Call this one what you will....

Road trip...

this time we drove from

New Hampshire through

Mass., Conn., NY.,

NJ.,DE.,MD.,

Washington DC, Va., NC, SC,

Ga. and Alabama

then back again.

some pictures below in a slide from the road..

as in the words of a favorite

Robert Earl Keen

"The road goes on forever..."

***

Friday afternoon , May 1st

we loaded up the kittens

and took them for an extended

stay at the "Spa"....

a.k.a

The vet, or the kitten kennel.

Remember Mr. Boo-boo is a diabetic

now and

receives two injections a day...

alas no more kitty camping with parties

because the humans are gone!!!

Saturday morning Michael and I

start yet another road trip...

This time we need to go to Alabama,

to show our faces to our doctors

and have them tell us we are just

getting

as in the infamous words of

Dr. Lejeune

"Old and Crusty"..

Three doctors are to be seen,

& one hairdresser,

one lawn mower is to be brought back..

(the one that is in Rye is a royal pain..

and I can't operate it...)

We leave on Saturday..stop at Felice and Bills

for the night,

(drive through hugs and kisses)

Sunday morning we head south again..

we have an appointment to meet

"someone"

in North Carolina...

a wee bit out of the way,

but, defiantly worth it!!!

then, back on the road to Alabama..

When we arrive in Virginia

who do we see

at the front door?"Papa's truck"

Books with talking "pens" are

handed out to Michael
"Elmo", "Thomas the Train",
& "Backyardagins"

A camp chair found at the Christmas Tree Shop
was a big hit...
and so were Gamma's
flip-flops

Dee-Cee

**

Sunday in North Carolina

we finally get to meet and take pictures

of the best "blues buster "

(remember a few weeks ago when Michael

had a great idea to help throw off a case

of down in the dump-blues?...we had talked about

this before...but, this time we thought the time was right.)

At a farm on Red Gate Road

Michael, Chloe and I

meet..

the next member of our family..

Thibodeaux

still a little young..

he will stay with his mother and father

on the farm..

till Friday when we drive back through

on the way back to Virginia

and then to his new home in Rye...

Maximus & Seal

(Thibodeauxs parents)

(Picture borrowed from Rose Mary's website)

See ya Friday little Buddy!

***

Coming home to Alabama

in the spring time

once again we are reminded

of Mother Natures strength...

a big old oak tree at the

old school house,

across the field,

took a hard hit

during a recent storm,

taking with it the

big old swing set and monkey bars!

A yellow iris blooms in the back yard.

Our peonies are in bloom

Some of the rose bushes show off

Monday ,

we got copies of our

birth certificates

for passport purposes..

Being this close to Canada

we need to go take a gander

at what is there...

took care of a

few things around

the house..

and ate at

"Williams Bar-B-Que"

Michael had bar-b-que ,of course,

I on the other hand having been almost

the length of SIX months..

yes, I said six LONG months without

catfish..

ordered the fried whole catfish..

Oh, Man!!!

I was salivating with anticipation..

each time a waitress sacheted by with

plates loading down her arm..

I came close to

wiggling out of my seat

with excitement

thinking

surely it was our order!

After what seemed an eternity

our plates arrived...

that warm, white flaky fish

tantalized my taste buds..

I was surely in heaven..

once again.

If ever we should get to the

gates of heaven..

and find them closed and unmanned..

a sign hung there will most likely read..

"Gone to the Tennessee River,

Catfishing..Back later,

Saint Peter"

**

Tuesday,

was the day appropriated

for the haircut, color and such..

yeah, yeah I know you thought those

glistening locks that adorns my head

were natural..Sure..you did!

Mary Joyce, the young lady

that takes care of my hair for me

is anticipating the delivery

of her first born child,

any day now..

Miss Marley Reece.

We chattered up a storm..

as always..

she is also a "mama" to 3 dogs

We never run out of things to talk about!

I really enjoy our visits and I come away

in better shape than I went in!

Tuesday was more catfish..

this time for the two of us from Luna's..

**

Wednesday,

Michael went to Birmingham

to see our family doctor..

I was hoping to join him but, the day had

been forecast for thunderstorms

and possible " tornatic" events.

Tuesday night we had sat straight up

in bed with a Thunder clap

slamming right outside the window!

So, I stayed behind to watch out for

"Miss Chloe"..

the storms blew in with a vengeance

causing Chloe and myself to take up the

old familiar position in the hall ...

me sitting in the floor,

with an ear trained to the "roaring" sounds outside..

praying for it to soon be followed by

the lone and weary sound of a train whistle!

I had no mattress thrown over me,

yet a big hearted puppy was ever vigilant

standing guard over me!

**

Thursday,

found us back in the B 'ham

for yet another round of doctors..

this time it was my turn..

after a mid morning appointment..

Michael and I stopped by

"Dreamland"

for their lip smacking,

finger lickin' ribs!

We had previously been

very afraid to go in on Mama

with all the "Big" Swine flu

scare going on..and us going to

different doctors offices...

however,

no one had coughed, sniffled or sneezed ..

for that matter no one had even looked bleery eyed,

so sitting across the table at dreamland we decided to

get a 1/2 slab to go and venture north to Mamas.

My next appointment was that

afternoon in Cullman so we could make it up there

with alittle time to spare for visiting before we had to

hit the road again...

Well, you know how the story goes..

"the best laid plans of mice and men......."

We got the ribs...

and we headed north..

anticipating a nice little visit..

talking along the way..

watching the sceanery roll by....

the door was locked..Mama was gone..

turns out she had appointments of her own!

We left the ribs with a note hanging on the door..

She said they were still warm when she got to them..

After, my next appointment I helped Michael

get the lawn mower on the back of the truck...

Why do I always end up feeling like

Granny Clampet anytime I take a trip in a truck?

Well, at least this time I would not be

coming out of the church after our

daughters wedding to find a

"new" lawn mower ,

bought up the street at a yard sale,

adorning the bed of our pick-up

parked right out front, "almost" among the flower

drapped white picket fence seperating the parking lot

from the church yard...

Then off to Coach and Nancys house to

see Gennifer with baby presents

for little "Miss Mavaney Grace"

expected

to make her precence known sometime around

the twentyfirst of June!

It was so good to see them!

Gennifer looks so good and seems

to be in wonderful spirits!

We look forward to a visit in July from Coach & Nancy!

Then over to the

Mamaw & Papaw Ryans for a homemade supper!

Michaels younger brothers Tim, and Chris joined us

along with Tims son Graham and Chris's two Justin and Daniel.

About the time we were leaving the table in came

Russel Jay with Kellsey..

They were just getting in from the awards night at the HHS

where Kellsey apparently made a big sweep bringing

home five awards!

Way to go girl!!

We hated to leave good company but,

Friday morning was going to dawn extremely early

and we still had an awful long way to go!

***

With a stop at "Hardee's"

for a biscuit and a cup of Joe

(decaf)

we head north once again.

Michael did such a good job of "strapping down"

the mower it did not wiggle the whole way!

Even across all of the NYC pot holes!

No Waffle Houses up north!

***

When we arrive on Red Gate Road

we are warned that this farm

is watched over by

Great Pyrenees!

That's Maximus telling us to beware!

He is a good looking boy!

We got there a few minutes before

Rose Mary

the wait was not long...

Then back to Virginia.

Its 9:00

But, everyone is up and waiting to meet

Thibodeaux

(Tib-ah-doe)

Michael is very "easy" with the puppy.

Joe, Joseph,and his friend Justin

come to meet Thibodeaux.

Thibodeaux takes to his new little "beginner"bed

like it has been his all along!

The next day we go to

Josephs ball game!

A spot of shade was found early!

talking to Uncle "Woe"

Joseph

(Woe-woe)

after the game, off we go to

Charlottesville

for a visit with our Carrie.

She gets to see the three of us and

meet her new little "brother".

Must keep a close eye on that long legged pig!

It could be a troublemaker and need

a "big" shake every now and again!

and that dastardly blue cactus!

All this toy control can wear a puppy out!

Stinkey lounges on the stairs

Carrie

playtime.

***

The next morning we are back on the road

and some 12 hours later are back in Rye.

The puppies did great on the trip back..

Each time we stopped at a rest stop

that young man took advantage

and had no accidents along the way.

He found he liked laying across

the large arm rest with his nose under

Michaels arm and his legs hanging over into my lap.

On the deck in Rye

7 weeks old

Chloe watches over him

but, has not been playful with him yet

exploring the yard

Monday was a full day of being home

with our own fenced

in yard..

It started out watchful...

and

happily turned playful!!!!

Thibodeaux is a 7 week old

wiggling,bouncing,wagging,running, rolling,

jumping,wagging, barking, growling,

licking, eating , drinking, playful

bundle of joy!

The slide below contains

Chloe and Thibodeaux's first

"playtime"

(Chloe has really accepted him!)

***

Humor is the great thing.

The minute it crops up,

all irritations and resentments slip away

and a sunny spirit takes their place.

*****