I know I talked about and loved on Bee the other day, well, I’m going to do it again! She’s so cute!
I still call her a puppy, she’s 9 this year, but still a puppy to me, probably because she’s a smaller dog. I wish I had a picture of her doing the yoga pose, up dog, so cute! Ya got the beagle belly, the beagle head tilt, what more could you want?!
I’m pretty sure I’ve share the beagle singing, the way she sits up tall and her head goes back and she just sings or howls to the moon, you can tell how happy she is! I know I’ll share again sometime, but just imagine it! But now… just watch her reaction to me talking to her, the way her head just goes back and forth based on my tone. Yeah, it’s just cute. That’s all.
Do you use OneDrive Memories? Well… do you use OneDrive, or Microsoft 365? Is that a better question? Either way, not sure if you use it, but as you can tell… I do.
One of the things that I enjoy is when it pops up on my laptop, lower right corner, and I click on it, I never know what I’m going to get. Ooh, I just thought of something! I could do a post a day of what’s in my OneDrive Memories, that would be cool. Thinking…thinking…
Well…while I decide on that one, and by the way, I had a whole different topic I was going to talk about tonight and got waylaid by my memories, ha ha, that was just funny to me. I have to file the lottery thoughts to another day. Back to OneDrive.
Two years ago today, I was flying back from a three week trip to England. I spent a week with my dad, then Paul arrived and it was the three of us for 2 days, then my sister’s family arrived and we spent a few days together, then PSM and I went off and spent a week in London/Wales/Bristol, then I was on my own, went to Liverpool for a few days, back to London to attend RuPaul’s DragCon UK and on Sunday/Monday I was flying back to the US from a whirlwind trip!
Three years ago, I was with my friend CGS, and have a pic of her four kids, wow! I just texted her with the pic, I apologized for the late text, but I couldn’t help but share the love! That’s one of the things I love to do, when some memories pop up, I take a pic with my phone and text it to the people who are in it and I get to share something special with them, makes me so very happy.
Four years ago, KFN sent a pic ‘How to spot a biker chick’ and it’s a pick of the top of a pair of Chuck Taylor ‘Converse All Stars’ with black clutch marks on the left toe…and I sent him a pic of my chucks that look exactly like that! There’s also a few pics of PSM with Bee and Ruby, awe.
2019… pics of an overcast sky with a rainbow coming through, from our lanai off the back of our house. And lastly…2016, pics of us with my sister’s family at PSM’s family’s celebrating my b-i-l, ACS’, birthday, which is tomorrow. Our nephew, JM, and nieces, EJS, and MGS were soooo little! That was just before PSM left for Hawai’i, he was starting work a week later, and I officially moved towards the end of that year, wow…
I’m sitting here, just smiling, thinking of all the random memories that pop up, taking me back, making me smile, marveling at how time flies and how good my life truly is, and it is. Who knows… maybe a memory with you will come up and I’ll text it to you, be on the lookout!
It doesn’t happen every day, but it happens often enough! I take the dogs for a walk every morning, then, as long as it’s not blistering hot, I take them for a walk in the afternoon/evening. They are ready to go about 5p, that’s when we were taking them, just after we finished work. And when you’re working remotely, it’s easy to keep to a schedule!
Now, they don’t nudge as much if we don’t go for a walk at 5p on the dot, but… they know, after the walk, it’s either a treat or dinner! Very smart individuals! So…I take them for their walk and all is fine and dandy and all of a sudden, the play fighting/wrestling begins. The first time I saw it, it scared me, if you recall, I grew up with cats, yes, they could fight, but it didn’t sound like this! Now that I think about it, cats have their own screech and attack sounds!
Well… they start doing this and there is no stopping them! They do it in the backyard, go for it, they do it in the house, go for it! When we were living in the hotel last year while house hunting, their favorite time to do it, not just the parking lot, but as we were walking into the hotel, ‘can we please move so people can come in/get out?!’ or, my favorite, just in front of the elevators! ‘can you hold off, just until we get to the room, then you can eat each other’s heads if you want!’ sometimes that worked, sometimes I just have to say ‘Ok, STOP! Not here!’ does that work? um… what do you think?!
Now, on our walks through the neighborhood, the road we live on is a main drag and people treat it like a thoroughfare! They drive 50/60/70 miles per hour or more, it’s not a place, when it’s crazy busy, that I even like trying to get across the street to get the mail. Yup, I live in a place where the mailboxes are on one side of the road, new to me too! I do my level best to stop them when they want to do it on the main drag, when we’re on one of the other streets…like in the pics and video below…have at it! I will even let go of the leashes so they can have fun!
Check out the video, they sound vicious! Especially Ruby, but… you’ll notice that Bee is on her back, exposing her belly, she wouldn’t if she wasn’t into it and do you see her jump up and ‘attack’ Ruby to keep going?! Then the kisses at the end?!
What’s your morning walk look like?!
And her is our afternoon walk, we’re on the side road that people treat like another speedway, that’s why you can see my grip on the leashes. They really do love this!
Ruby looks so vicious when the video starts! But you can see how much they love it! Bee instigates, then Ruby instigates, then Bee, then Ruby, then…
And your afternoon walk?
These two crack me up! We got so very lucky with them, they are strange ducks, but they’re our strange ducks and we love them very much. And you know what…we wouldn’t have it or them any other way!
I was so tired last night after I got back to the states, but I’m proud of myself, I stayed up until about 10pm and then it was lights out! I think 10p is pretty good for 17 hours of travel!
Crashed about 10p, up at 4a, what?! Not cool! I refused to get out of bed, so I stayed put…until about 630/7a, it was so good to snuggle deeper into the covers, and to be in my childhood bed, secure and safe in a place I knew so well. I decided it was time to get up, so I took a nice long hot shower, thanks dad!
Got dressed, went downstairs, made a cup of tea, I found a cannister of vanilla chai powder, it was quite tasty, left it at dad’s house so I can have some the next time I’m there! I made myself a breakfast sandwich and sat down to get some work done. I was chatting with some co-workers about the eclipse and then about 315p, I went outside to see if I could see anything. Well…if you don’t have the special eclipse glasses, you won’t see much.
I zoomed my camera as close as I could get it, those are the very fuzzy pics, but wow, I found them stunning! The really bright white orb is me zooming in as much as I could…it was blinding! Then I went to the back deck and met some of dad’s neighbors, J&S, their kids, and J’s parents, it was a family affair! They offered me a pair of their glasses and what a difference!
I was able to put my phone behind the glasses, those are the amber pics, but then I got it right and the almost black with a sliver of the eclipse, oh wow! I even impressed myself! I share that with J&S, it was thanks to their glasses!
I was talking to people and we all expected that it might get dark, it didn’t, but it did get quite cloudy and the temperature dropped quite a bit. Some folks even said their animals went a little loopy leading up to the eclipse.
I watched for about twenty minutes, not all at once, I looked for a minute, then I took them off and talked to the neighbors. We continued like that for a bit and then it was done. I also needed to get on the road. I thanked them very much for the use of their glasses, exchanged information and I sent them the pics.
I loaded up the car with my stuff, grabbed my bialys from the freezer, thanks dad! I only forgot two things, as I found out when dad told me after he got home! I got in the car, dropped the top and I was off!
I didn’t hit any traffic on the way, stopped once for gas and I was home by 7pm, attached by the fur babies and the hubby, very happy to be home. Missed SDL and Miss A a bunch already, hard not to when you spend a week in close quarters with someone, but very happy to be home. I will be staying up until at least 10pm, I’m a little tired from driving and I still have this cough, but I’m ready to put on fresh jammies, crawl into bed and sac out!
As a side note, I don’t know if I mentioned how much trouble I had posting while I was in London that I gave up, so you’re going to get our whole trip, it will just be spread out a little, but it’s coming! How could I not share all that we did! And we did it all!
A fine good night to you my friends, a new day is coming tomorrow and I’m going to see if I can sleep past 4am, wish me luck!
Happy to be home and talking with you again! G’night!
It’s a new day, day 3 and we have lots to do! First, I want to take you on a tour of the restaurant in the hotel, it’s fun!
It’s a nice restaurant, wide, open, and inviting, if that makes sense. They have a few walls with animal heads, but just wait…the animal heads are all made of newsprint! Most likely paper mache on the outside, if you look closely, you can see headlines and typeset in the ears and on the face, horns, etc. It is very clever, if you take the time to look at it all!
The food presentation is nice, they have everything you might want or need for breakfast, pre-made scrambled eggs, eggs made to order, potatoes, grilled tomatoes, grilled mushrooms, think full english breakfast, then there are pancakes and waffles made to order, breads, cheeses, yogurts, fruit, breakfast cereals, muffins, coffee, tea, juices, you name it, they probably have it!
It was time to head out and say cherrio to London, and btw…they don’t say that, just in the movies, and if they do, I haven’t heard it!
They do say love at the end of every sentence, and I have to tell you, I like it, it doesn’t bother me, like in the south when someone , who I don’t know, calls me hun, or sweetie, it’s syrupy sweet and I’m not a fan! But call me love, it works, it’s just part of their vernacular. Ooh, I love that word!
We’re off…we got an Uber to Green Park, we were meeting our tour guide by the Constance Fund Fountain of Diana, isn’t she stunning!? I could just imagine, when it’s summer and the water is flowing.
There were so many tour groups meeting there, we finally found our guide, Alan, who was fabulous, by the way! I always thought if I was retired or we were living somewhere for PSM’s job and I couldn’t work for whatever reason, I would get a job as a tour guide, I would love it! One of these days I’ll tell you about a tour business…shhh…
We started walking, and Alan was very knowledgeable, giving us all sorts of tidbits and history and also very conscious of where the steps would be that we would need to get Miss A’s chair over. For the whole tour, everyone in the group was very aware and helpful where we were and if we had to pull the chair over something.
We started off, our first stop was by this amazing statue, across from the guards station on Marlborough Road, at St James Palace. We were waiting for the band to come out, we had such a great vantage point! While we waited, Alan gave us lots of great information, like there were only 2 guards there, that meant the king was not there. Interesting!
I love that I got Alan’s audio! He was telling us that when you look at their hats, the higher the hat, the higher the rank. There was an inspection first, I hope they pass!
Sorry it was slightly shaky, I was holding my hand up above my head, harder to keep it steady, everyone was so much taller than me!
Alan was trying to guess what they would play, would it be something serious or something light hearted. These are the Scottish guards, apparently they passed muster, here comes the band. Do you recognize the song?
We hated to leave the band, they were so very talented and I love that song! But…if we didn’t leave, we wouldn’t have the fabulous spot we did for the next phase of the tour and changing of the guard! [a lot of really cool background in that link!]
As we waited for the guards, we learned a few things. King Charles does not want to live in Buckingham Palace, understandable, with 775 rooms…it’s more of an office, so that’s why he and Queen Camilla are taking up residence at Clarence House, which only has 5 bedrooms, a little more manageable, which, was where William, the Prince of Wales had their residence, but since the King and Queen are there they’ve moved to Kensington Palace.
Since there were only two guards, that meant that the king was not in residence, if he was, there would be more. Also…the reason they walk back and forth, about every 10 minutes, is because it was a rule set down by Queen Victoria, if they are walking back and forth, they are proving they are not drinking or gambling! Oh my!
And from where we were standing, we could have reached out and touched a horse, we didn’t, but we could have! oh wow! such precision! such beauty!
Here are the guards walking back and forth!
Here comes and there goes the band! I don’t know if I said this, they only have the changing of the guard on Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday, mainly it’s dependent on the weather! Check out the full schedule in the link!
Here’s Alan telling us about the women in the guard! We definitely saw one! And the police officer at the end was a woman, again, girl power!
This was so exciting to watch, and this up close. Normally, you might be outside the gate or across the street, we were up close and personal! Turns out this is punishment duty! Oh my, that is quite the punishment!
After the tour was over, we got to stand and take pictures with the horse and guard! It’s definitely allowed, as long as you don’t touch their reigns or bridle, I think that’s what it was. I was ok, I didn’t touch anything! But…it was awesome! The horse we were standing/posing with put his head on my shoulder! He did!!!
After the pictures and me squealing about the royal horse putting his head on my shoulder, you are welcome for the ear worm! We walked to Trafalgar Square, it was right up the street. It wasn’t overly crowded, unusual, but nice. The fountain was doing it’s thing, people were walking around, climbing on things they weren’t supposed to, oh well, and the traffic was going by as if nothing would stop it.
I don’t know about you, but we were hungry! So…we went to The Clarence Pub in Whitehall. Thing thing about The Clarence…I was there with my dad in December 2022, then again with my dad, PSM, and my sister’s family in December 2022, a few days after dad and I discovered it. The food is good, they have a great veggie burger and sticky toffee pudding! I think I first saw it either on Gordan Ramsay or The Great British Bake Off and I first tried it in Glasgow, Scotland and fell in love with it and now, I try it whenever I can!
I just had to introduce it to SDL and Miss A and it did not disappoint! They went out of their way to find us a table, SDL had steak and ale pie and a beer, I had their veggie burger and a pot of tea, and Miss A had, you guessed it, sticky toffee pudding with ice cream, she was happy.
It’s a great atmosphere, warm and inviting, cozy, friendly, great staff, great food, great ambiance, what more could you want!? Would I go back? You bet, it might be my go-to for London trips for a good, affordable, convenient lunch!
It’s time to explore again! No the day isn’t even close to being over! We walked back down Whitehall looking at the architecture, the people, listening to the sounds of every day life in London, all the way down to Big Ben and Parliament. We learned somewhere that Big Ben is actually ‘just’ the clock and the tower itself is called the Elizabeth Tower, imagine that!
As we walked back down Whitehall, we were treated to another changing of the horse guard, but we were on the outside this time.
Let’s keep walking… we walked back to Buckingham Palace in all its glory and then we walked Constitution Hill to the Wellington Arch. It started to rain while we were walking, but did we care, nope, not at all! We were in London, the sun was out, and we were having a grand time! As we came out of Constitution Hill at the Wellington Arch, what did our eyes spy…THE Hard Rock Cafe! London!
Now…when I say THE Hard Rock Cafe, I mean THE Hard Rock Cafe, the very first, established in 1971, a very good year, if I do say so myself! The cafe was established June 14, 1971 and it was just that, a cafe. We decided we had to go in! [We really needed a looooo!] We maneuvered in, got a table, SDL ordered cheesecake for herself and a piece for Miss A and I had a pot of tea, there honestly wasn’t anything there for me, and we were just looking for dessert, I was happy with my pot of tea. Let’s just say the cheesecake was a big hit!
After we relaxed a bit and Miss A enjoyed the music, it was cool, they were playing classic videos on the TVs, things I haven’t seen in years! Next, you know we had to, we went across the street to the shop. I don’t know if I told you, but…wherever we go, we always look for the Hard Rock, SDL likes to collect their t-shirts, if it’s cool and the price is right, for me, I have a friend that I always get a pin for! I got him one when I was here the last time, at the store on Piccadilly, and I wasn’t originally going to get one this time, but it’s the original cafe/store! Shhh…don’t tell him!
As we were walking around, this guy who works there offered to take me on a tour of the museum downstairs, SDL wasn’t interested, so I went and it was cool! They had the corset Madonna wore in the Express Yourself video, Slash’s guitar, John Lennon‘s lyrics to Instant Karma (We All Shine On), a chair from Freddy Mercury and more! It was quite the treat!
When I came back upstairs, I found them waiting and Miss A was nodding off in her chair, it was time to go! I got us an Uber back to the hotel, there was no way we were walking! It was 3.2 miles and we had just walked how many miles, no thanks! 15 minutes by car or 60 by foot, hmmm…
We got back to the hotel, ordered some takeout and chilled out, it was a great day, but we were tired! I might fall asleep as I’m writing this to you, could you blame me?! What does tomorrow hold?! It’s only day 3, we have so much more to see!
It’s Spring, right? Well, technically tomorrow is Spring, I know, but we’ve been having Spring weather for a bit, some chillier days thrown in here and there, maybe a colder morning, warmer afternoon, but it’s Spring, right?
Another way I know it’s Spring, I’m sneezing my head off, allergies are in full effect, I’m taking my flonase, but I can’t stop sneezing and saying “I hate Spring”, “I hate Spring”…I know, I know…I always say hate is a strong word and it is and I’m sorry, but in the moment I can’t stop sneezing, I hate Spring, that’s all there is to it.
So…Mother Nature, as wonderful as you are, bringer of all things nature and make me marvel at the world and what nature has to offer, you have made the crocuses push through the ground, the daffodils are in full bloom, trees are sprouting new growth, the sound of lawnmowers are in the air, the robin redbreast is hanging out with the blue jay, and the snow geese have gone.
Why…oh why…was it flurrying on my morning walk and why…oh why…is snow predicted this Friday?! Seriously? Mother Nature, do your meds need to be changed?! I’m happy to help, what is it?!
Happy Spring to all! It’s coming, I promise! At least I think so…
I decided the pups could sleep with me last night, it was great, until…Well, Ruby fell asleep next to me, Bee started in the crook of my left side, we were all good and then I woke up in the middle of the night had my beagle turned into a cat and was sleeping inbetween my legs! I felt like I was held hostage, I couldn’t move! ha ha. I moved her over to my left side, fell back asleep and woke up to her in the exact same place! No wonder I couldn’t pull the blanket over my legs, really?!
We stayed happy, cuddling, and content, until Ruby decided it was time to wake up, and by that I mean lick my face, and hand, and arm, and…until I gave up and got out of bed. I love the dogs, I do not love getting licked into oblivion! Ok, ok, I’m up! Got dressed and got them ready to go for a walk.
Came back from the walk, fed them breakfast and soon it was time for us to get some breakfast. On the bikes and off to Heisy’s Diner. We really like this place! I think I told you about it, it’s a train car that they just added and added to, it goes on forever! We sat at the counter, which we love to do, ate, drank coffee and tea, talked, laughed, planned, you know, the usual.
Back home we didn’t go into the house to get the dog’s hopes up, we just switched from bikes to truck and headed out towards Bethel, PA. In Bethel, we went to the Lebanon Valley Motorcycle Club‘s Bethel Grounds for a Block Shoot. It’s a cool property, they have a building big enough to hold several picnic tables with benches, riding lawnmowers and garden tools, there is a kitchen, and around back there are port-o-potties. They have a firepit and a lot of space. In the summer, if you want, you can camp for $10 per night. I’m not sure what other events they have there, but the block shoot happens twice a year.
So…if, like me, you were wondering what a block shoot is…at the core, you are shooting at a block of wood with an index card on it. Ok, more details…Everyone signs up, if you want to shoot, you can, if you don’t want to shoot, you can have sponsor someone to shoot for you, yes, you guessed it, that’s what we did. It’s $2 per shot, we each put in $10 for 5 shots each and someone was assigned to shoot for us, there’s a prize at the end!
When it’s time for the shooting to start, there is a target, it’s a wooden block with a white index card on it and you shoot from 50 feet away from the target. There is someone in the big metal box-type thing who puts the block with the index card on the pole, there is a red slider up in between each round, when the person who is setting up the blocks is ready switches the red slider to green and the person knows they can shoot. This goes back and forth until everyone who has put in money has either shot or had someone shot for them.
At the end of the round, or first shoot, they bring in all the blocks and the index cards are examined and the card, which has a number assigned to it/you, with the pellet closest to the center of the X is hit, that is declared the winner! Guess who won $25 for the first round? PSM! Go PSM! And he didn’t have to do anything for it except sponsor someone to shoot for him!
The next thing they do is called a Spinner Round. There is a giant circle with boxes in them with everyone’s number assigned and the winner of the block shoot round gets to shoot the spinner, which is spinning, as the name suggests and the number with the closest X is the winner, not us, sadly!
The clubhouse, as it were, opens at 11 for food, they had hamburgers, hot dogs, chili, drinks, cupcakes, all sorts of goodies. There was a firepit outside and everyone socializes until the block shoot starts. They continue to socialize, but it’s harder to hear if you’re in the back, but it doesn’t stop anyone.
There were other raffles, a 50/50 for our club, a gun raffle and a cash prize raffle for another club. There are all these opportunities to fundraise and help each other out, it’s nice. After the first round block shoot and the 50/50 raffle, it was time to head out and head home.
At the house, we let the dogs out, PSM pulled all the bikes out and we got to work cleaning them. They were in desperate need of baths. Please don’t tell too many people but…we hadn’t given them proper baths since we went on our 3-week trip out west over the summer. We are embarrassed! We’ve wiped them down, but not the given them the detail they really need. And the bugs on the windshield… O M G! We cannot do this to them again! Don’t they look all shiny and pretty?!
Next…into the house, sit down and breath! Oh, and practice my Duolingo, more on that another time!
Who ever heard of sitting still on a Sunday!? Dogs are in the crate, writing to you…g’night!
It’s Saturday, why did I have to wake up first at 2am, no idea. I fell back asleep, thankfully, then woke up close to 7a, in a slight panic, why didn’t my alarm go off?! Oh yeah, it’s Saturday! Wahoo!
I went downstairs, the dogs had stayed out, meaning out of the crate, so about 730a, I went downstairs and whispered to them, ‘who wants to snuggle?’, you don’t have to ask twice! They came upstairs and got in bed with me. I fed them, then took them for a walk, a little out of order, but they were happy, they love the snuggles and their walks!
After we got back, PSM and I got into the truck and drove out to the monthly IMRG, Indian Motorcycle Riders Group, Susquehanna Chapter 1903, meeting, great to see everyone, talk about future rides and getting back out there. The meetings don’t last too long, which is good, no lunch after this month. Very excited to get to ride with these guys again, gotta love Spring!
Then we went to Starbucks up the street to grab some drinks, we didn’t get to get anything on the way. I called DR, who I had reconnected with at the funeral, and we met him for brunch at the Lion’s Pride Restaurant in Red Lion, PA. It was a cute little town, the best part, there was a Red Lion on everything, including the street signs, I love that!
The restaurant was a good down-home place, pretty big with lots of room for a lot of people with several rooms to eat in. The food was good and the beverages were hot. Not sure we’d go back there for breakfast, only because it’s about an hour from us, and we like to do breakfasts a little closer, but it was very much worth it to see DR and introduce him to PSM, they had some stuff in common. Always helps when your friends can get along with your better half!
After brunch, we all went to a Mud Sale in Airville, PA, DR had told me about this, it was really cool! It’s basically a fundraiser to help the local volunteer fire brigades! It was like nothing I’ve ever experienced, it was auction city! Outside, in tents, in the firehouse, everywhere you looked, there was an acution! And the auctioneers…the Amish men themselves! First, it was odd to see them using technology, like microphones, but they were also fabulous auctioneers, just like you see, or hear, in the movies, could barely understand what they were saying! I can’t think how to explain it in words, just check out the video!
The first tent we went to was animals, and animals galore they had! They had started the animal auction at 930, we were there close to 11a and they were still in full swing! They had bunnies, oh my the bunnies, that’s what was being auctioned when we got there. Babies, full grown, medium, brown, white, black, you name it, you could find whatever type of bunny you wanted. PSM said no…you know I asked!
Then…squeal..squeal…squeal…voice goes up a few octive…they had BABY GOATS!!! O M G! I want one sooo badly. PSM said no…Please? No…we could get a color for it, like we have for the dogs and they can stay in the backyard! Please? no… oh well!
There were grown goats, big kids, little kids, there were fluffy sheep, lambs, big pigs, baby pigs, chickens, pigeons, peacocks, swans, like I said, you name it, they had it! As we walked around, it seemed like almost everyone was walking around with a chicken or a bunny! I don’t know who got the goats! Can I come and play?!
We went to the next tent, crafts, PSM thought he lost me, but I done good! It was a lot of Americana, wooden crafts, rabbits, bird houses, yard signs. Then on to the farm tools, then beautiful wooden furniture, into the firehouse where they were auctioning these amazing quilts, oh my word! They had it down to a science. Pull one up for all to see, highest bid wins, it comes down as they are hoisting the next one up, it was pretty cool.
There were food vendors inside and out. Back outside we went to the other side of the property and they were bidding on plants, sporting equiment, tractors, mowers, generators, tool chests, you name it, they probably had it and were trying to sell it! Oh, and if you buy a bunch or can’t carry what you bought, there were Amish kids there with their wagons to help you get your purchases to your vehicle!
Oh, and gotta love the buggy parking! One of my favorite things today! besides the bunnies and the baby goats!
After we walked to every auction, we decided to head out. Back to the vehicles in the corn field, the reason we didn’t ride the bikes, although it would have been the perfect day for riding. I appreciate PSM giving me an out to not ride in the flattened corn field, it would not have been fun!
We decided to find a local brewery to get some drinks and food. We went to Wyndridge Farm, a large beautiful space with a spacious and bright bar area, we sat right next to the tasting room, they also have an event venue, it was beautiful. I sent a picture to BJS because it reminded me of where she got married, great memories!
We had some grub, drank, talked, laughed, shared stories, and just had a really nice time. We talked about being able to get together sometime soon, I told DR about the Lebanon Valley Libations Trail and he has agreed, well, I twisted his arm, to join us at some of the breweries. ha ha. I know it will be tough, but he’s a trooper!
Afte we parted company, PSM drove us back home, we were about an hour away, and aside from the Amish cologne, that’s what someone called the fertilizer smell! It would have been the perfect ride. I’m hoping we can do it again!
Home, take the dogs for a walk, well, take Ruby, Bee got just past the driveway and decided she wasn’t going and dug her heels in, at that point, just like with a child, you pick and choose your battles, so…battle won for Bee, we went back, I deposited her at the house and Ruby and I went for a nice long walk.
Back home, feed the pups and then I went upstairs and decided I wanted to take a shower, but…I remembered at the Mud Sale, they had a claw foot tub, which I love, so I decided to take a not hot bubble bath and oh my word it was wonderful! I practiced my Italian, watched some videos, and all around just basked in the bubbles, the heat, and the steam. What could be better I ask you!?
And now, dear friends, I am sharing my day with you, as I love to do. So…shared! And now…g’night!
It was beautiful today, I think Spring has sprung!
Just like yesterday, I had to get on the bike, oh yeah! Well, first, I only needed a hoodie when I took the dogs for a walk around the block, a glorious morning. Then it was home to take a quick shower and get ready for work. Oh, did I mention that being that Spring has sprung, there is new life all around us. I haven’t seen any baby ducklings, wait, if they’re ducklings, which is a baby duck, do I really have to say baby ducklings? Am I alone in this one? I don’t think so, I think we all call them baby ducklings, because it sounds so much fun to hear and say, go on, say it, think it, baby ducklings. Ok, I am cracking myself up here, somebody stop me!
Anyway…so…there is new life in our yard, the crocuses are coming up and around the neighborhood, daffodils, robin red breasts are making an appearance, it’s a treat.
The VW dealership texted to let me know my car was ready, so before my class this afternoon, I hopped in the loaner Tiguan, headed to the dealership and traded it in for my beetle bug, Annie. I got in, dropped the top and the windows and headed home, life is good!
Then, today, for the first time in a few weeks, I took the dogs to the park. I asked ‘who wants to go to the park?’ I actually watched Ruby run and jump over something in the yard, oh boy! It’s been a while, not just because I didn’t have my car, but it’s been cold, rainy, and wet for the past few weeks, and I didn’t want to slip and slide through the park. We did it a few times, but just haven’t lately. Well, so glad we went today! People were out enjoying themselves, lots of cars in the different lots, but the park is big enough, you don’t run into many people.
We met a few dogs, got some lovies from kids and adults, saw some new flowers and growth and we saw some torguga, or turtles, on a log. Some ladies we passed told us about them, so we made sure to look and sure enough…tortuga! The girls were so happy to be back in the park, their old stomping grounds, sniffing everything like it was the first time! We made it around, back in the car and headed home.
Back home, they couldn’t wait to get out of the car and head inside…dinner’s about to be served. After dinner, PSM called and asked if I wanted to meet him somewhere, sure! I hopped on Charlene and went to meet him at Lebanon Valley Craft Breweing. I saddled up to the bar, ordered a tall glass of water and waited for my hubs. He got there, we just ordered an appetizer, they didn’t have the same grilled veggie wrap I had Friday, oh well.
We talked, laughed, planned, cajoled, and just enjoyed ourselves. Eventually it was time to head home, back on the bikes, he revved his engine, I revved mine and we were off! It was a little chillier for me on the way home, but it was still wonderful to be on the bike. Only 23% chance of rain tomorrow, 7% on Saturday, and 7% on Sunday…there’s more riding in my future! Only 3 months until our bike trip up north! Cannot wait!
Why do I have to wake up before 6am on a Saturday? I don’t, no alarm set, but apparently my body thinks I do. Really?!
I was up between 530 and 6a, why? Oh well…I lounged, did some Duolingo, gotta practice my French, every day. I was practicing French, took a break and went to Spanish, we were going to Mexico and I needed to brush up, when I went to Germany in 2022 to meet PSM for the weekend, guess what I practiced. I added Yiddish, I really want to add to my limited knowledge, and now I’m adding Italian, I’ll tell you about it sometime! Wow, do I digress!
So…I practiced some French, brushed my teeth, I thought that was a good thing to do, got dressed, all about the time PSM had let the dogs out. Do not tell me you didn’t see that coming! HA HA. We decided to go to a different park, well, different from the one near us that we usually take them to, today we went to the park in Annville, Quittie Creek Nature Park, we were there on January 20th, fresh snow covered the path and the trees, oh my! Just look at the pics! Today, there was very little snow on the ground and it was damp and a bit muddy, but the girls still had a good time and we walked on and off the beaten path. Most of the people at the park were fisher persons, we chatted with some of them, they were fishing for or hoping to fish for trout. I used to love trout, rainbow trout more than the others.
After the park, we wanted to get some breakfast, something to go, so…we went back to Swatara Coffee, we like that place. I was actually there yesterday, I think I forgot to tell you, sorry! Turns out, Ancester Coffeehouse & Creperie owns them, how cool is that! As we’re standing in line, we both said it felt funny being there without the passports or buying a specialty drink! That was ok, we got over it quickly!
It was a decaf coffee and a blueberry muffin for PSM and an egg and avocado bagel and chai latte for me. I enjoyed it, a little too much avocado spread, which is funny because it’s usually not enough! I realized I like avocado slices on a sandwich, but for breakfast, I prefer avocado toast. Go figure. While we waited for food, I did go over to the Whirling Dervish to get a t-shirt! I think I told you I wanted to go back and get one, score!
From Swatara, we drove to Hernley’s Indian Motorcycle Dealership, in Elizabethtown, PSM was picking up his bike, they installed Apple Car Play and it was ready to be picked up. It was only 38 out, but he got his one ride per month in! I’m not sure his extremeties warmed up yet! He took off and Ruby, Bee, and I headed home.
I started moving things into the kitchen, it’s finished, we need to start filling it up so we can feel complete. I grabbed post its and we identified what’s going where. After a while PSM was ready to go, dogs in the crate, and we headed out to Middle Creek because we were going to see the Snow Geese!!! Someone had told me about it and oh my word! This has to be seen to be believed! It is a lake with a huge white shape on it, but it’s not just a shape it’s the snow geese, o m g! As you’re walking from the parking lot, you can hear them, I don’t know if anyone could sleep to that, just think when you hear a few geese talking, imagine thousands! It was like nothing I’ve ever seen and I am so glad we went!
After a while, lots of pictures later, we went over to the museum, and there was a count as we walked in: Snow Geese 46,000 what?! Tundra Swans: 420, and Canada Geese: 620. Apparently these numbers can go up into the hundreds of thousands, apparently we were there on a slow day! SO worth it, just an amazing site to see. The museum was cool, very informational, not just about the snow geese, but nature and wildlife, those who protect it, hunt humanely, and bird watching, it was a lot of fun, definitely recommend it for an afternoon!
We were both freezing and hungry, so we found a place on my list and went to the Franklin House Tavern, it’s also an inn. We sat in the bar and I’m glad we did, the dining room was c-c-c-cold! We sat at a high top table, the bartender took our drink and food orders, I love when I can get a cup of hot tea at a bar or restaurant! I had a grilled caesar salad, I really need to try to make this at home! and PSM had a reuben. What doesn’t have a Wikipedia page!?
After a great lunch with greater company, we headed home. We let the dogs out, yes, I know you already have the ear worm! First thing…book a trip, hopefully the family will be joining us, can’t wait to tell you about it! Then, we got to work moving things into the cabinets and breakfront, I promise I’ll share pics! We got all the bar glassware in one place, score! Also, we have a lot less mugs than we thought, they all went with our everyday glassware and we still have a shelf left over! We made decisions!
Then it was off to the movies, what you thought we were done? You’re adorable! We headed to the theater to see Madam Web. Um…yeah. Good cast, interesting storyline, mediocre dialog, it’s not part of the MCU, Marvel Cinematic Universe, but it’s part of it’s own Marvel MCU, inluding Venom, Morbius, now Madam Web, and next up, Kraven the Hunter. Those movies aren’t really on my radar, I might watch Venom at some point, but Morbius, not for me. All good, not every movie is for everyone.
I really enjoy the idea of a female superhero, go girl power, but there were parts of this that were seriously lame. The fight/action sequence at the end, really enjoyed that, but it was a very loooonnnggg time coming! Maybe I have to watch it again to get more nuances, but I’m not sure, I’ll keep you posted.
Here’s another weird thing…the coming attractions, all of them were for horror movies, except for Despicable Me 4 and Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire, and then…The First Omen? Twisters? Are there no original ideas left? But back to my original point, this was not a horror movie, why show horror movie trailers? This was bizarre.
Overall, a movie date with my husband was just what the doctor ordered! Back home, let the dogs out, I know, I know! Chill out for a bit, catch up with my friend about her dad, then it was time to talk to you. Oh, in the middle of telling you about my day, it was time to put the dogs up, not let them out, ha ha. I said “Ok, time for night-night” that means get up from where you are and walk to the crate, and I’ll be right behind you with a treat. I took the collars off both dogs, Ruby headed for the crate and Bee…well, she rolled over and snuggled in tighter. I said it again, I scratched her head, she stretched the beagle belly, I gave her some belly rubs and what did she do? Roll back over, snuggle deeper, and go back to sleep?! If it wasn’t so funny, I might be mad! I actually had to grab her by the collar to get her up and moving! I know I said I took their collars off, that was for the invisible fence, this was her every day collar. Are you kidding right now dog?! Nope! The sass! Oh my dogs!
Ok, was that enough!? Time to sign off and like I say to the dogs “Let’s go night-night!”
Peaches Prattlings 