... and I'm off!

I've been packing the truck camper for a few days now and all but the last-minute-stuff is on board.  I have a list and it works very well for me.  Of course during the loading I always seem to find other stuff that I absolutely have to take ... just in case ... LOL.  Oops, I also need to load the canopy frame.  See, it's not easy for me to get my butt moving in several different directions!

It's just about 10 and all I need to do here at the house is let the chickens out and take a shower - oh yes and water the plants, and of course fill the camper with water ... then on the way out of town I need to stop for gasoline, ice and to top off the propane tank.

Hopefully by the time I get to the campground I will have everything I need.  If it's really important, I can call Dale and he will get it from my house and bring it out, but I doubt I'll need to do that ... I think ... LOL

See you all next week - I'll be home on Sunday ...
(((Hugs)))

and time marches on ... slowly

It seems like my life is moving in slow motion ... nothing happens on a daily basis, well feeding the animals moves at regular speed, but the rest - Nahhh.

The weather has turned cool again and yes we had a skiff of snow the other night and it has been COLD!  The day after the snow the temperature didn't get above 42 for the whole day.  It is warming up and I hope it gets back to normal as we are going camping in a week.

I drove up to the campground earlier because I had a bag of children's goodies to give to the camp hosts to hand out.  I told them to look through the bag and put aside any that they didn't think were appropriate.  They have a week to go through the stuff and I will take the rest and get rid of it.  The camp hosts have been so good to our group over the many years that we've been going there, that they deserve donations.  I have a friend that picks up coloring books and crayons for the hosts.

Of course I took my dog with me for the drive and sure enough, while I was talking to the host, she laid a landmine ... I grabbed a bag to pick it up and the host told me "Thank You" ... I would never leave a pile like that in their yard, or anyone else's for that matter!  But I know how a lot of people are - not very courteous but they will be the first to scream if some dog left a pile in their yard ...

I got a trailer load of dirt last weekend, and then we had rain and snow so it's still piled where it was placed.  I sure can tell the difference between that dirt and my own ... one is gray the other a nice chocolate brown.  I'm also putting chicken manure in the garden hole so that should help a lot. I've brought 2 wheelbarrow loads to the 'garden' and you really can't tell by looking at the coop that I've removed any thing at all. I need to get some calcium for the girls as their eggs are beginning to have very thin shells.  I stuck my finger through one egg yesterday ... I've been keeping my 'used' eggshells to feed back to the girls, but if there isn't enough calcium for them to make strong shells, how much calcium can there be in the shells I'm giving back to them ... I need to get some calcium!

As mentioned above, we are going camping next weekend for my birthday.  The weather is too cold to enjoy going over Memorial Day.  It seems like its been that way for the last 4-5 years.  Global warming my butt!!!

Have a wonderful Memorial Day weekend!!  Teach the children what it's all about.
(((Hugs))) 

a potpourri of 'stuff' ...

I haven't worked on the Hugel garden for a while because I need some real 'manpower' for help - or tractor power as the case may be.  The only thing that I can do right now is get some chicken manure with old straw and put a bit into the hole to fill some spots ... after that I need more logs - hence the manpower thing.  I'm not looking at a real garden this year, but maybe some potatoes.

Even though I do not like making the Pioneer Bonnets the sewing itself was an eye opener again.  I've been knitting for well over a year with not much else being crafted, but that Bonnet set my sewing juices in gear again.  I don't have the ideal set up in my craft room now that it's also my bedroom, but I can make do.  The next thing on my sewing agenda is a bunch of neck 'coolers' for our warmer months.  The kind you fill with water storing crystals ... they tie around your neck after having dipped them in cool water, and help keep you cool.  I even BOUGHT some fabric to make some although I have half a fabric store boxed up ... you just can't have too much fabric!  or yarn!  or ideas!  We are going camping again the first weekend of June and I'd like to have at least 4-5 done.  The pattern I have is very easy to do so that should not be a problem.

I took my tiny tomato sprouts and planted them outside last weekend.  I sowed a bunch of seeds from 2 different varieties but now have absolutely no idea of which ones survived ... I think it's the Beefsteak, but I have been known to be wrong once or twice ... LOL.  At this stage I really don't care, but it would be nice to have a decent memory ...  I have them in tires with lots of potting soil, and covered at night with clear plastic bottles since our night time temperature can still plunge into the low to mid 30's.  They have been out there for 3 days/nights and so far so good.

I paid the last installment of my taxes yesterday - WooHoo!!!  Now I have 6 months until I start over ... I also spent several hours grazing around our Joann's store where I got the fabric mentioned above, got a new bobbin box that closes and stays closed!  The old one had a cover that just sat on the bottom section and there have been many times when I went to get the box that the bottom, literally, fell off and I had to hunt bobbins - has bothered me for many, many years, but I finally broke down and got a latching box.

Picked up some allergy pills so that I can spend my days doing other things besides sniffling, sneezing and clearing my throat!  It sure feels good to be able to breathe regularly.  I guess I've had these allergies for a while, but they have finally gotten so bad that I need help now.  Just another pill added to my arsenal for feeling better ... Ugh!!

Even though I'm in a sewing mode, I need to knit a nice cover for my tablet so it doesn't get scratches ... I'll have to use worsted weight yarn, but lots smaller needles to make the fabric tight.  I think I have enough leftover yarn to make the pattern I like.  I'll show pictures of everything as soon as I get that camera thing figured out!

I'll leave you now so I can start the tablet cover ... have a wonderful day!  (((Hugs)))  

Settling down to do it again ...

I survived the first camping trip of the season.  It was cool, but nice - sort of.  I arrived Thursday around 1:00 or so and got my spot.  Not too bad trying to level the darn thing, but the people trying to help are always a good thing.  After lighting the 'fridge and it going out several times, I had to re-level a bit and then Voila! things were fine.  Most of our group, me excepted, spent Friday walking the various trails for their points and I enjoyed watching the dog, Shasta, and knitting.  Shasta and I did go for a long walk around the makeshift campground - it was a good walk and we both enjoyed it.  Like I said about the weather "sort of" - we ended up having tornado style winds Sat. night and a crumpled canopy ... it was the first time it had ever been set up ... what a mess.  A real bummer as we then spend Sunday in the bright (and hot) sun.  The guys are going to see if they can reinforce some legs and struts and we will try that ...

I've been walking around in a fog and don't know why ... probably my allergies.  I am now among the Allergy People ... what a pain in the butt!

I called my Mom just a little while ago to wish her a Happy Mother's Day and she was, and always is happy to hear from me.  Gives me the warm fuzzies too!  Since she lives in Denmark the time is about 9 hours ahead of my time here in Oregon, so I always call her the day before a holiday so she can think about the call all day and hopefully give her the warm fuzzies too ... LOL.

I took some pictures of our group's ladies and need to figure how to get it off the phone ... I know this is an ongoing thing with me, but I sure hope I'm smarter than the average cell phone ... I'm going to try.

Now my brain in on the next camping trip - May 30 to June 2, just a three day weekend, but always enjoyed anyway.  We decided not to go on Memorial Day weekend - kids, boats and noise.  It is my birthday the following Monday and I want to enjoy some peace and quiet ... Black Powder Shoots are not conducive to quiet with rifles and pistols going off all day.

OK now I'm going to try the picture thing ... if they show up in the next post you'll know I figured it out - if not, well . . . .

Happy Mother's Day to all!
(((Hugs)))

Well, I just can't figure it out ... !!!  The next time I go to town, I'm bringing all the stuff and will stop by US Cellular and have them explain it to me ...