A Little Bit of Sunshine . . . . 2/18/2011

I admit it.  I needed some SUNSHINE in my life on Thursday.

Dudley the Dragon (the name I’ve given my new nighttime face) and I have been having some pretty fierce battles this week, and so far it’s a stalemate.  Every time I feel like I’m making a little progress in our “war”, Dudley comes up with a new strategy.  Just when I thought I’d solved the “sealing” problem, Dudley started playing a little raggae tune through my nose.  Seriously, I woke up Wednesday night to drumbeats coming through the mask.  Thinking I’d end it by removing the headgear, I did that – only to find that the drumbeats were coming from the hose not the mask (I later discovered that I had not connected the end of the hose correctly to the machine).  So, to make a long story short – I’m still only sleeping 3-4 hours with Dudley.  After that, I throw him on the bedside table, roll over, and go blissfully back to sleep.  BUT – I WILL NOT give up because even with just 3-4 hours of the kind of sleep I’m SUPPOSED to be getting all night, my energy level is already perking up.  And that is a good thing.

Thursday morning we planned to take the pups and go over to the State Park for another walk, but when we woke up the fog was so thick we could barely see our boathouse.  So we tinkered around the rest of the morning, and by lunchtime the fog had burned away, and the sun was shining.  AND – it was 75 degrees!  Ted said, “Let’s take the boat over to the park.”  And I said, “Great idea!”

Ted gassed up the pontoon boat, I put on a couple of layers in case it was cooler on the water, we loaded the dogs onboard, and off we went.  It was the first time I’ve been on the boat since we returned to south Georgia at the end of October, and that’s way too long to be off the water – especially when you LIVE on the water!

As you already know by now, Maddie is the little adventurer in the family. We say "Let's go", and she says "Count me in!"

 

Bear, on the other hand, hops onto the seat with me and snuggles. To him, the boat is just another bed - this one just happens to be on the water.

 

Maddie: "Dad lets me ride shotgun when we're in the boat. He cranks up the CD player, and we rock out to the Beach Boys. I've tried to tell him that this is a lake, not the ocean, but Dad doesn't care. If he's on the water, he has to listen to the Beach Boys."

 

It was really pretty on the ri'vah this afternoon. A few white, fluffy clouds overhead, a cool breeze (but not too cool), and a lot of open water ahead of us.

 

Bear: "I don't think I've ever told mom's readers that when mom and dad bought me from my first mom (when I was 14 months old), my registered name was Bearabella's Heart Throb, and my first mom called me Valentino. When I came to live with mom and dad, they tried to call me 'Valentino', but everytime they did, they just cracked up laughing and said, 'We live on the ri'vah. We can't call our dog Valentino!' So I became Bear (my breeder's kennel was named Bearabella Kennels). I agree with mom and dad - I would have probably been the laughing stock of the ri'vah if they'd called me Valentino. Although . . . I do hear Valentino was a famous, very handsome movie star, and I have to admit I'm pretty doggone (no pun intended) handsome myself.

Maddie: "Oh, oh, oh! I know where we are . . . it's the park!" Bear: "Where's the shade?"

"Ok, dad, just pull right up here to this first dock."

 

"All right, all right, the second dock is fine too. Just park it already, and let's GO!"

 

Our little fun boat.

 

Bear - trying to reach two geese before they can get to the water . . .

 

. . . they beat him by a mile.

 

It's February, but on such a nice afternoon, there was quite a bit of activity at the park . . . like another pontoon boat cruising through . . .

 

. . . a couple doing a little fishin' off a dock . . .

 

. . . and even some campers getting an early start on their weekend.

 

We took the same trails we did a couple of weeks ago, but added one loop through the primitive camping area. It was quite evident that deer used that back trail often. We saw deer tracks everywhere.

 

After walking for an hour, we headed back to the boat.

 

"Take me home, dad . . .

 

. . . I'm tired!"

 

"Well, I'm cold! Sorry dad, snuggling under this towel with mom and Bear is working for me right now."

 

Late afternoon sun on the water.

 

An abandoned osprey's nest. I wonder if a new couple will move in for the summer.

 

We occasionally get seagulls on our lake. This one rises out of the water as we go by.

 

Almost home.

 

"All right dad, no messing around now. Let's just get into the boathouse, shut this thing down, and get inside. I'm tired and hungry and my feet hurt . . . but it's ok, dad. I still love you!"

 

"Perfect landing, dad."

 

"We're home! . . . .

 

. . . I'm thinking a nap before supper is a really good idea."

Personal Note:  Our daughter-in-law Blair is leaving Saturday for a 10-day trip to India.  She works with Business Development for the State of Georgia, and she will be part of a group traveling to that country seeking employers interested in opening businesses in our state.  She plans to blog during her trip and will be online before she goes.  I know very little about India, and we can’t wait to follow her journey and see the photographs she will post.  If you’re interested in going along on her trip, the blog address is www.blairstravelblog.wordpress.com.  There’s nothing posted yet, but there will be by Saturday.  Please keep Blair in your prayers for safe travels.

Have a wonderful weekend, and God bless.