Here Comes the Storm

Where is the most logical place to go when there are severe storms in the area?  How about a camper.  You know, that box made of thin sheets of metal that doesn't have a basement.  The one structure that every forecaster says to get out of when storms are in the area. So what do we do?  We leave our nice sturdy brick home and head to our very own metal box.

And the storms came.  Not tornadoes like Granite City got, but lots of rain and lightening.  So we headed to the lodge to wait out the storm with half the people in the campground.  I stayed inside watching the weather on tv and Ken sat on the front porch with the men.  Tom said that it was against campground rules for tornadoes to enter the property so we were safe.

We survived.  The creek rose but nobody got flooded.  And the next morning everything was back to normal.

This is the highest I have ever seen the creek.  Kinda wish I had a kayak.

Just chillin' watching the rain.  Once I learn how to post videos I will put up the cool one I got of the lightening.  At one time you would think it was daylight it got so bright.

I'd like to lodge a complaint

How do you lodge a complaint??  Is lodge the correct word?  It's not an actual "thing" more like a thought.  Anyway, to my complaint.

I am getting really tired of the two cows that are in the pasture behind me staring at me while I am grilling steak.  Its like they know I am eating their brother.  It is freaking me out.  Next weekend I am going to look up and they are going to have "eat more chicken" signs around their neck.  

Now I feel better....

A little gardening

I have gotten the gardening bug.  This fact scares Ken half to death because I sometimes start stuff that I don't finish and usually it takes alot of money to start something that I don't finish.  So I have found that the best idea is to start stuff when he isn't around then when he shows up I'm like SURPRISE honey I just stripped the paint off the fence  : )  This works way better than me telling him my ideas and him coming up with 193393483939 reasons why they aren't practical.

This time I got my parents involved.  Since my dad is downsizing his garden he brought me some of his plants. So Sunday morning him and mom came up and dad planted Hostas (sp).  My favorite part is when dad said they would be there at 11:00am and mom calls me at 9:00am and says they are on their way.  Good thing I have dad figured out and was already waiting for him. They look really good and me and mom did a great job supervising.  Then we, yes we, put mulch around the flowers and trees.  The two trees we did look alot better.  Too bad I have 10 trees.  Baby steps, that's all I can say.

After mom and dad left I looked at the front of my porch and decided I didn't like the rocks anymore.  More mulch.  All in all I layed down 12 bags.  Luckily Kim and Tom had extra bags of mulch that I just bought off them.  They told me they would add it to our electric bill.  Works for me.  I just asked Tom to explain to Ken that electric was really expensive this month.  Hope he buys it  : )   I actually ran out of mulch so that means another trip to Rural King.  Dang it.  Shoot.  I just hate that place  ;  )

All in all the yard is starting to look better.

Before the mulch

After the mulch

My two trees

  Now I need a path from the porch to the pond. A little waterfall.  Some more bird feeders.  More Flowers.  More Mulch.  More Money.  More mulch.  More topsoil.  More flowers.  More bricks.  More flowers.  More Money ....................................And after all this, quite possibly a new husband  : )

Prom

Sometimes I think my go with the flow personality works against me.  On Saturday, it came in very handy.  Prom is always a stressful day.  I'm not sure why, its just a dance where you have to get dressed up in clothes that you don't want wear, pose for pictures you don't want to take, then spend at least 3 days recovering from sleep you didn't get.  But its a tradition so you suck it up.  And you make the most out of every bad situation.

Such as.....

1.  The car running out of gas on the way to meet Codys family for pictures at his grandmas place.  Yep...no gas.  Coasted almost into a parking spot and Ann (in her prom dress) and Jon had to push us the rest of the way.

2.  In a genius moment on Cody's part he decided that since he never wore a white tux before this would be the year.  The lesson learned...don't drink Dr. Pepper before pictures.  Yep, that right.  Dr. Pepper down the front of him.  Me and Ann rushed him to the bathroom before his family could see..but that didn't work.  By now me and Ann were laughing really hard.  I don't think his mom appreciated this  : )

3.  His mom went  and bought them flowers, an idea totally lost on Ann, and when Cody put Ann's on it broke.  Again, laughter from me and Ann.  Again, not appreciated by Cody's mom.  So we find super glue, get it all fixed up, and Cody's breaks.  Insert more laughter.  Insert more hard stares.  

Finally, they made it to the park.  And from that point on I decided I was not going to answer my phone anymore that night because I really didn't want to know what else could go wrong.

Before I took this picture, Johnny Prazma asked Ann "don't we already have a picture together like this?"   That made me laugh.

The Snake Slayer

On Wednesday's Ken and I like to head up to the camper.  We enjoy going up there during the week because its quieter and more relaxed.  So Wednesday night I got some takeout for Diamond Mineral Restaurant (or something like that) and then we spent the evening playing poker with our friends.

I have to leave early to get to work on time so Ken sleeps in then spends the day just messing around.  Today he fished for a bit then went and helped Tom, the owner, put a porch on our neighbors trailer.  While he was doing this our friend Paula came driving up to them frantic because there was a snake behind her trailer.  So Super Ken went to investigate.  Sure enough, there was a water moccasin in the creek so Super Ken went and got his gun and blew it to pieces.  Yay Ken.  Because of how life is at the camper, and word spreads faster than a forest fire, and snakes are really the only exciting thing going on on a Thursday, there was a huge gathering by the time Ken got there. Everybody standing by the creek staring at this poor snake who was only doing what snakes are supposed to do. Poor thing wasn't hurting anybody but since it could have been poisonous Ken decided it had to go.  So everybody got to witness Ken save the day.  Boo for me.  I can't wait to go up there and hear this story again, and again, and again....for years.   Ken actually called himself the Snake Slayer tonight (followed by an eye roll from me).

I have a feeling this could make for a loooonnnnggggggg summer.....

Poker Night

One of our favorite things to do at the camper is play poker at night with the "regulars"  That is how I have gotten to know all the people I have.  After spending the entire day gardening and painting I needed a relaxing evening. After I cooked dinner on my awesome new grill we headed to the lodge.  We sat and talked till almost midnight. We had  great time hearing the stories Kim was telling about past campers.

I probably should have mentioned I painted and gardened.  Ken slept and fished.  He never catches fish when I'm around so I don't know if I believe him or not.

You know its poker time when the carts are lined up at the clubhouse.  Cracks me up!!  Ken is already up there waiting for me.  You can kinda see him next to the orange cart.

My awesome new grill.  Bought it with the bingo money I won  : )  I love having a side burner so I don't have to cook anything inside anymore.

Friday night at the camper

Friday me and Ken got away from the kids for a weekend at the camper.  Shocking I know.  Jon went to his grandpas farm and who knows where Ann was.  Thats the awesome thing about having a child thats almost 20.  She no longer needs someone to watch her.  So Ken and I headed to our favorite restaurant in Alhambra, The Galazxy, the hit Walmart and headed for a relaxing weekend.  Not!!!

Friday we had a major thunderstorm move thru.  First time that has happened since we've been there.  And all year I have been worried about what we would do if a tornado came thru.  Apparantly NOBODY at the campsite has an answer.  I swear I heard a siren go off so I was a little scared Friday.  I woke Ken up but all he did was turn on the tv and roll over and go back to bed.  My knight in shining armor.  I guess I was the only one who heard the siren and soon became the butt of many jokes around the campsite when I started asking people. So next time I hear a siren, those people are on their own.


The creek before the storm

The creek after the storm