Nice Weekend except Shadow is in the dog house

Our weekend was busy but fun. Saturday was spent garage sale-ing and found to great macromi hangers for the large deck and cover. They look great. Then grocery shopping for a few things and lunch with Ellen and Kenny. Back to the house and some major relaxing.
Sunday began with more running around looking for push lawn mower parts which killed 2 1/2 hours so we got a late start which was not good. I mowed for 3 1/2 hours as the grass was so tall from the rain I had to mow the 3 acres two and sometimes 3 times . Finally finished and Bob finished about 20 min after me trying to get the push mower going and couldn't and then mowed the orchard. We are going to have a small peach crop even though we did a major pruning this winter.
But to cap the Sunday off; after we ate lunch I left a 1/2 loaf of bread on the stove. Came back in for a break and found an empty bread wrapper on the floor, and a very full dog running around. Soo the bottom line is she went to her crate, missed dinner, like she really needed it, and on top of that she went out to do her thing, and killed one of the kittens. So she is very much in the dog crate today. And she goes out now with one of us holding her until we are sure the yard is clear of all cats etc.

The Weather was unreal

The weather going home yesterday at 5 was really bad. Left the office in a torrential rain - raining so hard that the rain came thru the fabric of the umbrella and left my hair wet. When I started to leave the parking lot, the streets were full of water and over the curbs. Water was running down the entrance ramp to I35 with about 3 inches of water. The visibility on 35 south out of Denton was about 3 car lenghts, a lot of water on the roads and driving speed about 40 mph max. Left the freeway at the Justin exit and headed west into the heart of the line of storms. Water over the road about 1 1/2 feet in several places - up over the running boards of the suv. Made it to hwy 287, and on to Boyd. Weather slacked off but the clouds were really moving around a lot. No rotations out our way, but two to the south. Sure was glad to get home.
Mom came over for dinner between rain showers and went home right after dinner.
Sure was a nice night for reading.

Spring fund raiser is over and now to rest

Well the fund raiser went beautifully. Ellen and I shopped on Friday for spaghetti plate dinner $6.00 or hamburger/hot dog plate $4.00, combination for 300. We started the sauce on Friday afternoon and let it cook until late and got up Sat and started it again and let it cook until we left for the Fire department for the meal at 5:30. Took 25 lbs of cooked spaghetti, 600 meat balls, 15 gallons of sauce, salad for 300 and fresh yeast rolls for 300, plus charcoaled hamburgers for 80 and hot dogs for 80. We cooked all the food and had it at the fire department at 5:05 and had people already lined up for food. The department served until 7:30 and we used up all the hamburgers and hot dogs, and all but 1/2 pan of spaghetti. Then we had pictures taken of the department personal taken in front of Care Flight copter for the front of their magazine. Then the silent auction winners were announced, and finally the winner of the raffle for the zero turning cub cadet mower. And I actually sold the winning ticket. Really was cool. Then we started the break down and clean up and the treasurer and I counted the ticket sales, food sales and silent auction monies, with the Sheriff Deputy standing out side the door. Well the announcement of the take for the day and ultimately the profit was met with cheers and lots of applause. We made more profit then in any previous spring fund raiser. Of course we were exhausted when we finally closed the doors at 10:15pm that night. Got home to what I thought was going to be a clean kitchen; pots were washed before we left, and "what to my wondering eyes to behold, but" two dogs and a kitchen trash can not in a row - that were scatter from one end of the house to the other. I was so tired I couldn't even get mad. Just put my purse down and got another trash bag and proceeded to pick up trash for about 10 minutes. Shadow went to the crate and stayed and Asta went to her bed and did not come back out. I finally unwound enough to go to bed, after finalizing the books for the fund raiser, about 1 am.
Got up Sunday morning and Bob and I, and Mom went back to the department and washed up the rest of my equipment, and finished the clean up and mopped the meeting area and then to Walmart for Mom's groceries and back home by 3pm. We sat down in the chair and both fell asleep and slept for 2 hours. :0) More tired than we thought. Got up and fixed dinner, washed some clothes and then worked on the books for the fund raiser, making sure everything balanced.
Monday was still tired, but off to work, went home and Bob installed my xm that Ellen bought me Friday, and then she programed it last night when we met her in Rhome at 8pm with Derek after band practice. Today work again, and Bob has a Board meeting tonight at 7, so we will eat crock pot goodies for dinner.
Peaches are really looking good, just hope we don't have too much weather that will damage them 3 years in a row. Keeping my fingers crossed
Bob was supposed to plow the tomato garden but the rain put a stop to that - and mow the orchard but that didn't work out either. He did get 1/2 of the roof back on the storage shed yesterday, so we wont loose any more stuff from the rain.

Ah life with two Dogs and a Cat in the house

Well to up date the Shadow - Asta - Snickerdoodle saga. This weekend was a red letter on the calender for Shadow and Asta. They have hoped for a cat catch for the last few weeks every time they went out for potty break. Well, the cats quickly learned when the front door lock goes off, to go over the fence, and if they are slow then Asta and Shadow get a little run time. Too slow to do the cat catch. Well then we started having our coon visitors come back to the cat feeders in the front yard and then the "light on - light off" training for the coons had to start. Well they didnt attempt to run for the fence they just went up the porch wooden posts and on to the roof, or up in the rafters of the porch. Oh the aggrivation for Shadow and Asta. No possible catches for the coons. Well that changed this weekend. The coon was new to the procedures and a bit too slow. Shadow was the first on the scene as she had run over Asta going out the door. Shadow met the coon 1/2 way across the yard, and thank goodness didn't attempt to bite, just growled and pushed at the coon with her nose. Well that was ok until Asta made the scene, as her short legs had to take her down the steps and around the porch where Shadow did the big leap thing. Well, Asta got a paw claw on the top of the head and Shadow jumped back out of the way and had to investigate Asta and by that time the coon was over the fence - which of course dawned on Shadow too late and she was left with lots of barking.
Snickerdoodle has discovered a certain meaow that he can make and aggravate poor Shadow to the max. He keeps Shadow from many many nap times and last night he seemed to take a great joy in waiting until Shadow was laying down and let out the yowl and up just Shadow on the move and looking for him, and he doesn't make another sound and hides behind me on the couch, or up on the back of the couch above Shadow's eye level. Then it is hide and seek, but oh my when Shadow finds him it is body quivering and the look "oh just come out here where I can get you and I will push you all around the room until you run".
This week has been a busy week. Coming down to the wire on the Fund Raiser this weekend and have had paperwork etc over and above the usual as Asst Sec. Had a grant paperwork to complete, found that a vital piece of the paperwork is not ready, namely the blue prints, so have to put that on hold for a bit. Did get some more donations for the silent auction, which will be very nice, and set up the schedule for what needs to be done to complete my part of the clean up and then the cooking for the foods. Had two ems calls last night, and turned out one was for one of our x-firefighters, but he turned out to be ok.
Neighbor came down to have Bob sign some papers as a witness for the sale of 27 acres of her land leaving her with 5, where her double wide is and the reviene where she has let contractors empty trailers on her place, and old derelict house trailer and the frame and trash left from the burning of her sons double wide right next to hers. Not a very pleasant place to look at. But she has her daughter in law and 3 kids still living with her while her grandson is in jail for the next few years.
Any way, Mom has had a bad 2 weeks, but last night seemed a little more with it than recently. I am going to try and take her with me tomorrow when I go shopping for the fund raiser but she may not be in the mood for the trip.
Yesterday was another very busy day. My partner was out all day and all 23 advisors and directors were completely booked from 8:30 to 5 every 30 min. No students for the morning and had about 760 contacts. Man I was sure ready for a glass of wine and some down time. Bob and Jim hauled 3100 lbs of iron yesterday to the recycle yard in Fort Worth, and this is the 3rd load this week. Those two do NOT have any equipment to lift this stuff so they cut it into 3 foot lengths, which is required, and load it by hand. They were both dragging butt, and Bob had gone with me to the fire department yesterday morning as I usually leave about 6am and I had to get some filing done and some paperwork out of the files to work on a grant, so we left about 5:45 and got that done, which really made for a long day, as I don't usually get home until 6:15pm every day. Cooked dinner and Bob had done some yard mowing when he came in at 4:30pm so we were both ready for some down time. Then got woke up for two ems calls even though I didn't make it to the fire house before the rescue left with only one man. It requires two but the emt on the dept went out alone.

Yesterday afternoon was again my lucky day

Friday the 13th has always been my lucky day, and it proved true again. With the weather alerts out for the coming together of the warm and cold front, I left work early and headed for the house. Bob was working this week at the speedway, and Mom would be on her own if the weather did turn bad. Got to the house and the atmosphere was an odd color, even with light rain, gusty winds. Wind was switching back and forth in different directions. Called Mom to come over as there was a tornado and weather. Then we got toned out for a tornado warning - tornado coming out of Palo Pinto county - heading for Cottondale/Boonesvilled area. Called Mom again to come over to the house asap and went to the top of our hill as it looks over the general area around here. Everything was repeatedly gusty and quiet. Horizon was showing clouds rushing our way and passed us. Mom came over and told her to go in the house and wait as I was watching weather. Of course she refused. Told her again to go inside and she went. The lightening was getting intense and wind dropped to nothing but the clouds were still moving quickly. I decided the lightening was getting too intense to be up on top of the hill so went to the deck, with the clouds beginning to accumulate to the west. Got to the deck and was watching to the s/w and turned around and walked to the other side of the deck, and looked up and back over the house and there it was - the rotation in the clouds hanging down. Shitttttttt!!!!! Grabbed the cell phone as my radio would not get out and called the Sheriff. Reported the rotation. And waited and watched to see which direction it went. Well- they say that there could be more than one and believe me there was. Behind that came the tornado and I heard it before I saw it behind the house and more to the north over the hill top. Man I hit the bricks in a hurry and got Mom and the dogs in the metal building part of the house. Winds were high and hail was marble size as it passed. No damage thank goodness. Mom was a bit excited, but did markedly well. Bob left the Speedway when the alarm went off for the weather watch, as his boss there told him to get out of there and go where he was needed, as the weather bureau had already called the speedway and recommended that they shut down and batten down and they were already ready for bad weather. We stayed on weather watch for another hour after the worst passed to be sure there was no damage or another build up.
Went out to dinner in Cottondale with 2 other fire fighter couples on the department and Mom and we had ordered and sure enough the alarm went off for a fire investigation. That rolled the men and we had to wait to see what other equipment needed to roll. Sure enough they rolled the engine and the tanker and got there and it was two drunk men had fired off a round bale of hay and left it to burn in front of their house. The guys told the two drunks, that could not even talk, that they were putting it out or the drunks would have to get a hose and stand there. So they figured they would be back to find two toasted drunks. No call back though.
They got back and the cafe reheated their dinners and we ate and got home at 9.
Bob goes back to the speedway for 3 more days and then not back there again until June.
Mom has had some bad days this week - very not with it to the point that she was not putting together sentences, and not talking much. Last night seemed to stimulate her and she even held a conversation with one of the women fighters.
Well next Sat is the fundraiser and then it will be over for the next few months, thank goodness.

Incredibely busy day

Yesterday was very busy at work. My partner and I had contact with over 800 students and parents and at least 25 % of them were not happy with the summer budget cuts that kept them from the classes they needed to graduate this summer semester. At the end of the day a list came out with the names of the classes that were reinstated after the Provost let loose with some much needed budget money.
Mom's 23 year old dog was put to sleep yesterday morning with little resistance from her. She had pretty much disassociated herself from ownership of the dog after it broke its leg. It seems that someone had dropped the dog off with the broken leg and she didnt know who it belonged to. So Bob picked it up at 8 and the vet was waiting and they put it to sleep. She mentioned once at dinner last night that she wondered if I had seen anyone looking for the dog with the broken leg and I told her that I had been at work all day and so had Bob. She said that she guessed the came in her house and took it. I did NOT reply.
Bob is feeling poorly this morning, blood pressure up so he is sitting in the chair until the blood pressure pill takes effect. Then I will get ready and head out for work by 6:10 hopefully.
Sure hope the University closes at 12 today as it has the last few years. Need to get my plants in and cover the others as it is supposed to be near freezing tonight and tomorrow night with a chance of snow out here. Yuck From 82 to freezing is NOT fair although it is the typical Easter cold snap

Busy day at work

WEll have been up since 2:00 this morning, as Bob woke me up not being able to sleep. Couldnt go back to sleep as it had me wide awake. So now at 4:15pm I am quickly running down. Yuck
Very busy day here at work, had about 750 contacts between my partner and I, and she went home early so its me and the student asst. s
So home and cook dinner and probably will crash and burn, but it will be about right that we get called out.

This weekend was busy

The weekend started off with a bang, with us out on Weather Warning for flooded street control. Was out late with that and came home and fixed a bowl of soup and went to be.
Saturday morning was back on the road picking up barrels and cones marking the hight water crossing. Then to the store for groceries, back home and put them away, and started cooking fajitas for Lindseys wedding girl night out. Off to the party and had a great time in Krum and left about 9:30 but did not drink so I could drive.
Sunday was breakfast out with Mom and shopping at Walmart which took a while as Mom was moving very slowly. Then home and dropped her off at her house and home for us. Reading a bit of a book and then cooking dinner. Mom had one of her spells at dinner and had to give her some meds. She sat in the chair until the pills took effect and she went home.
Today has been very very busy at work. Phone ringing off the wall and lots of students