Friday night the most bizarre thing happened. I spoke with my cousin a couple of times during the day on Friday. He lives in New Orleans and I live on the bayou southwest of New Orleans. The area was experiencing severe weather and he wanted to make sure that I was aware of the weather reports (he knows I am usually oblivious to such things – why is the rain pouring and the wind blowing.) Neither one of us thought to mention our evening plans.

            The skies cleared and my husband and I picked up an elderly couple (one is blind and the other can’t see) that we are close to. We then headed into the city (New Orleans) to a Blind Veteran’s Banquet. While sitting in the restaurant, I felt my cousins’ presence and wondered if they would be attending the function (my cousin has a blind friend who goes to the Lighthouse for the Blind for Braille instruction.) When the time commenced for us to serve ourselves (buffet for the blind? Really?) and we got up, my cousin appeared at my side. I was so surprised that I stared at him trying to figure out if he were a mirage. It was a nice surprise to be able to visit with my cousins and their friend and finally introduce our friends to them.

            Saturday morning I had the awful chore of having to clean the front porch. With the rain on Friday, my dogs were filthy. In turn, they love to play on the porch, so the porch was filthy. Ryka and Calypso love the rain and once wet, think nothing of rolling in the dirt and then playing chase up and down the front steps and on the porch. Then, at naptime, they come up onto the porch, shake, dry as they nap, and shake again. Needless to say, all the dirt fell off onto the porch; it was like walking on a dirt road! The only way to clean it was to use water. I also had to clean the mess the beasts made with potted plants on Friday.

          I was filling in a hole next to the parking pad that Calypso dug and looked up. Ryka was on the porch and she picked up an empty pot and looked at me as if to say, “See what else Calypso did? I’m the good dog.” It was at that point that I realized what a mess the front porch had become. Then, as I was inspecting that mess, I noticed that they had redug the hole in the flowerbed next to the porch. Fortunately, I found a bucket of dirt my husband had put aside for something (no telling what) and used it to fill in the hole they have been digging to China, along with chicken wire and bricks. As I have already filled the hole with broken bricks and dirt several times, I am thinking it ain’t gonna work this time either.

            After those two projects, I did the usual “Scoop the Poop” game. They follow me around and as I pick up the “prizes”, I explain to them that if they just went to the nearest tree and left it there, it would be a lot easier on me. They haven’t caught on yet. With that lovely chore completed, it was time to pick up all the “toys” they scattered about the front yard. The two of them sat there and followed me with their eyes as I collected all of the oyster shell that had found its way to the front yard. The looks on their faces was unbelievable as they seem to say, “It took a lot of time to bring that many oyster shell from the back yard to the front yard; and now we have to start all over again?” and they have.

            Sunday was my little granddaughter’s dance recital. Cara is actually the daughter of my best friend, but I am her Nana in all sense of the word. She was adorable. I could go into the details of how her parents are divorced and her dad is a jerk and acted like a jerk, but I won’t. Some things are better left unsaid, at least for the moment.

           My husband went trawling on Monday and brought back three huge ice chests of shrimp. That was a huge chore but since I absolutely love my shrimp, I didn’t mind. The only thing I minded was having to keep two German Shepherds who normally have run of a huge yard, locked in their kennel (a good size outdoor yard with a house for each one) all day because they like to eat the shrimp he was trying to dry.

            And, as if that wasn’t enough, he is drying more shrimp today. Guess where the dogs are? They are in their kennel and not to happy at the moment. I heard these awful sounds coming from the yard and it was so strange that I went running out of the house to investigate. One of the neighbors let their puny little dog out to run around and my two dogs saw dessert. They did not appreciate being locked up while this morsel was running around.

            Calypso had an appointment at the vet on Monday for her final shots. That meant doggie washday. She is easy enough to bathe because she loves the water and she is still small enough to keep contained. I also use warm water, so that helps. Ryka, on the other hand, is huge and hates a bath. Her coat is also so thick and practically water repellent which makes it doubly hard to wash. I just need to take her to the car wash. (I’ll need an accomplice to watch out for the SPCA.)

            Tuesday was deal with the shrimp day. The washing machine also decided it had had enough and gave up the ghost. That brings us to today, Wednesday. Today, I have to shop for a new washer and to please my husband, that means I have to shop around. For those who know me (and those who don’t); I HATE to shop around. Just not part of my personality. (Ask Jessica. When we shop, I sit here and there and read my Kindle as SHE shops!) As the dirty clothes are steadily piling up (remember, the trawling husband) I had better finish this post and get to shopping.

            Thanks for stopping by today!