Mr. Scottie Dog's Adventure

We are in the home stretch....Just one more week to go.  My part is mostly done; it will take me one morning to pack up the kitchen as we move for a week into our travel trailer.  Mr. Scottie Dog has been very busy.  For the past two days he's had a crew of 4 extra guys helping him clear and sort the garage and shop.  Three huge trailers and trucks have been busy hauling salvage to the salvage yard, recyclables and trash to the dump. I'm not even sure they know how many trips.

 This is of course, after Mr. Scottie Dog spent many days pulling out tools and equipment he will need in Minnesota and taking it to a storage unit until we pack up a trailer bound for  the Midwest. One of they guys helping filled his own truck and trailer several times with construction "left-overs" that he and his dad will be able to put to good use here.

This picture is really for my kids....this is Dad's shop.  Clean shelves, floors and just an empty space!


I've been busy putting all manner of things on a FaceBook classifieds page.  Amazing the number of things we've sold.  Even some things to friends!  Feels good to see them go to familiar homes. 

Bill found three old typewriters in the depths of the garage.  We sold them, but not everyone who bought them actually knows much about typewriters.  One gal asked me where she could get paper!  She was excited to know you could use any paper in it.  Ribbons are easily available at office supply stores.

Good job, Mr. Scottie Dog!  What an adventure.

Farewell Trip to Sequoia Park Zoo

When we were out on Friday, Mr. Scottie Dog and I noticed a banner that announced that Sunday would be a free admission day to Eureka's Sequoia Park Zoo.  When Sydney lived here we had grandparents' memberships and we went quite often. 

 

I picked Sydney up from school a couple of days a week and we'd often pop into the zoo just to see one or two exhibits and share an order of french fries or an ice cream cone.

 We drive by the zoo nearly every day so it was fun to stop and do a farewell look around. After Church we stopped on the way home. We started with the monkeys and gibbons....lots of tables set up telling about water reclamation, pollution, energy saving plans, activities and fun for kids.  It had rained in the early morning, but the skies had cleared and the place was filling up.  When we got to the bear exhibit we were surprised at how different it looked.  Oh, it was now a habitat for South American wild dogs.  They were kind of cute and very active.

Next stop, past the Fairy House was an entirely new exhibit to us.  The American Bald Eagle now has a friend and lives among the trees!

 On the other side of the exhibit was a Spotted Owl and on the ground beneath porcupines now live.  Very well done exhibits.  The eagles and the owl are rescue birds who could no longer live in the wild so their life at the zoo is the best of both worlds for them.  They live as nearly a normal life as they can and we get to observe them up close.

I had heard much about the zoo's second Otter exhibit and I was quite impressed.  It is large with a natural-looking stream running through it, many trees and boulders to climb on and hide amongst.  Their pool is large and very deep with many things to play with in the water.

 

 One of the best surprises is a tube you can walk/crawl through their pond and they swim over and under.  They seem to like to look at the people as much as we like to watch them play.

 

 We wound around in the mighty redwoods and saw the yaks, the caveys and the screamers.  Then onto every one's favorites, the flamingos!  They are so pretty and were all up, active and eating something from the muck of their pond which I noticed a new stream and waterfall supplying moving water.

 We hit the jackpot when we got to the Red Panda area.  All three were up close and active.  Lunch of bamboo was served in the trees and Mama, Papa and baby (now 2 years old) were happily munching away.  We learned that baby is growing up and showing behaviors (anger towards mother among other things) that she needs to establish her own new space.  She will be moved out soon to another zoo and Mama & Papa will soon make room for a new arrival.

 Of course we visited the barnyard, the aviary and more.  Each area with memories.....in the 45 years we've lived here Sequoia Park Zoo has come so far!  The habitats for the animals are now very large and natural.  It is no wonder that this little zoo wins awards.  They have a lot to show the big zoos.

Riding the Roller Coaster

 Selling a house, I have found, is much like riding a roller coaster.  (Side note:  I HATE ROLLER COASTERS!)  As you start out everyone is smiling and thinking to themselves, "This is a piece of Cake."  Then comes the chunk, chunk, chunk of the links engaging as your car is pulled up an incline.  You pause for a moment at the top of the loop and then WHAM, rattle, rattle the air rushes in your face as you plummet downward at the speed of light.  The car shakes violently back and forth as your cheeks are pulled back to your ears and you wonder why in the world do people call this fun!  You are stuck in that car as it goes up again even higher this time, turning as it goes, around and up and down at ever increasing speeds.  You hear screams and realize they are coming from you.  With every swoop you realize this was a BAD IDEA and vow never to get on one again.

We never put our house on multiple listings.  Bill put it on Zillow over a year ago hoping someone would see and he could cut short the remodeling.  A few people called and just as he was finishing up two couples called to see the house.  The second set wanted to buy it. and we began the contract process.  There were some negotiations back and forth between realtors.  Up and down on the roller coaster.  All was finally agreed on.  Smooth sailing, right?  Wrong!

We had agreed on a closing date and the inspections were being made.  Oops! The buyer of their house backed out.  Whosh!  The roller coaster was plummeting to the depths.  Just at the last minute they found a new buyer.  Gliding along......Then Whosh!  They want us to give them money for a new roof.  Down, down in the pit of my stomach.  More negotiations, up and down, back and forth.  Enough is enough.  Take it or leave it...maybe we'd do better to put the house onto multiple listings after all. The roller coaster ride was terrible for me.  It's time to get it done, sell the house, move to MN.

The buyers' realtor said, "OK, I'll let them know what you said and they can counter."  NO COUNTERS.  This is it!  or the deal is off.  Wisely they sent over the papers to sign.  Now officially in Escrow.  Sale is complete on May 6.  I am hoping and praying the roller coaster ride is over.  Did I say I HATE roller coasters.  They make my tummy hurt.