Sugar Does Photo Shoots

I’m not sure but I think I might be a model. You know, one of those gals that someone is always snapping her picture?

Sometimes they pose, sometimes they don’t. That’s me. Most of the time, the photographer has to be quick to get my picture.

But don’t think I don’t know when Mama is trying to get a good shot. I’ll sit real pretty for a second or two but she still has to be fast.

So, anyway, today, she puts my leash on and we head out like we are going on a walk. Only this time, she has her camera and Papa decides to tag along. I’m really excited because I like when Papa walks me.

We get to this great pile of leaves that I love to play in, and Mama says, “I want to get a picture of her in all those leaves. I think that would be cute.”

So I saunter into those pretty leaves and Papa says, “Sit!”

“Sit? I don’t want to sit in these leaves. I want to ruffle through them, see what I find. “

Man I really love the way they crinkle under my feet. Then they start to stick to my fur like I’m some kind of Velcro toy or something. “Get off me!” I twist and turn my head around to pull at those darn leaves.

 Then I find a special one on the ground and decide it is mine to carry.

Mama tells me again to sit, so I do so she can get just the right shot. Cheese! I think to myself, rather bored. 

We get through that and I think I am off for the rest of my walk with Papa and Mama.

We come upon a bunch of things called pumpkins. I’ve never seen these before. They are kind of cute but not round enough for me to roll around.

So then I am told again, “Sugar sit!” and Papa puts me by these new things in my life and expects me to sit there real pretty. I’d rather go sniff them out and see why I should sit in front of them. They don’t move, they don’t make a sound and I can’t pick any of them up with my teeth. Darn…these things aren’t that great.

Then the modeling photo shoot really starts. Papa gets me to sit for a second, but Mama didn’t snap soon enough. By the time she did, I had turned back to look at Papa. “Can’t you get me out of here Papa so we can continue on our walk?”

Nope, it is not to be. I hear “Sit” again and again until finally I submit and do so. Finally Mama gets the picture that she wants, or close-enough, and I am allowed to get up.

“Okay guys. Let’s get on with this walk.” Wait, we are not going to finish going around the block like we always do? We’re heading back to the camper from the way we came? No, this can’t be!

What about that frog I know is up there by Dan’s driveway? How am I going to pick that up and have Mama make me drop it if we go back the way we came? This isn’t fair! I do all the modeling and then we have to go back to the camper! Geez.

On the way back, we came across some Halloween decorations. I’m not sure what that is all about either but I know Mama and Papa got me a costume to wear.

Mama says pics of me by these will make some nice Halloween cards and then Papa goes crazy! “Are you out of your mind?” he asks Mama. 

No she is not out of her mind, she just loves me and thinks I am so darn cute, which I am.

Sparse Crowd

Things are coming to a season close here at Leisure Lake Campgrounds. Some of the full-timers who stay here for the summer and early fall months have now left to go south. The other full-timers are getting their sites prepared for the winter before leaving. Each week, there are less and less campers here.

The water should be shut off at the end of October or early in November. I would assume that will be the time that we only camp occasionally in the winter. Last year we had high hopes of being here a lot in the winter but didn't make it. We had a mild winter here in Oho last year but we still didn't come out  much. I think part of the reason was that at the time we were still "newbies" learning our way around winter camping, Leisure Lake, and making friends.

We have had a great summer here and have met so many people. There is always someone here to talk to no matter where you go in the park. Campers are such friendly people and when we are at the campground, it seems that people are here to relax. There is no one upsman stuff going on here. I truly appreciate that because after a long week of working (sometimes stressful and sometimes not) I just want to kick back and let my blood pressure return to normal.

Ken and I joke about how when we get here, we feel like our bodies just say, "Ahhhhhh" like a sigh of relief. Do you feel that when you are at a campground?

Another set of twins in the family?

Sugar has a certain look on her face when she is just staring at me. Her mouth looks like a straight line and she reminds me of the Muppets.

She has a poof of hair above her lips and of course more below.

There is another member of the family who also can make the same look, has hair above the lips and more below.

Their hair coloring does not match perfectly but they both have white and that peachy-caramel color mixed in.

I’ll let you decide if they can pass for twins.

Plop Plop Now but Bing Bing Bing later

We ordered a Carolina Carport to cover our camper. The main reason we are getting one is to protect our roof.

There are plenty of trees in this campground and the majority of them are nut trees or oak trees. Recently large branches have fallen but luckily none have landed on any trailers. There was a rather large branch that fell next to the camper which now occupies our former site here at Leisure Lake.

A few weeks ago we filled out a form to have some dead branches near our camper removed. This was done about two weeks ago.

We have lots of acorns and nuts falling here in the early fall. It is like a concert of Plops, plings, bangs, and bings.

When they land on our neighbor's wooden roof over his deck it is more a hard hitting sound. When they hit our camper roof it is more of a thud. But when we get the carport which is metal, it will be more like bing bing bing.

Our lot is pie shaped, narrow in front and wide as it goes toward the back. But right in the middle of our lot are three trees in a line. Between the angle of our lot and the trees which are in front of our camper, we had a tough time figuring out how to make the carport fit. Todd, our local rep from Carolina Carport, came out and measured and figured that out for us. After showing us all the styles, sizes and changes we could make, we narrowed it down to a 20W x 31L carport. Next was to choose the color. We chose barn red to match our shed and picnic table. Once the carport is in, we will paint the deck to match.

There is a second advantage to the carport. It will be wide enough to cover our deck. We won't need to use our awning which we have to remember to roll up before leaving or when it is going to storm.

Ken started getting ready for its arrival which we were told would be three to six weeks. He removed the decking and some of my flower pots. We are now sitting outside on gravel but at least it is level.

Hopefully the carport will come in the next week or two before it starts getting much colder.

Scary Sugar Sleuth

 

Boy did I surprise Mama Sunday morning. No, no, no….I didn’t skip out of church or anything like that.

She took me for a walk. She told me we were going to walk in the woods.

And that wasn’t bad enough. She said we were gonna walk in the “Haunted Forest” .

I heard the A-Team talking about that Haunted Forest thing. They said they went on a hayride through the Haunted Forest last year.

Well, that sounded like fun -a hay ride.

But Mama didn’t say anything about a hayride. She said we were gonna go on a long walk. Not so much fun if you ask me.

So anyway, on the way to the Haunted Forest, I remembered the boys saying how scared they got.

SCARED???      Sugar SCAREd????        Ummmm…No

Sugar does not get Scared!

Over and over I told myself, "Sugar Sleuth does not get scared."

But I had never been to a haunted place before. I don’t even know what that means.

Since the A-Team was scared to go on the Haunted trail maybe I should be ..should I say, something like cautious?

As we got closer to the Haunted Forest, I decided Sugar Sleuth needed to get into action and protect Mama and me.

I put my nose close to the ground, checking for any haunts.

Aha! I found one and snatched it up before Mama even saw.

Oh boy…..she wants haunted, I’m gonna give her haunted.

There was something sticking out of my mouth that gave me away.

“What do you have in your mouth?” Mama asked. “Drop it.”

I clamped those chops of mine down hard. I’m not giving this up. Sugar Sleuth found it on her own and she’s taking it to the Haunted Forest.

 Mama bent down and told me again to drop it. No way! Then she tried to figure out what I had. She said it looked like a piece of elastic sticking out of my mouth.

She tugged on it but I wouldn’t let it budge. Finally she got my teeth apart and pulled it out of my mouth.

“Boo!” I said.

 She didn’t hear me though because she was squealing and gagging. Sugar Sleuth pulled a Halloween prank on Mama. 

Mama pulled a mouse out of my mouth.

Mama was not happy with my surprise. But Sugar Sleuth put the scare into Mama!