a Flea Market too.

I like flea markets. I like Garage Sales. I like Thrift Stores.

Bob didn’t: he’d go with me, but he didn’t like them. When we were first married, he grumbled – a LOT – and stayed in the pickup while I “shopped” 2^nd hand and castoff ‘goods’. And because I was spending Bob’s $$, I was careful to buy things that benefitted both of us … which was very little. We didn’t agree on a lot. We agreed we loved each other and wanted to build a life together; but that was about the extent of our agreeableness.

BUT, today I was on my own – so I bought some second hand goods that appealed to me and will aid in kick-starting my new life. I bought things that are a shadow of things that mean something to ME, personally.

And I didn’t feel a bit guilty about the added expense. Everything (including the plants) was reasonably priced - $5 or less: but those $5 add up ;-)

I snagged a few more terra cotta pots, and some decorative dodads ...

I couldn’t pass this duck pair up: I had to bring them home with me.

Everyone here at the Park decorate their lots with herons and flamingoes; and herons are nice – and flamingoes are humorously campy … but I’m not much of a follower.

I choose ducks to decorate our Lot. Ducks mean more to me, personally. I have always liked ducks: and Bob and I used to hike the dikes, watching the ducks, and throwing bread heels to them. We got a bang out of watching the ducklings when they were out and about with mama.

And honestly, I have never seen a heron … or a flamingo … fly over the Park. I have, however, seen strings of ducks and geese fly directly over our home; quacking and honking up a storm.

So, the duck pair came home with me :-D

After unloading everything from the backend of the Horizon, I watered the tomato and onion starts and nestled them among the seedlings I started myself:

And decided to clean my duck duo before planting anything in them. I gooped them with GoJo and set them to sit a bit. Then I brought my terra cotta bird bath inside and filled that with bleach water to clean it for the birds and butterflies to light in ...

I had to have this little hand pump planter too … and the oversized skeleton key. The little hand pump reminded me of my Granny Brockway’s little red handpump she had in her kitchen; she washed her hair every morning using that red handpump. I used to tell Bob about that, and said it with such wishful wistfulness, that Bob actually looked for little red hand pumps every time we went into Lowe’s. That wanting to please me, made me love him even more than I already do.

I may repaint the pump planter red.

The skeleton key I had to have because it reminded me of the big ring of metal skeleton keys I had collected before I met and married Bob: I gave them to Alex later on. I don’t know if he still has them, or what he did with them. But, I wanted this key today. Purely for decorative purposes, shadowed by memories of a carefree time in my life.

And the decorative Bird House, too. What’s not to like?

It 'spoke' to me ;-)

While the ducks were sitting in the sink being stripped of dust and dirt (and whatever else accumulates in storage), I remembered Bob had a wire brush in his tool box in the shed … so I dug around until I found it, and got busy ‘brushing’ the rust off the wire plant stand I use under my terra cotta bird bath: I have been wanting to do this for years but never had the time because I was always enjoying my time with Bob and the grandkids underfoot. Now I have the time.

So, I did it this afternoon.

I had bought a green plant stand at Adna Floral Market to repaint, so I’ll paint both of them sometime before this month moves into next month. I have an idea of how I want to repaint them … we’ll see how that goes ;-)

Ready for painting ...

1 to go on the front porch with plants on it ... other to be used with the bird bath; after they are repainted..

Wire brush returned to the tool box, and shed locked tight, I came inside again; and rinsed/dried the ducks off – and emptied the bleach water from the bird bath, giving it a thorough rinse to make sure there is little bleach residue left on the patina:

I felt happily accomplished as Suppertime approached :-D

Meanwhile …

Americans need to have the States opened us and the economy picking up. I can personally state that WA’s governor, narcissistic inslee has done more to hurt Washingtonians with his power grabs, than he has claimed to help Washingtonians. And now he has entered into a governor-based-pact with Anti-American calimexarabia, and stoner state oregon, in overstepping governing bounds and stomping all over our Rights – this is NOT okay; these power-hungry governors are making decisions based on their political aspirations; not on what is best for The People. This is unacceptable. inslee needs to be voted out. Asap.

inslee enters into pact with governors –

https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2020/apr/13/gavin-newsom-kate-brown-jay-inslee-announce-califo/

And these 3 stooges are not the only governors using their position to browbeat their state’s inhabitants:

The States NEED to BE OPENED – and the nonsense needs to stop! Lives are seriously being damaged over political hysteria running rampant in this Election Year when practically every elected official is up for re-election across the board …

Trump is being pressed to restart the economy pronto –

https://www.politico.com/news/2020/04/15/republicans-trump-economy-coronavirus-186452

physicians are ‘extremely angry’ over CDC Guidelines for testing that is hampering every aspect of American lives –

https://www.foxnews.com/media/dr-nicole-saphier-physicians-extremely-angry-over-cdc-testing-guidelines

A GOOD CHANGE OF PLANS :-D

I woke up Monday morning intent on going after 2 tomato plants and a container of onion starts. I was going to Adna, to an outdoor plants sale Bob and I had visited for a decade – or better. I’ve never been successful at starting tomatoes or onions from seed … and I’ve been gardening for 4 decades. So, this trip is {a necessity} for me.

And it was a big step for me - I had only ever made this run with Bob: Monday I was relying totally on memory and some hastily jotted down directions ...

I took Bob’s thermos & travel mug with me. I wanted him with me in some small way.

Coming up over Coal Creek, and slipping over Delemeter, I came upon a County Mower/Limb Trimmer:

The air was filled with the sweet scent of freshly cut grass and the pungent sharp odor of freshly cut Fir. It smelled SO GOOD! So “Springy” ;-)

Perfect for a sunny country backroad drive :-D

I met two log trucks … one coming/one going … on Delemeter Road; it is refreshing to know I am not the only  one bucking inslee's order to stay home and destroy the economy simply because he wants to rack up political points. And one driver making the curve; who was seriously over the line, coming at me. Kinda got my blood pumping for a split second before he corrected himself and got back on his side where he belonged.

Coming off Delemeter, onto West Side Highway, I smelled woodsmoke from early morning house warming fires … and the scent of bacon on the breeze. Someone had their windows open (that woodstove must have got too warm; LOL) while they were cooking breakfast. It made me hungry: I left the house without eating, and only had one cup of coffee – plus the travel mug I had with me in the car …

I could almost hear Bob saying, “Are we in a hurry, Lead Foot Lizzie?” Maybe I was trying to outrun the bacon smell ;-)

Little Crane Restaurant in Vader

Getting to Winlock via Vader

Winlock. I like backroads that run through historical places. Freeway traffic is boring - and it misses all the good stuff. MPO

I drove straight through; did not cross the railroad tracks, but moved straight ahead only.

Evaline! I'm on the right road. Hallelujah!

Frosty’s is an old train stop/boardinghouse turned restaurant/bar; and the interior is still pretty rough (except for the plumbing and grill, everything is original) – there are no frills here; but I like the ‘feel’ of it. It feels like it was full of hustle and bustle back in the day ;-) Bob & I used to drive to Frosty’s every once in awhile just to have a hamburger and fries – I liked their garlic fries: SO YUMMY! I need to get back here on my own. It will be strange to go in there without Bob, but I’ll go in the daytime, and maybe some of the weirdness of walking through the door without Bob won’t be so acute:

Frosty’s in Napavine

(https://discoverlewiscounty.com/blog/chehalis-pe-ell-link-completed-willapa-hills-trail)

Hillcrest FoodMart

We used to drive up here to get Aza's Dino Gummies (local stores did not sell them); they were his treat reward for potty training milestones. I bought some chicken tenders and jo-jo’s, and opened the hatchback to calm the stomach acids the bacon smell earlier had set into motion: I missed the 9 to 10 hour at the nursery while I ate, and I didn’t care. They basically opened early for Seniors to shop before it was opened to everyone: I don’t live in fear – no one outruns the Grim Reaper. I’m on the road basically to enjoy the drive … and to shop when I get there …

I was shaking my head … People watching was a fun thing Bob and I did together: a spectator sport, if you will ;-)

Breakfast ate, I followed my notations and reached my destination 3 miles up the road. I was stoked! And beaming because I knew Bob would be so proud of me :-D

This little solo lobo outing is a big deal for me:

I have arrived at my destination.

WTHeck? The owner and his family was setting up beyond the fenced off entrances, so I asked them, “What gives?” He said, “We won’t be open until Wednesday.” The girl who gave me the information FOR TODAY must be a new girl who mixed up the setting up day with the Opening Day. So, I will just have to come back Wednesday morning to spend my $$ ;-)

That’s okay – I don’t mind the drive ;-)

I almost said ‘Mt Hood’: forgive me majestic Rainier! Bob was on my mind, and he always liked Mt. Hood

While I was in the neighborhood … I stopped at the little Mom ‘n Pop Store on the corner and asked where the main highway would take me if I keep following it forward: I was told it would drop me right into Chehalis. GOOD! I have been itching to find the backroad that would get me there :-D

I knew I could make a loop drive back home through Chehalis because Bob had done it many times to please me with a drawn-out drive ;-)

6 miles of backtracking led me right to Chehalis :-D

So next time I want a leisurely loop-road-country drive, I will make this same drive BUT turn right … into Chehalis instead of left towards Adna.

I crossed the bridge and the overpass over the freeway, and made a touchdown. I was excited to start my solo lobo adventure!

This was a GOOD change of plans :-D

Chehalis. I was a little intimidated, because I’d only been here with Bob. But I felt pretty confident … and prayed I wouldn’t make a wrong turn and get lost in that small-town-City.

I drove straight through: up the slight incline, through town, and to the stop sign … where I recognized my surroundings, and turned right towards Jackson Highway. And home. I knew I was headed in the right direction, and if I was needing affirmation, I would just stop and ask someone. I’m not shy about asking for help when I need it.

If I got lost enroute I couldn't call Bob and have him talk me back on track. Bob was my human GPS system. He never got lost. Ever. But, Bob is no longer here; and I am a fledgling earning my wings solo lobo …

A familiar landmark! Further up the road, I passed more familiar landmarks. I was smiling from ear to ear ;-)

Along Jackson Highway, I came to the Historic Jackson House. I always stop here when I come this way:

Jackson House on Jackson Highway.

This cabin is part of Bob’s indirect family heritage – Matilda was pioneering woman married at one time to a man related to one side of Bob’s family tree. There is a State Park named for her further up the highway, and Bob and I stopped there several times. I think the cabin is pretty cool, and the Park is a nice place to stop and rest for a bit – it’s small and unpretentious, but it’s a nice stopping place.

Further along the highway is the Lewis & Clark State Park. Bob and I had stopped there one day when we were driving around, and it really didn’t appeal to us – while I like primitive campgrounds, this one was really atrocious. I read some time ago where it had been updated and the grounds and trails upgraded to be at least useable. Some time when I’m this way again, I might nip in and see what it’s like now …

Driving along, I passed the Grange and the little strip Airport and knew I was coming up on Toledo. So now I know that if I drive to Chehalis via Toledo … I need to drive straight past the Airport spur of Jackson Highway that would take me towards Packwood. I would pass the old Monastery that is now the Cowlitz Tribal Housing Office Building, and drive straight through with no turns at all.

Passing through Toledo, and entering into the backside of Castle Rock, I passed Paradise Cove RV Park. We stayed there one year - 22 years ago. We had sold our house in Cathlamet about 4 years previously and decided to buy a 5^th wheel and just travel, working jobs that were available to make ends meet until Bob could retire full time. Bob’s folks had done that, and we didn’t have any kids at home at the time … Alex had graduated by then, and Stacey got a bee in her bonnet at 16, and left home declaring she’d never return. So, we decided to live a gypsy lifestyle; it suited us at the time and we were still young enough to do it. We didn’t see a 5^th wheel that “spoke to me”, so when one salesperson told me they could build one to suit my requirements (this would be our full-time home; it needed to be more than a weekend camper), I detailed what I wanted … and it was built exactly how I requested it. NOW, there are 5^th wheels with a back-end kitchen and an entry livingroom – and the bath and bedroom off to the right of the livingroom. I had two slide outs drafted into the design, with a slide out awning, a murphy bed sofa, a little fridge with a bottom freezer, a set-in microwave, and LOTS of “basement” storage space. Bob called me Lucy; and we both laughed because we were both thinking of the Lucy and Dezi Arnez movie, “The Long Trailer”. 5th Wheel today are “standard built” using my specific design. Thanks to ME wanting a functionable full-time upscale 5^th wheel – you are welcome :-D

Anyway, getting back to Paradise Cove ;-)

We had our middle granddaughter living with us at the time, and she was about 3-1/2 years old. She had a Hot-Wheels trike she liked to ride, and we had a little dog that needed to be walked to do its business off the RV Site: so, we’d cross the highway and walk the trail down to the riverside. And we’d bring Alyna’s Hot-Wheels trike and she’d ride it while we walked with our Pomeranian, Tyson.

One day, Tyson unwittingly stirred up a nest of ground wasps and they viciously attacked him. He was covered with wasps, and I was beating them off him with my bare hands. My hands were stung repeatedly (that’s probably why I am deathly allergic to bees, wasps, hornets. Yellow jackets, ect. now – I wasn’t THEN; but I am NOW), and those wasps were not giving up – they wanted to kill Tyson! I could not believe my eyes when I saw they literally parting his long hair with their feet so they could reach bare skin to sting! It was horrible. I thought he’d die – but when I called the Vet after reaching the Park again, the Vet said to give him a Benadryl capsule and watch him (I did – like a hawk) and rush him into town if he didn’t rebound. The Benadryl did the trick, but I never forgot the sight of watching those wasps go after him like venomous vampires.

Looking at the beach today, I saw heavy iron deposits in the water:

Wild water. I’m a rock hound (Lucy, remember? LOL), so every-once-in-a-while we’d try this side of the bridge.

I didn’t get what I set out for this morning, but I had an enjoyable drive … and I finally got to Chehalis and back without getting lost enroute :-D

The roads were pretty open – traffic was light; I pretty much had the highways to myself.

On Delemeter again, I saw baby calves in the field …

I always wanted a farm with baby calves … and baby ducks, chicks, foals, ect. Bob didn’t. I did eventually get my garden and chickens, but that’s as far as Bob would go with the homesteading thing. He grew up in the country on a farm, and he just didn’t want to go back to that way of life. Not even for me. I respected that – but I missed it, I miss it now. I grew up in the city and in the country on a homestead; I always wanted to homestead my own place. Bob didn’t want to experience that with me … but he did make sure I always had homes with space for a nice sized garden (even when we were RV’ing: I did container gardening). And when I finally scored on getting my chickens: he built the Hen House and Hen Pen – and he did a good job of it too ;-) He even got a kick out of my roosters.

He did design and build me 13 gardening boxes when we bought this house 2 years and 10 months ago.

Those loving and considerate things done for me was the extent of my urban homesteading from his point of view. LOL

Homesteading was to Bob what football is to me. We agreed to disagree and not pester the other one with it. We loved each other. I got my garden and chickens (I no longer have chickens - can't have them here), and after years of football drought, Bob got to watch the Seahawks actually WIN the Super Bowl in 2014. And I agreed to live IN – and on the very near outskirts of – Longview, 24 years ago.

Longview is {city} enough for me; it’s a small home-town-feel type of city. I always laugh when people call Longview a city: it just seems like a big town to me. I know Bob didn’t deliberately set me down in Longview and then bail on me. But … sometimes … I do look up at the sky, and say, “Really? You up and left me i.n.t.h.e.c.i.t.y??? Thanks a lot, Babe!”

When I got home, I picked up the mail and received a notice from candy.

There went my day …

This woman will find anything to bitch about; and if she can’t see something to bitch about, she will create a situation to bitch about.

candy scott is to Heron Pointe what nancy pelosi is to DC – I’ll just leave it right there:

candy demanding a signed declaration I will not prune trees without her expressed permission.

I set the letter aside. It doesn’t directly concern me at the moment. I will “sign it” when I have the time and inclination to sign it. Meanwhile, someone in the Park has helped themselves to something on MY private Lot, and I’ll bet a hundred to one candy won’t be concerned at all …

My Tete-a-Tete daffodils were stolen right out of my flowerbed! They left the Cyclamen flower, but lifted the Tete-a-Tete daffodils.

I watered my flowerbeds, and all the flowerpots I have placed around my Lot. While watering, I spotted a ladybug in the parsley ;-)

Over-wintered parsley coming up.

Later this week, I’ll start preparing my garden boxes for Spring planting. I want to get those tomatoes and onions first before I stove myself up. Once I get started on turning the soil over with my Claw garden tool and bending, planting, watering, pinching, staking, ect., I’ll be laid up for a few days.

Because, like with everything else I do (reading a book, cooking freezer meals, crafting … gardening), I don’t stop until it is finished. I suck at pacing myself …