The Time Has Come...Finally!!!

Well friends....this is it! I just got home from work and my "To Do" list reads as follows:

1) Blog...because I just can't help myself
2) Change the sheets in the spare bedroom for the house/dog sitters
3) Wash the last load of clothes....I'll never wear it all, but it's in the 40's at night there and in the 70's during the day. Not sure what to bring, so I'm bringing it ALL!
4) Iron the rest of my stuff...why do I iron things that I am just going to cram into a suitcase?
5) Bathe the dirty dogs....because they are, well, dirty!
6) Clean the house....because heaven forbid it should be messy for the house/dog sitters
7) Cut up some veggies so I can say that I ate healthy on the trip...no one needs to know about the chocolate twizzlers, the taffy apple suckers, the shoestring potatoes and the assorted chips!
8) Make some granola...Awesome recipe...it's healthy, but tastes like it's not. Love this stuff!
9) Find my Loveland map...need to mark the neighborhoods we drive through that we like...you just never know when you might win the Lottery and move!
10) Keep an eye on the weather in Telluride....today they have a flash flood watch because it's been raining for 12 hours straight and there is a chance of landslides! Oh Joy!
11) Wash my hair, and dry it and flat iron it so I don't have to do it in the morning at 4:30!
12) Pack...because we are leaving at 6:00 a.m. and I don't want to do it in the morning.

So there you have it my friends and as you can see, I have much to do. So ta-ta for now. Have an awesome week and a half. If I can get on the computer, I might pop in to say hello. If not, I'll chat with you when I get back!

A Visitor of A Different Kind

Well, yesterday I told you about the cute little raccoons that scamper around our little neighborhood at night.

Matt texted me last night and said they had another bear in their neighborhood yesterday! Yikes! I would really love to see one when we are there....just not up too close. I would love to get some kind of picture though. This picture is courtesy of Wikipedia. Matt didn't have a camera with him.

Last year Matt's dog started barking really loud one night. Matt's roommate got up to check it out, and there was a big old bear on their porch finishing off some pizza they had accidentally left out there from dinner. The scary thing was that their front door doesn't close really well, so here they are on one side of the not closed door and the big old bear is on the other side!

You get fined in Telluride if you don't have your garbage locked up. The bears won't hesitate to pay you a visit if there is food anywhere around.

So, here is hoping I see a bear.....close enough to get a picture, but far enough away so I don't scream!

Mystery Solved

I walk Wrigley every morning. We take the same basic route, passing the same houses each day. All of the houses have those metal drainage pipes that run under the driveway. They carry the rainwater away that runs off the roads into the ditch.

At this one house, there is a line from the road that goes into the pipe at one end and comes out at the other end where the grass has been totally smashed down, and I knew the first time I saw it exactly what it was. I just never had proof.

I knew it wasn't from the rain water running off the road, because it's really skinny.

The other morning, Wrigley and I headed out for our walk about 30 minutes earlier than normal. About a half a block before we got to that particular corner, I saw him. Waddle, waddle, creep, creep....across the road he went....right down the little hill into the ditch and right into the drainage pipe.

It was a darling little raccoon! I didn't have my camera unfortunately, so these pictures are from Wikipedia.

Little Mr. Raccoon never came out the other end, so I knew as we approached that he was still hiding in the pipe under the driveway. I thought for sure Wrigley would catch the scent as we walked by, but she didn't or if she did, she didn't care.

The little raccoon or raccoons must walk that very same route every single night as they head out to scavenge the neighborhood looking for food. Then they must take the same route home again early in the morning as the sun is coming up. Their little path is well worn.

I'm going to start taking my camera with me on our walks in the morning....you just never know who you might meet at 5:00 in the morning!

He Has A Name

I had to get to know my shiny new Prius a little before I gave him a name, and he finally has one!

Something about my Prius immediately said he was a HE, but over the past couple of weeks, I've learned that HE is definitely in touch with his feminine side. He is already crying out for some "bling", and I am going to grant his wish with some decals, a new license plate holder and some other stuff as soon as we get back from vacation.

My Prius is very bold and isn't afraid of what others think. He oozes self confidence, because he knows he is the best at what he does. He is smart and sassy is an attractive kind of way.

People are very curious about him, He has this very sexy look about him and people can't quite figure him out. He definitely looks different, and that's why people can't take their eyes off of him.

I don't think I have ever connected with a car like I have with this one and it's an awesome feeling.

Blogging friends.....meet ADAM, my sexy little Prius! :)

Oh The Weather Outside is Frightful

Our weather sucks and that is putting it mildly. We had a very short little stretch of nice spring weather and now all it does is rain! We'll get one sunny day followed by about three rainy days. What's the deal here? Who pissed off Mother Nature? It wasn't me!

(Wikipedia Photo)

The river is so darn high that people's piers are under water again.

I have never really cared for the weather here in Northern Illinois. Winters are often bitterly cold, springs is usually really wet, summer is normal hot and humid and fall is just a mixed unpredictable bag depending on the year.

What's your favorite weather and are you living in your dream weather? I am certainly not. I don't like the frigid weather and I really don't like the heat and humidity. I like sunshine because it warms my heart and soul, but what good is it if I'm sitting inside with the AC on? Illinois is not the place for me.

I would love to live where it's sunny most of the time with temperatures around 75-85 with low humidity. Someone told me I should try Hawaii. Sure I'll just pack up my stuff and head on over!

I'm still thinking the front range in Colorado would be good for me. Fairly mild winters, lots of sunshine and less humidity.......

Any other suggestions?

Casey Meets the Dogs

Tresa came out yesterday to spend the weekend. Her hubby, Chris was out of town. She brought along Casey the kitty and oh what fun we had. Sorry for the many fuzzy pictures, but between my shaky hands and the animals not sitting still....well, you get the idea.

My dogs were use to cats. We have had many over the years...although we have been catless for a while now....they seemed to remember and immediately were curious about this new little critter that found it's way into their home.

We let them sniff at her while she was still in her little pet taxi. Wrigley was the most interested until Casey hissed and spit at her.

Sparky was more interested in Casey's "things". She seemed to like her bed the most.

When we let her out and she got a look at the dogs, she let out some really big hisses and zoomed as fast as she could behind the couch. Tresa finally got her out, but the hissing continued for hours to come.

Finally Casey started to venture out of the hallway.

She would sneak down and peek around the corner to see where the dogs were. She was okay as long as they didn't get too close.


When they did, she did her best Halloween cat imitation, trying to make herself look much bigger than she really is, let out a few hisses and run and hide.



By this morning, her confidence was much better....and then it was time to go home.

Sometimes I think I really want a couple of cats again, but then as soon as Wrigley went in the litter box this morning and ate something that she shouldn't have eaten....I decided I'm really fine without any.