IT ALL STARTED OUT QUITE SIMPLY BUT...............
The four of us were having a quiet, peaceful lunch when L's dog whined. Poor dog, she had rolled in something rather disgusting and had to have a bath. Now being a golden retriever she doesn't mind water but she didn't understand why she couldn't run through the house dripping and shaking and had to sit in a cage until dry. Trying to make L feel a little guilty about her dog I mentioned that the dog could have dealt with it better if L had taken her swimming and bathed her in the lake. Here it is, April 13th in Maine at a mere 53 degrees. L said, "I'd do that if you'd let me!" I chuckled and told her if she wanted to go swimming I'd take her. She didn't believe me and called my bluff. Then "A" piped up and wanted to go too! I told them I'd take them but they had to promise to go in up to their necks but not put their heads under water! I am, afterall, a cautious mom and didn't want the cold water to get in their ears and make them sick!
On the way we had a freak thunderstorm and when it stopped we were passing a field and saw an incredible rainbow. We stopped to take pictures of it and realized that the end of it was in a field. I was contemplating going onto this private property to find the pot of gold but looking into the field all I could see was a wild turkey! That's the kind of luck I have!
When we got to the lake we were the only ones there! I wasn't really surprised! A man did pull in as I was getting my camera ready and when he realized what the girls were going to do he started laughing. He told me that he comes there everyday after work and that there was ice there two days ago! 'A' ran in to her hip, turned around with a terrified look on her face and ran out saying, "It's freezing, to cold!" She then ran up on the dock and watched 'L'. 'L' went up to her knees and said, "Take my picture!" I told her that wasn't the deal and she went further, bent down and got wet to her neck and stayed there for a few seconds.
THEN as she started coming out 'A' suddenly jumped in off the dock! This would have been fine but she wasn't very deep. It was cold though and they came running out heading for the car and towels when I heard a pitiful sound. She hadn't felt it due to the cold but when she reached the car there was blood pouring down her leg. She had an impressive gash slightly under her knee a couple of inches long! The only things I could find in the car emergency kit was a baby wipe and a sanitary pad! I did remember my grandmother telling me that they were actually originally used on the battlefield for bandages and the nurses at the hospitals found them very useful as 'granny rags' so I grabbed that and wrapped her leg. When we got home I debated whether to deal with it myself and butterfly it or take her to the doctor's . How does one have a child's knee stitched up, showing care for the child, while telling the doctor she did it swimming---in April---in Maine----OUTSIDE? Would "She was jumping and landed on a rock" be deceitful?
All in all the girls are thrilled that they beat their older siblings April 20th ocean swim day and their Dad's April 15, 2006 swim day. " That hasn't happened yet" you say? It will, Dad and uncle are in the canoe race Saturday. It hasn't been cancelled!
All in all it has been an interesting day.
AND........... the girls invited quite a few friends to join them but they all mysteriously had something else to do!!!!!! Even big sister Mel !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! chickens.....

It is definitely a Monday morning! BUT it is sunny, the birds are singing AND last night I heard a 'pre peeper insect'! This means spring peepers will follow soon! Peepers are such a milestone in Maine. It means that mud will soon be gone and warmer weather will be here. We try to forget what comes with warmer weather!
Chorazon (the new horse) is doing great. He has a birthday coming up. It is May 7th! Uncle Dan, if you're reading this, to farmers it is an honor to have an animal born on your birthday! I'm sure Lianna will always remember your birthday - even if she doesn't remember mine!
The girls are very eager to begin their school day ----- yeh, right! Didn't I just say it was mild temperatures and the sun is shining? They want to be outside! Soon though the school year will be over and freedom will reign! They do like school but days like this even I don't want to be in here!
Both girls are dealing with colds. 'A' is trying to get over one and 'L' is fighting not to let her sniffles graduate into a full fledged cold like her sister's.
Have a blessed day.

It is definitely a Monday morning! BUT it is sunny, the birds are singing AND last night I heard a 'pre peeper insect'! This means spring peepers will follow soon! Peepers are such a milestone in Maine. It means that mud will soon be gone and warmer weather will be here. We try to forget what comes with warmer weather!
Chorazon (the new horse) is doing great. He has a birthday coming up. It is May 7th! Uncle Dan, if you're reading this, to farmers it is an honor to have an animal born on your birthday! I'm sure Lianna will always remember your birthday - even if she doesn't remember mine!
The girls are very eager to begin their school day ----- yeh, right! Didn't I just say it was mild temperatures and the sun is shining? They want to be outside! Soon though the school year will be over and freedom will reign! They do like school but days like this even I don't want to be in here!
Both girls are dealing with colds. 'A' is trying to get over one and 'L' is fighting not to let her sniffles graduate into a full fledged cold like her sister's.
Have a blessed day.

Now I know I'm nuts!
Okay, a few blogs ago I asked, "What am I? Nuts?!?!?!" to which my wonderful (haha) son sent me an email saying that I was!) Now I know, not because he said so but because somehow we've added another critter to our family. Not the cute adorable puppy but something larger. Another horse! (of course) I wanted a buffalo to raise for the freezer and I end up with another horse! Except for the joy on the kids faces and moments of relaxation what good is a horse? WHY do we do these things? L's current horse put in a rough winter. We mentioned to someone that we wondered how long he would be able to keep up to his owner who, as his ability is decreasing with age, hers is increasing. Next thing I know we're looking at a horse she heard about. It was a super blessing type deal. The woman paid alot for the horse but wanted to find just the right person for him. She has decided to give him to L. He will be arriving today.
Mud season abounds. I read a description of April in Maine that made me chuckle. Why do I look so forward to spring with this description is beyond me. "When the days are longer but nothing is green, everything is muddy, a snowstorm is still a threat and the blackflies are just around the corner." I guess we all look even further ahead to the most awesome summers in the country! It is just so hard to keep the floors even relatively clean.
Hubby and my brother are going to be in the K. stream river race next week. I'm making sure our life insurance is up to date! Brother asked hubby if they should get together for a practice run and hubby said, "No! Why get wet more than once?" THAT is positive thinking.
I just heard a truck and looked out the window. With no foliage I can see the road. The truck was slugging its way up the back road and it actually looked worse than any of our dogs after a romp in the field! Even the puppy!
It is Friday as Mel said but Fridays here have become the busiest day of the week. Sewing and Flute lessons in the morning then violin lessons(the instructor comes here) then L gives 2 piano lessons and then they all play video or computer games. On top of it we're having company for dinner. I always dream of sleeping in and being lazy on Saturday morning but that doesn't seem to happen. Today the sewing and 1 flute lesson cancelled due to flu but those hours filled in really quickly. 'A' is dealing with a cold and cough and sounds really funny talking but is still energetic.

It's Monday April 3, a beautiful sunny spring day. The weekend was interesting but mostly yesterday. I had to stop twice and check the date. I thought it was April 1st and not April 2nd. First Mike started the day by telling me he was going to shave his beard off! It was April 2nd and he did shave it! Secondly we stopped in at Walmart after church. Mike looked at the list and said he and Lianna would get the felt floor savers and Annie and I could get the remaining itemS. Note the 'S'? We had 6 things to find to his 1. Half way through our list we bumped into Mike and Lianna. Mike said that he couldn't find the floor savers. I suggested where they would be and he said he had already looked there. (Lianna had a questionable look on her face) I suggested another place and we parted. Annie and I found what we needed and proceeded to the front of the store and waited for them to show. Then we walked back and forth across the front looking down aisles for them. We ran into friends who chatted with us for a minute. I told them we were waiting for Mike and Lianna who were only looking for floor savers. She replied that she knew exactly where the floor savers were because she had just bought some two days ago. Then her daughter spoke up saying that she had just seen Mike and Lianna leaving the store! Annie and I grabbed a few packages of floor savers, not knowing if Mike had found them or not, and checked out. We got to the car, unloaded and drove off. I asked him if he had found them and he said that he had. I said, "oops, I did too but we can return what we don't need".
It was then that the 2nd shock of the day came, Lianna piped up and said, "You know how he found them?........ HE ASKED!!!!!!!!" I'm so glad that it wasn't a case of him driving a car and stopping to ask directions because then, for sure, I'd be hospitalized!