The Scooter Triumphs!

Today has been great, because Leisa and Rick are here and Mercury has left the building—so to speak. But early this morning, before the sun came up—it was interesting to say the least.

I was sound asleep in bed with Toto sleeping on top of my pillow above my head and Mama laying spread eagle on her back beside me when I heard Rick say, "Good morning, Tony. Are we ready to go to the Old Timer?" Mama barked and jumped off of the bed.

"Not yet, Rick. It's only five o'clock and the Old Timer doesn't open until six-thirty. It's too early."

"Oh? I saw the lights come on inside the trailer, so I figured it was time for us to go to the Old Timer."

"I got up, because a dang scorpion just bit me twice on the elbow," T. said, "and I just killed it and it hurts like..." They talked for a few more minutes, but I couldn't understand them, because the central air came on and drowned out their conversation and then there was total silence except for Mama's barking.

"Tone!" I drowsily, half-hollered from the bedroom. "Is Rick here?"

"No, but he was," Tony said, followed by a laugh, as he flipped on the kitchen light.

"Why? It is still dark outside. What time is it?"

"Ten after five," T. said, as he let Mama and Abbie go outside into the backyard. "I just got bit twice by a scorpion. Rick saw the lights in the trailer come on, so he thought it was time for us to go to Medina. I told him it was too early and he went back to bed. I'm sorry I woke you. You need to go back to sleep." As Mama and Abbie barked non-stop outside the bedroom window I somehow fell back into a deep sleep.

When I got up at six o'clock Mama and Abbie had quit barking, but Toto, Hank, Little Girl and Thunder took up the slack and barked at me to let them go outside for an important business meeting. After I fed my best friends I made some coffee, started a load of laundry in Queen Bee and then I began making breakfast for us humans.

Breakfast was fun. We teased the heck out of Rick for coming into the trailer at five o'clock and thinking that it was time for them to go to the Old Timer. When he and Tone were outside feeding the dogs and cleaning up the pens Lisa and I decided to give Rick an early surprise birthday party this evening even though his birthday is a week away on the 21st.

After the birthday party plans were made, the dogs fed and the pens were cleaned they took off on Rick's Triumph to explore the Hill Country. I spent the next hour returning phone calls, e-mails, writing some bills and then I called the H-E-B in Kerrville to order a birthday cake for Rick. "I need a small, cheap, chocolate birthday cake that reads: Happy Birthday, Scooter!" I told the baker-man. "We will be in Kerrville in about an hour to pick it up." The man coughed.

"Scooter? Happy Birthday, Scooter?"

"Yes, Scooter," I said, with a laugh and then I spelled it out for him. "Scooter. S, C, O, O, T, E, R." After I ordered the cake I called Wolfmuellers Books. Jon answered the phone. "Hi Jon. This is Nancy. We're giving Rick a surprise birthday party this evening, even though he won't be sixty-four until next Tuesday and we would love for y'all to come to it."

"Sorry, Nancy. We can't. Sandy's cooking tonight. The other day she bought some stuffed chicken breasts that we were going to eat last night, but we were so tired we ate pizza instead, so tonight she is fixing them. Please tell Rick that we are sorry that we couldn't make it and wish him a happy birthday for..."

"I will, Jon," I said. "I totally understand. I'll tell him that y'all couldn't come to his birthday party because y'all don't like him and that you would rather stay home and vacuum and watch info-mercials than drive out here and..." Jon burst out laughing and then I started laughing. "I'm teasing..."

Late this afternoon when the cute Port A. couple got back from their ride—Rick and I went over to the Lodge, so he and Kinky could finish the pool tournament, while Leisa took a short nap in the Space Ship and Tony gave some friendly visitors from Bermuda and Galveston a tour of the rescue ranch.

Five minutes before T. brought the visitors over to meet Kinky—Scooter beat The Hummingbird Man hands down—The Scooter Triumps! And to put it mildly—Kink was not a happy hummingbird.

This evening, around seven o'clock, Rick was totally surprised when Tony walked inside the trailer with his birthday cake. After we sang happy birthday to him, Rick blew out the six grouped candles and the grouped four candles and then I shot the cake and then he cut it and served us all a slice. It was a pretty good cake and fun day.

Y'all have a great evening! I'm fixin' to go to bed.