REPRISE OF A BAD DAY

Blue Plant Pot mentioned in
previous post.

Since several of my readers noticed I did not mention what happened to Luckie after I left her two hours early for her beauty shop appointment, I am writing an addendum to my horrendous bad shopping and medical appointment day Thursday. No, I did not abandon her, although the owner loves her.

Luckie's appointment was 12:30 p.m instead of 10:30 a.m. She was so early (2 hours) the congenial shop operator who loves to see her, kept her in a cage by her side as she washed the other little whipper-snappers and worked her in. She talks to all of them as if each were on a direct phone line to her.

The only laugh of the otherwise bad day was a two-bit, beautifully groomed, gray miniature poodle in a cage awaiting pickup,who growled loudly when Luckie walked in. Luckie just stared the poodle down and quietly went into her cage which was below the poodle.

Luckie is as big a dog as the groomer takes; she has a bad back. However, she has a lift table which 40 lb. Luckie stands quietly on as it rises to her washing tank. Apparently by her reports she is a perfect customer. She comes home with a little cloth neckerchief tied around her neck.  She doesn't jump off the elevator lift table, loves to ride in car, yet she won't get in our boat and even hates to walk on a very substantial dock, and she  jumps off the exam table at the vet [must be the expectation of needles!]

Square Stone Walkway From My
Carport by Front Steps Around
Handicap Ramp to a Gate

Husband picked up Luckie about the time I was in the bread shop. I called on the cell phone about 12:30 p.m. to asked him about the bread supply before I entered the bread/bakery shop-no answer. Then he and his backyard neighbor son arrived at Home Depot the same time I did. He had a less than pleasant experience there, too.

Our front yard renovation has required tons of mulch, dirt, and  50 flat stones for a walking path we created. We bought mulch and dirt in such large quantities they were entire pallets. Home Depot charges $20 for the pallet. Lowe's does not. Remember that for future reference. Lowe's will take theirs back and recycle them, but does not charge for them.

Square Stone Walkway From CenterDriveway - Front
Steps Around Handicap Ramp to a Gate

My husband was a tad disgruntled about the $20 charge for one pallet from Home Depot, after all we spent at both stores. It took about as long for him to get a refund, as it took for me to get the ticket sale mess corrected. He did get a refund, somewhat grudgingly. I don't know his argument, but I would have said your competitor across the street charges nothing and we are going to return their pallets for recycling at our cost of gas for the 30 mi. round trip.

Some Kind of Mold/Slime Growing Out of Brown
Mulch with Beetles Munching on It Yuck!
Similar Slime Is In Another Bed with Same
Mulch But Has Tiny Flowers Sprouting Out
of It. Will Take Photo When Flowers Are Larger.

Although both stores have similar or same kinds merchandise, one seems more popular than the other in our area. I'll leave it to you to guess which one. Personnel and the management and training thereof, make all the difference. In 99.5% of the time, "the customer is always right."

Today we have a benefit to attend at our local VFW hall. There is one elite restaurant in our little town that has area reputation for fine food called The 178 Club.

One of their long-time waitresses has had brain surgery and now taking radiation treatment in Little Rock for an indefinite period. Prognosis is not known. The part of the tumor removed was benign, but a part wrapped around a major brain artery is malignant and could not be removed. Metastasis is not known publicly.

Her and my husbands worked for the City. He is still working as Sewer Superintendent, a super nice guy who knows how to quietly  manage his job despite many years of mayoral changes and politics.

Sewer plant manager/operators have to obtain many licenses; the 24 hr. plant operation demands testing effluent at regular intervals. There is weekend and holiday duty, as well as emergencies. Our plant is located near The White River which has a very high EPA rating that must be met.  Any spillage, no matter how small, must be immediately reported and corrected.

Square StoneWalkway - Closer View of
First Photo of Same Subject
on This Page

Although wages are probably much better elsewhere, our City via the Arkansas Municipal League various programs for member cities, offers excellent benefits. But there are the deductibles, the co-pays, the near 300-mile round trip to Little Rock, lodging, meals, etc. so a benefit for such a hard-working long-time citizens is entirely appropriate.

Usually we buy tickets and give them away. I currently plan to go since there is also some auctions, although I may just give a donation and pick up meals to go.

[The major problem I had in posting was related to BLOGGER IN DRAFT. You cannot use the older composing window any more and had to uncheck that choice in my settings. Photos were easier in the old composing window is the only reason I kept it.]

Any photos by myself are probably unrelated to subject matter of this blog unless I get the flower pot planted today.]

I've made photos of this rose bush before. It actually is supposed to be a climber. It must be of very old hardy stock and was on our lot when we bought it in 1980. It rarely shows any rose diseases; it receives little pruning, fertilizer, etc. and produces roses most of spring and summer. [This is same photo, which do you like?] If I had used a polarizer to take reflection off the leaves, both would be better shots. Photoshop can minimize, but cannot correct everything. It is a close call for me depending on my mood. I did not use any cropping in Photoshop photo so the comparison would be harder. Not sure I would have cropped anyway.

Vintage Rose
SOOC (Straight out of the Camera)

Vintage Rose
Some Photoshop Element
features applied