My solar fountain for the back yard has its own saga. I was excited when it came and the instructions plus the online video showed putting the frame together was a "snap" - ya right. The frame pieces slipped into place until the last connection and the pieces didn't line up perfectly. I just couldn't squeeze the two pieces together tight enough to have the last joint slip into place - so I put a post out on FB to see if any of the guys from church would be willing to help me last Sunday - looking for a strong, he-man that could muscle the last connection together. My small group leader stopped by the car after church (I had put the frame in the trunk to see if someone would help me) and he tried like crazy to get the frame to fit - no way Jose. It didn't matter where in the frame the last connection was going to be - it wouldn't fit. Rob finally got it together good enough that the "bad" connection was at the bottom of the frame and I taped it with black electrical tape when I got home. I called the place Monday and they sent a new frame out same day.
I forgot to mention that line dancing was interesting last Sunday. I'm really pretty good at catching on when it comes to line dancing but one dance the instructor tried to teach us at the end of the hour - no one really got, but the instructor kept saying, "but it's a pretty little dance." That may be but it ain't pretty if I ain't doing it right dude :) He kept saying that statement over and over and over as we all tried to learn the dance - like that would some how help.
Butler's boo boo is looking pretty good - it's getting crusty so I don't think I need to worry quite so much about flies laying eggs in it and producing maggots now like I had to the first couple of days :) And....his poo is finally starting to get somewhat solid. That alone makes me do the dance of joy.
I emailed the rescue group about Cruise (proper spelling) to see how my adoption application was proceeding. Good news is the rescue group had a lot of applications for their dogs and cats from last Saturday's meet and greet - bad news is the rescue group is all volunteers and they have to make all the calls for background checks, etc., during their lunch hours. So I don't know if they will get my background check done this week or not.
If God wants Cruise to come live with Butler and me - I will change the spelling of her name to Cruz - like she's going to know the difference. But spelling her name this way has special meaning for me - the first time Mike and I traded our timeshare to an island in the Caribbean it was to St. Thomas. We took a day trip to St. John's and the ferry landed in Cruz Bay hence the spelling change. Now...Dad's not aware of this, but I had planned on naming my next animal Rowdy whether it would have been a dog or cat, male or female, in honor of the horse he sold to pay to go to Bible school. But because of the connection I can make with Cruise to Cruz for Cruz Bay - she'll keep her name.
I wasn't sure about going to WDM's 3rd of July parade last night but decided to walk to the end of the block and then go one block west to see it. Seems some years the parade comes down Vine which is the south street of my block and turns on my street south and some years it turns south on 5th Street. I ran into my neighbor's (Blondie and her husband - some of my family will know who I mean) at the parade. They had Bath Fitters do some work in one of their bathrooms - the salesman was showing me all the different addresses where they had done work statewide and he wanted to show me work done in my zip code and low and behold I knew someone. I told the salesman I would definitely be asking Jill (her real name) and Jeff what they thought of Bath Fitter's work. They told me they were very pleased with the whole experience and their final product.
As I was talking to them an orange tractor came down the street and I wondered if it was an Allis Chalmers - the brand of tractor Dad used on the farm growing up. I took the picture below on the fly but it turned out pretty good - no idea why the picture is kind of split in my blog - doesn't look that way on my phone.
A shot of the parade as it has turned south on 5th Street.
And lookie here - another, older Allis Chalmers later in the parade :)
We've been in a heat advisory since 9:00 am yesterday morning and it continues until 9:00 am Saturday morning - wowie. I did more decluttering in the office and kitchen today - ran a few errands and am back inside thankful for my AC. I don't know if I'll go to the fireworks or not tonight.
I had a "moment" yesterday when I saw Mike's WDM Public Works truck (it's really a cargo van but he called it his truck) drive past me on the street and some stranger was driving it. I haven't seen Mike's truck in over two years so that was a little offsetting but not too bad.
I posted on Facebook some fond 4th of July memories. One being in '88 when R25 (aka me) was able to be in uniform for the first time as a WDM Police Reserve helping direct traffic for the parade. A funny memory was the year I was in the parade and Mike took Butler to the end of the block to watch for me (we didn't have Milly yet). Butler had a simple choke collar and when Mike got home he let it go slack - to which Butler backed his head out of the collar and took off running south. Mike couldn't catch Butler even when Butler stopped to pee. Mike ended up at the end of the block asking people if they saw him - evidently he was quite the hit with the crowd with people petting him when Mike and he were watching the parade. One guy points to the curb and there sat Butler next to a little girl watching the parade. There were many 3rd and 4th of July's that Mike and I didn't see each other with both of us helping with the different events in WDM and U'dale as reserve police officers. And I have a lot of fond memories of 4th of Julys spent at my cousins with us pooling our money to buy fireworks to let them off when our parents were gone for an evening. I never lit any of the fireworks but one thing did chase me across their yard in Elkhorn, NE one year. And the BEST memory was the year we were at my grandparents (Dad's parents) in Bloomfield and for some reason at 9:00 pm on the 4th Dad decided he wanted to go over the border into Missouri and buy some illegal fireworks. We got back to Grandma and Grandpa's around 10:30-11:00 with Dad lighting things left and right. It was almost midnight and Grandpa was concerned about the noise - Dad assured his dad that the next thing he would light would be quiet. Well - that next thing was the LOUDEST thing I had ever heard. I looked at Dad, who looked at Grandpa and Grandpa gave Dad (his son) one of "those looks" like if I could beat you within an inch of your life I would. Needless-to-say the fireworks lighting was done for the night :)
