Everythings coming up Roses (or is it Rhodo's)!

Wow! What a weekend! We had our third best sales day ever on Saturday! Oil pre-buy letters have started to go out and $4.85 a gallon is a common quote- YIKES!! Pellets would have to be well over $500 a ton to match that price-(they're $239). To celebrate we took the guys to a favorite old haunt of ours, and another of our guys who doesn't work on Saturday joined us, as well as a friend of one of our guys. The Pasta Loft.
In the beginning Art and I ran the business by ourselves. We would usually do an install or cleaning in the morning, go to the store from noon to seven, then on many nights do deliveries after we closed. So we ate out a lot! Pasta Loft was always a favorite. Good food, great bar, and live music. We all had great meals, and beverages of course ;). The owner of the place even got us a round on him- good guy!

Lizzie is continuing to grow. She has now gone outside. Very big deal to her. The first day I took her out while I was hanging clothes on the line. She stayed low and close. The next time she went out with Art who was doing a little work on the pond pump. Zoi was outside, too and showed her some great hiding places. After that she wanted to be outside all the time! Chasing bugs, and running in circles like a crazed cat. One little hitch. We have that dog in the neighborhood. You know the one. Doesn't listen, takes himself on walks. Loiters around and steals Polar's food all the time.
Imagine that. I got a picture of the little pest. Generally we ignore him, but one day Izzy hopped outside when he was here. He tore after her like a coon hound on the hunt! I managed to chase him away- Polar did nothing- thank you very much... Later that day she snuck out again when I returned from the mail box (man she is fast!!) Well, old reliable was waiting in the bushes. He chased her for a good five minutes. The cat is a pretty cat it turns out. No smarts, but pretty cute. She ran in circles, ran around the house, over the bridge through the field. Didn't go up one tree, didn't go under a porch, didn't go in to the open door to the house. So after flailing and screaming like a looney I caught up to them. He had her cornered. He was just wrapping his mouth around her. He wasn't growling but I wasn't taking any chances. I kicked him as hard as I could in the soft spot between his belly and back leg. He yelped and ran off while Lizzy ran up my leg panting with eyes as big as pie plates. She hasn't been out since. I keep watch, and the dog is still trolling the yard. Maybe I need to get the pellet gun out. Pop a few in his butt!
I sure hope she learned something from this! She is doing a good job of hiding here :)

Here are a few other shots around the yard.
I am still putting the flower beds back together, but the flowers are starting to rebound.

Polar catching frogs in the pond.

We are so busy at the store I have lost my Element. Loved that car! But, when we bought it I knew I would only have it until they needed another service vehicle. (((Sigh))) On the up side I have a new car. We love VW's and have had many over the years including my first car-a Dasher, a Corrado, and our 2001 Passat that is going strong! I needed a wagon though. I was spoiled by the space in the Element. I did not want it to look like a Mommy-mobile though. The Passat wagon they make now is SO BIG! it verges on a mini-van. Hubby didn't like the new Tiguan, and the Touareg gets horrible gas mileage. So we looked at the Audi's. I fell in love with the A3 at a car show a few years ago. It was just a little too small, though. It also had a silly sun roof that was practically the whole ceiling and only covered by a mesh. I am not a sunroof person, so this was a big strike against. They did have an A4 Avant (wagon) on the lot. We looked, we sat in, we sat on the fence (literally) behind it and pondered. Then we went in and saw the guy who had been talking to us over the years (we had probably looked a half dozen times over that period). He told us a bit more about it like the fuel economy of almost 30 mpg, all wheel drive, and some fancy transmission that constantly adapts. So I drove it. Wow! It was a smooth ride. So easy. They laughed and said it was because the Element is so clunky on the road. Well, he talked us into it. It wasn't much more than getting a new service van for the store, and it was our plan to give the Element back. So new car for me.