A TRIP TO LONDON & OUR KITCHEN COUNTER TOP IS DONE

Before shutting down the computer Tuesday night I had a weather warning flash up on the screen predicating severe thunderstorms for the Bayfield area. Slipped outside to make sure all vehicle windows were up & shed doors closed. Radar showed a storm front heading our way from Michigan & would roll through sometime in the night…...but it never happened. The storm split up going north & south of us sparing our little Cora from a traumatic night. She is sooooooo frightened of thunder.

We were finally able to get all our ducks in a row this morning & it was off to London’s Home Depot we went in search of a new indoor/outdoor carpet for our front porch. And, the little Mouse came with us too. We have been taking her more places now since the big guys are gone.

Whenever I have to head into a large city I treat it as a military action. Get in, get the job done & get out!! I was familiar with the area where Home Depot was located so we didn’t have any problems finding it. It’s been a long time since I have been in a big box store like that so I felt like Henry Hayseed as I walked along between the towering orange shelving units of endless merchandise. I’m sure people noticed the wide eyed gawking guy in aisle 36.

THE HOME DEPOT GUY IS WORKING THE BUTTONS TO GET THE FERRIS WHEEL OF CARPETS GOING 
A quick question to a red vested employee with a big smiling face quickly led us to the carpet department. Another fellow with a big smiling face was only to happy to show us the huge rolls of carpet on a revolving ferris wheel type contraption. He reminded me a of a midway Carney as he excitedly punched some buttons activating the big carpet rotisserie. Around & around they went, stopping long enough at our level for us to look at & feel the texture of any particular carpet. A bit of humming & hawing & finally a decision was made. Found it interesting to watch how easily the carpet was cut to the length we needed. My oh my how things have changed from the days I worked at both Simpson Sears & Eatons many, many years ago.
 

THIS IS THE BIG CARPET CUTTING MACHINE CUTTING OUR CARPET

IT'S ME,  HENRY HAYSEED GAZING & GAWKING AT ALL THE REALLY NEAT-O STUFF ON THE TOWERING SHELVES WHILE PUSHING THE NEW CARPET IN THE GENERAL DIRECTION OF THE SMILING CASHIER

Within minutes we were out of the store & had the carpet in the car. A quick stop at McDonald’s next door & we were making some fast burgs & fries tracks for the quiet countryside. Henry Hayseed was back in his element again:))
 

LITTLE CORA IS ANXIOUSLY AWAITING FOR MOM TO RETURN WITH THE SNACKS 
June is one of the best months of the entire year in this climate. The burnt looking heat ravaged dog days of summer have not yet begun & the long bland transition from leafless Winter through budding Spring is over.  All the trees are fully leafed out in their finest & freshest styles of the year.  Seemingly endless seas of waving emerald grass spreads along the roadsides out into fields & over the hills.  Shades of green everywhere as corn begins to sprout in a field here & soy beans in another field there.  Flowering Dogwoods & Sumac trees along the bush lines.  Dark greens, light greens, lime greens, we got em all here in Ontario.    June is the greenest month of the entire year & today had to have been one of the best weather days of all so far.  The humidity was gone & we had a nice breeze coming in off the lake.  El Perfecto:))

  
By the time we reached home, Wade, our plumber guy was busy installing our new kitchen counter top, sink & taps.   He also put a new set of taps on our bathroom sink as well.  Nice to finally have that job done & out of the way.

WADE THE PLUMBER GUY HAS THE NEW COUNTER TOP ON & WILL SOON CUT THE HOLE FOR A DOUBLE SINK 

Power washed the rig today including the roof.  I remember last year I never checked the roof until late summer & by then there was enough green stuff growing up there to give our Motorhome the appearance of a Chia Pet coming down the road.  I even insulted the Jeep by washing some mud off the tires.  Fancy that!!

 

POWER WASHING THE RIG'S DIRTY ROOF   

One Thanksgiving years ago when we lived in the old tumble down farm near Fullarton Ontario, 3 of Kelly’s kids came out for the day. Her oldest daughter Sabra brought along a small energized brown whirlygig of a dog that sort of had a cute bat face & liked chasing the barn cats. Max, our part Border Collie was about 6 years old at the time & got a kick out of this little dickens running around all over the place. A friend of Sabra’s had bought the dog as a pup but had soon tired of it & gave it to Sabra. This little dog’s name was Cora & over the next couple years Sabra tried to make a home for her, but with heavy work schedules & some house moves, things just weren’t working out. I always got a kick out of this little brown ball of fur whenever she came for a visit but never dreamed she would one day play such an important role in our lives.
   
One warm summer day about 7 years ago Sabra & Cora dropped in for a visit. When Sabra headed home later that day, she headed home alone. It was explained to me at the time that little Cora was going to stay with us for a week or so to give Sabra a break. It soon became apparent that Cora, who I quickly nicknamed Motormouse, was here to stay.

Technically, we are only supposed to have one dog here in the Park so felt we had to find a home for her because we already had Max. Well, as many of you know, animals have a way of warmly working their way into our hearts.  And so it was the case with us & thoughts of giving away this little Muffin Face quickly vanished. I bond very deeply with animals & this little dog with it’s pug face, slight overbite & big personality has become one of the best friends I have ever had.
   
Cora soon became the Big Boss around the house but little did she know that ‘Big Boss’ status would soon be challenged a short year later by a big black & white Border Collie dog by the name of……Checkers:))

Our little Motormouse is 13 now with no signs of slowing down & both Kelly & I feel our lives have been so enriched by having her here. She is such a little Sweety Pie & right now as I am writing this she is perched on my recliner right beside the laptop & ready at a moment’s notice for a big Motormouse snuggle:))

KELLY SNAPPED THIS PHOTO OF ME WRITING TONIGHT'S POST

GROANER'S CORNER:((  On the first day, God created the dog and said, "Sit all day by the door of your house and bark at anyone who comes in or walks past. For this, I will give you a life span of twenty years."  The dog said, "That's a long time to be barking. How about only ten years and I'll give you back the other ten?"
So God saw it was good.

On the second day, God created the monkey and said, "Entertain people, do tricks, and make them laugh. For this, I'll give you a twenty-year life span."  The monkey said, "Monkey tricks for twenty years? That's a pretty long time to perform. How about I give you back ten like the dog did?"
And God, again saw it was good.

On the third day, God created the cow and said, "You must go into the field with the farmer all day long and suffer under the sun, have calves and give milk to support the farmer's family. For this, I will give you a life span of sixty years."  The cow said, "That's kind of a tough life you want me to live for sixty years. How about twenty and I'll give back the other forty?"
And God agreed it was good.

On the fourth day, God created humans and said, "Eat, sleep, play, marry and enjoy your life. For this, I'll give you twenty years."
But the human said, "Only twenty years? Could you possibly give me my twenty, the forty the cow gave back, the ten the monkey gave back, and the ten the dog gave back; that makes eighty, okay?"
"Okay," said God, "You asked for it."
So that is why for our first twenty years, we eat, sleep, play and enjoy ourselves. For the next forty years, we slave in the sun to support our family. For the next ten years, we do monkey tricks to entertain the grandchildren. And for the last ten years, we sit on the front porch and bark at everyone.
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