Another Spring Day......

On nice days between the " rainy and snowy" days, we've been working in our yard. In the Spring we put all our energy into making it look as nice as we can... It's such good exercise after a long lazy winter and the result of all that hard work is so gratifying.......

Tom has designated himself BOSS this year... We've never needed a BOSS before... we've always worked well together as we think a like (use too) and just automatically worked well side by side without a word being said.......

He's kind of a confused, ornery, something flew up his butt kind of boss..... and I guess I have to admit, I'm kind of a disgruntle, under paid employee...... I think I heard him say something like..." Your so darn stubborn boy!" under his breathe... I SNICKERED to myself.....

I remain silent, with a pleasant look on my face and keep my body language non threatening, I ignore his attitude and work with him as best I can...... Some time's it lasts for only a short time and sometimes it's an all day thing... Depending on how confused he is....
At the end of the day, we admire all we have accomplished. He'll say "What a GREAT day we had.... I love you MOM and I love you my girls......" His face is soft and his eyes are full of love and his chest pops with pride!
And I'll say "Yes it was a GREAT DAY, and we love you too!......... AND I thank the LORD for getting me through another day.......

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I have fun writing stories about my life with Tom and the girls......He LOVES reading them and laughs.... He say's I'm funny and I tell him I wouldn't have anything to write about if it weren't for him being such a clown...

He likes my stories as he likes to see our lives the way I write about it.... he knows he has bad times and episodes that he can not control... he doesn't like that.... so at the end of the day I write about the good things and fun things out of the day and we "throw away" all the bad........

To those who know Tom...know he's a "story teller"....... he always has been..... There is always truth in his stories but he takes truth and makes it a TALL TALE ;-)

Tom has such a desire to be a legend.... hence his tall tales... He's never been able to live up to being the person he sees himself as in his mind..... So he makes himself that in his TALL TALES.....

Tom IS digressing...that's how the disease goes.....meds can slow it but not stop it or cure it and for some, it just makes it worse.... It is what it is and we are learning everyday how to LIVE with it...... as it changes......

I try to keep Tom as safe as I can with out taking all he enjoys in life from him.... He told me before and time and again.... I love the woods and if something ever happened to me out there on one of my adventures... at least I lived the life I loved and died happy.........

I monitor how he is functioning and am prepared to do what I have to do....... but I will allow him all the freedom I can, for him to live his life the way he chooses, that doesn't endanger anyone else.......... I do my best to keep him as safe as I can.... the rest I give to GOD......

MOM Went Trappin'

To my surprise this AM, Tom said yes, when I asked if I could go with him to check his traps..... OOOPS! I mean..... "walk the trap line"...... He usually says... "It's to cold for you... what about the girls....you need to clean up the house.......blah blah blah...

So I jumped into some warm cloths and my rubber boots before he could change his mind.... He's been known to do that...... : )



Before you know it we were off..... The girls sadly stayed behind..... Maggie is great to take along but a little heavy for the 4-wheeler to ride that far and a little over weight to run that far....




Lilly can run and NEVER tire but doesn't pass the obedient test.... She'd be in a trap before you know it and than we would not only have a three legged beaver, four fingered Tom but also a three legged dog.....

I was prepared to do some "w a l k i n g" .......... because yesterday the girls and I "w a l k e d" 2 1/2 miles to where he was trapping and he said he had put on some miles too..... through the brush.....with a pack sack on his back..... and I thought "wow".... now that's a work out.


So we pull up to the first spot and take off our outer jacket and bomber hats.... Tom puts the pack sack on his back... tells me to carry the ax....I thought.. wow! here we go : )




I set off to follow the mighty trapper along the creek bed to check his miles of traps....we walked through a little brush and down a small embankment to the creek... there sat his first trap....out of the water... "darn water dropped" he said... we stared at it for awhile. Than he pointed out all the fresh poplar chewings and their caster mounds and than he decided to leave it... reset it tomorrow...

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Okay let's load up our gear and head for the next.....OH!!!!!!.... that's all the traps on this
creek?




Back on the 4-wheeler to the next spot around the corner......we walked a little further this time........ I only had to get snapped ONCE in the face by a branch to know it's not a good idea to follow to close..... I'm a quick learner.... ;-)




We stop where he has his first trap on the creek bank....he looked confused... he says..."now did I pull that one? Where did it go?" I could see there had been at one time, a trap set there but there wasn't one there now.... He got a little upset. He couldn't remember......... I pointed out it was not there so he must have pulled it....but he pondered quit awhile 'trying to remember and just couldn't...he finally settled for what I said and we moved on...



The water had dropped a lot so his next two traps were out of the water... He reset one and pulled the other.... We walked along the creek on a deer run way for a total of about 1/4 of a mile both ways total........





I've figured out by now the trek along the creeks were not as far as I had imagined and you can't get lost as long as you follow the creek.....







Back on the 4-wheeler we head to the BIG BEAVER DAM... I know this one... we've driven up to it before and I've always looked at it in awe... these creatures built this massive thing... amazing.... By now I've peed on the ground... blew my nose in the air and spit. Y E S !!!!!! I'm one with nature...... Tom looks at me like "okay......and I'm the one with the problem?" Than he laughs!




We make our way through the woods to the edge of the beaver dam.... At one spot the water was RUSHING pretty hard through it... I'm thinking about hanging back as he heads across the top on the slippery, narrow, dam....toward the beaver house and rushing water....





He stops and looks back... I said, "I'll wait here for you"... He smiled and said.."come on, it's okay" aww man, I wish I had my life jacket... that water looks mighty deep and cold....one slip and in you go........






He helped me across the open spot where the water was rushing...I walked ever so slowly... We got to his trap and it had been sprung... Darn it he said.... so he reset it and I handed him the poles to place it back in the water.....



While he was monkeying around with it he started to lose his balance... I laughed and said...."is this where you stumble and fall in?" He said "YEP".... after some fancy stepping he caught himself just short of going all the way in...... We both had to stop and laugh.... It was a mighty close call and he would have been swimming with the beaver......




I was extra careful on the way back after laughing at him knowing my turn was next...... BUT I did manage to stay up right and dry....... WHEW!




One place left to go...... and I am having a blast...... I love the woods and Tom is quite entertaining..... There was only one trap on this creek too..... but on the way in he took a dirty fall.... "ka-boom"....... he looked up at me and we both burst out laughing..... did you break anything?" I asked....... "nope....and this isn't the first time I fell... something happens every trip I make... I just don't tell you... I have quite a timeout here by myself......




That was our last stop and now headed home....

Three Footed Beaver?

Oh My!!!! Looks like this fella lost a foot?????? Um mmmmm I've been thinkin' and I think I know what happened to his foot......

Tom left early this AM to go check his "trap line" All four traps that is...... He said he'll be home late as he had lot's of trappin' to do......

Well....maybe an hour later he was riding on back to the house.... I met him at the door and said.."done already?" He said "no, I got my hand in a trap"..... I asked calmly, "anything broken?" He said "no"...... He took his glove off and said " only one side sprung and got my thumb... I need it bandaged up so I can go finish....."

THAN I had the light bulb moment..... Tom's thumb......beavers foot.....Hmmmmm?

After I got him all bandaged and taped, a hot cup of coffee ......he said, "that's not all that happened either" I smiled and said, "oh?"

He said the poles he had in the back of the 4-wheeler to anchor his traps to..... were not there when he got to his first site.... had to improvise... He picked them back up on the way home to get his thumb bandaged.

He headed back out to do what he started to do but this time told me where he was going... I don't think he was feeling too lucky and decided to lean toward caution.... I suggested a life jacket but he declined....

A Funny Little Story!

Tom's been waiting for enough snow melt and water run off to set a few beaver traps..... Gives him a REASON to go get stuck in the mud in the woods....... So off he went....

I made him promise that he wouldn't get stuck or fall in a beaver pond and drown. He very seriously promised...... and off he went....Him and all four traps.

He came back later.... pretty wet. He fell in. But kept his promise. He didn't drown. I pulled his water filled rubber boots off out side and emptied the pond out of them before bringing them in to put on the boot dryer. Tom was beyond any dryer.... so I had him just shed his wet cloths in exchange for dry.

Than he chuckled and said now you want to hear a funny story.... Guess that wasn't it. So I said okay.... what's funnier than you falling in the pond.....

He said he was setting a trap where he seen fresh poplar chewings ..... He was just about finished with it when he looked up to see the intended beaver watching him set his death trap...... NOW we'll see who has the last laugh..... Tom or Mr. Beaver.

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The Next Day............

The Mallards have landed... but it looked like Mrs. Mallard was saying..Boy this water is hard... ha ha....

The Wood Ducks like their new found place on the knoll..... That's good because last year everybody was squabbling..... " I was here first!"


Tom found an old wood duck house, fixed it up, painted it with marine paint and put it up on the knoll. We'll have to see if they move in there.....

Our yard looks like "On Golden Pond" as the kids have nick named it..... It's running off but it seems as though all the water from the woods must pass through our yard to get to the ditch so it will be a while before we are dry.


Maggie loves it... She made her big "SPLASH" I had to laugh.... There was no stopping her... Down she went, in the middle of the pond and pleasingly lapped up the water around her.....

Lilly likes the water but says it's way to cold yet to go swimming and her sister is going to catch "panonia"

Tom's been obsessive about clearing out our frontage by the county road... He started it last year... so I've been helping so he will come back in the yard where I can keep an eye on him and there is plenty that NEEDS to be done.......

Gotta love spring even with all the mud in the house from my three mud puppys : )

Spring Clean-up

The snow is melting a little faster these last few days...ditches are full of water and so is the yard... I detect some mischievous thoughts in the girls....They have been testing the water...They stand in it and paw and glance at me for a reaction...I ignore them hoping that the uncertainty of there thoughts leave them thinking..."maybe not!"

We've been cleaning up fallen trees from our winter storms and getting them burnt up before the fire bands go on...... My graceful nature of coarse shined through.... "graceful feet plus big rubber boots and lot's of mud & water = 1 dirty, very wet, old lady with a few bruises..... ego that is"

Kel & Jason & the girls stopped by... The girls thought it was pretty funny.... especially the part where I try to lift and shove the neighbors big male golden lab into the back seat of my car with him having his brakes on because he wants to stay and play and I want to take him home.... I WON!

It was so good to see them all especially my grand babes who are growing up so fast...... It felt so good to hug them.... I didn't want to let go.....

I trimmed bangs and they had some lunch and headed outside to play...... Needless to say, they came in soaking wet and left wrapped in blankets and their wet cloths in a bag.....



To make the day a perfect day.... towards evening our ducks came back.... Mr. and Mrs. Mallard circled where their pond usually is but still has some snow in it...





the wood ducks picked an alternative in our yard, up on a knoll where we just got it all cleaned up and the water hole is open there.....



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Tom really enjoys us all working together with the girls running around by us..... He does tend to get a little excited about things as he perceives things differently ...

When he gets confused or unsure of something, or the girls aren't listening to him or I'm not doing things the way he does them..... he gets upset..... BUT the girls do listen to me and I've learned how to shut out "noise" when my children were little ..... and I still have that talent...... so it's all good and we end up having a good time.......

At the end of the day and we are all four "snuggled" in bed.... Tom says "thank you for all your help and for the wonderful day! I wasn't too bad was I? " I say... " not at all.... and thank you for a wonderful day!" .... He sighs with a pleased smile on his face and says " now close your beautiful eyes and go to sleep... You worked hard today!"

Sun-Shine-y Days ☀ Good Friday

We have been having some beautiful sun shinny days... warmer temps, cool wind and cold at night makes for a pleasant spring melt. Water is able to run off, wind to dry. Much better than the flooding we started with.

It's been a long cold winter... It defiantly took it's toll on us. It's great to be able to get out side and putz around... Tom's been working on his drive way... It's his pride and joy....

I've been picking up branches from fallen trees as they appear as the snow so slowly melts away... We still have a lot of snow left. It frustrates Tom but for me it's a blessing in disguise as He can't do all he has in his mind he wants to do and the snow and weather are keeping him at bay for now...... ; )

He was able to go fishing with some buddies a couple times last week...Caught some perch and crappy-s...... Tom was so hungry for fish he didn't grumble too much as we cleaned them... Just took a lot of coffee breaks so as to not get to frustrated. Mmmmm they made a tasty meal....





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Today is GOOD FRIDAY........

I get so rapped up in OUR WORLD with Alz. It wasn't registering in my mind... It's time to put all other things aside and reflect on what this season is all about.... What God did for us.... After all GOD is my means of survival not only to care for Tom but for me to survive it too....... I forget to stop and Praise God for all his blessings..... I thank him everyday but I forget to TAKE TIME FOR GOD.......To really reflect, praise and honor him........

Easter has always given me a special feeling of JOY deep down inside... It's like as the winter months drag on, toward the end it starts to suck the emotional life out of you. Spring brings you renewed feeling of NEW LIFE.

BUT it's not really "SPRING" but" EASTER".... The Resurrection of Jesus......

The Joy that filled my heart with new life...... "Easter Morning"......started not with the egg and easter basket hunt when we woke up....BUT ..... With the sound of my DAD's strong voice singing out at the top of his lungs....... "UP FROM THE GRAVE HE AROSE!!!!" The "feeling" he radiated (to me) was "electrifying"......I don't know how to describe it...... I know to this day when I awake Easter Morn...I feel like it's the FIRST DAY of the rest of my life... Energized with renewed HOPE, LIFE, JOY, STRENGTH.........GODS GRACE! and I blare out..."UP FROM THE GRAVE HE AROSE".............

I miss my Dad terribly...... But he lives in me and my wonderful memories of him...... Our Lord died on Good Friday,
But the cross did not destroy
His resurrection on Easter morn
That fills our hearts with joy.
Now we know our earthly death,
Like His, is just a rest.
We'll be forever with Him In heaven,
where life is best.
So we live our lives for Jesus,
Think of Him in all we do.
Thank you Savior;
Thank you Lord. Help us love like you! By Joanna Fuchs

Back In Buisness

AHA.......Here I thought I lost my sharp shooting skills.... the last time I shot at a squirrel I emptied the clip on my .22 rifle and didn't come close to the squirrel... It was laughing at me up in the tree ( I could hear it) and the girls were very disappointed in me.

Could I ever redeem my self? It didn't look good. The squirrels are bombarding us...I think they multiplied over the winter... formed an army and planned their attack in numbers today.....

The girls were going nuts as they were running along the side of the house, stop at the sliding glass door to stick out there tongues at the girls and scurry to my bird feeder.... I wouldn't have believed them either (they have been known to tell stories) but I saw it with my own eyes....

I told them they had to wait till their Dad got up because I couldn't hit the broad side of a barn.... Than Tom told me that yesterday he noticed the scope was loose and fixed it... it was dead on!

So I said fine... hope your right........ hate making a fool out of myself....but I needed to renew the faith my girls had in my shooting skills so I said " OKAY!!!! Let's get 'em girls!!!!!!"

So we let the squirrels get comfy in the feeder and than I'd let the girls out... They were suppose to tree the darn things and than I'd shoot them..... Well the first time Maggie was so on it and it made a sharp turn and she lost her balance and slid on her butt with the squirrel under her... How it survived her weight is beyond me.....

But after a few more times they got them up a tree I could shoot them out of... Dam... the gun was dead on... one shot... No laughing squirrels and some proud doggies.....

Maggie manages to get the squirrel first and won't give it up to me so we have to bring it in the house to show Dad and than she easily gives it to him......

You'd of thought he trained her or something : ) He really didn't...... her actions are all her own. He does take the credit though.....

Happy Anniversay

Today is "OUR 10th WEDDING ANNIVERSARY".... "WOW"...... And it was said that no one could tame the "wild beast" in Tommy Olson..... You know what? That was true.. I had to do the "if you can't beat 'em - join 'em"......... and the wild beast lives on....with a side kick. "ME" Ha ha... J/K

I read this to Tom and he laughed........ But he said I wasn't his side kick..... I was a part of him. awwwww how sweet. So that must mean I'm as crazy and wild as him?

I should clarify the definition of the word "wild" used here in this blog means....... "untamed.... live in the woods with the animals." And definition of "crazy" used in this blog means......"and we are loving it."

Yesterday we looked through pictures of our first year together which was 17 years last December.... Oh we laughed and the memories that flooded our minds were never ending.....

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When our journey on earth is over we would like everyone to know.....❤ "WE LOVED, WE LAUGHED, WE LIVED>>>>>>TILL DEATH DO US PART..... I LOVE YOU TOMMY OLSON! HAPPY ANNIVERSARY! ❤