C is for Chuck

Hi and welcome to my contribution to the 2022 April A to Z Blogging Challenge!

This is the third of many random things that just pop into my head that I'll be writing about for this challenge.

I'd like to introduce Chuck. 

(Hi, Chuck!!)

Chuck just started out as a joke. We went to go see my brother who lives in Ohio and we thought it would be funny to grab a couple skeletons out of my yard to take along.  Not shown is Al.  He's 5 feet tall.

His first road trip in October 2015.    Somehow he just evolved into a family fixture. 

Text from my sister....

He had a good time at said reception, too!

His Cliffnotes story story is that he's like a Flat Stanley, but 3D.

And a skeleton.  He's been to a lot of places with me!

He's learned some land navigation. 

He's been kayaking a few times. 

He went to Michigan's UP with me & the Spouse last summer. 

This is when he got his own Instagram account (@chuck.d.bones if you're interested) because the guy who was driving our carriage on Mackinac Island asked about him, and then asked about social media..... so I thought about it and made it happen! 

He's been to Arkansas many times, Ohio a few times, he's road-tripped to Texas with me - and will be going again this spring!  He's flown to Tennessee (that was hilarious since the flight attendant took a pic of him and showed it to the pilot...who then came back and brought him a set of wings and also took a pic!), He's been to Chicago for my nephew's wedding.  

On top of Mount Washington in New Hampshire

I'm not sure what he'll be up to next, but it'll be on IG when it happens!

B is for Blogging

Hi and welcome to my contribution to the 2022 April A to Z Blogging Challenge!

This is the second of many random things that just pop into my head that I'll be writing about for this challenge.

So yeah - blogging. I started here on Blogger back in 2009.  I was on yahoo 360 before that, and I am 110% positive there was NOT any quality content there, so no loss that I didn't import that over. 

But now, I try to keep my attitude positive and keep the complaining to a minimum.  Nobody wants to read about drama and whining!  I don't anyway. 

However, one of the main reason I started blogging is because I have this unique talent that the middle of my sentences seem to interfere with the beginning of other people's.  It's like no matter what I might want to say, people will either cut me off or talk over me or completely change topics.  But with blogging - I can say whatever the hell I want and nobody can stop me, neener neener!   It would be nice to actually have a conversation with another human outside of a relative, but I'll take what I can get. 

I used to have 3 blogs.  One was about my weigh loss / health journey but I combined it in with this one. It really cut down on the redundancy.  Then my other embraces my love of Halloween. I haven't posted over there recently, since the weather in Michigan this time of year isn't conducive to creating anything!

Oooo - I thought of another good "B" topic!  The Buckstaff Bathhouse!  I've posted about this twice before, so I'll just add those links!

B is for Bathhouse  (incidentally - this is my 2012 A to Z "B" post

Taking the Waters    from 2017 with more pics

A is for Animals!

Hi and welcome to my contribution to the 2022 April A to Z Blogging Challenge!

This is the first of many random things that just pop into my head that I'll be writing about for this challenge. 

This also could have gone under "C" for "Critters".

So these are all of my Furkids. 

I recently introduced the 3 felines during my first Feline Friday post, but here they are again.

Daisy was born in my sister's barn in May 2015.  She came home with me in September the same year. We call her Peep, since when you say her name, she peeps back. 

She's got a crooked tail - I do believe one of the horses stepped on her as a kitten. 

Maddie chose us from the Humane Society in July 2012.  The Spouse is 100% her person. 

She's also known as "the Informer" and lets us know if something is not right in her world - like she can see the bottom of the food bowl or some tragedy like that.  

Rusty also came from my sister's barn in April 2017.  Someone dropped him off there in late 2016.   I respect that he used to be a barn cat, so he gets to go outside, but only on a leash.  And he's cool with that!  He loves people and all other animals. 

Moving on....

This is seriously the best view ever. 

This is me and Kisses.   You'll hear about her a lot.  She is my sister's horse, but I borrow her for search & rescue events.  It's kind of silly that I'm the mounted division team lead for the SAR team, but I'm the only one who doesn't actually own a horse! 

She's an 18 year old Arab / Saddlebred mare.

These are all our babies that have crossed the Rainbow Bridge. 

Skeeter left us in November 2011.  He was my shadow for almost 12 years.  His mom showed up at my parents' house one day and had 4 kittens soon after.  Skeeter was one of those. 

Chester left us in April 2017.  He chose me from the Humane Society and we had 14 wonderful years with him before he went to sleep and didn't wake up.

Maggie left us in February 2012.  She also showed up in my sister's barn one day and for being such a tiny thing, she'd pop out litters of 7-8 kittens.  She was spayed when I brought her home and she adapted happily to being an inside cat. 

Jack left us in February 2019.  We had 15 good years with him.  Pretty sure he thought he was a cat, too.  He was a the best Beagle ever.  Very chill.  He only "AROOOOOO"d if someone was actually came up the driveway, or if you messed with his tennis ball. 

We always had cats & dogs when I was a kid, but these are the ones I've loved as an adult. 

Here's a fun addition - 

I'm all about 80s rock music, so I'll toss in the occasional video!

Def Leppard's Animal