The Fox Chased the Skunk, The Fox Chased the Skunk, Hi-Ho The Derry-O...

Yesterday, after a very long day, Red decided to be a pill about something and in my response to his charm, I chucked his freshly opened bag of Cheddar Cheese Chex Mix out of my truck and into the driveway. Hmpf! That will fix him I thought, claiming my silent victory. Soon after coming inside, regret began to toy with me. Firstly, why was I beating up a bag of Chex Mix? It was Red whom I wanted to poke with a sharp stick. And secondly, I was now faced with the potential problem of drawing wildlife into my yard. I was way too proud, or embarrassed, to solicit Red's help in my predicament so I sat nervously at the window looking out and wondering what the hell I was going to do. My only defense...Cheddar Cheese Chex Mix really stinks! Especially in small spaces...and it was my new truck, after all.

I decided to write my friend, Cara, and confess my misdeed. Meanwhile, I spotted two foxes arguing over who got to hold the bag of Chex Mix in my driveway. "Great," I muttered, hoping Red didn't notice the scene occurring in the driveway. "Well, hurry up and eat it all and be gone with you", I mumbled at the window. As a car drove by, I hoped that my neighbors didn't assume I was freely feeding the wildlife...I am staunchly opposed to feeding the animals. Should I retreat and ask Red to remedy the problem, I wondered when suddenly a skunk arrived on the scene. Crap. And this is when Red decided to acknowledge the bag of Chex Mix in the driveway. My little indiscretion was now a contender for a bigger problem than our tiff we had had earlier.

Interestingly, the skunk held his ground while the only remaining fox looked on cautiously. I don't blame him!

"Oh, Dear God, please don't let that skunk spray that fox! Not there! Not mere feet from my house!" As I sat at the window, sweating profusely, Red remained vigilant at the front door in his silent observance. Gulp.

Finally, the skunk left. A quick saints be praised flashed through my head when suddenly I noticed that darn skunk was waddling right back, challenging his competitor! We watched in horror; waiting for the green, malodorous mist to materialize before us. But after a brief Tete`-a-tete between the skunk and the fox, the skunk left again. This time, the fox was going to have the last word and it deliberately piddled on the Chex Mix bag! "That will fix that skunk," I heard the fox say as he trotted off, snickering, into the nearby bushes. Soon, the skunk returned and joyfully played with the bag, clearly mocking the fox and then he had the audacity to proudly wear the Chex Mix bag over his head like a hat! I heard a distant sigh of disgust rising from the bushes as I moved from the window.

Amanda's perspective...

Just moments before the assault begins...

After a full day of excavation maneuvers, we were nearing the end. The last vat of concrete was being mixed when something unexpected occurred. Amanda dumped half a bag of portland cement all over her. From her chin to the depths of her bra, were 30 pounds of dry cement. A gray cloud loomed for a moment, concealing her as I recognized fragments of sturdy words emanating from the swirling fog. 

It had been the practice of the day for Red or Greg to dump the cumbersome bags into the mixer as Amanda had expressed some serious concerns about losing certain body parts from her chest region when dumping the bulky bags into the spinning mixer. But after being playfully challenged by her teasing husband, Amanda took on the task and tossed the bag into the mixer herself. The good news is, she didn't lose any body parts. I pulled her version of this story from her Face Book page and I include a link to the video depicting the torturous event in which she endured. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2efudLVeYbM

Amanda's Perspective: Drove a front-end loader today, made 12 batches of mud for the retaining walls, spilled portland down my shirt and was told I HAD to be hosed off in the front yard to avoid burns...now I am in my dad's shirt with wet pants that have a big rip down the back...AND my mom made me go into the store like this for dinner...if I weren't 26 years old, I would surely have a case for child abuse/neglect...

You have to love her spirit! Thanks for checking in.
Kim :-)

How About A Big Fat Burrito With A Mountain Lion Chaser? Hey...it's dark...can you see anything out here?

Being that tonight was laundry night, we got to have dinner from The Armadillo Mexican restaurant. I'll admit, it was a decent bribe to get our laundry done. After we stuffed our gullets with this favored cuisine, we headed off into the hills with Dr. Laura and the moon as our companions. I get excited every time we pull into the driveway at night because I’m anticipating something in the yard; either the resident fox, Bart the bear, raccoons or my newest acquaintance, the lonely skunk. Apparently, the wild gang was busy tonight and all was quiet as Red and I made our usual swift trek into the house.

After settling in, I fired up my computer when suddenly, Red came to me and said, “Listen!!!” Translation---Something’s out there! I raced to the kitchen nearly taking off Red’s heels on the way to the back door. Just on the other side, in solid darkness was the screechy yowl of a mountain lion! Have you ever heard a mountain lion? They sound just like a screaming lady. I know this now because once, when we lived in Larkspur, I ripped Red out of a dead sleep because I was certain that our neighbor, Eva, was being murdered next door! It took Red several minutes and some fast talking to convince me not to call the police and that it was not Eva being murdered, rather a mountain lion in our back yard. So, tonight, with my seasoned ears and wildlife finesse, I quickly identified the lion.

Red went to the front of the house while I remained staring into the black abyss hoping I could catch sight of this magnificent creature. Suddenly, I felt a presence at my side; it was my cat staring anxiously into the dark. I watched her track the creature with her eyes…Honestly, I was fascinated yet a bit freaked out! And then we could hear it walking behind the house…Door closed!!!

A few minutes later, Red suddenly remembered he left the window open in the van along with my abandoned burrito; certainly a lure to wildlife and most importantly, it was tomorrow’s lunch! Do you rescue the burrito or not while there is a mountain lion roaming around? Absolutely! You don’t want to leave food around to entice the wildlife and there’s no separating a man from his claimed burrito. So, with me as Red’s backup, he snuck out to the van and without incident, he salvaged his burrito. I do have to wonder…what if the mountain lion was still out there when he went to retrieve his burrito? What the heck could I have done?

Take care and thanks for checking in.  Kim

Slow down and enjoy your life...

Last Saturday, I awoke with a special person on my mind. At 6:45 a.m., my mind could think of nothing else but to call Bug, my sister-in-law, and have our usual phone marathon conversation. An urgency to call her kept me from falling back asleep. All week, Bug had been on my mind and all week and I kept putting off calling her as I kept trying to finish things up at the house first. Always trying to juggle tasks and errands and manage Red's company. Get my chores done first before I can have fun. But sadly, later that morning, I learned that Bug had passed away unexpectedly.

She was only 52 years old. I met Bug when I married Red nearly 27 years ago. Quickly, she joined my Favorite People List. Bug always had a way of making you laugh and making you feel good. She saw things from a different angle and you'd always end up laughing. Even with miserable situations...she could help you find something funny in it. What a gift! In Bug's presence, you were always comfortable...never awkward. I hope I have this effect on people as this was one of Bug's many qualities. She was a dear person who leaves behind a huge hole in our hearts.

Recently, I saw Bug at Bob's dad's funeral. I had a lump in my throat the size of Texas as I tried to be smiley, but I couldn't get past the sadness for Bob and Cindy and their children and family. But Bug, in her usual Bug fashion, brought me around and soon we were happily chatting in the parking lot. When we parted, she hugged me tight and said "I love you." It was the first time I'd ever heard Bug tell me this. I've always known she did, but to hear it put me on top of a mountain and I'm still there because of it. :-)

This precious person has left us too soon, and it's really hard to say goodbye, but I do know this, Bug is dancing in Heaven with our Lord right now. Praise God for that! :-) And please pray for Bug's sweet husband, Mike, and their two wonderful children and grandkids. This is going to be hard on them.

Today my thoughts focus on life. Simply life.

Make that phone call to your friend, sister, mom, loved-one, etc. Ignore the chores...they can wait. Hug your loved-ones a few more times. Tell them you love them a few more times. Forget the cobwebs and dustbunnies today...if your daughter wants you to read to her...go for it. If your mom wants to chat on the phone, make the time. If your husband is looking a little bored or lonely, go shake things up for him and put a smile on his face. Take the time to enjoy your life and enrich someone else's. Remember, the little things are what's important. Slow down and take notice of the little things that tickle you or make your heart smile. Thanks for checking in...Kim

Another Picture of the Old Kitchen...Before and During Demo Operations

Ewwww, scary!

The Master Bedroom Now...

With the exception of the drywall dust spread across the new hardwood floor, this room is awesome!

It all started with Bob...

This is Bob tearing down the closet that rests between two rooms. We turned two small rooms into one large master bedroom. I think Bob really liked the demo process...