Sunday Mumblings.

We were up at 05:00AM for coffee, and then just relaxed, Donna has the hostess duty at the restaurant from 09:00AM to 04:30PM . The minute she was gone I went out and since my son was also out I hitched up the truck and fiver and then spun them around to face the north, opposite of the normal way we park it. Our driveway is oriented due north so that way in the morning I can just fire it up do my preflight inspection and walk around.Then head out to the Lake. I like to leave early about 07:00AM in the cool of the morning  and that way I am set up and the last thing needed to be done is to make a pot of coffee for the the guys on the maintenance crew come by to say hi. After working there they see me come in and know the coffee will be ready. The boss retired at the beginning of the summer and cancer got one of the younger guys , but I know the new boss and the replacement so we still make it like when I was hosting our old safety meetings even with the donuts the first morning.

Looks like just a chance of showers in the morning tomorrow and a high of 90. then for the rest of he week the highs will be mid 80-s and sunny, with the night temps in the low 60’s perfect camping weather, and good swimming weather, maybe the water temp will come down a little bit from 93 of the last week.

Nicky spent the weekend with her Dad so I put hers and Adam’s bike on the fiver and Nicky’s Mom said she would bring her out and I will have to probably run and get Adam on Monday. If we get a couple of showers we will even be able to have a small campfire and make it a real campout. The last two weekends they had a fire ban, but after some rain it will be lifted.

With going to the Lake the blog may be delayed depending on being able to get a wi-fi hotspot. When they rebuilt the Main office they just hard wired everything again and they have no wi-fi, so I lost my spot there, so far the last two times I went out there I found a spot, but one that was unlocked before, I found had been locked up. Can’t blame anyone for putting a password on there router, I know I have one at home, Theoretically someone could get on there and if you have a band width limit like some do they could eat up you time and you would end up owning money. That’s why when I do find one even at a restaurant I just post my blog check my e-mail and then bail off, I don’t read and try to stay up on all the other blogs. just good manners if it’s not your money going out for it.

Read with interest a thread on another blog about people cutting through your campsites and other rude behavior, fortunately, when we use the campground at the Lake, except for the three holiday weekends when it is very crowded, the campground generally is not crowded , and since we are all lot owners, and members and pay an assessment in addition to county taxes, The people that use it all have something at stake and seem to take a higher interest in it, plus a lot of them know each other and they have the same values in keeping their kid’s started at an early age with good campground manners.

I have found also even though Rigg’s is a very social and playful animal. that the sight alone of something that big laying on his mat. deters the average person from just walking through like they own your spot too. Even a yappy little dog like Sadie will bring attention to them and that is a deterrent. Most of all it all reverts back to basic good manners and not being an ego maniac mine,mine, my way person.

That’s about it for today, waiting for Donna to get home, then it will be off on another summer adventure in the morning, Be safe out there. Sam & Donna….

Saturday Notes.

We were up for coffee at 05:00AM and then went back for a little nap.

As I type this the thermometer on the kitchen window says 111 degrees, The weather on my Blog Home page says 108 degrees, and my Yahoo Weather home page in Chrome says 106 all for the O’Fallon MO. Who is right, I went out to fill the hummingbird feeder and all I can say is I believe the kitchen window, it is like getting hit in the face with a hair dryer on high when you walk out the door. I was covered in sweat in the 10 minutes it took to get the feeder refill it and hang it back up again. Only reason I did it was a hummer was at the back window looking in at me and acting like it was looking for more to drink.

Tonight we are are supposed to have a low of 76 and then the next 5 days, 95, 90, 88, and then 87 with lows at night in the 60’s. Also a chance of morning showers each day so  I will be heading for the Lake on Monday morning and the Grands will follow me out there either Monday or Tuesday. I will be glad when we get a respite from all this 100plus weather, we have had over two weeks of it and I for one think it should be sent somewhere else. How about the Middle East, they at least are used to it.

I have decided to leave Rigg’s home with Sadie because of the chance of a loss of power at the campground when we are not in the trailer. If we are there, I have the generator as a backup. He will be going with us when we go to the Escapee’s Rally so and I may try to get a weekend at a Passport America Campground somewhere within several hours drive from home for a weekend with Donna..

Sadie by the way is looking a lot better today and is eating for a change, we made her some chicken and rice and just to get her interested we put a spoon of it in Rigg’s bowl, as soon as she saw him eating it she went and emptied her bowl so now if we can keep her eating and drinking, I thinks she will be back to normal soon, she even ran into the kitchen and did a spin and jumped up on Grandpa’s leg so I can see a big improvement from the lethargy of the other day.

Not much else going on here at the ranch everyone including Donna got a nap this afternoon and Donna is going in to the Restaurant at 05:00PM.

Looking forward to only 95 degrees tomorrow and getting the truck and fiver hitched up and ready for a Monday AM departure. Hopefully I can get out there early and get all set up and have the air going and maybe even a nap before going down to the Lake for a swim Monday afternoon.

Everyone be safe out there. Sam & Donna………

Thursday Happenings/T.G.I.F.

I am combining Thursday and Friday posts due to the time just running out yesterday as I was cooking and lost track of time.

Both days we were up at 04:30AM and I had coffee with my bride. Then she was off to the truck company and then the restaurant. Thursday night she said she had a sore back when she got home, so I hope that is better today, I haven’t heard from her about it.

The big news from the ranch, for the last two days Sadie has been under the weather, she won’t eat, has diarrhea and is just not her self, no running and spins. just listless.

This morning Andy & Samantha took her to the Vet, she was dehydrated, so they gave her an IV with fluids and some medicine to take and now she is drinking water and getting back to her old self, It looks like the diarrhea has stopped too. hate to see when one of the mutts isn’t feeling there best.

The heat is still on, it’s 104 on the internet and 108 on the window thermometer, who do you believe? I think no matter what it’s pretty darn hot. Took a ride out to the Lake and checked out the campground, I saw my buddy who has been there all week and he said the air conditioners on the trailers have not shut off ,even at night for three days. There was only one spot open, but the gang that has my favorite spots in the back corner are leaving Sunday, so I think I will wait and take the fiver out Monday. the one spot is the first in line on the new power drop they put in so the chances of a voltage drop are less, plus I have a feeling the whole campground is going to be less crowded after the second holiday weekend is over.

It was even too hot for Nicky to go swimming today, I asked her if she wanted to go to the pool at the Lake for a few hours and she said no it was too hot. Maybe she’s smarter than me. I would have went if I had a partner, Adam is spending the weekend home with his Mom.

That’s about it for today, tonight is pizza night, so I will make one for us later in the afternoon. Hope everyone has a great weekend. Be safe out there. Sam & Donna…

Wednesday Musings.

Donna and I slept in until 06:00AM and then had our coffee, Donna got all the mixers lined in row and started mixing up cakes for this week, when there are a couple of birthday’s coming up for family and friends. I love the smell of baking in the kitchen, but I know I can’t eat most of the goodies she bakes anymore. She started it out with a combination Vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry cake. boy will that be nice, she did make some cupcakes in each flavor so I may steal one of those later. Since we are both off today nothing was planned, the Grands went to their Mom’s in Adam’s case and to her Dad’s in Nicole’s. Adam was here for over a week, so now he will spend the weekend with his Mom and then next week I am hoping to take them out to the Lake camping. The house sure quiets down without any kid’s and dogs running back and forth.

Not much to report it’s back up in to the middle 100’s for this area, supposed to stay that way for the next week so camping should be fine, just a day where it says chance of  a thunderstorm, but that can happen anytime in the summer.

Hope the holiday went fine for all. be safe out there. Sam & Donna……

Tuesday Thoughts.

To All my American Blogger friends.”Is this a Great Country or what”. Thank God for chance to be in the. “Home of the Free”.

Of all our holidays in the summer months, I believe the 4th of July is my favorite, I always reminds me that this country was founded to give everyone yearning for freedom a chance at a new life like my emigrant Grandparents. Remember what Miss Liberty herself proclaims.” Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses, yearning to breathe free. The wretched refuse of your teeming shore, send these the homeless, the tempest tossed to me, I lift my lamp beside the Golden Door.”Emma Lazarus…..

I pray that we have succeeded and continue to be the Home of the Free and the brave.

Today started at 04:30Am with coffee with my bride, then she was off to the truck company.

The kid’s stayed around the house today since Andy and Samantha are taking them to a 4th of July BBQ at one of Andy’s friends house complete with swimming and fireworks. They don’t plan on leaving until 04:30PM and then will make a big night of it.

Donna said she was going to stop for a haircut on the way home from work and I stayed in and kept the truck in the garage all day.

Don’t have much planned for tomorrow Donna is off from the truck company but still has a shift at the restaurant, they are counting on people going out to eat, rather than cook on this middle of the week holiday.

I am pretty sure Lake Sherwood canceled their fireworks display due to the dry weather, The county hasn’t put a complete ban in effect and ordinary people are still shooting them off, but all the major cities have cancelled out ,most must be afraid of liability if a major fire were started.

I am going to wait and then get a spot for next week out at the Lake and camp for the week. I spend about the same for food and it is cheap and the Grand Kids love to swim.

Probably go watch the 4th of July parade in O’Fallon in the morning, we used to have the most heart stopping fly by at low altitude of the Air Guard F-15’s right up Main St during this parade every year. But a couple of years ago they moved from Lambert Field in St Louis, to a base out near Kansas City, so we don’t see them anymore.

Today we were at 98 and now for the next four days its back to 103 for the highs, not complaining though.

                            This is why…..

That’s about it today from the Weeb Ranch in beautiful Dardenne Prairie MO. I hope all my friends have a great 4th Holiday, Our Canadian friends beat us to it by celebrating Canada Day on the weekend. We are Happy for them too. Two of the Greatest Country’s in the world and next door neighbors to boot.

Be safe out there. Sam & Donna……

Monday Meanderings.

Was up at 04:30AM with my bride for coffee, then Donna was off to the truck company.

About 09:00AM Nicole arrived home after spending the month of June at her Dad’s house. Rigg’s and Sadie were ecstatic, plans were made for an afternoon of swimming, since the Lake Pool is closed on Mondays I checked the City of O’Fallon and their public Pool is open, so we went there, that was a mistake first if is $4.50 a person instead of the $3.00 at the Lake, then is was wall to wall people, cheek to jowl as they would say. we all agreed that we won’t be going back and will wait for the Lake to be open.Anyway about 02:30PM a thunderstorm blew in and the pool was closed so that ended that.

Nicole and Adam at the pool just before the storm hit.

Have to say it was a pretty good storm plenty of thunder and lightening and then hard rain, the first we have had in about three weeks, but then it was over and the temperature started back up.

Donna has to stop on the way home at the Ford dealer for a recall on her 2002 Escape.A ten year old car and they are still recalling things.This time it is a short in the antilock brake module that can cause a fire. I’d love to try to prove that one if it happened.

Hopefully if we take the fiver to the Lake after the 4th holiday is over, I will have both Grandkid’s, Nicole is looking forward to it she says, it will be her first time camping with us.

That’s about it for today, hope everyone out there in blogland is having a great week. Be safe out there. Sam & Donna…

Saturday/Sunday Notes.

Saturday Donna and I were up at 06:00AM for coffee, she said she wasn’t going to do anything but relax until it was time to go into the restaurant. That is exactly what she did, I was so glad  to see she even got a nap in the afternoon. I asked Adam if he wanted to go to the Lake and swim and he said no it was to hot already, by noon it was already100. He ended up calling his buddy Brandon and they played over n Brandon;s basement.

Today started about the same. My bride and I had our coffee, Donna had the day shift hostess duty at the restaurant. she said it should be slow because of the heat wave. seems a lot of people are like me and keeping the cars in the garage. Adam again declined to go swimming in the heat. I am really surprised. but I suspect his Mom might have told him it was too hot. I told him after the 4th of July I would take the fiver back up to the Lake and by then it is supposed to be down in the low 90’s which will seem cool to us, If he wants to camp we have to get it in now as he starts football camp July 20th and then after that it is daily practice so he won’t have a lot of time for camping. I know Rigg’s will be up for some camping though.

My Navy buddy Barry and his wife are back in their home in Colorado Springs, he said other than smoke smells there was no damage and nobody touched the house. He said they only had a few looters, and some of those were caught by the National Guard, and wished they were caught by the police.

Now that the sink drip has been fixed, the the oven door closes tight again, I am trying to think of any other minor repairs or upgrades that need to be made to the fiver. I just ordered a snap in replacement screen for my Fantastic Fan in the bathroom. The one that is in there has about 6 or 8 screws and is a change to take out and clean. the replacement just snaps in and covers the screw holes.

I like to leave the fan on low all the time to keep air moving inside. It also helps distribute the air conditioned air. All that means the screen gets dusty faster.

The next major purchase is going to be the tire monitors, If anyone has a suggestion let me know I am going to research this  before I decide what brand to buy. I will have 8 tires to protect.

That’s about it for today, we are all well and keeping cool ,Rigg’s and Sadie just lay under the fan and don’t have a care in the world. Be safe out there. Sam & Donna…..