Perfect Ending to a Perfect Day!

My first official day off for the summer was perfect. I spent the day by the pool, soaking up the sun. Chip and I ran up town to get some lunch and there was a man on the side of the road selling "Huge Shrimp" (at least that's what was painted all over his beat up truck!) We stopped to check him out; as shrimp suddenly sounded like the perfect thing for supper tonight! Well his shrimp was truly HUGE!!! He told us they came from South Texas coast. We cleaned and deveined and put on the grill...they were WONDERFUL! Joe and Lynn came over and we managed to put away 10 lbs!!!! Here's a picture of the big ole things...before we tore the heads off..

After supper everyone enjoyed watching the NBA playoffs on the patio...such a relaxing day! I love my job, but I LOVE my summers!!!!

READY FOR SUMMER!!!!!

Finished getting everything by the pool ready for a long summer today!  I’m so ready for some rest and relaxation!  Don’t think I can say too much about my expectations…come join me!!!

This is where I plan to have my raft facing all summer!!!

The Most Awesome Dessert!!!!

Last week P.I.E. parents honored us with a wonderful meal for teacher appreciation.  Which by the way was fantastic!  We love our PIE volunteers!  My favorite dessert was a Reese’s Peanut Butter Trifle!  They should really bring recipes with their food!  The favorite ones are always leaving us wanting more.  I set out on a mission to find that recipe so I could make one this weekend at the lake. I searched the internet and found what I thought was a match and made one.  IT WAS FABULOUS!!!!  Here’s what it looks like….or should I say, “looked” like.  It was the hit of the party.  It was devoured in no time flat!  

I plan on making another one for our Smith family reunion in a couple of weeks.  I’m sharing the recipe because it is so good, I want EVERYONE to experience it!

SERVES 12

• 1 baked 13x9 chocolate cake
• 1 cup chocolate chips
• 2 (3 ounce) packages instant vanilla pudding
• 3 cups milk
• 3/4 cup peanut butter
• 16 ounces Cool Whip
• 4 bars Reese's Peanut Butter cups

1. Crumble chocolate cake and set aside.
2. Beat the pudding mix and milk together on med low speed til blended, then beat in the peanut butter, beat until smooth.
3. Fold in 1 cup Cool Whip.
4. In a large trifle bowl,layer 1/2 the crumbled cake, then 1/2 the peanut butter mixture and 1/2 the chocolate chips.
5. Smooth 1 cup Cool Whip over the peanut butter layer, sprinkle with 1/2 the chopped Reese's bars.
6. Repeat with another layer of cake, peanut butter mixture, chocolate chips. Cool Whip and top with chopped Reese's bars.
7. Chill for 4-6 hours or overnite.

I made three layers instead of two and put 6 reese’s bars instead of 4!  INCREDIBLE!!!

BEFORE and AFTER: one week later….

As promised, I’ll try to keep posting pictures of lake progress.  Here are a few before and after pictures of Greeson from last weekend to this weekend.  A HUGE difference!  They told us that they were dropping lake levels 15-20 inches daily until the people from down river started to complain….then they will stop or at least slow down.  From our end of the lake it appeared to have dropped 10-12 feet…from the dam end, it appeared to only have dropped a few feet???  Don’t exactly know why…of course it could be my perspective! 

It is still a long way from being back to normal, but seems to me it should be back to normal by the time we go back the middle of June for vacation!  At least I hope so!

Before when you drove up to Kirby landing, you were greeted with water at the intersection.

After:  now as you approach the intersection, there is pavement that you can actually drive on!

Before the birds had waterfront property.

After a week’s passing, the birds are again flying in the air with several feet to spare!

Before: the bridge at self creek.  John Boat?  Maybe?

After:  the bridge can now accommodate a bigger boat than a week ago!

Before the handicap camping spot.

After:  the handicap camping spot!

Before:  Camping spot number 3.

After:  Camping spot number 3.

Before:  the overflow side.

After:  Hard to believe this is the same spot!

Before:  Water running over the dam.

 

After:  Water coming from bottom…not over top!

 

Before:  Water rolling over top.

After:  No where near the top!

It’s amazing what a difference a week makes!

How High’s The Water, Momma?

We have had reservations for Memorial weekend for months now. We always go to Lake Greeson and camp with all our friends. With all the rain we’ve been getting, the lake is flooded, so all the campgrounds are underwater. Our reservations were cancelled and they told us that we may not be able to camp here by July 4th!!!! Oh no!!!! We have two weeks reserved!!!!????

We tried plan B for next weekend. We went up this weekend to “check things out.” We’ve rented cabins that are up on a very tall hill and plan to go 4-wheeling on Albert Pike.

Here’s a picture of the dam on Lake Greeson. The water is flowing over the top of the spillway! That’s just crazy!

Chip is checking out the other side of the dam…the water is pouring out like a huge waterfall.

Normally, when they release water from the dam, it flows out those huge holes on the left and right of the spillway. Of course they cannot open those now because it would FLOOD the Little Missouri River on this side of the dam. Since the lake hasn’t been this high since 1968, there were LOTS of people around taking pictures and posing in front of the dam. We had to join in the fun!

This is a closer view of the top of the spillway.

I know if the dam broke at this point it would wipe out the whole town of Murfreesboro! Chip said he saw a little leaky place to the right of the spillway. There was dripping down the side of the dam…( I didn’t know if I needed to go stick my thumb in it, or just get the heck away from it quickly!)

Now we’ll go back a day and see what we saw yesterday on the lake from the boat. This is the dam and spillway from the lake side. You could see the water white-capping over the top of the spillway. I had this vision of the houseboat getting sucked into the current and going over the top of that thing…riding the water down the ramp and making out way “QUICKLY” down the Little Missouri on the other side. Kind of like the ark did on the movie “Evan Almighty!” I told Steve to turn the boat around, I had seen enough!

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Joe and Steve are listening intently to whatever it is that Chip is telling them.

Notice the gorgeous scenery in the background. I love Lake Greeson! Now they pose for a picture.

Another view of the dam...

I never thought I’d see Castle Rock at about the same height as Turtle Rock??? IF we could have got to Turtle Rock I bet it was under water completely!!! Not hard to jump off of now!!! Chimney Rock was almost completely underwater. I thought I got a picture, but I guess not...

Another boat approaches Castle Rock. You can get more perspective…..

Marla and I enjoying a “breezy” day on the boat. I mentioned earlier that the lake hasn’t been that high since 1968. Marla took this opportunity to tell me that SHE wasn’t even born yet!!!??!!!! I told her she could shut up now….Point 1 sign….usually 20 feet out of the water… On our way to Self Creek from Kirby…watch out for that tree sticking up out of the water…you can only see the top!!!

The new camping spots…most are underwater. Guess it will be a while longer before they open up!

The point where the big rock wall is….Where’s the wall???? Oh, it’s UNDERWATER!!!!!

The boat ramp at Kirby….??? Where’s the boat ramp?

Kirby Landing

The sites in front of the bath house…

The boat ramp…again…where?

The swimming area…larger than normal….

Boat ramp again…

Now that’s our camp site….????where?????

Bathhouse…waterfront….

larger view

Swimming area and boat ramp… Now, there’s the light for the boat ramp…???? Where are we going to load our boat?

look how high the water is on those light poles in the distance…..The guide poles at the top of the boatsheds are running out of room….they usually stick up about 20 feet…less than that now!!!Chip and I taking in the pitiful sights….

The overflow…brick wall???

Trying to video tape and take pictures at the same time…not an easy task!!!

Everyone taking it easy, cheesy….

Self Creek Bridge…would a John Boat fit??? maybe by itself without a rider????

Self Creek Bridge

We would have to swim to get to the houseboat….notice you would have to walk up the ramp….Normally you have to walk DOWN the ramp (at a pretty steep angle at that!)

Since there were no campsites open this weekend, Steve’s Momma, Jane Dodson offered to let us stay with her on her houseboat…just a “small” step up from our camper…??? lol??? ha ha

Here we are ready for a fun weekend…

The Dodson's: Steve, Marla, Hunter, and Steve’s Momma, Jane

Lynn and Joe Roberson

The inside of the boathouse…beautiful, isn’t it?

This was where Chip and I stayed. I felt like we were in a luxury hotel!

Eating breakfast…

Hunter treated everyone with his famous neck massage…..I guess it must have been a little TOO good….Chip caught me napping afterwards!!!!

We got up this morning and went to Kirby from the street side…DID NOT like what we saw! This is the view from our car going from the Ranger Shack…The sign says, “no picnicking”….DONT think that will be a problem!

This is the road that we USUALLY take to our campsites and the boat ramp….Can't go that way!!!!We had to go in from the back way. This is what we found..The handicap site is TRULY handicapped now…

We had to stop our car before we got to the sign…we ran out of road.

A closer view of the handicap site

LOVELY camp sites, don’t you agree?

Hummm, now IF I needed to go to the bath house, what would be my best route? Backstroke?

Campsite number 3…can you see the sign?

Wonder if the electricity works?

The overflow…playground on the right. Now WHY would they put a playground so close to the water? lol….they Didn't!!!!

Chip looking at the damage….

Playground fence…

The overflow….appropriately named..?

Road sign…You think? DUH!!!

Now aren't those birds lucky? They have waterfront property! That thing’s supposed to be sticking way up in the air!

Steve and Joe ready to grill. What’s for supper? Water?

I will post comparison pictures later in the summer for those of you who aren’t familiar with the area!