Do you ever have days/weeks/months where you feel your life is just spinning around spitting poo everywhere?  (really close your eyes and think of a machine that does that).   I kind of am starting to feel that way and am really struggling tonight to just stop and get some perspective and "turn it over".    The past 2 days have been way up high and then down in the poops for sure.   Why does it seem like the moment one thinks things are turning around (in my case it usually means financially) something else screws with it!?  I'm going to intersperse photos in this post so you all don't think it is just a big "whine"!  :)

So in the most speedy mode EVER one week after submitting my taxes I have both of my refunds!  YAY!   Since the van needs a $700 repair and I had at least 2 vet visits for my dogs I'd been putting off AND I had plans for all the remainder to go to the credit card that is screaming in pain.  I was thrilled and today went out, paid bills, called the vet for appointments and BOOM!   The water association police come along and tell me that my cistern isn't shutting off when it fills and shut off my water!   Now mind you it wasn't that running down the yard but none the less, now I have to have the well guy back out again (this is starting to be a yearly pattern I don't like).   Of course they did all that while I was trying to get work done here at home which made me cranky.   Sigh.   

Regardless the van is scheduled to go in tomorrow after the mechanic telling me yesterday that the less gas there is in it the better (and quicker he can have it done).  Shoot!  So I idled it in the driveway all morning and this afternoon I went out and drove around for an hour.  This is the only time you will hear me curse the fact that it gets fabulous gas mileage.   I got it down under 1/2 tank and that is the best I can do.  A bit dicey driving the gas out when the fuel pump is dying and could strand me at any time so now just hoping it will start for me in the morning - next stop the mechanic.   See how stupid weird my life is?  Oh but wait....

Took 4 of the boys over to the river at lunch for a walk.  It was breezy and kind of chilly but we wandered around the deserted camping/recreation area and let them blow off some steam.   It was really wonderful and yes I managed to almost fall in the mud while bushwhacking up a hill but already had the dirty pants on from Sunday (good plan huh?)!

Can you tell by these shots that Epic is also part mountain goat?  Yes it is a straight down steep hill on the other side of that fence, and yes that is his tail "high tailing" it down the hill in the other photo.  Keeping him away from water in impossible but necessary when it is in the form of questionably thin ice.

We paused to take the token "sit photo" as we headed back to the truck and the boys did fabulous.  As I got up I felt something poking me through my pants.   Then as I walked it poked even more.   Get this (it is how my life is going)....I apparently put my knee down on a little bitty cactus when I took their picture.   Rolled up the pants, determined the problem and that I couldn't pull them all till I got home, looked at the back of my knee and saw somewhere along the way I'd also poked something behind my knee and left a bloody scratch and bruise.  Okay so I hadn't even felt that!   You can stop laughing now!

Made it home just fine, with one half of a cold leg (no putting pants leg back down on cactus spines), happy boys and headed straight for the tweezers.   Wouldn't have helped to have them along as I didn't have my glasses and couldn't see to pull them anyway.   By the time we got home though there were lovely little welts to show me exactly where they are.   Tweezers and Lanacane - love em!

I was super duper proud of Louie and he seemed to really enjoy getting out and about with us today.   He gets braver every single time he gets to go and just explore.   Every now and then he seems to catch himself having fun and whips back around behind me but still.  You can tell by these with his calm eye that he was enjoying it.  The first one is my favorite and I think the next one makes him look like some teenager - boy I need to groom that boy!

Oh and these two characters were enjoying the last rays of sun Monday night up on the power pole behind my house.  The one towards the front was acting much like a baby begging the piece of food the other flew up there with.   Didn't work but it was interesting to watch.  I see a pair of ravens around here a lot and wonder if they maybe don't have a nest somewhere nearby.

So that is the long and short of it and I'm ready for FRIDAY!  :-)   Oh and I almost forgot - the tile samples showed up today for the backsplash so need to do some thinking about that (oh wait AFTER I pay the well guy) and I found these super cool wall clings to add to the odd shaped wall I have in the kitchen (and some spares to use in the trailer).  What do ya think?