Little Van Sold. HiLo Door Solar Filmed.

OHH NOOO!!
There are witches in my mailbox. What am I to do? I found them there this morning, doing things they shouldn't do!!
How the witches got there, I haven't got a clue.
But they won't be there much longer because I'm sending them to YOU!!!!!!
You've been Witch Kissed! Before the warts begin to spread, pass the kisses on instead!

When Ray arrived we took some things up into my attic, and brought down some tiny curtain rods. When I have time, I would like to make a few more little drapes for the HiLo, ones that I would want if I were doing to keep it.

Some of Mindi's dogs are arriving today, so we moved Snack's cage into the middle room, she protested a little, she doesn't like anything new. But Snack loves her 'house', and doesn't want to be loose. She is very loving when I get her out to hold her, and put NutriCal and water down her, but she is happy to be back in her secure dark place. She is eating better.

Yesterday, I heard a slight rubbing noise on my truck, sounded like it was coming from driver's front wheel. Ray aired up all the tires, and did his car, too, while we had the compressor out. Then he walked beside it while I slowly drove it forward, back, around and around the front yard. I didn't hear it this morning. We found a little fuse holder looking thingy hanging down near the wheel, so opened the hood and fastened it back inside. I hope that was it.

We moved some stuff around and a shelf unit that was in the way in the RVport, as I can't have the yard sale this weekend. So now I can get the truck back into the front part of the RVport, I hate getting into a vehicle that has been sitting in the TX sun, or birds pooping on it.

We were washing the top window of the door on the HiLo, ready to put the last piece of solar film on there, when Sam, from down the street, came up with a check and said he wanted to buy my Little Van. It was made into a camping van by the Explorer MH company. It has a power couch that makes a queen bed, an ice chest, very fancy oak interior, and I had put a 12v TV in it. He had been looking at it for quite a while, but he usually wanted me to take his 97 Explorer, with 203,000 miles, in on trade. I have enough high mileage vehicles ! This time he had enough money. I know the check is good, but I wanted him to drive it around here, and make sure that he really wanted it, before I deposited it.

Mindi arrived with three of the dogs. Little old Sheba, who has a collapsed trachea, Sheba's son, Jakey, and Mindi's husband's Dachshund, Precious. If it have been just Sheba and Jakey, I wouldn't have moved Snack. But you know how most Doxies are about cats !

We finally got the window done.

One more out of the yard.......All in all, a pretty good day.

Day Off Plum Wore Me Out

Ray is going to be off today, as he is pressure washing. So I had earmarked this as the day to go into the next town, and dressed accordingly.

AOL is closing down their Picture Album Storage, so I transferred my many albums to the place that AOL directed me to, Photoworks, with one click. I don't like it, but I don't do well with new things on this computer. AOL Picture Storage was so easy for me to use, and fast. Photoworks seems to take forever, I suppose it is because it loads all the albums with Java. I am used to AOL just loading the first one, and then I have a list I can click on to go to the one I want. I wish I knew which other picture place did that. So I fiddled with it for over an hour, before going into town. Picasa is fine, but I haven't found out how access my albums from my laptop.

I had a 10.30 appointment to get my hair trimmed at the beauty school, and it does look a lot better. She was very surprised how long my hair is when I let it down, said I looked like I had short hair. I wish I could have short hair like some folks, but it just sticks out like straight rats tails. If I have a perm, beauticians, no matter how much I pay, always fry it, and it is just one big frizz, then I have to cope with an afro unless I have time to get it set every week. Which I haven't had time, or inclination to do since I retired. I did that for 50 years.

I don't often get to the south end of town, and the beauty school is in the same shopping center as the Goodwill store. Also in the same center is a great big bingo place so there are never any parking spaces, so I left the truck where it was and walked. I found something that I have been wanting for a long time, a big white toaster oven like my old big brown Black and Decker. I had that old brown one for 20 years, and it was great, but when my kitchen was finally finished with white cabinets, I wanted a white one. I had bought my present white Toastmaster at Foley's and never did like it, especially as all the numbers wore off, and I am the only one who knows roughly what temperature, or mode it is set on. My late uncle used to make the best pies, and cheesecakes, and he said that my old B&D oven did better than any big oven. It will hold a 10" pie pan.

As I was working my way north, I wandered through four more thrift shops, but couldn't find anything I wanted. WalMart had been waiting on me to get there for several weeks now. I was, like Speedy, out of ground coffee, but I did have back-up instant colombian for the last few mornings. Just not the same. They have moved everything in our WalMart, so you walk from one end to the other looking for stuff, and back again. Can you believe they didn't have any white thread in there. They have closed down the fabric dept., and all they had on the crafts aisle was one spool of black thread.

I was tired, and called it a day.

Worked on HiLo. Got Yard Sale Stuff Down

Another chilly, but not cold morning. Bobcat went out on the porch first thing, and I started sewing the mounting tape on two more pairs of drapes at 7.30. Ray would be arriving at 9.00, and I wanted to have them ready, if the HiLo Guy showed up. Two more windows done.

We found a scratch on the trailer, and Ray sanded it, and painted it. Then I got out all the information and diagrams that I had gleaned off the web about greasing the HiLo's pulleys, cables and guiding rod. I got out the Break-Free gun lubricant spray and some Lithium White Grease, and Ray got under the trailer and sprayed and greased everything he could find. Then he sprayed Break Free on the cables in the places inside.

Next I went up in the other attic over the store room, Ray stayed half-way down the stairs, and I handed him any boxes of winter stuff that I had for sale. Thank goodness I had marked each box's contents. So many comforters and sleeping bags that we had to get two playpens down to hold them all. I looked at all the boxes in the RVport, and said " No Way", I just knew I wouldn't have time to get all this sorted out in time for this weekend.

So we went back to doing another job on the HiLo. The Formica on the counter next to the dinette had come loose. It is such a tight fit to get in there that Jay and I were going to redesign the table. Part of it had broken off, and it caught on you, every time you tried to get out of the dinette. We found some Formica that closely matched and cut it to fit. Yes, I know we should have stuck it on there first and then routered it, but we didn't want to have to clean up the mess from the router. So we cut it with a sharp utility knife, and laid a cut belt-sander belt flat on a table, and sanded any burrs off the edges that way, to make them even. We Contact Cement-ed the front piece back on again, and added our piece around the left corner. You would have to be looking for it to see that it isn't the same. Put tape on it for now, as we can't clamp it.

Bobcat just stayed in the sunny places on the porch. She is a good "Watch Cat", and will "watch" work by the hour.

Snack actually ate a little last night, also some of her breakfast, so I guess she is coming out of her funk.

Pepper chased around and playing, as usual.

HiLo Guy didn't email, so he's not coming today.

Just a Bunch of Jobs.

It was cold this morning. First thing, Bobcat went to the screen porch patio door to go out there, so I opened it, and she decided that wasn't a good idea. I wasn't going to let her out there anyway. She sure did enjoy sunbathing in there later on in the day, though.

The guy who is supposed to pick up the HiLo emailed and said he couldn't make it this Wednesday, and would come the Wednesday after, so that put me back to Plan A. I had got some time off from one of my jobs as I wanted to have a yard sale this weekend to get some of this stuff out of the way. It takes days to get ready for it.

I was going to call Kenya to find out when she was bringing my yard sale tables back, but she called me about the little black Pepper kitten. Her big yard sale is this weekend, Gee, I thought it was the one after. So she wanted to keep my tables. I told her that Snack, the cat, wasn't eating, and that I had given her water and NutriCal in the side of her mouth, to keep her going. Kenya, said I should cage her in a dark place as they feel better that way, until they feel at ease. Oh, and she wants me to start the three day worming on Pepper. I had been putting that off, as I was busy with the HiLo.
This is Pepper playing cat-n-mouse with a computer mouse. She is only locked up at night, the rest of the time she is playing in the dog room.

Ray arrived and we got in gear. First "Snack" had hidden in that same place that Kashy had hidden, and wasn't eating. We had to stop traumatized cats from getting in there behind the table-cupboard that holds up Pepper's cage. It is so much easier for me do things when it is high up. We got the cage down, and I found a piece of paneling, and screwed a 1x1" on the wall, and screwed a piece of paneling onto the side of it, so that they couldn't get behind there any more. I didn't want to screw the paneling on furniture, as I can always fill up those tiny holes in the sheetrock with some spackle.

Next, we got my electric mattress pad down from the top of the linen cupboard, as I don't climb on step ladders when I am on my own. It won't be so cold the next few nights, but I was changing the sheets anyway, so it was a good time to do it. While we had the little step ladder in the house, Ray put a bunch of summer stuff up for me, way at the top of my closet.

Ray disconnected the Extend-a-Stay, and extra propane tank off the TransStar. We had installed that during Ike, to run the gas refrigerator. I drove it out of it's RVport to the other driveway and backed it front of the HiLo. Ray got the blower out and got the pine needles out of the RVport. We found milk crates, buckets and saw horses, and put door slabs on them in the RVport. I even have one on four tires that are for sale. Gee, I never thought I would have a yard sale without my 10 tables.

As the TransStar is wider than the Little Van that used to be in front of the HiLo, the walk through space is narrower, so Ray took the broken ladder off Pugsy, the vintage MH, as we might have hung ourselves up on the sharp edges. That got broken when it was down at my son's place.

While he was doing that, I started to get the big dog carrier ready for Snack. Kenya said she would be fine in there, as she had plenty of room for a box, food, water and a bed. There was no way I could keep on getting up and down on my knees to tend to her, so Ray brought a table in to put it on. I have it facing the glass door into my kitchen so I can keep an eye on her. I took this picture of her inside the carrier. She will get more NutriCal and water tonight.

Then the HiLo guy emailed he might make it this Wednesday. Golly, I thought I had next week to finish it up. So I will be sewing drapes again tonight.

Another "I should have worn my pedometer", busy, but chilly, sunny day.

More Drapes. Life's Little Bumps, and Bobbins.

Another chilly morning, long sleeves required. It didn't even reach 70 deg. today. The wind is blowing from the north right across the fields behind my house. It is going to be 34 deg. tonight.

Ray unpicked a couple more mounting tapes off the remnants of the old drapes, while I copied some instructions off the Yahoo HiLo Group. I thought we might get to grease the HiLo cables today, but time just flew by, and maybe we can get it done tomorrow.

Ray mowed, while I sewed the mounting tapes on two pairs of drapes. Everything went wrong. The needle broke and the bottom adjustment on the sewing machine slipped. That caused the front side of the sewing to have skips and loops, so I had to unpick it. Finally got the right adjustment on the machine and was sewing away, and found one of the drape carriers had slipped out, so had to unpick that part of the mounting tape, and sew it back on again. Bobbin ran out of thread, and the bobbin winder didn't work right, and got the thread so messed up on it that I had to get another bobbin, and wind it on another machine. Then I couldn't get the needle re-threaded, the thread just had a mind of it's own and wouldn't go through the hole. But I finally got it done, with a struggle ! I had finished the door drapes yesterday, as they go on a rod, which we mounted.

Ray was having problems outside, too. The spin-wing-nut and bolt that holds the lawnmower handle in the up position, came off, and he couldn't find the bolt. He tied it together with some rope as he was nearly done. We have to fold the mower down to get it into it's 'garage'.

We got the two pairs of drapes on their mounting strips, and anchored them at each end so they wouldn't slip off. Behind the cabinets, we put in screws with a stubby screwdriver, but tacked a staple where the pneumatic staple gun would reach, on the others. Two more windows, and a little drape to go over the back window where the AC is, and it will be done.

I found a bolt that fit the wing-nut on the mower. That will hold it together for now. Ray wanted to trim the grass next to the landscape timbers around Princess' grave. (His and Shay's late Lab). The weed wacker ran out of string, so he had to rewind that bobbin first.

"Snack", the cat is still hiding, but I know where she is. Pepper ignores her.

A sunny, but chilly day.

Just Drapes and Got A "Snack"

When I woke up I found out that my 'world clock' tried to fool me and was an hour wrong, as it didn't know that Daylight Savings Time had been changed. So I had to put it on Pacific Time so that it would be right. But, of course, my battery one was OK.

Another nice day, it went up to about 80 deg. after a chilly start.

I fooled with drapes most of the day. I got the door drape made and ready, as it goes on a rod. The window ones still have to have the mounting tape sewn on. I taped this one up on the window to see what it would look like.

Then I gathered some more green fabric, pinned and taped that over the right half of the window to see what it would look like. I sent a picture to the supposedly future owner and asked if they wanted that extra ruffle, and thank goodness he said leave it be, as he wants to pick it up on Wednesday.

Due to the problems I am having, I was advised to do a complete re-install of AOL. I followed all the directions, except the last part about restoring AOL Saved Files, as the places they wanted me to click on, weren't there. So the years of my collection of My Favorites, mostly about RVs, have disappeared. I hope an AOL tech will tell me how to get them back.

Shay's sister brought me a big, smokey-colored female (spayed) cat named "Snack". The previous owner had her for 5 years, and for some reason can no longer keep her. I couldn't uproot any pet of mine like that. Poor thing. So Snack is quite traumatised and is hiding in the closet in the grooming room. Shay's sister said that she will do that for about a day, and then she will come out and be sociable. I usually leave the black kitten loose in there during the day, but I had to lock him up for now, until they get to know each other. I am thinking about "Pepper" for a name for the black kitten.

This is getting old....Tomorrow another drapery day.

More Sewing. HiLo with All Lights Working.

It was chilly last night, and this is the first day I have worn a T-shirt instead of a tank top, since last April. I started sewing early, about 7.30. I found a gathering foot in a box of attachments from previous sewing machines. I tried it out, and it worked well, so I got the green part of the door drape gathered, and sewn onto the white part.

I had a couple coming to look at the Little Van at 10. am, but they were late as there was some tie-up on the freeway, so I kept on sewing. They loved the van, said what lovely shape it is in, he tried everything out, and he drove it several miles, but we couldn't agree on a price. He says it is listed on Kelley's, but I never could find any camping vans on there, so I have to go with the NADA on it, and I am asking a $1,000 less than book. He even called me about an hour later with a counter offer, but it was still just a little bit less than what I am prepared to take. Tomorrow, someone else is supposed to look at it, if they show up.

Jim came up on his golf cart while they were here, so he could tell them the details of the work he had done on it. He came to tell me that we needed lenses for the HiLo running lights, and he had found some over in Cut-N-Shoot, TX. I knew exactly which store he was talking about as my late Johnnie got all his parts there, as his shop was in that area. I said I would be parts runner, after lunch.

I went to get the lenses in the Puddle Jumper, with no AC, and I wished I was wearing a tank top after all. The sun is low, shines in the windows and makes the car hot. I didn't see anybody driving with their windows down, which surprised me as it is really a lovely day. I took the lenses straight to Jim, we snapped them on, and he drove my truck and the HiLo here, and put it in the side driveway for me. As he was backing up I could see one brake light wasn't working, so we got out tools, new screws, and a bulb from my workshop, and we fixed it right here.

One problem that we encountered yesterday was that when we had moved the spare tire over to make room for the AC, the tire covered the license plate when the trailer was lowered. Jim took off the tire mount, and cut it down with his flaming hacksaw, and welded it back together.

I had to raise the trailer a little just before I took this picture today, as I had to plug in the converter which you have to do inside. I should have taken it while the trailer was still down in the traveling mode. Maybe you can tell that the wheel mount is lowered, and moved right, but nothing is in the way of anything now.

All that is left to do is get the drapes installed, but I don't think I can get them done today.

Hemming Drapes. Getting Van and HiLo Ready

It started out at just over 40 degrees today, so when I went to pick up Jay there were folks riding around on their golf carts wearing sweats with the hoods up. He wanted me to pick him up again today, as his mother was still in the hospital, so I did. MaeMae rode down there with me. She knew where I was going as soon as I put on my fanny pack, and danced and twirled with excitement. I just take it, not my purse, when I am in the subdivision, as it has a little pocket for my cell phone, and pouch for my house phone. You know someone is going to call the house as soon as I drive a few houses down, or when I am just coming back into my driveway.

I also keep a few little tools in my fanny pack all the time. When we are working, Jay or Ray will say, Let me 'see' ( TX expression, meaning 'use') your tiny screwdriver, or pliers, or ratchet stubby (with 6 different bits), needle nose pliers, tape measure, or any of the other little things I keep in it. It saves us (me) a walk back to the workshop.

I knew I had to get the drapes done for the Hi-Lo, that was my main item for today. I had already figured out which panels to use for which windows, so Jay held the folded panels so I could just run the scissors down the folds. I didn't really have anything for him to do today, as I can't be outside telling him what to do next and watching him, and inside making drapes at the same time. So I put him to work with a seam ripper undoing a green valance, in front of the living room TV, while I sewed the side hems on 8 drapery panels. It was easier to just 'press' the hems, and sew them, than pin them. Notice, I didn't write "ir*n", as I didn't want to have to wash my fingers. That is the same as the "w*rk" word. I still have to sew the mounting tape on all of them.

Jim, the mechanic, picked up the Little Van to made a repair to one of the power locks that wasn't quite right, and check the AC. Anyone looking at it is going to want working AC in TX, even in Oct/Nov.!! I am supposed to have two couples coming to see it this weekend.

Then Jay and I went outside and put down the HiLo's front awning. We had to make a couple of adjustments on it to make it lock down, since Ray and I had to move the brackets up ever so slightly. As I touched the button inside the door that hydraulically lowers the top of the trailer down into it's traveling position, Jay watched at the back to make sure that the braces that he had put on the back window where the AC is, didn't hit the spare tire. It just cleared at the trailer's lowest position. Phew ! I backed my truck up to the HiLo, and Jay used the trailer's power jack to lower it onto the ball mount on the truck. The truck's rear end didn't squat one bit. I had never had a travel trailer on the back of my Dakota before. In fact, I doubt if it has ever towed a trailer, as I had the bumper and receiver hitch put on it.

Jim brought the Little Van back, and took the HiLo and truck down my street to his shop to pack the wheel bearings, and check out the running lights, ready for it's trip to it's new home. (I hope). I drove down to Jim's to take him some special marine wheel bearing grease I had, that wanted him to use. So while I was there I took one more measurement for the glass door's drape.

Jay walked home, but MaeMae stayed here, and she helped me figure out which way to make the door drape from her bed under the coffee table. I really wanted to use some more of the left over white part of the fabric on the top of the door drape, so that it would match the rest of them. The green valance that Jay unpicked this morning, I wanted to make into one more gathered place at the top of all the drapes, over the white. To do that it would have to be gathered and sewn on there. I fooled with the gatherer attachment to my sewing machine for over an hour, even did a search on the web, to see if I was doing it right. It just wouldn't do want I wanted it to. I have used it to make pleats and it does a good job, but

never as a gatherer. I might just have to run a couple of lines of sewing on the fabric and pull the underneath strings to make the gathers. Gee, that is going to take longer. Murphy's Law is at it again.

So tomorrow will be another drapery day.

Still Making Drapes for HiLo. Thriftshopping

Jay wanted to go into the next town with me, as his mother had to go into Houston for some more chemo. He can't stand his own company.

Another Thursday that I did my Wednesday shopping. I got what I needed and we bought a few things at several thrift shops. I got a lovely big pastel floral Monet-like painting, for $1, but it was the gilded wooden frame that I wanted. Some red SAS shoes, and oh, are they comfy. Beige slacks to go with my beige, white and black top with zebras on it. Jay got jeans and shirts. Just a bunch of little stuff. We had lunch at Taco Bell.

A new JC Penney's opened up here a couple of weeks ago, and they had those 'bullet' smoothie, mixing machines on sale for $19.88, so I got one of them. They take up so much less space than a blender, and do so much more, so they are great for RVs. Then took Jay home.

I spent the afternoon replying to emails about things I have for sale, and measuring which drapes I could make out of which parts of the fabric that I had sewn already to the right lengths.

I made arrangements to have Jim, the mechanic, check something on the Little Van, as I have two batches of folks coming to see it this weekend. Also to get him to pack the wheel bearings on the HiLo, as it's new owner is supposed to pick it up this weekend.

Jay's mother was kept in the hospital, and so he wanted me to go get him, and his mother's dog, and cook for him. He brought shrimp and Chinese noodles, and I supplied Chinese veges. Then I took him home, but kept MaeMae here. She doesn't like to be with him when his mother isn't there, as he will probably start drinking, so she wanted to stay here.

The little black kitten is doing fine, but I still worry about his litter mate over there at Kroger's dumpster. Still can't find it, I hope someone is taking good care of it.

Just a messing about day.

Bit More Done to HiLo. And Thrown Away Kittens.

Jay called at 7.30 this morning, and asked me if I had any trash, as their trash day is different from ours. I knew it was just an excuse to call, and that he was calling from his house, and not his mother's. There is a buzz on the line at his house, so I knew he had been "thrown out". So that meant he was lonely. He wanted to go down to the lake with me when I fed the ducks and fish. So we went to the lake. I took pictures of the ducks and the lake with my camera phone, but they came out all blurry. Then Jay wanted to come back here and work a bit.
By the time we got back here, Ray was just getting here, too. Jay made some brackets to hold up the back window that is over the AC. Ray wrestled with the puzzle of the contraption that holds the propane tanks on, including the automatic switch-over. I found a big wing nut, a big bolt and washer, to hold it all together on the 'Allthread'. We hadn't found that box of HiLo parts, so we had to piece it together with what I could find.

Then we all wrestled with getting the original curtain tracks back on the walls over the windows. Ray helped by using my seam ripper and getting the old mounting tape off what was left of the old sun-rotted drapes. I will have to sew that on the new drapes.

After lunch I was outside and Ray said that someone had dumped two little kittens off at the dumpster at Kroger's Grocery, and asked what could be done to help them. I loaned him a carrier and he went to get them. Unfortunately he could only find this black boy, and couldn't find the silver one. See him smiling as I am petting him ?

Black cats have a scary future at this time of year. There are some terribly wicked people who do horrible things to them. Americans think that they are 'bad luck'.

Europeans think that they are 'good luck'.

But none of the rescue groups offer black cats right now. I got the kitten comfy in my big cage with food and water. I might have it for a while, as it is black. I do wish Ray could have found it's litter mate. I shall worry about the little silver one, that is such a busy road.

I managed to get the HiLo drape's lengths pinned and sewn, now I have to get the widths done, and sew on the mounting tape. I am making them out of an avocado dust ruffle that I bought at a thrift shop for one dollar. You can hardly buy avocado fabric anymore.

Another sunny, busy day.

More Done to HiLo. NO plastic dishes for Cats !

When I let Bobcat out of her carrier in the living room yesterday evening, she walked around like a drunken sailor for quite a while. But she kept on sitting by her food bowl, she was ravenous. I knew she shouldn't eat too much after the anaesthetic, so fed her small amounts at intervals. I have to put some ointment on her chin twice a day, and you know that is going over like a lead balloon. She seems to know it is about time for me to do it again, so she thinks she is hiding, but I know where she is ! Talk about emus putting their heads in the sand so that you can't see them.

If she was feeling up to snuff, she would be emailing all her friends and telling them about her "operation". LOL

Ray and I just titivated and tinkered with the HiLo. We did some more cleaning here and there. Some time ago I had started to tape up the metal strip between the white and beige, as Shay was going to paint the beige. Other things happened and it never got done at that time. We were all so busy with getting other RVs ready, it got forgotten. Oh, boy was that tape difficult to get off today. Ray and I took turns cleaning it with Goof Off, and a green scrubby. I know my fingers are sore.

Seven screws on the outside had rusted and left rust marks on the white part of the trailer. Not bad after 40 years. Ray took them out, cleaned the area and put new shiny screws back in. As it is a vintage trailer we have to use screws like the originals, and a square head bit.

There were a few scratches on the white paint, the part that we hadn't painted, and there were screws there that we didn't want to get splattered with paint. So we dabbed vaseline on the screws with an artist brush so that the paint wouldn't stick to them, and spray painted the scratches away. Just little things like that, make it look so much better.

The tongue had been painted with Black Hammered paint a long time ago, and we started to get the propane tank rack back on. We couldn't find the original bolts, but I finally found some that fit, in the shed. Everything that was taken off that trailer was supposed to be in a bin inside it, but someone took it out, and we still cannot find one cosmetic part that covers the brake system. I must have spent an hour looking for it. I had asked Jay to paint it, but it never got done, and I just don't know where it is. I always keep everything where I know just where it is, so it is very frustrating.

Kenya, my SPCA boss, came to borrow 10 yard sale tables, and display bins for a yard sale that 'Rescue in The Woodlands' and the Montgomery County SPCA are putting on this weekend, on Sawdust Road, The Woodlands, TX. I also gave her some baby baths, car seats, playpen, and suitcases of clothes for this sale, just to get them out of the way. This isn't the great big sale that our county's SPCA will be putting on in November. I am hoping to donate a lot of stuff to that one. It was strange to see Kenya's van not loaded down with animal cages.

I spent some time researching what could have happened to Bobcat to cause this $175 abscess on her chin. One thing that kept on cropping up was that you shouldn't use plastic dishes for cats, or dogs. Bobcat has never used plastic dishes, I have three small Bavarian china bowls, and those are hers. It also said that some cats are not good about washing their chins, and that can start problems, and that one should wash their little faces with a washcloth and Cetaphil after they eat. Yeah, I can see her letting me do that !

Another theory was that she wasn't getting enough Vitamin E, or some food allergy. She has always had good food, not the kind you buy at the grocery store which is mostly corn and fillers, cheap to make, and after the almighty buck. The good dry brand that she has been eating for years changed their formula a year or so ago, and I found a lot of complaints about that brand on the Internet. A lot of the pet food manufacturers changed their formulas after that pet food scare last year.

So when Kenya called from Petco that she was on her way as the adoption she was doing, was done, I asked her what kind of food should I get for Bobcat. She had switched all her cats to Royal Canin, and she said they were doing a lot better on it, and would bring me some. So we will see if this helps Bobcat. She is usually picky, like most cats, but she liked the little bit I gave her. Mustn't give them all their diet of new food, as it can upset their tummies.

Another good thing. "Orange Glow", the lovely big orange tabby who has made his home here, got vaccinated today. Kenya is making arrangements to get him fixed, but he had to have his shots first. He was ever so good about it, Kenya was very surprised what a gentle, loving cat he is, for being a scared, wild stray when he first arrived.

Another lovely sunny, no AC day.

More Done to Hilo. Bobcat to Vet.

The day started out chilly, but the sun was shining, so it warmed up quickly. Bobcat doesn't even want to go out on her screen porch and watch the sun rise, and isn't eating as well as usual. I called early this morning, and they have a temporary vet at our vet's office. I found out that our late vet had taken a bunch of barbiturates, and turned on a generator in his garage. Bobcat's appointment is for 11.30, so we won't get much done on the HiLo today.

First we put some spot putty on the places that needed it, so that it could be drying while we did the door seal.


Here is the old ratty door seal and the new one. I pried open the folded metal apart where the vinyl goes in, and folded the vinyl around the specially formed rubber wedge that goes in it. To keep it all together, I ran a quick hem on the edge with the sewing machine. We put the vinyl in between the folded bar, and made new holes through the vinyl with an ice pick, and Ray riveted it back together, then we screwed it back on the door, with it's mounting plate.






Then we taped up the off side of the trailer, and painted the bottom "Cashmere Latte".


It was time for me to take Bobbiecat for her appointment. She meowed two little protests on the way. Being in the truck means "Vet", if she had been in the motor home, she would have been quite happy, as that means "Camping". She is a happy camper, and has been to eight states. She was good while the temporary vet examined her, and he confirmed what we already knew, that she has an abscess, but it is not a tooth. He said she could have been bitten by something. Bobcat had to stay there so that she can be anaesthetised, have it lanced and cleaned. He will give her an antibiotic shot and a shot for pain. It would be too difficult, and cruel, to try to give her oral medications.

So I came home, made some lunch, changed sheets, did laundry and wrote this. It felt very strange being in the house all by myself. Most of the time Bobcat is just laying somewhere sleeping, but this is the first time since we built this house ten years ago, that there hasn't been another breathing body in it with me. I hadn't realize what a difference that makes. The vet's office told me to pick her up at 4.30.

Just FYI: Gas is down to $2.58 in our little town, but it will be cheaper toward Houston. With my Kroger card it was $2.48.

I feel better that Bobcat will feel better, so it's a lovely, sunny, happy day.

Finally got the Awning Done. Bobcat Not Well.

It was chilly in my bathroom when I started to get ready this morning, so I turned on a little plug-in heater for the first time this season. It turned out to be a warm day.

Ray and I started work later, as it is Sunday. We wouldn't work today, but we have to get done any little details that need doing to the HiLo. It's new owner will be here to pick it up next week. So Ray works whenever he is available.

My hair was still wet when we started, so I didn't want to be outside right away. As it had been getting a little chillier at nights, this was a good time to get the oil-filled radiators down from the attic. This something that I cannot do by myself. I have the AC turned off now, and I don't think I will need heat yet, except when bathing, but you never know.

The wallowed out places where the awning arms attach, that we filled yesterday, didn't work. So we had to go to plan B, and move them up 1/2". The thumbscrews that I had bought, as I couldn't get wing-bolts like original ones, worked great. To be sure that they couldn't back out and get lost on the road, we chucked them up in the vice, with that piece of the arm right at the end of the thread. Then hit them with a star punch a couple of times, that tipped the end thread of the screw over the arm just enough so that they won't get lost.

We had a place on the side of the trailer that needed some Spot Bondo, and when I got it out, the tube had hardened, so we couldn't do that. So I bought some while I was in town. Then we unscrewed a bar off the bottom of the top door that has a padded place for when the trailer is raised to keep it sealed. Ray drilled out the rivets, and we will put new padded vinyl in there. So we have our work cut out for us tomorrow.

Last night I noticed that Bobcat's chin is swollen, I don't have any idea what happened to her. She has not left this house or porch. Maybe she got bitten by some insect, and then scratched it. But she won't really let me look at it. I went into town to the Dollar General and bought her some children's liquid Benedryl. But there is no way I can get it down her. She hides when she sees me with it in my hand, as she doesn't want anyone to touch her. I drove by another vet that has opened up, and saw that they open at 7.30am, so I will give them a call in the morning. Kenya said Bobcat might have an abscessed lower tooth, but anything is just guessing until she is seen by a vet. I know she is in pain, but cats must NOT be given aspirin, or Tylenol.

A sunny day.

More HiLo Painting. Padded Vinyl Done

We started out with long sleeves on, but that only lasted a couple of hours, and we were back to tank tops.

Ray and I finished the padding on the top sides of the gaucho and dinette panels. It does look a lot better. Shay said that it looks like it was done professionally.

We operated on the wallowed holes for the brackets, and we were getting ready to re-install the awning arms, when we realized that the gold strip where they attach, really needed a touch-up of the shimmery beige paint. Here it is painted with "Cashmere Latte".

After a few light coats of paint, here it is 'unwrapped'. We will install the arms tomorrow.

A lovely, no AC day.

What Happened to Wednesday? Sad Local News.

This morning I was getting ready for Ray to arrive so that we could finish putting the vinyl and padding in the HiLo. I saw him outside, so I asked him what time he would be over here. He said "I told you I couldn't work Friday", I said " Oh, it's Friday, I thought it was Thursday". I had to look at the computer to see what day it is.

I usually go into our town on Mondays to mail the aloe that has been sold during the week, but the Post Office being closed for Columbus Day got me messed up. So I made my Wednesday trip to the next town on a Thursday, and didn't even know it!

So today, I spent time doing a few things around the house, and listed some more things for sale. But the biggest time consumer was the Live Chat on eBay. They just can't seem to get the Shipping Calculator going right. One chat took 35 minutes and another I just 'exited' after 57 minutes.




Phone calls were coming in all day about some startling local news. A lot of us around here, and from other towns, go to our local vet, and he had committed suicide. He was young, 39-40, a darned good vet, had a family, had just moved into a lovely new building, and he was always busy. I just saw him last Saturday when I went to get the Revolution, and he was standing there joking with a client. I wonder what made him do it ? Who are we going to go to, now ? My heart goes out to his family picured here.

Gee, TGIF !!

Made Padded Vinyl Trim for Edges in HiLo

Yesterday evening I had opened the big workshop door, and dragged the freshly disinfected cage in there, as I didn't want to leave it outside all night. It is not mine, so I am taking good care of it. But it sure was blocking the aisle. So before Ray even got here, I had disinfected all the surfaces in the middle room, ready for the cage. But before we brought it in, we did a bit of a spring cleaning in there. We moved my deep freeze, little 2-door refrigerator, the two big microwaves that are stored in there, the table that the cage usually sits on, and swept and mopped in there. So now the middle room all ready for it's next tenant. It will only be used in an emergency, but you never know when one will crop up.

I knew we had to have the compressor outside to nail on the wooden trim that Jay had made to cover a scruffy place down by the floor on the side of the dinette in the HiLo. So as we were behind on our 'Once A Month List', we started checking all the tires while the compressor was outside. The HiLo, The Little Van, the little utility trailer. The big utility trailer just got those new tires on it within a month, so we didn't check them. Then I drove the Puddle Jumper around to that side of house and we checked them, even the spare, which has never been on the ground in 193,350 miles. All the tires on everything, needed some air, so it was a good thing we did it.

Then I nailed up the trim Jay had made, but I had to shave off a sliver on two pieces with the chopsaw to make the mitres fit neatly. But there was still one place at the top of the side of the gaucho that looked bad. Some of the veneer had been knocked off the edge, not by me. It is right at the door when you walk in so it really catches your eye. I remembered that I had some brown vinyl left over from another job, so Ray and I went up into my attic, and I found it right away. I thought that I was going to have to hunt through several boxes to find it ! I try not to go up those attic steps when I am on my own.

Ray cut some 1" wide luann strips, and we laid the vinyl, with some foam, behind the strip of wood, inside out and upside down, at the top of the panel, stapled the wood on to the top of the panel, and brought the vinyl and foam padding up over the wooden strip and over the edge of the panel, and down the other side. We used screws and upholstery washers for the other side near the cushions. We will have to do the same thing to the dinette on the other side of the door, to make it match, but it was quitting time.

Then I grabbed a whole-wheat pita bread pocket, stuffed some deli chicken breast and low fat cheese in it, and took off for the next town to get the awning parts that I needed, eating on the way. I did get a couple of pairs of comfy jeans at the one thrift shop that I visited.

I had trouble posting pictures, but I guess Blogger is having a bad day.

Yesterday & Today: Getting HiLo Ready

About Oct. 14th. 2008, written on 15th.
Ray and I did a few odd jobs on the HiLo, hopefully getting it ready for it's new owner. Gee, if I don't write it down each day, I can't remember what we did !! Oh, yes, Ray vacuumed out all the storage under the dinette and gaucho, while I wiped down the countertops and everything.

While we had the gaucho couch/bed all tipped up we straightened up under there. This is where the converter/500 watt inverter is, that I had hurriedly tried to use when the power was out to charge up my laptop. I had chickened out as it is square sine wave, not true sine wave and I didn't want to take the chance on hurting my laptop, also I didn't quite know how to use it. Ray and I found out that when it is plugged into one of the outlets above it, a light comes on, and then it will charge the battery. I had been attaching my little trickle charger that I keep in the B+, to charge it !! We got the inverter into the built-in wooden rack under there, where it seemed to be logical, so that the front of it is facing the opening door under the gaucho, and ran the cord up behind everything so it would be easy to plug it in.

When I first got the trailer, Shay had cleaned it, but we could see that the door gasket on the fridge had never been cleaned with a toothbrush in the little grooves, so we got that done. Jay was supposed to have screwed the front awning arms onto the trailer, but the screws were coming out already. The slide bars on the front awning needed attention, too. The old wingbolts were rusty, and didn't work right, that's why we had a stick between the tongue jack and the awning, to hold it up... very hillbilly. I knew I had to go into town that afternoon, so I took samples of what I needed.

The Post Office was closed on Monday, so yesterday was my Aloe Mailing Day. I keep a ruler with the different lengths of aloe that I advertise, marked on it, and went around measuring plants. I found the 11" ones that I wanted, and then as a bonus I include 5 smaller offshoots or pups, so I found five 5" ones for each order. I got them all washed, wrapped, and packed in the tubes I make out of cutting up heavy duty cat litter boxes. Off to the Post Office. The only thing I could find for the front awning at our local hardware store were some 1/4" thumb screws.

By the time I had been to the Post Office, hardware and grocery stores, it was getting late and I had some bill paying to do online, more stuff to list for sale, and didn't get to write this journal.

Oct. 15th. 2008

Today, first thing, Ray and I donned gowns, gloves and carried the cage that the isolation kitty had been in, outside to our washing area. I quickly sprayed it down with bleach water. I didn't have to worry about rinsing it, as we knew it was threatening to rain.

We worked on the HiLo awning for a while. We had to take the awning arm off, the end that Jay had screwed on there was falling off anyway ! We took it into the workshop and drilled out the old rusty wingbolt, tried out the thumbscrews, and found out that they weren't long enough. They were the longest ones they had at our local hardware store, or I would have got longer.

It started spitting rain, so we went into the HiLo and we got the original recirculating toilet back in there, and bolted down. Jay and I had done a pretty good job of installing a seat lid on it. Getting the toilet bolted down was a job. Ray's hands wouldn't fit under there to start the nuts. I got on the floor, laying on a pad, and managed to hold my hand, palm up, with the nut wedged between my first and second fingers, and somehow got it started on the bolts. Once I had done that, Ray could tighten them up with an open end wrench. Good, another job 'jobbed'.

Then it started to pour, so we came inside to get some other jobs done. The blades on the ceiling fans hadn't been cleaned for two months, nor the air cleaners. We made new stuffing for the boxes that the original air cleaner filters came in. Frugal me, I just buy good furnace filters, and cut them up to fit. New filters for one of these air cleaners are $50. Then we cleaned the ceiling fans, and the front and filter to the AC.

By then it was time to quit, and I still have to go into the next town to get more parts for tomorrow. I will do my Wednesday trip on a Tuesday !!

PS: NOT !! I just looked out at the main road from my back window. I don't think I want to get on those slick streets in the rain. It seems very gloomy, everyone is running with their lights on, and hurrying to get home. I think I will just stay out of their way, and go tomorrow morning. Shame really, I was going to treat myself to a dinner out.

Had to have the AC on, this humid, rainy day.

HiLo Travel Trailer Sold. Isolation kitty leaves.

When I was checking my emails this morning while drinking my coffee, I found out that the HiLo TT had sold on eBay. Not for the amount that I had it advertised locally, but still it will be one more thing out of the yard.

I would like to keep it, but there are some things about it that are difficult for me to handle on my own. The dinette table is heavy for me to make into a bed, and the gaucho is awkward for me, too. Not so much the pulling it out, but to get into the storage underneath it. I love the big kitchen, power tongue jack, and hydraulic lift system. This is my third HiLo, they are really well made. Due to Ike, no power and all the Ike clean-up, I haven't had time to finish the side drapes. Forunately, the Buyer sent a deposit and isn't picking it up until next week ! But I swept and mopped the floor anyway.

Kenya came and picked up the little isolation kitty, and remarked how much weight HE had put on. She has to take him to the Dr. tomorrow, hopefully for a clean bill of health. Yes, I was told it was a girl, and then I discovered that it is a little boy. Kenya said how it had helped her with her work load having me take care of him for a week. I will have to wash my blankies and cage with bleach water before another cat can go in there. Then all I have to do is watch out for Bobcat getting the 'sneezles' during the next week.

The Little Van is in front of the HiLo, and I needed somewhere to put it. The vintage motor home, "Pugsy", was sitting halfway down a parking space and if moved back, there would be room for the van behind it. Because of circumstances, it would be easier to push Pugsy, than drive it. Jim, the mechanic came up here, and he got a board between Pugsy and my Dakota truck, and I tried to push it back like that. There was a little stump in the way, so my truck couldn't do it. So Jim went home to get a better come-along than mine, and we were going to winch Pugsy back. He came back in just a few minutes with a Front End Loader following him. They were patching the streets with asphalt. Jim lined up the front of the front end loader and Pugsy, and it got pushed back, so I was able to park the van in front of it. One job done !!

Now, that the van is out of the way, when Ray or Jay is here, I can back my truck up to the HiLo. Then we can check out all the running lights on the HiLo, as my truck has a hitch and trailer pigtail. The HiLo needed to be pulled forward anyway, as the gap between it and the house is too narrow, and the van doesn't have a hitch.

Bobcat wanted to stay on the porch and sunbathe all day.

I Didn't have Two Minutes to Rub Together 'Til Now

First thing, I had my coffee and read emails, replied and sent pictures to people inquiring about the things I have for sale. Then I fed Bobcat her breakfast, and fed the five poodles theirs. Gave Sheba her medicine. I usually lock three of the poodles up when they eat, as two like to take their time, and one will guzzle anything up if the others even look away for a second. But this morning I locked them all up seperately to eat. I mainly wanted Caesar locked up when Mikey came in.

At 8.30 AM, I drove down the street, maybe 1/4 mile, and picked up Mikey, let him do what he had to do in the back yard, and locked him up in a great big dog carrier in the middle of my grooming room. Of course, when he came in, the other poodles all started barking. I took the others out into the back yard to do their thing, as they always seem to need to go out after they eat, and locked them all up again.

I quickly tended to isolation kitty, held her, petted her, fed her, medicated her, locked her back up. I got out of my isolation gown, and scrubbed my hands. Dogs can't catch it, but I don't want to touch anything and give Upper Respiratory Infection to Bobcat.

I let Mikey out of the carrier, up on the grooming table, brushed any tangles out of his ears, cleaned them, and bathed him. He is supposed to be white, but he gets so filthy from digging and rolling in the dirt at Sams that I had to shampoo him three times. I put him in a cage dryer for a while, so I could get another swallow of coffee, and check on emails again. I had more pictures to send. After 15 minutes I got him out of the cage dryer and brush/fluff dried him. I clipped his face, tummy, feet, and scissored his legs, cut his nails, etc. He looked so good, but he wears me out as he won't hold still. Now, it was about 11 o'clock, and I took him home. I took the other poodles out just as soon as I got back, and left them in their normal mode of loose in the grooming room. I had to take some Revolution down to where Muffy lives, also down my street, so I got that ready, quickly drove there and back.

After a quick lunch, I started on Caesar. I got him bathed , and got a bit more done on Punkie while he was in the cage dryer for a while. Then I got him out and brush/fluff dried him, and finished his groom. He loves the attention, loves to be groomed, and will hold very still, even though he is a hyper dog. I am the only person who has ever groomed him since he was a baby. I finally got Punkie all done, and nails cut etc. Whew ! She is another wigglewort, and wears me out. Mindi had called and they were going to pick them up at 4.30, but I fed them their dinner anyway, as she might be late. She picked them up after 6.00!

I fiddled with my camera phone, and tried to read the mountain of directions, some of which didn't really tell me what I wanted to know. But I did manage to take some pictures with it today, and after a struggle got them into My Pictures:

Top two are Mikey, who wouldn't hold still !

Here are four of Mindi's, L-R: Suggy, Jakey, Punkie, Caesar,

Then one of Jakey and Caesar.

Another doggie day.

More Grooming, and a Visit to a Thrift Shop.

I wanted to start grooming Mindi's poodles as early as I could, but that wasn't to be. I was on this computer writing a quick note to an aloe customer, when a friend IM'd me. They have had a lot of problems, and a couple of deaths lately, so I couldn't be insensitive and tell them I didn't have time for them. You know how that goes ! So I didn't get started in the grooming room until about 9.45.

I got Suggy and Punkie bathed, and brush/fluff dried, then I realized it was Saturday, and I had better get to the vet to get more Revolution. They close at noon, so I changed my top, shoes and also got some clipper blades together. There is a resale shop in our town, open Wed. to Sat., and she grooms dogs on the other days at her house. One day I asked her where she gets her blades sharpened, and she said that she has a big flat sharpening wheel, and she does her own. She had told me that she would sharpen mine, too. Now, I don't know how good she is, and there is an art to it, so I only took five. She quoted me a good price, but if they aren't sharpened properly the blades just jam up in the dog's hair, and won't cut at all. We will see.

I got the Revolution, and some more medicine for Mindi's little old Sheba's cough, and took the blades to the resale shop. I found some neat thingys to hold up my hair there, as I have to keep my long hair swept up, in this climate. I just can't handle my hair when it is short, it sticks out all over the place like rat's tails. When I called Mindi about Sheba's medicine, I found out that her fabulous five would be with me for one more day. Phew, now I wasn't so rushed !

I had gone one way to the vet and another way to the resale shop, trolling for gas prices. It seemed that with my Kroger Card, it was cheaper there, so I went back that way, as the truck needed gas.

As I was no longer in a tail spin about getting the dogs done, I went into Kroger's and found some more groceries that I needed. They have just about got all the shelves stocked back up after Ike. As often happens, there and at WalMart, one item didn't scan the shelf price. I watch those scanner prices like a hawk, as I think it is all a deliberate, "accidental on purpose" scam. Have you noticed that it is always in their favor ? It is a matter of principle with this old frugal Scot, and so I had to get that rectified.

I made a late lunch of chicken breast and low fat cheese wraps. I hadn't had any of those for a long time, and I was just nummy for some. I finished Punkie and Suggy, cut Caesar down, clipped a lot of hair off his face, feet, tummy, brushed and cleaned his ears, so he was ready for his bath. But I will finish him tomorrow, and groom Sam's Mikey, too.

Little isolation kitty is watching all this from her cage in the middle room. I have to keep the dutch door closed while the dogs are here, so she gets up on top of her kitty condo, so that she can see the TV and watch me groom. The dogs have to go through the middle room on their way out to the back yard, so she is getting used to their prying noses.

Tomorrow I will have to keep Mikey and Caesar apart, and locked up, when I am not working on them, or they might have a 'tinkling' contest in my grooming room, and that is not allowed. They can do that outside, but not at the same time, as I don't mix up animals from different homes. Boys will be boys. Little Jakie is a boy, too, but he is neutered and has better manners.

Time to let the dogs out again, tomorrow is another doggie day.

Groomed, and Groomed.

Jay wanted me to pick him up so that he work a little bit. I dissuaded that idea, I can't have him here, and groom too. He is too "needy", and demands attention.

I started grooming Muffie early, as I knew that Mindi's 5 poodles were arriving about 10.00 AM. Muffie doesn't hold still when on the grooming table at the best of times, and I didn't want her to have any more excuses for wriggling. I was getting her Revolution ready, and she knocked the whole thing over, so now I have to go back to the vet to buy more.

I just got her finished by the time Mindi got here, as she was late, as usual. Her dogs were glad to see me, but three of them looked like sheep that hadn't been sheared. It has been a while since they were groomed.

As it was nearly lunch time, I stopped for that, and laid down for a while to get the knots out of my back, then got cracking on Mindi's. I mananged to get two cut down, and ready for their baths by the time Jay and his mother came to pick up MaeMae. Now I am waiting for their neighbor to pick up Muffie, so I don't want to start on the third one. I have filled a waste basket full of cut dog hair, so I have had enough grooming for today.

Tomorrow I will finish grooming them. I have already fed MaeMae and Muffie, but now I have to feed Mindi's five poodles, Bobcat, and the little isolation kitty. Maybe even me !!

No AC needed today.

Dogs and more dogs. Why all at once !

Jay's mother and her neighbor were going to a casino for a couple of days , so her neighbor brought Muffie to be boarded, and groomed at 7.30 am. I had food to feed the ducks and fish, so I said that I would pick up MaeMae at Jay's mother's house on the way. Because his mother was leaving, Jay wanted to go to the lake with me. I had my new camera phone with me, and I thought I had taken some good shots of the lake, and the ducks and geese that came to feed. But I will have to study the phone some more, as I can't find them !

Then Jay wanted to come back here, so I let him. I had told Sam that I would pick up his poodle on the way back here, as Sam wanted Mikey to be bathed when I had time. When I picked Mikey up Sam said that he wanted him to be groomed, too. I brought Mikey here, but then I realized that there was no way I had four hours laying around unspoken for, to groom him too. Just a bath and brush/fluff dry wouldn't take but about an hour. I put his Revolution on him, and took him back to Sam, and said I would groom him on Sunday. I was already booked to groom Muffie, and she is a little sod to do, and takes a lot of time. I needed to get her done today, as tomorrow Mindi is boarding her five poodles here for 2 days, and I have to groom at least three of them while they are here. That is in between all the other things that I have to do !

As Jay was here, he wanted to work a little bit, and there were a couple of things that he could do better than Ray. We found some dainty RV size wooden trim as there are a couple of places that need it in the HiLo. We got that measured, cut, mitre cut, and dry fit it. Then we made a toilet lid for the HiLo. When I was in Lowes one day I had picked up a demo toilet seat for $1.00. It looked like there might be a way to use the lid off it. Well, there was. We used parts off the original HiLo toilet seat where the lid was broken off, and used dowel through the metal rod from the one from Lowes. We had to kind of "scrape/drag/saw" a 1/2" circle around the dowel in two places to make it narrower there, to accept the toilet pins from the HiLo one, but somehow a plan all came together, and it worked !

Then I took Jay back to his mother's home as he had to meet a tree cutter who was going to cut a humongous tree off her Ike demolished shed.

The county's tree cutting crews had to come back today and clear more fallen branches off the lines along the roads today. Still getting repercussions from Ike.

By that time Ray was back from a job down the freeway, so he sanded, and stained the wooden trim that we had cut for the HiLo. Then he primed and painted a couple of wooden steps that we use for me to get my poor old knees in and out of these RVs. One for the HiLo, and one for side of the Little Van. As I have folks coming to look at the RVs, I didn't want those old steps looking scruffy. He also touched up the paint on the original HiLo toilet seat.

While Ray was doing all that, I was trying to get Muffie cut down enough for her bath. As soon as the dogs have had their bath, and are dry, I clip their feet, especially between the pads on the bottom of their feet. They cannot go out again until I have done their feet, or the dirt would ruin my clipper blades.

Blow me down! Someone emails that they want to come and see the van. So I couldn't bathe Muffie, as I knew I wouldn't have time to do her feet, too. I went out and started the van, just to make sure it was OK, and that the AC worked. They were late, and I would have had time to do that much to Muffie tonight, darn it. By the time they left, it was too late, so now I will have to do her in the morning, when I have Mindi's to do too.

Tomorrow is going to be a busy day!