"WHAT?"
"Please mom, GO!"
Still in my nightie I grabbed my purse and ran out the door, praying all the way. That shop was over a mile away and the highway was extremely busy with high-speed traffic. I put the pedal to the metal and was there in a minute.
I saw them. Nayla and Charlie. They have eleven acres to romp through at home but apparently that is not enough. They had found a means of escape and decided to go exploring. Charlie was in heat and I was freaking about that as I knew my daughter wanted to breed her. Thank goodness the man found Rochelle's phone number on Charlie's collar.
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| Don't be fooled by the innocent after-bath look! |
It was a three-ring circus. Charlie was no problem; she immediately jumped into the back of my truck. Nayla does NOT like being trapped. It may be because she is a puppy or Husky or just plain naughty but the only way we were able to grab her was to trick her. The old mechanic got some crackers and wooed her into his trailer; picked her up and carried her into my truck. She proceeded to jump out, and we had to start the process all over again. Remember, I am still in my NIGHTGOWN. You think that's funny? Apparently Nayla was pissed because as soon as we got home, she did just that on the kitchen floor. "There, now we're even!" She glared at me.
For the remainder of the time I was house/goat/sheep/lamb/cat and dog sitting for Rochelle, the dogs stayed in the house. They didn't appreciate it but there was no way I could find the escape route on the property to secure it.
"Just chillin' in my diaper"
"Papa, guess what? Guess what Papa. I caught my first salmon." William was thrilled to call his Grandpa and announce his first catch. After four hours of fishing without any luck, Rochelle, William and Thomas were going to head home. But then the tug came on William's line. Was he proud -- or was daddy prouder? Nope, Grandpa was!
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| One Proud Boy! |
Whenever I housesit for Rochelle, I arrive a couple days early to spend time together before they leave. Please try to wrap your head around what I am about to explain.
Rochelle, Thomas and William live 22.9 miles from my house to theirs. There are two modes of travel I can choose to get there; ferry or airplane.
If I do not need a vehicle while I am there and don't have too much to take for the week or two I will be staying, I choose to fly. The six-seater float plane is five minutes from my house and the flight takes 12 minutes. It is beautiful, uneventful, relaxing and quick. You fly over the water and often see whales or dolphins. Cost of travel: $100
The other option, and the one I use most often, is by car. This is a tiring, usually eventful, hot and LONG trip. The ferry is 30 miles from my house but you have to get there early to secure your space on the boat. In the summer, I have waited as long as six hours for one ferry because of the long lineups. They have sailings every two hours - unless there is a problem.
The first ferry ride is 40 minutes and I usually have breakfast to pass the time. When I arrive at the next terminal there is no where you can turn around to catch the connecting ferry without driving four miles down the highway and then back again. These four miles can be crucial in that it can often mean losing the opportunity to catch the next boat. Rarely do I make the connection.
Waiting for the next boat isn't too bad in the off season months but in the summer, it is brutal. There are NO chairs to sit on other than your hot car seats. There is NO shade of any kind. There is NO entertainment and only an organic juice bar with awful tasting wraps. So you sit. In the sun. On cement. I don't do heat well.
Finally, I am on board and this sailing is one hour and forty minutes. Unless something goes wrong. It often does. Sailing delays are normal in the summer and administration is kind enough to alert you by email they are running 33 minutes behind. Next email - 57 minutes behind. You have lunch, read a book or sleep. Wi-fi doesn't work.
Finally I arrived and the next trek is a 45 minute drive. But it is worth every second when I get out of my car and my three-year-old grandson runs up to me, gives me a big hug and kiss and says "NICE shoes, Gramma!" What three-year-old boy says that?
I laughed so hard I forgot that I left that morning at 8:45 and it was now 7:10 p.m. They live 22.9 miles away. Cost: $300
So, why would I do that? If I need a vehicle on the island, or want to bring my computer and everything else I need to work; there is no choice.
I came back on Sunday which wasn't too smart as I knew the traffic would be heavy. Please realize that each ferry carries 500 or more cars. I left Sunday morning at 8:50 A M and as the boat pulled into the dock, the one that I needed to connect with was....... just leaving. We have lived here for 25 years and the ferry administration still has not figured out how to schedule the runs so that they connect. Was I upset? I had to vent.
"HI. Will I make the next boat or is it full?"
"Yes, you will be on the 5 p m sailing."
"That's over three hours. I just don't understand why they can't connect. Are there any sailings on this route that do connect"?
With all the customer service skills he could muster, he replied "I dunno."
I had had enough.
"If a woman was scheduling these runs, she would have the first one in the morning leave 45 minutes earlier and they would connect with all the other sailings for the rest of the day."
"I dunno. Lane 77 please."
I adore Rochelle's goats. Last month's post I shared how they landscape the yard, working diligently leaving nothing behind except fertilizer. I was in the kitchen and heard a ruckus on the outside deck. There is a narrow dog run up the side of the house for the little dogs to get up the stairs. Here was Daisy walking up the run barely squeezing into the space. What would I do if she got stuck? She barely made it and was trying to figure out how to get down when she decided to jump.
She never did that again.
The rest of the month I worked my buns off getting ready to launch my radio show and it is getting closer to launch time. I am thrilled that so many people are contacting me to be interviewed. I am already booked into next year. Everyone has a story to tell and some of them are hair-raising. I'll be sharing them with you soon.
If you love romance and you missed my post last week, please read the Love Letter from A Grateful Husband.
DO ALL DOGS GO TO HEAVEN? In a couple days I will share the story of one who just did. Many of you know her well.
I love the monthly Fly On The Wall posts. We are a group of bloggers who allow you access into our homes to see what exciting and hilarious things happened during the past month.
Please BUZZ around and see what the other bloggers have to share this month. They would love your comments.
Baking In A Tornado
People Don't Eat Enough Fudge
Spatulas in Parade
Follow Me
Menopausal Mother
Stacy Sews and Schools
Just A Little Nutty
The Momisodes
Someone Else's Genius
Disneyland in Kentucky
Juicebox Confession
Dinosaut Superhero Mommy
Sanity Waiting to Happen
Southern Belle Charm
The Sadder But Wiser Girl
Go Mama Go
Eileen's Perpetually Busy
Searching for Sanity
Photo of plane courtesy of gailflums.wordpress.com
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