T.G.I.F.

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

About 01:00PM I picked up Adam at his house. I was going to stop at the lake and swim for a few hours but Adam said he wanted to put an upgrade in his XBOX at our house do he said could we swim tomorrow, since it is still going to be over 100 tomorrow I said sure.

Before I left I bought a ball of dough out to thaw for the pizza crust for tonight. It is Friday and so a homemade pizza is in order.

Adam is bumming now because the upgrade is taking so long on his XBOX so you can’t play until it is finished.

It was 104 this afternoon not like the 110 of the other day, I haven’t found out if that set a record or not, but I can tell you that’s pretty darn hot. I looked to see what the temperatures were in Fort Madison Ia. in case I decided to take the trailer up there, it is ten degrees cooler 93-94 with a low in the middle 60’s. Our low last night was 78 and it started climbing as soon as the sun got up. Were supposed to stay in the mid 100’s until Tuesday when the high will be 97.

Not much else to report from the Ranch, we will try to keep cool or get a swim while we can.

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

Thursday Happenings.

Was up early at 04:30AM and had coffee with my bride, then she was off to the truck company and then the restaurant.

We started our heat wave here at the Weeb Ranch today, the internet weather page said 106 degrees for the St Louis area. but here is what the kitchen thermometer said at 03:30PM.

110 degrees in the shade of the back of the house.

Supposed to be like this until Monday when the high is supposed to drop to 98 degree’s.

Naturally none of us except Donna have left the house. The dogs run out and then run right back in, even they know its hotter than normal.

Got an e-mail from my old Navy Buddy Barry and his wife Bonnie that they are still staying with their daughter after being evacuated from their home near Colorado Sprigs, by the fires there. Barry tried to go see if the house was okay. and he said luckily the road in front of their subdivision has acted as a firebreak and kept any of the houses in his subdivision from burning, he said his neighbors across the road weren’t so lucky and a lot of homes burned in that subdivision. He said when he got back to where he was staying his van had to be aired out and left out in the open because it smelled so bad of smoke.Our prayers go out to them that their home and belongings will be safe, and we ask all of our blog friends to think of them in their prayers and all those that are suffering and homeless out in Colorado and Florida..

I hope he doesn’t mind I will reprint the e-mail here.

 

Thank you all for your concern and prayers for us. First of all, we are safe and feeling very blessed that we have a safe haven here at Barb’s house. We have air conditioning, privacy, showers, and food. More than some of the 32,000 others that have been evacuated. Our neighbors are here too with their cat and we say we love it here at “The Ritz”.

Hundreds of homes were lost, but our immediate neighborhood has been spared so far. The firefighters have stopped the fire from crossing the street that separates us from the homes that were destroyed.

Barry parked the van in Barb’s garage and now the garage smells like smoke. He had to open it to air it out so now the garage smells worse. I don’t want to know what our house smells like – but at least it is still standing.

The fire continues to burn, 18,000 acres and still only 5% contained. The Air Force Academy and the neighborhood just south of them is now at risk, as well as the town of Woodland Park which is a beautiful little town up in the mountains. The news keeps saying this is a fire of ‘epic proportions’,

Love you all,

Bonnie

It just gives us all a little idea of of what they and their neighbors are dealing with and how lucky the rest of us are to just be a little to hot.

Not much doing here at the ranch, both dogs are laying at my feet under the kitchen fan. Rigg’s has been a big water drinker all the time we have had him but today even Sadie is making repeated trips to the water dish. I have filled it twice already.

I was going to see if Adam wanted to go swimming out at the Lake but I couldn’t get a hold of him. He will probably call tomorrow as he said when he left the campground he wanted to this weekend here with us.

That’s about it for now. I hope everyone is fine and doing well out in Blogland, Be safe out there. Sam & Donna…….

Wednesday Musings.

Up at 04:30AM for coffee with my bride. Then Rigg’s and I napped another hour.
I see where some of our friends JIM & DEE will be in North Platte NE and are going to visit Bailey Yard and the Observation tower there at the Union Pacific Railroad Yard. This is the largest yard in the world and also has the biggest Diesel repair shop in the USA. It is a must see even if your not a train nut.
This got me to thinking trains, as some of you might know I came from a railroad family with my Grandfather and Uncles working for the DL&W and the Erie Railroad when I was a kid. The pride of the Lackawanna Railroad was their streamlined passenger train The Pheobe Snow, my Grandfather was like all employees and was immensely proud of this beautiful train. The Norfolk Southern Railroad witch inherited what was left of the Erie-Lackawanna RR from Conrail has painted some new locomotives in what they are calling Heritage Paint to commemorate their predecessor railroads. Here is one that would make my late Grandfather proud.

The Phoebe Snow ca. 1950’s.

NS 1074 06-26-12 Isn’t she a beauty…
Today starts the beginning of a 4 day heat wave with temps of 105-106 predicted for the next 4 days, I’ll have to get Adam to the pool during a couple of them days. There is a heat alert in effect, and all people are being urged to cut outside work hours and stay in air conditioned areas.
We have been fortunate, I had a new A/C system installed a couple years ago here at the Ranch and it really keeps the inside of the place cool. plus with the ceiling fans going the dog’s have their rug and Sadies small bed under the fan in the kitchen and are living the life of Rylie.
Hope all is well for all of those  out there in Blogland, I know there is danger in Florida, and Colorado so I hope we don’t have anyone in harm’s way. I m still waiting to here from my service buddy Barry and his wife Bonnie who had to evacuate from their Colorado Springs home, I sure hope it bypasses their place.
Not much else going on be safe out there. Sam & Donna……

Tuesday Thoughts.

Was up at 04:30AM with my bride and we had our coffee, she then left for the truck company, and Rigg’s and I jumped into the bed for another hour nap.

It was another hot and sunny day with about the only thing I did was go to the Petco and get another cable to attach to the dog run at the back of the house. The old one was split and rusted through and had an area where the strands were breaking.

Of course  Rigg’s had to supervise a job as important as replacing his cable with a new one.

Sadie could care less and just so she has a way out is happy.

I sent in and registered for the Escapees Rally in Sept in Sedalia MO. if any one else is going please let us know so we can all meet up while were there. That should be the last vacation trip for us for a little while, Maybe we can head south in the winter for a little while.

Donna’s company is moving there offices from near downtown St Louis MO. to Earth City MO. which is just across the Missouri River from St Charles County in St Louis County. It will cut her drive in half, and she won’t have the pay the St Louis City right to work tax. after so many years. They don’t have that tax in St Louis or St Charles County. The move should be completed within the next month.

Hope all our friends down Florida, can keep ahead of all the rain they are getting. We also have friends, who had to evacuate their home due to the wildfires near Colorado Springs CO. I’ll bet they are wishing for some of that rain Fla is getting.

Be safe out there, Sam & Donna……..

Monday Meanderings.

Up at 04:30AM with my bride for coffee and then she was off to the truck company. Rigg’s and I enjoyed another hours nap in my bed.
While I was at the Lake I noticed the box with the trash bags under the sink in the fiver was wet. I then observed a drip from one of the plastic threaded fittings under the drains of the sink. when you ran the water and it went down the drain the fitting would drip. I tried putting teflon tape on it and it still leaked. I put a pan under it. and this morning before it got hot again I took the sawzall and cut the threaded fitting off and went to Lowes for a replacement, of course I needed the small can of primer, and cement for the the joint to glue the new fitting on. but I got all the stuff and new rubber gaskets instead of plastic. Put it all together and presto no leaks. I am paranoid about water leaks since we had to replace the floor last winter so luckily I caught this before it hit the new floor.
After that it was back into the 90’s today so that was it for any outside activity. Rigg’s and Sadie go just long enough to take care of business and run back to the door.
That’s about it for today.Hope everyone is having a good week. Be safe out there. Sam & Donna……

Saturday/Sunday Notes.

Saturday was another get up and have a late brunch, and then head for the Pool/Lake. this was to be the last day of a weeklong Lake vacation. About 40:00PM Adams Mom & Grandma arrived at the pool and then when he was finished they came up to the Campground Adam decided he would go ahead and go home with them instead of waiting until Sunday, which saved me a 50 mile round trip after I got the fiver home and hitched. The last thing he said with my goodbye hug was, Grandpa this has been my best vacation week, cab we do another one soon. Of course the answer was yes.Even after 30 plus hours immersed in water in 6 days.

This morning I just started stowing stuff and getting the trailer ready for travel mode. It doesn’t take no time anymore since I have a system where everything has a place where it is secure and won’t bounce around in travel mode.

About 10:00AM I pulled over to the dump station and did a good empty and flush of both the tanks, When I get back I will empty and refill the fresh water tank with good Weeb Ranch well water and then Chappie will be ready for the next adventure.

Got back to the ranch about 11:00AM and after unhitching and putting the truck in the garage. I was ready to greet my boy Rigg’s, I could hear his excited cries as I climbed the steps to the kitchen. Soon as the door opened he was up and trying to get big sloppy kisses on his Daddy, I asked if he had been a good boy while I was gone and he ran to the treat cupboard.

Since I had no wi-fi for the last 6 days, I tried to catch up on the blogs a little, sorry I wasn’t able to acknowledge the comments I received while I was gone. but I would just jump on a pirated wi-fi signal and receive mail and post a short blog and get off so I wasn’t taking advantage of someone else’s signal & bandwidth.

It will take several days to catch up I am afraid.

My bride was hostessing at the Restaurant when I got home but about 12:30PM she came home instead of 04:00PM. She said they were overstaffed so the owner told her to go home early since he knew I was coming home.

Donna said she is baking some dead chicken for supper so I am anxiously awaiting the smells and results of her labors.

Not much else going on, some of the wrinkles from the pool are finally coming out, I did try filling them up with a couple of High Life Lights each night, don’t know how successful that was but it was worth a try.

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

T.G.I.F.

Was up at 05:30AM, had my coffee and managed to to get a cell call to my bride before she left for work. Usually there is no signal at the campground, but I saw one bar and gave it a try and managed to get through. She said Rigg’s is lonesome for his Dad , but everything is going fine at the Weeb Ranch and her two work places, also she is feeling good. I told her the two of us are starting to darken up and enjoying the pool each day. Adam is in heaven with all his friends and they play all afternoon in the water. Grandpa just floats on a tube and talks to the other old geezers watching their Grandkid’s.

Today will be a noon date at the pool &Lake, and then because it’s Friday and the Clubhouse is open we will probably pick up a pizza and take it back to the trailer. Even when your roughing it at the Campground you won’t miss pizza night. Their are also several Miller High Life Lights in the fridge with my name on them for tonight.

Hope the week has been as much fun for the rest of you as it has for me. Be safe out there. Sam & Donna…….