Springtime

I have a couple of things to update...the ACC basketball tourney and the Las Vegas trip......BUT Baxter insists that I welcome springtime with this picture of him enjoying the beauty of all the spring blossoms!! So I will update later..

Disney's Princess Run

This past weekend, I ended up in Orlando, with my "bud" Elaine, to watch the Disney Half- marathon....the Princess Run! Janet Lynn was going to be there, but ended up making a "Grandma Run" to South Carolina, to watch grandson Jackson, while his parents got over the "flu"! So, Janet, Thanks for letting me take your place!

First of all, let me say...I am in awe of all the young and older ladies who participated....over 7500, with almost 200 "Princesses". Yes, over 200 of the runners were dressed in some type of "Princess" running garb!! As you can see, Elaine and I just HAD to get Tiaras, as well....Those got turned over to Granddaughter, Ellie at lunchtime!

We were part of the chEARing squad for Elaine's daughter, Erica...my daughter-in-law, Lori, and Becky Stoutamire's daughter, Casey. I think we did a great job...although we missed getting any GREAT pictures, because of their blinding speed...and our inability to pick them out of the BIG crowd...Alltel kept us informed with text messages as they passed the various waypoints in the race!

They all had a "Royal" Race and finished strong and proudly, the 13.1 miles that wound through the Magic Kingdom known as Disney!

I was thoroughly impressed with the entire experience... We spoke to folks in the chEARing squads...husbands from Michigan and West Palm Beach, mothers from Canada, Texas and Florida so on and so on. Heard stories about their runners, who like ours, were students, professionals, moms, wives....all wonderful ladies, who had the courage to begin the journey which led them to this race!

Elaine and I met up with Adam, Lori, Rusty and Ellie for lunch at Arby's on their way back to St. Pete, and mine back to Monticello....You see, during this spring forward time, the race began at 7AM, and we were all safely back home by the same afternoon!!

Again....I salute Lori, Erica, Casey and all the wonderful ladies who had the courage to begin this journey.... and the Disney crew, who always puts on a great event....and the Fairy Godmother, who with a Bibbidi Bobbidi Boo, sprinkled Fairy Dust...and to all the vendors in the Expo who showed me more running apparel than I even KNEW existed !! My favorite shirt????? the one that said, "Does this shirt make my butt look FAST?"

Day on the Farm

You are looking at two of the three deer that love to graze in the pasture behind the cabin...actually, the field that Dean planted for them...on any given day, you can spot the deer AND the resident turkey that feeds nearby...however, this past weekend when Margaret was gone and Dean was in St. Pete, Daddy and I had the place to ourselves. We spotted some animals that were not where they belonged....the COWS!!

You see, they normally frolic and play in the fenced pastures to the east of the house....well, I glanced out my window, and noticed a couple of cows and babies who were contentedly grazing on the clover in the back yard, near the pool. I was on the phone with Dean who had just arrived safely in St. Pete, and I asked him to call Gary Tuten, the cows' daddy, and I would try to herd them back in through the gate that they had appeared to "crash" through, until Gary could get there.

It was warm that day, and I jumped into the "mule" ready to gather in a few cows.....when I backed out of the garage, I was shocked to see that it wasn't just a few cows, but most of the herd that were grazing all over the front, back, and side yards..stretching up to and around the barn. For a fleeting moment....I pictured myself saddling up Salty and corralling the group...driving them back through the gate...Thankfully, that was all that was....a fleeting moment..

I did spend about 15 minutes racing foolishly around small groups of cows and babies...waving my hands and shouting "YeeHaw", but they were not even mildly interested in my display of cowgirl skills!! In that time, I actually managed to drive 6 of them back into their pasture, with only about 80 more to go...At this rate, well, sundown was coming!!

At last, I spotted Gary near the other gate, where he had parked, and was now out of his truck, on foot, displaying his cowboy skills of waving his hat and shouting "Hoop...Hoop" or some such cow lingo!! Seems they appreciated his skills much better...and the whole herd at ONCE came down the fence line and back into the pasture! I leaped out of the parked mule and closed the gate behind them...this is when I learned the most valuable lesson of the day.....never, I repeat, NEVER go cow herding barefooted. Those of you have been around cows KNOW why!!

Gary fixed the gate, reprimanded his "children", and the day ended without any more incidents!!! I returned my cow herding "mule", to the garage and spent the next 15 minutes sterilizing and cleaning my "stinking" feet!!

Adam, I just wanted to ask you...when I stepped in it, I said "CRUD"!! Is that OK to say...kind of like "Oh Jimminy?"