Saturday Mumblings.

What a great weekend, Grand Nicky came over to spend the weekend, we will be making a pizza together tonight.

She is growing like crazy, and said she is doing well in school.

I looked up before and saw her hiding behind the fireplace with a toy gun like she was going to take a shot at me. so I picked up a card board tube and when she peaked again I aimed and and went “Ka-Whoosh”. Then I said you might as well come out your dead. She came out and then she said “Grandpa you don’t even have a gun, just a piece of cardboard.” I told her don’t let cardboard fool you that’s a rocket propelled grenade launcher and It just took out you, the fireplace and the living room. Okay I am going to play dolls now .

Donna’s car is still acting up, I went over to where she left it over night, and it wouldn’t jump start, so I took the battery out and took it back to Auto Zone and they tested it and said it was good, I had them recharge it and took it back and the car started and ran fine so Donna drove it back to auto zone and he put the tester on  and said the alternator tested fine. As Donna turned into our driveway the battery light came on and the dash dimmed. Donna called the Ford dealer and described what's been happening and he said the alternator probably has a bad diode in the built in regulator and is cutting out and not charging. He quoted a price of 700 dollars to replace the alternator, Donna told him the one that’s in there has a lifetime guarantee and asked what it would cost to install that one. He said he would do the job with our alternator for 300 dollars. So that is route we will go.

Other than that not much going on, a little bit later the Weeb Ranch will smell like fresh baked pizza , Hope all is well with all our friends. Be safe out there. Sam & Donna….

Thursday Happenings.

Well here we are and the sun is out and the temps are in the middle 40’s no wind and it I just a nice day.Supposed to be in the 60’s tomorrow and through the weekend. I hope we have a little spring weather heading our way.

Donna told me this morning that the battery light was on on her car. so about 1:30PM when it had warmed up I pulled it over to the garage, didn’t see any battery light on he dash, but I checked the level of fluid in the battery and put the charger on it for good long charge. After it’s charged I have the voltmeter hitched up to see if the alternator is putting out. Hope so. I changed one in 2008 and it’s a job a don’t want to do again, have to remove the wheel and spindle and axle on the passenger side to get at the alternator which is under the motor, no way to get to it from the top. Only saving grace is the alternator has a lifetime warranty so once I got the old one off and take it back I get my money back.

Put Rigg’s back out and he helped me fill the bird feeder, when he is out on the patio, the birds will eat but the squirrels stay a distance away until Rigg’s goes in the house, then they climb up and steal from the feeder.

         THROWBACK THURSDAY

         Donna & Andy 30 years ago.

That’s about it for today be safe out there. Sam & Donna…..

Tuesday Thoughts

Here we are with a nice sunny day and the temp is up to 37, a little of the snow is even melting. Got a reply from the County Highway Dept. that they have assigned a work order to have my mailbox replaced, glad of that I have a large size rural box and they are not cheap anymore.

Donna is off today, so she put her accountant hat on and did the taxes for last year. Thank God we don’t owe anything. She is wearing a sweat shirt and red flannel jammies, and looks like she is in a D. Cave ensemble,  but she won’t let me take a picture and post it.

Just got done filling out the form and registering for the Escapees Escapade in May. Don’t know who all is going yet, but I hope some of our friends will be there like the last one we went to. It’s in Goshen IN. this year, and when it’s over I have a Nephew and Niece in Fort Wayne we will visit.

Nothing else to report for now. Be safe out there. Sam & Donna……

Saturday/Sunday Notes.

Saturday was a cloudy mild day in the 40’s, Donna had to work the evening shift at the restaurant. Not much else doing around here, the Kid’s (Andy & Samantha ) went with a friend down to St Louis for the Mardi Gras. Sadie is being babysitted by her Grandma & Grandpa. She slept the night with us on our bed.

Sunday(Today) we woke up to a couple of inches if snow, looks like March is starting out cold and wet. Supposed to only have a high of 19 today and not warm into the 30’s until Thursday.

Here I was hoping for an early spring, we are usual starting to green up by my birthday (Apr 1st).

Donna has the day shift at Walgreens today so I am on the doggie detail until the kid’s get home. They are both laying at my feet as I type this, later I will go in my room and put on a train movie, and they will both nap on the bed next to me.

No plans to leave the house today, anymore if there is snow on the ground we just wait until it is gone or we absolutely have to go out for something.

Donna & Samantha don’t have a choice since they have their jobs to go to. but since Samantha works the night shift Andy takes her to work and picks her up.

Today is my Granddaughter Allie’s 21st birthday, doesn’t seem possible, I guess we are getting old fast.

Nothing else going on here in bustling Dardenne Prairie, just another day in heaven. Be safe out there. Sam & Donna…….

T.G.I.F.

Yesterday (Thursday)was a nice sunny but bitter cold day, 8 degrees when we woke up and it only got up to the 20’s. About 05:00PM we headed out to I-64 which is only about a mile from the Ranch. to go down to downtown St Louis, We were going to meet our oldest Son Sam Jr. who was in town for some meetings. He was at the Westin Hotel which is on Spruce ST near the Baseball Stadium.

What a great night although we were in rush hour traffic all the way from Chesterfield to downtown. Sam was waiting in the bar for us, We had a couple of cocktails, and then went into the restaurant for a great dinner.

What a great time making up lost time and just talking and reminiscing about when Sam was little.

Donna had a story to tell us. He told me a story last night that we had a very good laugh about. When he was young and came to spend time with us in the summer (he is actually my stepson, but I hate that term, he is son to me) we were both working, I'd cook up a bunch of meals on weekend and put in freezer for him, he was old enough to stay by himself during the day, but wanted to make sure he had a good meal during the day. Turns out after we would leave my Mom would come over and get him and off they'd go. Arcades, movies, lunch anything a kid wanted to do. He said she even made sure Steve Miller band was playing in car since it was his favorite and they'd both just sing along. She'd them take him back to the house before we got home and make him promise not to say anything. The things you find out about your parents . it wasn't that we didn't want them spending time together, I just (wrongly) thought I didn't want impose on my Mom. Now that I am older and a grandmother myself I realize it wouldn't have been an imposition. I have to smile when I think of my Mom rocking out in the car with him to the STM band.

                  Ready to head downtown.

           Rigg’s wanted to go in the worst way.

                       Donna, Sam Jr, & Sam.

Sam showing Dad a feature of his smartphone, Dad is completely overwhelmed.

After dinner we just sat and talked for hours, finally close to 10:00PM we had to say our goodbyes, and Donna & I headed for Dardenne Prairie. Sam will be heading back to NYC today, it was just so nice to see him and that he is doing good.

Other than that things are slow today at the Ranch,it is sunny and about 30 degrees now. Donna has the night shift at the restaurant tonight.

Hope all is well with all our friends, Be safe safe out there. Sam & Donna………

Wednesday Musings.

Well it’s back in the freezer here in Dardenne Prairie, got up to 11 degrees. The high for today is supposed to be in the 20’s. Supposed to stay like this for three or four days with possible snow on Sunday. My oldest Son Sam is flying into St Louis tomorrow so we will be meeting up with him for dinner downtown. He said the hotel he is staying in has a great restaurant.Will be nice to see him, it’s been awhile, but he is always going somewhere on business, He handles Europe, Canada and The far east for his company.

Donna is working the evening shift at Walgreens tonight, she took off tomorrow at the restaurant to see Sam. so she will go back for Friday and Sat nights there.

Looks  like our friends Dennis and Donna are having another cold night in Texas. I hope the Florida crowd has better luck. I know Arizona is nice and warm.

That’s about it for today, Be safe out there. Sam & Donna..

Monday Meanderings.

Not a bad day, sunny now and the temperature is around 35. Donna is at Walgreens on the day shift. Haven’t done a thing or left the house all day. Just one of those lazy do nothing days, read about some places I would like to go when the weather warms up.

Rigg’s is enjoying a nice sunny day outside, he stays out about an hour at a time until he gets cold.

Rigg’s is surveying his territory, a true master of his domain.

Rigg’s loves watching for his nemesis, the feral cat, IT is a large black cat and it cuts across the yard in back when it is out foraging for food, If Rigg’s comes out he will chase it out of his yard, Then when the cat returns it will wait outside the limits of Rigg’s run until I let him in, They stare at each other in a standoff.

Since he has never been near another cat just don’t know what he would do if it got to close.

With the weather we have been having we haven’t seen the MO. Grands Adam & Nicky in a while , plus Nicky’s Mom Samantha is working the midnight shift, so Nick wouldn’t see much of her if she did come over.

That’s about it for today, Be safe out there. Sam & Donna…..