~What a Wonderful Weekend~

Anyone who has been married for more than 3 years will tell you it's not easy. In fact, marriage is the hardest thing you will ever do - if you are willing to work at it. Too often people decided they want out for some of the most idiotic of reasons. She's fat. He drinks. I think my step-son is smoking pot. (not made up - heard recently)

Really people. I'm not saying there aren't circumstances that don't call for a change of the norm, but to rush to divorce as the answer to anything/everything......what happened to the definition of commitment?


It hasn't been all roses, it hasn't been all easy, but I can say that it has been worth it. We celebrated 5 years. We met after work at a particular resturaunt that he chose. The reason: That's where we met. Awwww....he remembered! (not typical for all men....)

He made me cry too. The things he said I want so much to print because every female who reads them would do the typical female thing: "Awwwwww......" Eyes tear up. Big, wishful sigh. Myself? I cried. I couldn't help it. He's not one to say things he doesn't mean and it was so sensitive, so filled with emotion and I think his own eyes were watering up.

The view from the hottub. The detail you are missing is the rain that was coming down in sheets with the sun behind it.

When we got home that night it started to storm. (we love storms) The wind picked up. The rain came down. We stood out on the back porch and watched it. Leaves blowing all around. It was just beautiful.

The following morning promised to be warm (the weather did not follow through with the forecaster's promise) so we pulled out the canoe with a lunch and set out of for one of the nearby rivers.

This is the lowest the river has been in a great number of years. Right up in the middle there was a den.

Mind you, I have only canoed one other time so my skills are just wonderful. I don't know how to steer. I don't know all the tricks of the trade but I can get you from point A to point B in a matter of extended minutes.

Bubs had a blast during this time. He was hanging over the side, tipping the canoe over. We found several very large mussle shells that he got to pull off the end of the paddles for us. They were this brilliant pearlesc purple color on the inside. (no, it's probably not a real word)

In many places down the river, there were lines tied to various items. Tree branches that hung out over the water, branches of trees poking up out of the water, milk jugs and such. It was obvious they hadn't been checked in a while because there was an absolutely HUGE carp on the end of one. Bubs was enthralled, we had to circle around so he could look at it floating on the water. ("Why it got no eyes, Daddy?")

Painted turtles

We slowly worked our way around the banks looking at all the animal activity and dens. It's always exciting to see a beaver slide, muskrat den, mink prints and coon homes along the way. Probably because of me I didn't grow up with this, I'm getting to learn it within the last several years.

Turned the corner to find a large tree that had lost it's desire to hold to the bank and now rests in the water. Apparently it fell right in the middle of turtle heaven because there were about 20 of them scattered about. You have any idea what it's like to try to keep a 3 yr old quiet?

He got so excited he'd yell out, point, jump up and down trying to get our attention. (the fact we pointed them out to him first made no matter) He'd get excited and they'd 'plunk' right into the water. It was so cute to witness! Eventually he figured out that the quieter you are - the longer they stick around. Ever heard a 3 year old whispered-yell??? This was so much fun to see things through his eyes.

My man asks me if I enjoyed doing this with him. Are you kidding? First of all I just love to be outside and outdoor activities are something I enjoy to the hilt. My answer, of course, was: "Of course I do! It's like canoeing with the Discovery channel." (Y'all do know he's an animal expert, right?) Seriously......with all the questions I have that pop in my head, he has the honest and true answers to. Like a talking wildlife encyclopedia. He's amazing.

The sun is shining on the water and warming us. Down the river we float. We came to a place in the river where the limestone had been cut away for the railroad above and decided to have lunch here.

View left. It was so peaceful up here.

Up the hill we went. The rock to the left is where we rested to eat and listen. I should have gotten a picture of the view down below. The peaceful quiet of the place was so relaxing. The birds were singing....the breeze was blowing gently through the trees with a soft rustle of the leaves. The natural smell of the outdoors filling your nostrils with aromas. It was perfect.

Tell me this isn't picturesque!

The two boys were walking along the tracks at one point trying to push each other off. They are SO related! It's like watching the big and the little of it! If one could raise a clone of oneself . . .

As if the steep hill we had just climbed wasn't enough, Bubby had to climb up this one and yell out..."Mom! See my big muscles? I'm strong!" Yes baby, you really are!

After we slide back down the hill (in which case the oldest member of our group acquired poison ivy), back in the canoe we jumped to paddle back the way we came. May I mention that it wasn't near this difficult on the way up here?

It's funny. Bubby was fussing that he wanted to take his life jacket off and his Father mentioned, "No, you have to keep that one. Just around this corner will be a Conservation Officer and he'll give us a ticket."

Never spoken truer. The boy kept the life jacket on. (with many protests mind you) Up around the corner we found, to my surprise, a Conservation Officer who did give us a ticket. Apparently you have to have half as many buckle life jackets as you do adults. The rest can be tossables (which is what we had). Fortunately he just gave us a warning.

This was an island we went walking about on. See my two boys balancing on the fallen log? How sweet is that? Had the water level not been down so far, we wouldn't have been able to see even the top of that pile of logs.

I have to say, this was the best way to have spent the day. It goes in that collection of good memories that I savor from time to time.

Playin' With Fire

When I got to work on Friday, this fellow was in my chair. Lookey, I got a date!

So today, we decided we should actually do some work around the house. I do mean around the house because I was inside, outside, under and actually on the roof at one point. (wanted to desperately to cry out 'I'm on top of the world!')

I have NEVER had so much fun with a leaf blower in all my life. We had one kid mowing, one raising cain over at the neighbors (two guesses, you won't need the first one), and the other two helping us. We got this huge pile of leaves together and I got to my most favorite thing this time of the year.....I got to start a fire. (insert high-pitched female sound of glee...)

This is while it was still small

Oh yeah baby! And on the first match, whooosh! Having been advised by my better (and often-times smarter) half to just do a small batch of leaves at a time, I got the joy of scooping, stirring and adding to this pile. (I now know where the phrase, 'stirring things up' comes from)

The boy came over to um.....er....help me some. We were told that we are just alike around fires. We both are fascinated and we both have to constantly poke at it. He, on the other hand, also likes to try to fall into them. And take my rake from my hands. And throw stuff in them. And tell Mom why she shouldn't be telling him no. (when you make the money, then you can tell ole Mom how to do things...)

"The boy must grow to be a man!"

We had so much fun! (childish glee inserted here as well) How much I love that smell of camp fire, burning leaves all in my clothes, hair and on my children. I sat sniffing his hair all night tonight. They all jumped in the leaves. We're looking around, there will be 10X's more leaves to fall before the trees are bare. How much fun will THAT be!


After getting things cleaned up..ain't nobody gonna believe this. Even the oldest couldn't believe it. I'm told to go up on the roof. (picture short little ole me standing by this ladder looking alllllll the waaaayyy up to the roof. gulp!)

Okay, must face fear to conquer. Up on the roof I go. Now mind you, the two of us installed our own satellite. He had down all the degrees and angles, I got to use the man tools and drill holes in the roof. Here we go again. Up on there, tighten some bolts. Put emastic (sp?) tape on wires and things. It was so funny....and sweet. I put my head right in the middle of it to look at something. He's all...."DON'T DO THAT! There's microwaves going through there.....!" Awww....he's afraid I'll fry my brain. So his last comment before he leaves me to do this is "Remember, what ever you do, don't put your head between these two things...I mean it."

Look closely by Bbug's elbow and you'll see Dink peeking up over the leaves

I tighten bolts, he and the kids do some things, he asks me if I'm through. Nah, I wanna clean out the gutters while I'm up here. (not relishing the thought of being so close to the edge with concrete that far away mind you) He says, "Hold on, I'll get you the leave blower."

Leaf Blower? For the gutters? You're handing me man tools? Alright! He gets to the top of this ladder and starts pulling the cord to start the thing. I'm trying not to be obvious that I'm holding the ladder so he doesn't fall backwards.

He hands me this and it was on! I have NEVER seen anyone blow out the gutters like I was doing. It even blew out the birds nest that was right over the downspout! I'm thinking to myself the whole time, I know my neighbors think we're wierd and rednecked, but how much more are their stories going to improve with this one!