Saturday Meanderings.

Got up and about 09:00AM I got in the truck and headed for the gas station and then the Shop & Save. When I got to the gas station I went to open the tailgate to fill my gas can for John Deere. I noticed the tailgate wouldn’t open. Only about 2 inches and jammed. When I looked I saw that the back right end of the bumper had been hit and shoved in a couple inches jamming the tailgate. Have no idea who or when someone hit it but they didn’t leave a note so as hard as it looks like it was hit I’m pretty sure they knew it. Since I didn’t use the truck most of the week it must have happened either at Wal Mart, Schnucks, or Shop and Save when I went there at the beginning of the week. Now I have to call the insurance company on Monday since they are closed on the weekends and get the ball rolling on getting it repaired since I can’t hitch up the trailer without opening the tailgate. I guess whatever my deductible is I will be out since I don’t have someone's name or insurance.It just irks me that I haven’t put a mark on it myself ,but because someone doesn’t fess up to damage they do I must pay.

Fender is jammed into tailgate which is why it won’t open. Poor Max he isn’t used to being banged up.

So far today it is a pretty nice day, sunny and hot, also humid.Thy were calling for rain and it really darkened up earlier, but now the sun is shining and no sign of rain.

Donna has a flu bug, she didn’t go to the restaurant, and this morning called and told them she wouldn’t be in this weekend. She is getting rest so I hope that will help.

That’s about it for today, Hope all is well with all our friends and family out there. Be safe. Sam & Donna…..

Thursday Happenings.

A great day here at the ranch sunny and in the 80’s, went out this morning and managed to get most of the low areas cut without getting stuck, for the first time the front looks pretty good without any real high grass areas. Now if it will stay dry I can hit it in a couple days and mulch up some of the clippings and it will have a better finished look, tomorrow I will do the back and then Donna said we can put Rigg’s pool up. she wanted the grass cut first.

How about a couple Throwbacks, here is Rigg’s when he was two months old. He will be 5 in December and is 113lbs now.

                      Rigg’s at two months.

Donna has the night shift at the restaurant tonight, so Rigg’s and I will be batching it.

The big decision for the day will be what to make for supper. When your only feeding one it can be anything small. Had a sandwich for lunch.

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

Tuesday Thoughts.

Were having a pretty good day, here in Dardenne Prairie,It rained most of the night, but at about 11:00AM the sun came out, so I pulled John Deere into the garage, jacked it up, and impacted the new blades on.I then cut the front and the side acre, still some areas with standing water I had to go around since we had along rain last night. But all in all it looks pretty good, the old blade , the middle one was bent about an inch down and was scalping as it cut, now with the new ones and everything leveled it looks like a lawn service cut. It got up to about 85 by 01:00PM so I decided to save the back for tomorrow. The heat just wears me down faster now.

Donna is off today so she is piddling around the house, I told her to relax and be lazy since she only gets the one day off a week, but you know Donna, she can’t sit still.

We haven’t got around to blowing up Rigg’s new pool but as soon as we do I will post a picture of him.

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

Sunday Notes.

Not a bad day here in Dardenne Prairie, Partly Cloudy about 80 degrees, supposed to get into the low 90’s later this afternoon.

Donna is working the day watch over at Walgreens,The rest of us are home bodies,

Rigg’s and his little sister Sadie being home bodies.

Going to just take it easy and watch a movie today, nothing going on, really just feel like laying around.

The box behind Rigg’s in the picture is his new pool, we will set it up this week on Donna;s day off and see how him and Sadie like it.

Donna has another day shift tomorrow and then she’s off Tuesday, Maybe we will go to the doggie park again to get Rigg’s some exercise, he needs it he was up to 113 lbs at the the vets, so he is on short rations and trying to get him to exercise more, he just doesn’t run in the back as he doesn’t like the hot weather. but if you take him to the doggie park he will run and swim until he is played out, yesterday he was really moving slow at the end. so I said you want to go to the truck and he picked up his water toy and walked to the gate and was waiting for us to open it so he could get in the truck.Then when we got home he was asleep at my feet within a few minutes.

That’s about it for today, hope all is well with all our friends out there. Be safe. Sam & Donna……….

           Navy Swimmers, So Other’s May Live……..

T.G. I.F.

Happy 4th of July to all our American friends, as you celebrate just take a minute to reflect on all who have served this great country of ours to make this possible.

               4th of July at the beach, Pensacola Fla.

I spent a short cruise on Detachment 62 of HC-2, aboard USS Independence CVA 62, went to the North Atlantic countries of England, Norway, and Denmark. Coldest flying weather in Nov & Dec in the North Atlantic. She is now in the mothball fleet at Bremerton Wa.

This is one of the first 4th of July’s I ‘m not camping, we gave up our lake property and private campgrounds are always crowded to capacity, so I decided to wait till after the holidays, when I can relax in an uncrowded pool and take Rigg’s for nice runs without a ton of people distracting him.

The weather here couldn’t be better sunny, low 80’s and not very much humidity.

Donna has to work at the restaurant tonight, Rigg’s and I have our usual homeland security detail.

                             Sam is ready for duty.

            This would be Sam & Rigg’s.

That’s about it for today we will be enjoying the nice weather until Donna goes to work. Hope all is well for all our friends out there and have a safe 4th of July holiday. Sam & Donna………

Thursday Happenings.

Another gorgeous day here at the ranch, sunny, high in the low80’s, just a great day for anything, and it is supposed to stay like this until Sunday with no rain in sight.

How about a couple of throwbacks.

              Donna 8th grade Graduation.

Sam, left, with brothers Rick, and Bill in 1967.

Donna and son Andy,1983, he is in his 30’s now.

Heidi by the pond, in 1994, both are now gone.

Giving some thought to traveling a little this Spring, The next Escapade, like to go to that and then after it’s over head across I-10 to Florida with stops in Pensacola and our friends in Inverness.

Also we are still thinking of a short getaway after the holidays are over. The hard part is getting Donna off from her two jobs for a couple of days, it might end up being a boys day out for Rigg’s and I.

That’s all for today, be safe out there. Sam & Donna…

Wednesday Musings .

Today is just about as good as a gets a bright sunny day and temps in the mid 70’s, lower humidity too.

The John Deere Tech was out right at 0800hrs yesterday, he had the neatest workshop trailer behind a pickup, about 20 feet long it had a work bench and tool boxes in the end, a lift to pick up the front of a tractor and electric power generator and air compressor, everything you would need to service a John Deere tractor. It sure beat trying to borrow a flat bed trailer and taking the tractor to the dealers. It only took him about 15 minutes to fix why the deck was jammed up. Silly me when I took the blades off to get the plastic string out that was jamming it I put one of them back on upside down, that jammed it up again. He saw that right away and buzzed it off and reinstalled in correctly and wham the deck was spinning like new, he recommended I go over to their shop and buy a new set of blades since one was bent, which I did after he left. I was lucky he only charged me 15 minutes labor($21) and a (50) service fee for coming out. So I was happy too. Will certainly be more careful now when I install the new blades, didn’t know it would only work if they were installed one way.

Donna was off all day and made a batch of cupcakes for a friends 4th of July party, in a patriotic theme, they were arranged in a US Flag design. She is so handy with cakes and the like.

Today she is working the night watch at Walgreens, Rigg’s and I have the homeland security detail here at the ranch.

When my Son Andy gets home I will ask him to give me a hand putting the blades on and then I will be ready for the rest of the summer.

Nothing much else going on here today. Hope everyone is well out there in blog land. Be safe. Sam & Donna……..