Beat The Drums Slowly!

Today has been great! Lisa and Matt came out this morning to help Tony and walk our dogs! Right after I had walked six miles the phone rang and it was Kinky. "Do you have four eggs that I can borrow?"

Even though I was in my sweats, and had not had a chance to clean up, I was over at the Lodge in three minutes, delivering him four eggs. We had a fun visit. He read four pages out loud to me, that he had written to get my opinion of it. "OMG! Kink that is some fantastic writing! I love it!" Then he started cutting up some hot peppers and a little onion, added the eggs and then poured his soon to be breakfast into the hot skillet as we talked about Hank's progress and how happy we were for him.

"Frank!" Kinky hollered. "Breakfast is ready!" As Kinky and Frank ate their breakfast we talked some more about Hank and the Will Bark For Food drive. Several times during their meal Frank removed  tiny pieces of the pepper from his plate and set it aside on his plate. With his eyes watering Frank said, "Kinky, are you trying to kill me, man? I don't like peppers and these are the hottest that I have ever eaten." Kinky laughed and continued eating, as smoke came out of Frank's ears.

After breakfast I returned to the rescue ranch to find Lisa and Matt helping Tony replace the last busted pipe from last week. While I visited with them Matt and Tone kept teasing Lisa about it being her turn to replace the piece of pipe. I was enjoying my visit with them, but needed to go inside to clean up, so I excused myself and went inside the trailer.

Carlton was flashing, I had one new message and it was from our friend Ruth. She had called to tell us that she was on her way out to the rescue ranch and she would see us soon! I looked at the clock and realized I only had about twenty minutes to take a shower and dress before Ruth arrived!

When I turned on the shower nothing happened! The water was shut off. I stepped outside on the porch and watched Tony and Lisa driving away in Kermit. Then I saw Matt down by the pump house and hollered, "Matt, the water is off!"

"I know! Tony told me to turn it off because when we turned on the water another piece of the pipe just busted!" Then I saw Kermit returning Lisa and Tone with more pipe. Within seconds we were standing outside the outdoor restroom where the pipe had busted. As Matt helped Tony cut off the busted pipe, they started teasing Lisa, again about them doing all of the work and Lisa not helping them replace broken pipe. "Since we don't have water, I'm going inside and dress in layers so I want stink when Ruth gets here. Bye."

Six minutes later, I was outside laughing with everyone! Poor Lisa, she had decided to replace the piece of pipe to show the guys that she could, and she now had blue pipe glue all over her hands! "I fixed it, Nancy!" Lisa proudly declared, then she started laughing. "Tony told me that nothing can take off the blue glue, but he has promised me that it should be gone in a couple of weeks!" As we laughed, we watched Ruth's truck slowly coming towards us!

When Ruth got out of her big red truck she introduced me to her family. "Nancy, this is my favorite grandson, Manny, who is nine, this is Stephanie, Sydnee (that is the correct spelling, because I asked her how she spelled it.), and this is my sister Arlene."Then it was my turn to introduce them to Lisa, Matt and Tony, and I got everyone's name right, which is unusual for me since I am no longer good with remembering names!

After a brief visit, Lisa and Matt took off to walk some dogs. Then Ruth's family and I took off so I could give them a tour of the rescue ranch. Along the way I told them Hank's story. When we reached Hank's pen, so they could meet him, the gate was open and Hank was gone! I was disappointed and so were they, because they could not wait to meet him. Then I looked up and saw Lisa and Matt walking into the rescue ranch, down by the gate, with Hank and Nellybelle walking side by side with their tails held high! It was so awesome!

When Lisa and Matt reached us, Hank let everyone pet him and so did Nellybelle! Then they took off to put Nellybelle and Hank into the same pen down by the barn!

After Ruth and her family had met all of our dogs we ended up at Hank's and Nelly's pen. Lisa was inside playing with them and they seemed to be really happy together! Then we saw Hank jump up on Lisa and smear mud all over her overalls! Lisa just laughed about it even though she was now covered in mud, and had blue hands!

I gave Ruth and her family the 'Grand Tour.' We went into my writing cabin, then into the Space Ship and then we went into Outer Space, the trailer, and they loved all of it! Then we went over to the Lodge to visit with Kinky.

When we walked inside the kitchen Dylan and Frank were sitting at the kitchen table visiting, then Kinky walked into the kitchen and I introduced everyone to Kinky. He gave them his 'Grand Tour' of the Lodge and then we had a really fun visit!

After they left the ranch, I returned to the rescue ranch and made lunch for Tony and me. As we were eating, I told Tone that I have decided to take drum lessons. "Tony, I think it would be fun to learn how to play the drums! Kerrville I.S. D. has a drum course coming up, and I am going to sign up for it!" Tony's jaw dropped and he put down his fork. I could see the food in his mouth!

"No, Nance. Please don't learn how to play drums," he half begged, while shaking his head back and forth, "you know that I hate drumming. It will drive our dogs and me crazy. Please don't take..." I couldn't believe his reaction.

"Tony, I am not going to buy a drum set and be banging on drums out here!" I said, as I shook with laughter. "Good grief, T.! I only have to buy a little practice pad and two drum sticks. It is only a one session, two and a half hour crash course on February twenty-eighth and it only costs thirty dollars and twenty nine dollars at the door, for the practice DVD! It's called Just ONCE Drums for Busy People." Then I showed him all about the course on page eleven in the Club Ed catalogue and he settled down some. "Tony, I promise you that I will beat the drums slowly and softly."

P.S.Tomorrow I will post a picture of Hank and Nellybelle together in their new pen. This evening when we went outside to check on the dogs. Hank and Nell-Bell were inside their doggie condo and seemed to be quite happy. Thank goodness!

Y'all have a great evening!