The Beast is Ba-a-a-a-ck!

After 31 days in the shop, we got our "Beast" back...our Dodge Ram 3500 dually. Caliber Collision in Elkhart did a fantastic job. The truck looks brand new. They kept us informed by text messages all along the way where they were in the completion of repairs. They even informed us of a recall for something called a drag link, something to do with the steering alignment. We had never received any notification from Chrysler/Dodge about that. Josh, the technician at Caliber, researched more about that as it is a two stage repair that should be covered under warranty, yet Chrysler is not making this recall widely known. We will tackle that hurdle in the near future. We highly recommend Caliber if you ever need body work done on your car or truck. 

The latest on our Pinnacle fifth wheel is that Progressive was not happy with the 51,000.00 estimate from one repair company in the area and went "shopping" for two other possibilities for us. That 51,000.00 estimate was for replacing the entire side wall of the driver side of the RV along with a 12,000.00 cost for replacement decals (included in that cost). Everyone who has looked at the damage directly seems to think that big expense is not necessary, that the damaged fiberglass and frame can be repaired and the wall will still be structurally sound. After reviewing quotes, we have a repair date of August 14th with Allegiant RV Service and Sales. That's the soonest we can get in. We will discuss thoroughly our concerns about the difference in repair costs with both our insurance rep and the repair company about the repairs that are to be done. We want to be sure the rig will be structurally sound and not have cracking issues or other frame issues down the road.

In the meantime, we CANNOT travel. We cannot risk the cracks and broken fiberglass/bent support frames getting worse if we travel somewhere, limping along with our rig. We are so lucky we were able to drive it back to Elkhart to get it fixed,  so here we stay. We will be in Elkhart, IN all summer and well into the fall while we wait for the repairs to get done. Even if the rig should be completed sooner, Sparky is enjoying subbing so much that we have decided to stay till November so she can teach and earn some extra money. One can ALWAYS use some extra money, right? Like for craft supplies, haha. (Just kidding, Eldy!) 

Sparky is subbing a LOT--they really need subs. Sparky only subs K-3, for many reasons. Stay tuned for more on that later. The other day, a kid asked her, "How old are you?" And when she said, "Seventy-two", the kids all gasped and that same kid said, "DANG! That's OLD! How are you still alive?"

early May for trilliums

Sparky has been riding the Pumpkinvine Bike Trail and watching the sequence of wildflowers blooming as the weeks move along and the temperatures warm. This is a wonderful bike trail, and Sparky has written about it many times. It's May and the trillium are waning....This deep rose one was a beauty and even as it fades, it's still gorgeous, a rare color on the trail.

The wild geranium are coming on strong.....

Greater celandine are adding a beautiful yellow POP to the scenery....

If you get on the Pumpkinvine Trail between Abshire Park in Goshen and head towards Middlebury, you pass an Amish ice cream shop called "Mooey's". They have good burgers and great ice cream, and a small farm pen out back where you can see newborn piglets in spring and this awesome turkey strutting his stuff. One of Sparky's dubious skills is she can really gobble like a turkey, so when nobody was around at the moment, she let loose with some gobbledygook, but this one wasn't having any of it and strutted off. (Sparky also clucks and communes regularly with the chickens in the chicken coop right outside our door, explains E.) We get to have fresh eggs, still warm from laying for breakfast! (FOCUS, Sparky! reminds Eldo).

Oh, right. Many local Amish frequent this ice cream shop that opens in late April. In they come on horseback down the country lane, in their buggies or on their bikes, so you can hobnob with the Amish, although very briefly. They are reticent, usually, and photos are a big no-no, but it's great to see the old order Amish and their families enjoying ice cream as much as the next person. 

Eldy is going to take up golf again while we are here. He's got more family in this area, and they are all excited to have him here for awhile to play golf and visit. So he's enjoying picking up the sport again!

So, with that update, we will leave you right there....If we do anything noteworthy or new developments crop up, we will keep you posted! Thanks for reading and following along with us....

              

                                         Sparky and Eldo

The Last Couple of Days…A Mongoose Gets Loose!

Sparky's been teaching nearly every day to have some extra money for trips this summer. Sorry, no photos for this part, privacy issues for school kids, parental permission, stuff like that….

Kindergarten…..It was Cowboy Day, er, Cowgirl Day…Sparky had a great time going along reading stories with a Texas drawl and wearing a big ten gallon hat borrowed from the classroom teacher for a little while….It was fun to urge the little ones to "get along little doggies!" C'mon, cowgirls and cowboys, saddle up your horses, it's CHOW time!"  A LOT of the kids had on cowboy hats, or chaps or bandanas, and the teachers gave out metal sheriff stars for good behavior. The kindergarten teachers even tried to teach the kids to line dance. THAT was interesting! Kids going every which way and loose!

Another day this week was wacky Wednesday. Some of the staff really get into these theme days….This is one of the wonderful special education program teacher aides, Miss Stox…She followed the theme days every day this week. She has the patience of Job with the kids. She's great!

We special education teachers are a little wacky, don't you know! Gotta have a lot of heart and spirit to work with special needs kids.

Sparky subbed in a first grade classroom the next to the last day of school. Everything was going as well as could be expected, with kids at an all time high energy level, when Sparky introduced a lesson on popcorn which was going to be served later that morning. The object of the lesson was to first explore a piece of popcorn--a kernel, with the senses. OK, kids…what do your eyes tell you when you see the kernel? What do your ears tell you?  "Uh, Mrs. Sprinkles, (the kids hadn't got Mrs. Sparks down yet)…I just dropped the kernel in my ear and I can't get it out."   Sparky says, reassuringly, "Oh, you probably actually dropped it on the floor honey, don't worry about it. "   "No, it's really, it's in there, I can feel it!" the little girl says, remarkably calm. Sparky is starting to feel not so calm. She's thinking, oh, boy….this is not going to be good….Sent the little girl down to the clinic….Sparky checked in later…. "Oh, yes. There really was a kernel inside her ear. She's going to have to be sent home and taken to the doctor or the E.R. where they will suction it out."   Yikes! Thankfully, parents weren't too upset. These things happen all the time says the nurse…Don't worry about it…..The teacher won't be upset…Sigh….says Sparky. But she still worried….

OK, so we move along to visiting the second grade classrooms as a preview for the first graders to familiarize themselves with their possible teacher for next year. Parade around the second grade classrooms, one at a time, ask questions, see what's what in second grade. We get to the last classroom visit, and the teacher has a critter in a wooden box with a partial metal cover on it. The kids ask what's in there? Is it alive? Yes, he says. What is it? ask the kids, crowding around the box like trap. He points to the board where there's a mongoose illustration being shown as the current second grade class is studying them, and he asks, what do you think it is?  The kids guess "mongoose". He says, that's right! Sparky's like, yeah, sure. But she can see that something is in there. Be careful, he says, as the kids lean in closer, trying to see.  He adds, they bite! The kids lean even closer, "I wanna see, I wanna see!"

The teacher says, "Can you hear him purr? Listen closely, but not too close. You can scratch the outside of the box and maybe he will come closer to the screen where you can see him." We all lean in, including Sparky, trying in vain to see the little mongoose, and all of a sudden the teacher yells, "LOOKOUT! THE COVER IS LOOSE!" The cover flies open and out flies a pelted fur animal of some sort. Sparky screams "AC-C-C-C-C-K-K-K!" The kids scream, "A-AAAAAACK!" The animal was wired to the trap door opening to come flying out when Mr. W. pulled the string. It was some kind of skunk pelt. And the kids went bananas…."DID YOU SEE THAT? IT HIT ME IN THE NOSE!"  "IT CAME FLYING RIGHT INTO MY FACE!" exclaimed another. "It scared me half to death!" Sparky said. And she told the teacher,  "Mr. W., I think you just shortened my life by about ten years!" The kids couldn't stop talking about Mr. W. and his animal for a LONG time after we got back to class. But it was really funny. Naturally, all the kids wanted to be in Mr. W.'s class for next year.

We got through the rest of the day without incident….Whew! Sparky is going to miss the little rug rats, but she's ready for a rest!  See you soon….in a calmer place probably….

A Mish Mash of Stuff and the Mote

Sparky is going to be all over the map today, not as in traveling the U.S., but as in catching up with all things Sarasota and Manatee….She's been subbing a LOT lately….Heartwarming experiences, funny tales, and frustrating experiences at times, but always rewarding with many hugs received each day she subs….

Kindergarten several times….A little boy studied Sparky intently one day, checking out her glasses and her ears. "Do you wear a hearing aide?" he asked. "No, why, do you think I need one?" Sparky replied.  At which point, the little boy mouthed the words, "Can you hear me?"  And Sparky, ever on the ball said, "Of COURSE I can hear you!" His mouth dropped open, and he said incredulously, "How did you do that?"  And Sparky, not wanting to give away any teacher secrets, just smiled slyly and moved on with her lesson.

Had lunch with an ornery bunch of second graders today….Sparky's class asked if she would eat lunch with them. Knowing this class was a little on the ornery side, Sparky said, sure! But they had to have a good morning….and they did…So Sparky ate lunch with them. A little girl with dreadlocks asked, "Would you be my mom?"  Sparky was a little taken aback. "You have a mom, don't you?"  "Un-hunh," she replied, "but I still want you to be my mom." Sparky had a feeling that maybe her mom wasn't in the picture. Hard to tell what prompted that request….

"How old are you?" is a popular question. "How old do you think I am?" is the usual response. And then the fun begins…"Twenty-five."   Kid, you win the most popular kid of the class contest, hands down, and an A++.  "Aw, she's not twenty-five, she's fifty-five." That kid gets second prize for sure! And one more kid goes, "I think she's seventy." That one gets the booby prize. For the record, Sparky is going to be 64 in July.

A comment heard from a little kindergarten girl…"I'm just really rockin' it today!" That little one has some self-confidence. You go, girl!

When Sparky's sister and brother-in-law were visiting, we headed to the Mote Marine Aquarium and Research Center once again. The Mote never fails to deliver an interesting and informative experience no matter how many times you go. There's always something new going on, or something you missed the last time you went. This time it was the "Extreme Survivors" exhibit in a new wing of the aquarium. Very cool unusual animals who protect themselves from predators and who are VERY dangerous to come in contact with….like the bumblebee dart frog…Poisonous toxins are secreted from their skin and  paralyze respiratory muscles causing death to their predators.

Here is the blue ringed octopus. When it is calm, it's grey. When it gets riled up, it shows rings of blue, then watch out!  It is one of the most venomous animals on the planet.

Their bite contains tetrodotoxin venom and just ONE MILLIGRAM can kill a human. They are not aggressive, but people have been bitten and killed through their carelessness.

The peacock mantis shrimp, sometimes known as the "thumb splitter", has some amazing qualities. Its claws can deliver a blow that has 200 pounds of force! Its punch is the fastest on record, at 50 mph. It can shatter glass and splinter crab shells. Their claws are so hard, scientists are studying them because they can deliver 50,000 blows between molts and not get cracked. Scientists are interested in applying this knowledge to the study of body armor.

"How about them sea apples?" Sea apples not only secrete a foul tasting toxin, causing problems and killing some species, but they also can expel their internal organs, giving their predators a meal, and allowing them to make a getaway. EWWWWW!  ---But interesting...The internal parts grow back within a few days….They are very beautiful, aren't they?

Sparky loves the viewing tank where the turtles are. There's a lower viewing window at kid level so you can watch them up close. Or they can watch you. And they do…..

Did you know they now track some sea turtles with satellite tracking devices? Some turtles have a transmitter epoxied to their shells and when they surface to breathe, up pops the little antennae, and a signal transmits to a satellite which bounces back their location to Mote Marine Laboratory. Amazing!

And that's the latest news from the Mote….All good things must come to an end…Sparky's sister is headed to Matlache, another wonderful, quirky little artist colony village/town south of Bradenton…or is it north?….(Eldo is sleeping or he'd set Sparky straight)…Nite every one….Till next time….

Sometimes Blogger Stinks!

You know that post that Sparky talked briefly about the Winn Dixie ad and fuel perks and her crappy cooking? Which has now been deleted because it looked so awful when it published...There was a cute photo of a dog named "Sparky".  Sparky, the dog, was experiencing gas from the dog food, and the headlines read, "Now, Sparky's dinner give you gas".…..Sparky thought the whole picture was there when she published! Darn that Blogger! It was really cute! Oh, well….But wait…Where there's a will, there's a way…A picture of a picture…..And Eldo reassures everyone that Sparky's cooking isn't really THAT bad…Right, honey?  Eldy? Now where did he go?

What's new, Sparky?  Sparky has been busy subbing….First grade…yikes! Second grade, YEAH!…Cute kids, one special class that Sparky keeps getting asked back to sub in and they are in love with Sparky. Sparky loves them right back. How could you not love a class that when they walk in the door, every single time they see you, it's "MRS. SPARKS! THE BEST SUB EVER! OUR FAVORITE SUB! YAY!" Then they told me, "We took a vote, Mrs. Sparks. Everybody voted for you except Lee. " That's ok, Lee….He's a sweetheart, too, and he felt bad for the other sub who didn't get any votes except for his lone vote of confidence. They have so much enthusiasm, it wears Sparky out by the end of the day. Sparky will be back in their classroom this coming Friday….Full moon this week…four day long weekend for the kids with M.L.King's birthday on Monday, and teacher training on Tuesday. They were bananas! But we had fun…

Sparky has been playing pickle ball at least once a week….LOVE LOVE LOVE this game…Great exercise, not as much chance of injuring something as it is a shortened up court game that combines a smaller  than a tennis size court with a ping pong type squarish paddle, a wiffle type ball, doubles play instead of singles play, fast reflexes and lots of strategy on where you should place your ball and how you play. Sparky is hoping it will keep her mind a teeny bit sharper having to keep score (which is a little different in pickelball), and keeping track of that fast moving ball. The only problem is, after playing an average of three hours at one time, Sparky can hardly walk for the next 24 hours, she's so sore. It's that all or nothing mentality--play like a weekend warrior!

What else have we been doing or thinking about doing?…Looking ahead to visiting with Pam and Vic Matthews (Big EZ Travels) in the near future, seeing our friends Ritchie and Nick Boersma who are snowbirds, who are in the Orlando area, Sparky's GOT get her kayak into the water, Sparky's best friend is coming the last couple of days of January, and there is lots of stuff going on in Sarasota and Bradenton during the tourist high season, which is now.


Like the six painted pianos that were placed in and around downtown Sarasota this week…..It's part of a public art project. Six spinet pianos were decorated by seven local artists, and outfitted with dehumidifiers to help them deal with Sarasota's humidity. From now until the end of May, you can tickle the ivories, but please don't play "Chopsticks", which is PROBABLY what the local merchants wish when someone sits down at a piano in front of their shop.

Sparky had five years of piano lessons, but do you think she could play anything if she sat down at one of these? Did anything come to mind? Nope! She hasn't touched a piano since 1964, so that's probably part of the problem. The other part is that when taking lessons, Sparky did NOT practice diligently each week, but relied on learning the music by ear, so reading the music is much harder for her. But she sure wished she could have sat down and knocked something out to impress Eldy. The artist happened to be at the circus piano he painted but we didn't get a chance to talk to him. What a cool thing to see and hear and interact with on the street today!

This piano, painted by local artist Jack Dowd, is located in front of Mattison's City Grille. It is decorated with famous musicians who left us too soon….

A lady came and sat down at one of the pianos while we were walking around town today in the beautiful weather, and darned if she didn't whip out her iPad, which had her music on it, and she started to play…not just any little ditty of a song, but a complex piano concerto of some sort. It was BEAUTIFUL! And what a treat to just be walking around town, and hear an impromptu concert outside on the sidewalks of Sarasota! If you head over to Facebook, Sparky posted a short video of this lady playing if you're interested. It's on Sparky's timeline…She was very very good!

Sparky was on a mission to see all six. Unfortunately, because it was a holiday today, two of the pianos were housed in shops for the day and inaccessible to the public. But we managed to see four in all….

in front of Louie Modern

The pianos are supposed to be in the following locations if anybody local is interested in seeing them: In front of Madison's City Grille, Main Street Traders, and Bohemian Bliss Boutique--all on Main Street, in front of Louie's Modern Restaurant on Palm Avenue, at the corner of DiFilippo Kent Gallery on Palm Avenue, and in front of the Sarasota Opera House on Pineapple Ave. These are all in downtown Sarasota within a short walking distance of each other. And if you must, you can play "Chopsticks" or that other piano duo favorite, "Heart and Soul".

See you later…….