Life On The Planet

Has Anyone Seen Tiger's Water Shoes?

I bought them a month ago in a futile attempt at organization. I was determined that I would not procrastinate in regards to getting ready for camp, and this is my reward. It's really gonna chap me if I have to go back to Wal-Mart to spend another $4.88. That's a gallon of gas!

In any case, he's off to camp tomorrow. Or rather, we are off to camp tomorrow. Just me, Sal and Tiger  - together with 50,000 of our favorite ticks. Ew! Pass the Repel.

I have one more place to look, and then I guess it's off to Wal-Mart. Next time, I'm just gonna procrastinate. It seems to work for me.

Strawberry School

The C.F.O. was off of work yesterday, so we ditched the textbooks and lit out for the strawberry patch.

The strawberry patch is a great place to learn science related terms, like irrigation, drought, freeze, photosynthesis and fertilizer. We also had to figure out how much twenty pounds of strawberries at $1.75 a pound would cost.

Strawberry Patch Elementary: No desks allowed.

It was a tough job, picking those berries. Some of us worked really hard.

And some of us...

just ate strawberries under the cover of our extremely large hats!

When we got home, it was back to chemistry.

When a science lesson results in eleven pints of strawberry jam, everybody's happy!

Reflections of the Brain Dead

As I was driving home at 1:30am this morning from Aussie Kim's house (I was picking Butterfly up from a sleepover. She was sick.), I found myself singing very loudly to songs on the oldies station and pondering the following thoughts that had meandered into my sleep deprived brain:

• What, exactly, are the words to the song Louie, Louie?
• If she throws up, and she's sitting behind me, and we're traveling at 65mph...never mind.
• Why do people drive 52 in a 65? Do they want the child to get sick on me?
• Why do children only get ill at 12:30am?
• Does my black dress make me look fat?
• Should we have chicken or spaghetti for supper?
• How many calories are in Chicken Spaghetti?
• Ugh, gross! Road kill!
• Will it be warm enough on Sunday to wear sandals?
• I hope it's warm enough Sunday to wear sandals.
• Oh, geez. What if Butterfly isn't better by Sunday?
• How am I gonna get that stain off of the table cloth?
• Will lemon juice work?
• Did I forget to take back that over due library book?
• Is that line moving?
• Why is that white line moving?
• I really don't think I took that book back. Hmm.

Ah, home at last. The ramblings are over, thank goodness. To think I used to beg to be allowed to stay up late. They say that youth is wasted on the young. Or is it "Age before wisdom?" I think I'm rambling. I'm rambling again, aren't I?

Sigh.

Good Night.

Graceland

Graceland with the Cub Scouts today.

I'm all shook up!

Thankyouverymuch.

The Mighty Mississip'

Y'all may have heard that the Mississippi River is flooding. Rain and snow melt have swollen the river until it spreads from levee to levee. Being the science and weather hounds that we are, and always being ready for a field trip, we hopped into the mini-van and hooked up with Aussie Kim and her crew to check it out.

First we drove over the river to the Arkansas side.

The weather didn't look good. (It's been raining since we got back from vacation, but that's another post.)

Now, when I say we drove over to the Arkansas side, what I really mean is Aussie Kim's Man-of-the-House drove over to the other side. Kim and I were freezing everyone out, hanging our heads out of the windows and snapping photos like a couple of loons. The man has patience. Here is a photo taken well before the bridge. There should not be water there.

We drove to the levee on the Arkansas side. Aussie Kim said there was a board walk and park you could go to within the levee. We saw the signs for the park...

but we couldn't get to it. The sign says, "No Off Road Vehicles In The Park!" The bad news - this was the road...

The good news - apparently the catfish were biting. I wonder if the Off Road Vehicle ban included boats.

We drove back to the Mississippi side of the river and rode the levee toward the spot we visited last August. We couldn't quite make it there.

If you follow the road down and take the curve through the trees, you should come to a beach.

Now, some of you may not have ever seen a levee before. They are large (usually) earthen barriers that run the length of both sides of the river. Most of them are wide enough to drive on. In Mississippi, they come with livestock.

I wish I'd gotten a picture of the mules.

Plumbing, Cute Fleas, Major Motion Picture Stars and Agents of Lucifer

The yard is as big a mess as I thought it would be. At least we weren't around to see it happen. No, we left that joy for The C.F.O. while we were kicking up our heels in Louisiana. Poor, mistreated C.F.O., I hope he's glad to see us. We brought back a lot of food.

The trip was blissfully uneventful. No pile-ups. No stalled cars. No hysterical woman behind the wheel of a mini-van. Okay, maybe I did see ONE hysterical woman behind the wheel of a mini-van. (In the rear view mirror.) Here's my point. God allowed for cruise control to be created because he loves us and wants us to be happy, right? RIGHT? So, if that is correct, then the woman who kept pulling in front of me and slowing down, when there were no other cars on I-55 AT ALL, causing me to repeatedly hit my brakes and deactivate my cruise control must therefore be in league with the devil. Right? RIGHT? I know it's not very charitable of me, but that's my story. My tired legs are stickin' to it.

We got home, had fifteen minutes to unpack and do our thing, and then we hopped back into the mini-van to head to the kiddos' performing arts doo-hickey. Their teacher wasn't there. Did I mention I was subbing for her today? Like a part in a major motion picture could possibly be more important than working with fifty plus short people. Geez. (Really, after today, my hat is off to her. It was like herding fleas. Cute fleas, but fleas nonetheless.)

Okay, then, that was my day. How was yours? Good? Bad? Indifferent?

I'll post a photo of the yard sooner or later. If mud-induced depression doesn't set in.

Goodnight, all.

Did I Say Seven Hours?

Shortly after we headed out for Louisiana, I saw a cardboard note attached to a road sign. It said, "Judgment is coming." I should have taken it as an omen of things to come.

Initially, the weather was a little dreary. Okay, it was rotten.

This is I-55. Pretty exciting, huh? After awhile, the skies cleared and the sun came out. Well, hot dog. The kiddos were luxuriating in unlimited DVD viewing. It's a rare treat. The movie of choice was Willow. (There are a few restrictions on the DVDs. It has to be something that won't drive me into the ditch.) I like Willow. There's something about Val Kilmer in a dress that makes me laugh. Go figure.

We were cruising along, making good time, until we hit Baton Rouge and came to a screeching halt. We sat and sat and sat and sat and sat....(name that children's book for ten points).

Finally, we started creeping along. Want to see the view from the Mississippi River Bridge?

Good shot, Salamander. The tall,pointy building to the right is the state capital. Don't look at my dirty windows.

We hit five miles an hour (whoopee!) and then we stopped again. Salamander was bored so he started fooling around with the camera. My hands are really riveting, aren't they?

So, I reclaimed the camera and snapped this one to show you how big his feet are.

Those things are huge! Then, I took some shots of the traffic.

The smoke is from an accident. Seven cars. Geesh. Thank goodness, no one was killed.

By this time, we were all whining and grumpy and ready to GET OUT OF THE VAN.

But first, we had to cross a swamp.

It's the Atchafalaya. Say that fast, three times.

Yea, we made it. So, it took a little longer than seven hours. Who's counting?

Outdoor Cooking At Aussie Kim's

Last week, during our field trip to Aussie Kim's, our Girl Scouts cooked for us.

Observe the use of the Over-The-Knee method of branch breaking. This is a highly trained specialist at work. DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME.

Pay no attention to the incendiary device in Aussie Kim's PB&J's hand. This fire was started by rubbing two sticks together. Really, and no, one of the sticks was NOT a match.

Umm, Aussie Kim, where's the hose?

There's food in there, right? Girls?

Yum! When do we eat? What do you mean we cook you clean?

Old Glory

Taken in Shiloh National Cemetery, September 2007.

Cotton Dumpin' Good Time

Sometimes things get a little wild, down in the Delta.  It's time to dump the cotton. Watch and learn, kiddos. This is an educational field trip.