Rays Retreat Ramblings

Who Set The Alarm

Its been a great weekend. We just hung out around the Retreat. Mike and Ann have been busy with yard work, and I've just been busy with my birthday toys.... a good life EXCEPT Saturday morning.... . when we went to bed Fri night Ann told Mike ... "don't be surprised if you don't see us before 9 am.. we are sleeping in" .. and boy, that sounded good to me. .. but at 6 am her alarm went off!!! Who set the the alarm?  (We think it was that stinker, Gizzy, she loves the mornings).. Ann shut if off, and shortly after that, the phone rang.. it was her work bugging us! We were up way too early for a Saturday morning. Ann was awake, and I couldn't talk her into climbing back into bed.
  This is my birthday frisbee... its not as good as my very bestest ever frisbee that my Dan got me years ago.........but it throws, and I catch!

Happy Birthday Sparky T...... a few days late

I was more than a little bummed out earlier this week. November 1st came and went...................; without any special loving, not even a happy birthday! Yeah, Gang, it was my Third Birthday. Ann left that morning with Grandma to take her home and never said a word. Not a kiss, extra pet .. just nothing! . . talk about being taken for granted.

But then today, it happened a surprise party for me. Well, it was just family. Gizzy, Ann and Mike. But who cares, it had presents. I got new toys, new chewies, and extra puparoni. They sang to me, gave me my birthday spanking. Nothing I like better than being spanked.

Three years old. No longer a kid, I am a grown young man..................Sparky T.

Happy Halloween

Ann says I need to stop pouting.... and I'm here to tell you I have not been pouting.... just because so many of you choose to be rather harsh with me... I understand that you all have not had the advantages I have but nor do you have the responsibilities either... its hard being Sparky T. ... but that's okay I love ya all.

We have been on the go this month! Can't believe all the packing/overnight trips we've been making. We had a fun time last weekend. I got to go 'down south' and visit family. Played with Molly and then we brought Molly's mom back up with us, but left Molly! ... very disappointed. But Grandma has played with me and spent lots of time petting me and going on walks with us.. when its not raining.

Rain, Rain, Rain nearly everyday. Sure keeps those humans holed up inside. '

This weekend Dan My Mennonite Man is here. And hey, did I tell you all how surprised I was a few weeks ago when Terry and Julie (from Ohio) surprised us with a visit. They're looking forward to winter too.

We're hoping cold winter weather arrives soon.

-----------------------------------------------------Sparky T. Ray
 

Sister and her babies

We enjoyed our drive down state last Sunday. We were able to enjoy some beautiful fall colors on the drive.
  Sunday evening my sister and her family had us for a delicious fish fry. Chris is my fathers daughter, she loves to fish and has a small lake down from her house where she fished everyday this summer. The first picture if of Chris and her two beautiful grandchildren. This picture is her real baby - 220 pound! (isn't that larger than a minature pony) 36 inch neck mastiff... Hank. Who enjoyed plopping down on Mike's sore foot.

I hate

The  days are speeding so quickly I feel my head spinning trying to keep up. Drove back up north today after a quick trip downstate, bringing my mother to north country. 5 hour drive north, quick unloading and then I had to run into work 4 hours, back for supper and an evening of playing cards.

It'll be an intense week.

All I have to say tonight is is short, and not sweet at all.

I HATE Alzheimers!

Silver Streak

Here's a pic of Ann's Silver Streak... or her new car. My opinion - its nothing more than a small kennel on wheels. Much too small for me to travel in... my head was bumping on the ceiling, and with it packed for the weekend babysitting, I had just a small area teeter totering trying to keep my balance the whole 60 mile one way trip.

Gizzy gave everyone a scare when she jumped up on the window opener and opened her window all the way down and she nearly climbed out! ... didn't scare me, I said Go for it Gizzy.

Not a pleasant ride at all for this dog. I much prefer the spacious Tahoe or better yet... The Roaming Retreat we travel in that has plenty of room for this big golden boy.

---------------Sparky T. Ray

Babysitting Weekend

We went over to Lake Leelanau this past weekend. Babysitting duties. Its not a duty. I love playing with the girls. Daylen throws a great ball and she's now taking pictures. She took this picture of me just after I got the ball, and decided to sit down and enjoy the green grass. Bourbon is always a fun old girl. Although she sure is moving so much slower than me.
Here's Daylen watching a movie Saturday night, and the 'hog a dogs' gathered around here hoping for a popcorn to fall... Gizzy and Bourbon, always looking for their next snack.

It was a bit chilly outside. These girls are outdoor girls. And Saturday they worked on painting boxes to store their summer clothes in, looked very messy to me, and I think Ann had quite a job cleaning them all up without getting more paint inside the house.

Here's Miss Princess on the couch overseeing   Bourbon, Grandpa Michigan, Gizzy, Chandler, and myself watching Daylen and Ann. Those two were always up to something. I tried to keep up with them!... while the rest of those in this picture were content to observe us.

This picture is blurry... but you can see I am taking our babysitting responsibilities serious... standing patiently at the foot of the stairs to watch the little one get safely up the steps before I bound up to join them.

...............................................................Sparky T. Ray

A Week Flys By

This week has flown by, and kept me very busy. Sparky has been after me to get the rest of our vacation pictures up, so this page are all from Sable Falls.

Where has this week gone? Its been 5 days since Sparky or I have posted. He did start loading these pics earlier this week....

Saturday afternoon our daughter Lyndy came over for an overnight visit. We were up much too late .. midnight! visiting. Which made us very tired and sluggish on Sunday.

Monday was a busy day at work. Tuesday ... another busy day at work, and when I got home I threw my overnight bag in the little silver car and waved goodbye. I headed over to Suttons Bay. Lyndy, I and daughter in law Ang went out to dinner at a little Italian restaurant and then to the movie. Michael Moore's latest... Capitalism .. A Love Story. This was not a movie I probably would have went to on my own... and it seemed rather long to sit thru after a long tiring day. It is a documentary. I am glad I sat it - very enlightening and eye opening.

Wed morning Lyndy and I were up early to get into Traverse City for a full day of seminar for continueing education credits. yawn................... I slept very poorly, and Lyndy had to keep bumping my elbows. .. so another long day. Got home about 6 pm. Very nice, Mike had a very nice supper ready and waiting. Its good to be away for awhile... helps him appreciate me.

Work day again today and then to the grocery store.... after work tomorrow we'll be packing up the silver streak (he's put my intrepid out front for sale, and I'm now driving a silver Hyundai Elantra)... and we're off for a weekend of babysitting!

First Snowflake

Hey guys... I think I see snow coming... I can feel it, sniff it in the air.

It is!!! It is our first snow.

That is beautiful snow............of course it isn't sticking, and it didn't last long. Nothing better than a first snowflake on your tongue. Hope you catched a few.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------Sparky T. Ray

What is Too Much?

This week has flown by, probably due to being on the go every day and night and stress.... so I'm going to divert myself tonight by sharing some thoughts ... after watching a commercial.

I can remember as a teenager when they first starting coming on the tv with ads for womens feminine hygiene products - and they barely said what exactly they were advertising for in those days. It was a much more modest and discreet world back then, and as a teenager even though it was very discreet by todays standard - I was horrified.

Teenagers today find that very amusing that anyone thinks it would even be odd to talk about womens menstral cycles, men and womens incontinent problems and products, mens difficulties with erection. These are every day, every hour commercial and ads that we now accept as everyday, ordinary and common.

This week however, I have been shocked by a new ad running on the tv for catheters! .. Have you seen it? They are advertising a new catheter (for those who aren't in the medical field this is to drain the urine into a bag)... and they are advertising their wonderful catheter they will send you via mail!!!!!

Too Much!