Another Dam Trip

I was planning on working in the shop but plans are made to be changed.  My nephew Jeremy and I took off for the big ride over the dam.

Pictures of favorite shop, the Dam Bait Shop, was taken on the fly as we hurried to meet Toni for another storage move.

Mattresses, curio cabinet, two rugs, a grandfather clock, a Seven up machine, and two wing back chairs were the first to load. We are running over but Boss Gail, the Elder, insisted there were still places for stuff. We went to another unit and stuffed bags and other things safely in every spot.  We had a LOAD!

I am using my gas so Toni and I did some bartering.  I got this huge honking Persian rug and a smaller one in exchange for my gas.  Toni still bought us lunch.

Arriving at the shop we unloaded except for my rugs of course!  They traveled to my house.

Now you would think an old lady like me would be tired and worn out.  I had to work with the rugs.  Move an old rug, gotta mop, shake the rug outside and bring it to its new spot.  Then I would see a spider web or something so I ended up washing the huge kitchen and dining room on my knees.

It certainly looked good, even if I say so myself.  The living room will have to wait.

The dining room rug is in place under the dining room table, the other matching (kinda) rugs were placed.  After shaking I also vacuumed them.

During all this I am washing dishes, doing laundry and trying to watch NCIS and two more shows.  Didn't happen.  I got pieces of shows that didn't fit but I have the kitchen done.

I've been going since six am and it is now midnight.  Time to stop!  I won't die if I don't get it all done in one night.

I have been infused with git up and go.  I don't know the reason but sure am glad that lazy slug departed and the real workaholic me is on the job again.

Tomorrow is another day.  Wonder what I get to cherry pick tomorrow?

For those of you who watch The Walking Dead I "claimed" a few things.

Good night or good morning...take your pick.

Chaos Rains

and chaos reigns.

We were the lucky ones.  Seven total inches of rain with hail and wind.  The garden was under water. Water gates moved down the creek along with a few flower pots from Marcy's yard but we were all safe. Erosion was our worst problem.  The waters receded almost as quickly as it rose.  We are on high ground.  If it had been daylight I would've been rubber booting.

Vilonia and Mayflower Arkansas were not so lucky.  Several states had tornadoes last night.  The season has begun.

Driving out this morning the water had receded along with our road

This was part of our road.

Ponds were over flowing.

There were ponds where no ponds had gone before.

Where was I going? you ask...

Toni helped haul two loads from his storage to go into the family shop to sell.  Soon, we hope, someone will love his old stuff and take it home with them...and then he can get more stuff!

Stopped at the traffic light on Norfork Dam Toni got out to check on me and my full pickup.  The load in the truck was riding very well.

We had followed a semi-truck out of Mountain Home.  He was driving so slow traffic was backed up for a ways.  We had just passed the Dam Bait Shop (I'm not swearing.  That is the name!  I would like to answer their phone, "This is the Dam Bait Shop.  What the hell do you want?").  We were headed up the Dam hill and I knew that truck could not pull it.  Slowing down it stopped completely.  I thought student driver but it was certainly someone who did not know what he/she was doing.  The truck stalled.  We have traffic backed up as far as I can see.  The truck's back up lights came on!!!  I look behind me.  Toni is right there. I can't back up and the truck keeps rolling backwards!

I look up the Dam hill (I enjoy saying that entirely too much) and there is no oncoming traffic.  I cut the wheels sharply and shot out into the opposite lane and flew around the truck.  The whole line followed me. As far as I know the truck may still be there.

We reached the shop safely and unloaded Toni's stuff.  We were good packers.  Every nook and cranny in both vehicles was packed to the gills.

Driving home I noticed the skies were clear and the neighbors cattle were celebrating with new green grass. I wonder what I will do tomorrow?

Two Thousand Three Hundred Posts

from me At The Farm.  Wonder how many words would that be?  If I had a dollar for every word...

Bonnie is not on my good side.  She is a water dog.  Loves hoses, any water she can find is okay with her

Bonnie sticks her head completely under the water and snuffles! 

In addition to her log collection Bonnie has discovered she can remove an entire pot of water lilies and carry them.  I think I will train her to harness and use her as a draft horse.  She is growing in leaps and bounds. 

The poor Koi, who did survive the winter by the way, are so shy they stay hidden.  I can't imagine what they think when Bonnie jumps in.

For all those who have been in the middle of these storms tonight.  I hope you are safe and dry.  Our valley is flooded.  We have had hail and have just been placed under a tornado WARNING.  I wish it were safe to photograph the water in our valley tonight.  Six inches of rain does a lot of damage.  Hopefully we will still have a road to drive on in the morning.  Hubby will be busy tomorrow repairing water gates, washed away roads, repairing fences, re installing culverts.  By daylight the flood waters will have receded.

I apologize for my lack of presence here.  My nephew has Bev and I hauling his items from his storage shed to the shop for sale. We have been working our behinds off.  Sunday through Wednesday we haul, Thursday through Saturday we will mark and label items and place around in the shop to sale.

I can't unfold my body very easily after the abuse of packing, lifting, carrying, loading and unloading.  I shall get tougher and we will get the job completed...one piece at a time.

Stay safe and be happy.  Soon I will be back full force for another two thousand three hundred posts.

Dagsvers

There once was a man from unknown parts
Who told us lies and stole our hearts
Truth and integrity he did lack
And gleefully stabbed us in the back
In my opinion he isn't worth a fart.

dVerse Poets Pub

And The Band Plays On

Highway 289

I fired the photographer.

She was fourteen rows away.

Chuck McKnight wrote a program of the history of rock and roll. Chuck narrated and played.  Chaney, Sitton, Gillihan, Yow, McKnight and Cone are the new Highway 289 Band.  Andrew was invited as a special guest.  The link will take you to a medley of blues and rock and roll.

Radio station was broad casting live.

I'm a proud grandmother but a lousy photographer. 

Green Onions and Green Grass

Mitch and Andrew-Green Onions

 

Andrew and Green Onions

Cattle on green grass

All bad photography by Gail!

Poetry Jam's Desert

The desert stole my heart

I probably would not last long.

The formations,

The rocks,

The plants and animals

moved me.

I was humbled by my summer trip last year

and certainly want to explore more.

Deserts for Poetry Jam

Arid desert lands

Scorch me

Enrich me

Envelope me

With heat and wonder

The desert nourishes my soul

Shows me her history

In colors and formations

Lost in the beauty 

I reach for the sky

The mystery of difference

Excites me

I wonder

If I'd survive

Thrive 

Or die

Here 

Becoming just another bone

O'Keeffe would want to paint.

I smile

In wonderment

And 

Simply enjoy the view.

Editing Dummy Here...

I am working on a clip so you can finally hear Andrew play.  I have no idea how to begin but just know I am trying.

I, the photographer, am fired. I have fired myself.  Andrew has practiced twice with the new 289 Band since they have changed things up.  Two old members remain four were added.  

Andrew was the only invited "special guest" with the band.  The Izard County Consolidated High School opened this act with their school band.  The entire band played well.  I'm a sucker for sax and horns...they were great.

The theme for this show was the history of rock and roll.  Chuck the writer/announcer/guitar player told the story as we traveled from the forties to the present.  We heard Beatles, Sonny and Cher, The Turtles, CCR with John Fogerty, The Carpenters, Beach Boys, Bob Dylan, Stevie Nix, Booker T and The MGs, Janis Joplin, Elvis, Jimi Hendrix, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Lynyrd Skynyrd The Kinks and many more I can't remember...not because they weren't good but because I forgot!

Andrew played three solos I think and was on stage playing back up the entire time.  He had been there since one o'clock and the show ended at nine.  He was tired but still had energy to get phone numbers

from some fans.  A young lady wanted him to join her in a talent show.  She sings.  He plays.  That's all I know.  Andrew ain't talking!

The crowd was great.  Hoots and hollers from old gray haired people...that includes me. Many people stood up during one of Andrew's solos.  He played solos in Hey Joe, Pride and Joy, Green Onions and more that I've forgotten.  Next time I will take notes and no pictures.

"...and the crowd went wild" was true this night.  The radio station from another county was there broadcasting live.  A good friend suggested maybe the radio has a recording of the complete performance

This was the best family photo I could get not including me, Hubby, Jake (middle grandson) and Stormi, Toni's daughter.  I was happy to catch this many in one spot with SOME of them looking at the camera.

Left to right:  Zander (youngest grandson, son of Maria), Toni, (nephew), Maria (daughter, Andrew's mom), Melissa (oldest daughter, mother of Jake) and our star of the night, Andrew.

I am so proud of Andrew's God gifted, self taught talent.  I am proud of all my family.

It was just a magical night.  

Soon, I promise, I will figure out how to edit film and make it small enough to post.

May your day be filled with wonderful music.

Down and Dirty On Easter

Many know we have live water from springs.  This is pumped into the house for our convenience (I have carried many a buckets from this spring).  Our water is far better and sweeter tasting that any city water I've had.  The rock circle is where the pump sits suspended in clear spring water.  My grandpa and Dad made this years ago.  

The bad part about all this is we have to clean and flush the spring at least twice a year according to conditions.  Well we missed last year (Hubby's and Marcy's illness).  Our water remained clear and sweet but this day of work was long over due. 

This is not a one man job.  So we invited family with the lure of Marcy's cooking and they went to work.

First you make a plan.  The culvert for over flow was removed to flush out the area removing moss and two years of natural deposits in the bottom of the holding pond.

Then you jump in and start moving the mud.  The more mud moving out the better.  The blanket moss goes out with the current.

Basically it is like making wine.  You squish the mud and work it down stream with your feet.  Andrew kept us hydrated.

Second grandson Jake ran to get whatever we needed, sometimes driving the Ranger or running as fast as he could go.  Andrew and Jake played some foot ball

and then they deserted us.

Shoveling muck is fun.  Now maybe we won't have to clean it again till next spring...hopefully!

We scrubbed everything, dug muck and pushed water.  We've done this since childhood but it was all done by hand then.  We would dig grass from this branch all the way to the creek.  It was an all day job for four generations.

 We rescued critters

and moved them to a safer place.  Our plan was to bleach the main spring to kill the blanket moss but not the live things.  The bleach will do its job and it will dissipate before it reaches the pond or creek.

Boots were no good.  

All was work was done barefooted.

Melissa, my oldest daughter,

captured a mother/daughter portrait.

The work continues and the water level lowered.  Melissa said she never saw any pictures on my blog of her.  I wonder if she will be proud of this one!  Bev, my sister, is working that mud so it can move on out.

Marcy, my oldest sister, came over to tell us she had cooked a feast.  Toni, my nephew, did work although I have few pictures of it.

We chlorinated while Hubby dammed the creek.  We ate a mouth watering belly filling delicious dinner at Marcy's and returned to the spring.

Busting the dam.

Replacing the culvert with Toni looking like a Highway Department employee we are nearing completion.

Now we are back in the pure water business again.

As the world celebrated the Resurrection

we resurrected our water source.

Pushing Stumps

On a farm you never get done with cleaning and clearing.  Trees die, tornadoes blow them down and ice storms break them.  It is a continual job with much satisfaction.  You can measure your work by the piles of debris.

One stump plagued Dad for years.  Den finally got it out.  Another stump defied his powerful pushing.  It was a cedar.  The red heart center is the strongest and oldest growth.  We use it for fence posts.  This cedar stump will set some more. It refused to move.  Notice the bright red of the splinters.

The pile grows slowly

as the Dogwood flowers

and farmers work on and on.

Happy Easter.

'Twas The Night Before Easter

And all over the farm
Animals rested safe from harm
The chickens had roosted
The cows in the barn

Hubby and I were
Were sleeping like logs
No one snoring
Not even the dogs.

There were no dreams
The Bunny would come here
We were too old
And didn't really care.

I jumped out of bed to a terrible sound
I yelled out loud,  What's going down?
I put on some clothes doubly fast
Grabbed my Dr Pepper and hid my stash

I grabbed my spotlight
And my gun
The dogs were now barking
Run, varmint, run

Out the door I ran into bright moonlight
Eager to see what was out at night
The spotlight lit the darkness like day
There's a big monster bunny not running away

The dogs were nervous.
I was too.
All I could think was
That's a lot of stew!

I was just setting the monster in my sights
When the dogs grew silent and the night became light
The monster had turned to look right at me
It asked, "Whatcha doing?" as clear as can be!

I've seen Bigfoot, Spirits and Ghosts
But a Talking Rabbit was something to toast
I thought since It could talk I would ask
What the heck it was doing in my fresh mowed grass.

It turned slowly with basket in hand
"I'm delivering Easter Spirit through out the land
People have forgotten what Easter really means
I'm spreading the word, me and my team."

I was handed a basket full to the top
With candy and eggs and my favorite pop
On the top of the basket lay
A brand new Bible to show me the way

The gigantic bunny began a Herculean hop
But in mid-leap he turned and stopped
"Disciples come in many forms.
Spread the word and be reborn"

In shock and awe I watched him depart
I knew the bunny was right deep in my heart
I heard him as he jumped up the hill
"Resurrect Easter and everyone will."

Happy Easter!

Holidays for Poets United
Credit to Clement Clarke Moore for giving me the idea by writing  A Visit From St Nicholas
Couldn't have done it without you, Mr Moore.

Self Portrait

for dVerse~Poets Pub

Self Portrait

Not a wearer of pink

Nor dresses

I keep my face hidden

While I watch Nature

As if she were a Oscar-winning movie

Times ago

I wore pink dresses

Life leeches the pastels

Leaving earth tones

Blue jeans and big shirts

I want to be remembered

By the actions I've taken

Not how good I looked 

In the coffin

I want to slip away

To be a thought

That crosses someone's mind

"I knew her..."

And they smile

Knowing I'm not far away

After The Rain

the tiny dragon looked surprised

by his colonic flush.

The Monkey's Paw

All that scares me
Drops to the bottom
Of my list
"The Monkey's Paw"
Reigns
And makes me
Fear to wish.

For Imaginary Garden With Real Toads

Playing With Dogs

Lil had to play stick

Having found a spot over their heads

They weren't sure how to cross.

Bonnie tried to clear it

but

She could never make it across with a jump.

The water normally is clear.

Doesn't take long for a pack to stir up the sand.

The pack looked for squirrels

and underground monsters.

They will rest well tonight.