Otis Hunt and Halloween

I called Andrea to have a visit with the tortoises before I leave town, and took the dogs to sniff them out of their hiding places since I have yet to see them since they went to the food forest in June! Andrea's dog, Mavie, Sheba, plus 6 people, all searched for the shelled monsters with no luck. Tricky devils! They must be afraid I'm going to take them back to my lanai!


The theme of Halloween was pointy hats I guess! Dogs made their annual crayon appearance.


Handsome Maverick.


Last year Sheba was bigger than Mav and had to wear the blue shirt, but this year she's skinny mini Sheeb.


Anne and Lesley came to help pass out candy. Jamie and family joined later, with Bumble in his bday suit. Early to bed, big day of driving tomorrow!

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A Week at Weeks Bay, AL

Dogs are loaded up and ready for the sitter while Mom goes on a business trip. How will they (and my stuff) ever fit on our cross-country road trip?


Hurricane Patricia made landfall on Mexico and then came to Mobile. Fortunately my meetings were inside the Marriott where I stayed so I stayed dry and cozy. Roads were closed due to flooding from heavy rains and strong winds.


The sky cleared in time for field trip day, leaving behind a nice rainbow over Mobile Bay.


I visited Weeks Bay Reserve, where I was this summer for a teacher workshop.


I never get tired of seeing the pitcher plant bog and learning about carnivorous plants because they are so cool!


Look inside of this one- loads of mosquito bodies, flies, a few moths, and even a cricket!


Weeks Bay has the last remaining mail boat! Mailboxes are on the docks behind the houses.


Jeff, Kenneth, Margaret and I participated in a scavenger hunt all week. We walked all over the city to get photos with these giant oyster sculptures.


And a photo with Joe Cain, creator of Mardi Gras.


Ray bans at a bar, and a PBR. Bonus points for a selfie!


We were asked to spell NERRS with our bodies, so we googled the sign language alphabet.


We hunted for the 13th oyster until almost midnight! And it paid off- 100 bonus points!


We were happy to accept a second place trophy! The game was a fun way to explore the city.


And then we celebrated with raw oysters! I could eat them everyday (if I could afford the price!)


Who knew Mobile was hip? We heard some hardcore tunes coming from a place called Soul Kitchen.


And we saw the Bone van in our hotel lot. Funny to think about state employees and thug band members all staying at the Marriott, haha.


Then we did a costume-themed race, dressed as sea turtles. Never a dull moment!


Mobile hosts a Moon Pie drop on New Year's Eve from this building- see the round shape at the top? Moon pies are a big deal in these parts.


I had some amazing shrimp & grits from this random food truck on my last morning in Alabama. Oh, the South!

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Pierogi Party

As the birth month progresses, another party took place. This time Rich & Noreen shared their family recipe for pierogies. Flour, salt, eggs, and water.


Everyone lined up around the island in Anne's kitchen and learned their task. A variety of beers and wines helped lubricate the process.


Nina perfected her own pierogies from play-doh.


Five pounds of Yukon Gold potatoes, mashed with 2 pounds of shredded cheddar.



Then sauerkraut. We made a few batches of potato and kraut hybrids. Each pierogi was stuffed, folded, sealed with a swipe of water on one edge, and pinched together.



Then we boiled a batch until they float at the surface. Next is a bath of butter, to keep them from sticking together. Once cooled, we put them in freezer bags and sent them home with everyone.


Great times! We made approximately 500 pierogies and were all covered in flour and butter by the end. The trivia crew is a dedicated bunch!

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14 days without water

What are the chances that I have another slab leak, almost exactly 4 years after my first one? I woke up at 5 AM and swore it was raining on only one side of the house. As I went to let the dogs out before the downpour, it was not raining outside, but sounded like it was coming from behind the TV. A call to a plumber, then a Leak Detection Specialist, and $450 later... 'X' marks the spot, right where I heard it.





I thought having a home warranty was going to save me this time around, but it has actually caused a giant delay in the process. They will only cover repairs under the foundation, but I would responsible for removing tile, molding, and drywall to get to the cement. And after repair, I'd have to find a contractor to put it all back together. All on my dime. How would I ever match the tile? And how long will all this take? And what if there is another leak? This is my second one, after all. Copper pipes don't last forever. After numerous more calls, and several other plumber estimates (ranging from $1200-$4000), I learned that this is ever so common in houses built in the 1970s, and every plumber is weeks behind schedule.






Fortunately my neighbor is a plumber, and replumbed half the house last time. He encouraged me to replumb the entire system years ago, but I was cheap and to,d him jot to fix what wasn't broken. Those words have been echoing in my head every time I want to use the toilet or shower! Today he came by and capped the pipes going to the master bathroom, to allow water to the rest of the house. I screamed when water squirted out into the living room!






The laundry, kitchen, and second bathroom are all now operable. Which is good, because it's been 14 days since we've had any running water! Now there's a big hole in the living room wall, but the tv will cover it for now. It will be reopened in January when Bob is off the crutches, due to a broken leg. He will crawl in the attic, and lay new PVC pipes to my bathroom. Glad to be heading west soon!!

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Sheba on wheels!

Sheba's ability to walk is getting more difficult. I did a ton of research online, and ordered her a set of Walkin Wheels. And she's a champ!

We watched the DVD that came in the box, assembled the wheel chair, and she did everything perfectly. And she wasn't even scared! The power of cookies!




Such a sweet girl, always happy, always eager to please. Love her!





I was dog sitting this weekend, and the bed was unusually high. So we used the doggie ramp to get three of four into bed.





Comfy dogs don't leave much room for me to sleep! ❤️

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The birth month begins!

Charley came to visit for my birthday weekend! On birthday morning, he took me to breakfast at Heavenly Biscuit.


And it was heavenly!



We, including Maverick and Sheba, spent the weekend at the beach house.


My friends came over to celebrate on my special day.


Then Anne hosted a delicious birthday dinner at her house.


I have the greatest friends!


We eat the best food, and drink the tastiest wine.


Next was a trivia celebration!


And an amazing dessert concoction, by Maria. Watermelon sorbet, pistachio ice cream, and animal crackers. It is true that vegetarians eat animal crackers :)


Brittany was very thoughtful to have the special wine glasses made for us. We will sip wine and FaceTime from across the country while I'm on my Portland vacation!



I'm feeling very loved, as I begin my 35th trip around the sun. Thanks to everyone!

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