83. The Best Black Friday

Our Black Friday was better than any shopping excursion could ever be.  Bob and Bud installed the chimney that Bud had made for the Franklin.  It is fabulous!  All it needs now is a couple of coats of fire resistant paint and a few saguaro cactus blooms that Bob will create and apply.  The minute they were done with the installation Preston and I got the fire going and made S'more's for breakfast. They are the breakfast of champions with fond memories of many, many camping trips to far flung canyons where staying up late was the norm and brushing your teeth and combing your hair was never required, your sweatshirt and jeans smelling deliciously of camp fire smoke.

 The chimney draws the smoke beautifully now.  A few nights ago when we had the first fire it smoked a little bit out the front, but the tall chimney solved that problem. We bought some twinkle lights to hang in the trees for a little ambiance.  Now all we need are a couple of rock shaped speakers to hide in the planter so music can fill the air.  I found in a catalog a fruit jar with little lights shaped like lightning bugs that I want to order if I can remember which catalog it was in.  I hate  it when I do that. "Should I order?  Shouldn't I order?  I'll think about it...yes!  I'll order...now where is that catalog...Hmm."  I see a pattern arising. At any rate, the little patio is coming right along.  We need to move the "Buck Rogers" bar-b-que back there now, too.  We tend to not use it because it is out by the work shop and not so convenient.  More Heart's Desire gravel and flagstone and "Voila!" A bar-b-que pit!  Life is so good!

We had to leave around 11:00 to go to Polly and Phil's for a special invitation to their family Thanksgiving dinner, so we were all buzzing around getting ready and suddenly realized the Maggie was no where to be found.  I know she is important to all of us, but those moments of thinking she may be lost were incredible.  We were all frantically looking in six  different directions. She usually comes the minute she hears us clapping.  You can hear her collar jingling as she makes a bee line to us because she knows she will get lots of scratches and hugs.  Well, there was nothing!  Finally I decided that I would go up the little canyon behind the motor home, as I have caught her smelling around back there before.  As I got near the motor home, I heard her jingling but couldn't see her.  I paused and called and clapped again and then heard a thump, thump on the window of the motor home!  There was her little face and her paws on the window.  When I had gone out there earlier to get the sticks to roast the marshmallows, I guess she must have sneaked in behind me.  I had locked her in and didn't even know it!  The poor little thing had been frantic hearing us call and not being able to come.  I felt terrible, but oh how relieved we all were.

I found this cartoon in the news paper and it just about sums up how we feel.