This Is A Shorty

So much to do, so little time.  Yesterday was a whirlwind as we ushered another 200 kids around the property.  This time there were several schools with handicapped children and adults.  Once on the grounds, we all run around like crazy loading up and moving out.

Still, I always take time to enjoy the flowers.

It was all good until one autistic boy had an episode on the Time Travel Tractor.  Two adults could not keep him in the car, so we stopped and let them get off.  I cannot imagine the life that family has. At any rate, he was okay as he focused on the barnyard bounce.  All in a good day's work.

This little guy is Dyno the dinosaur.  He's decided to take a tour of the pumpkin bins on his own.  Aren't these just the creepiest pumpkins ever?

And the pie pumpkins ... LOVE the color .....

Then it was on to the gold mining station.   

You can purchase a bag of pay dirt for a mere pittance.

Then screen it in the creek just like the gold miners of old.  Amazingly, the kids find gemstones, crystals and even arrowheads!!!

Finally, Dyno made it to the snack bar for what else ..... dinosaur and batman cookies.  

This is a shorty today ... I have to be there at 8:00 this morning to get ready for 300 kids arriving at 8:30.  I put wristbands on teachers ... somewhere between 11 and 22, check them all in, line up the kids (much harder than it sounds) and escort them into the patch. 

It's like herding cats!!!

Goaty Goats

I'm sitting here, but I'm not really sure I'm awake.  Yes, I went to BINGO last night.  I really wanted more than anything to fall asleep on the couch at 7:00, but everyone seems to be shorthanded.

I arrived at the Patch early to scan the time travel area for errant tennis balls from the shooting gallery  and to check for keys.  You see the day before when I jumped on the tractor with a load of kids, there were no keys.  Hey ..... who took the Time Travel special blue tag?

I raced to the barn, grabbed one set and got back in time to take 65 school kids on the short trip through the corn field.  Whew!!  I was out of breath.  From there, they went straight to the Hay Ride, whose key had also disappeared.

This time I wasn't as lucky and the key didn't work.  I ran back to the barn again and got every single key on the board.  One was SURE to fit.  It was the third one.  I was exhausted by 9:30.

Time to feed the goaty goats.  These babies are raised near Atwater California for milk production.  Truly babies, these guys just want to eat and get petted.  Another jaunt to find the paddock padlock key (you have to keep everything locked up around here) and I went inside to check the water.

These guys are so funny.  In two seconds, I had two with their front feet on my butt.  The third was chewing the back of my shirt.  FEED ME!!!  Of course the alfalfa wasn't good enough.  They wanted grain.  

That's when I got the call to head back up front and do the meet and greet for the next bus.  Seems there's never enough time to take pictures.

Once the school kids have listened to the educational Barnyard Squares and ridden everything, they are ushered to the front tent.  Parents are shooed out the door.  They actually cause us MUCH more trouble than the kids.  

Every single one (the kids that is) get a 6-9 inch pumpkin on their way out the gate.  We finally breathe a big sigh of relief they are all gone.  Time for cleanup and a slow afternoon.  So slow I actually had time to capture some of the flowers.  

These cosmos are planted everywhere, along with millions of mums and sunflowers.

Every barn and building is surrounded with them.  It's just amazing that they all grow.  Of course this WAS once a dairy, so the soil is pretty healthy.

I spent the afternoon giving lunch breaks and trying to take a load off my feet.  At 4:00 I raced out the gate, drove home to feed the puppies and made a beeline (still covered in dust and dirt) to the Elks Lodge for Bingo.

I was pretty rummy ... not a good thing when you have lots of people trying to steal from you.  It just amazes me they are so brazen.  An entire pile of Bonanza game tickets disappeared right in front of my eyes.  Of course I didn't see who did it, but I was pretty sure I knew who was at the table.

I had the guys walk around looking for anyone filling out fifteen tickets.  There's one thing about Bingo.  The regular players don't like cheaters.  In no time at all they knew who the culprit was.  Luckily, she did NOT win.  Can she play those cards next week?  Not a chance.  We change the colors on those cards every week.  Those orange ones are now locked away and won't be played for the next YEAR!!  

Completely exhausted, I fell in bed at 10:00.  All too soon, it was 4 in the morning and the puppies were up.  One thing for sure ... this is going to make me the strongest old lady in town.  I'm off again, determined to sit more than I stand!!

Travel Back In Time

The big draw to this pumpkin patch, besides the pumpkins and a day off from school, is the Time Travel Tractor.  As I drive along the dirt roads (there was no pavement back in the day), you are taken back through the early 1800's to Sneaky Pete's gold mine.  Time travel is so fast I didn't get pictures of that.  Maybe tomorrow!

Then it's back further to the time of the Indians.  I swear this morning when everything is quiet (like that's going to happen) I'll take a quick trip by myself and get some better pictures.  It's hard to take pictures and drive a tractor!

Back further and you come to the main attraction.  DINOSAURS!!  Here's the saber tooth tiger, ready to pounce.

A pterodactyl ready to launch himself off the mountain.

That's a raptor (??) on the right and something with a big fin straight ahead.  The kids know the names of every single one.  I have no clue.

In case you were wondering, there is no driving straight on the road.  You have to make wild and crazy turns in order for the 10th car to remain somewhat in the middle of the road.  It's a fun game to see if I can make the trailers follow the exact same track every time.

The brontosaurus is something like 20 feet tall, standing next to a baby in the nest.  

At long last we come to the T-Rex, the favorite of all, eliciting screams of excitement from the kids.  This is Simon.  Remember the old game Simon Says?  Well every time he hears the tractor, he blurts out Simon says FREEZE ... and all the dinosaurs freeze for the entire time we are in sight.  It's why they never move as I drive around.  That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

Unfortunately for me, it was a twelve hour day yesterday running back and forth, driving both tractors.  All the men were taken away to do that back breaking work called harvesting the pumpkins. 

The best part of the day was when two guys came up and said I drove that tractor like a pro ... better than their employees.  What better compliment could I get??

I got home at 7:30 and fell into bed at 8:30.  I'm feeling rather beat up, but with four big schools showing up today, I'll be back at it in a few short hours.

All I need is a gallon of coffee!!!!

Not Your Ordinary Pumpkins

Hi ho ... it's off to the pumpkin patch we go.  Another beautiful but chilly and windy day.  I didn't stay long however.  Once we got the snack shack up and running, I took off for greener pastures.  My couch!!

Hunter Farms grows most of the pumpkins and squash they sell at the patch.  Here's a field of more ordinary Big Max and Big Moon.

There are ghostly whites, baby boos, Cinderellas and Fairy Tales.  Here's a unique one.  These are Cheddar Pumpkins, mostly because they look like rounds of cheese.  Someone came up to me in the patch and asked for the cheddar pumpkins ... the ones that TASTE like cheese.  Rachel Ray said to ask for them at your local pumpkin patch.  I had never heard of them before.

So here they are ... Long Island Cheddars.  I have my doubts that they taste like macaroni and cheese, or cheese of any kind, but what can I say, I haven't tried one ..... YET.

There are an amazing number of colors and lumpy bumps.  Many are grown for their grossness, covered with warts from top to bottom.

I think my all time favorites are the blues.  There's the blue lakota, the blue max and Jarrahdales from Australia, which are supposed to be the absolute best for pumpkin pies.  Like heirloom tomatoes seeds, these are heirloom pumpkins.

From minis only three inches wide to monsters two feet and bigger, you can buy all of them at this pumpkin patch.  They also grow all 5000+ pumpkins that are given away to school children.  They range from 6-9" across with nice long stems like this one.  The kids LOVE them!!  If the schools can't bring the kids, the farm takes the pumpkins to the school.

So keep a pumpkin farmer in business and buy a few to carve up for Halloween.   There are hundreds of examples on the internet, both scary and sweet.

Of course you KNOW this would be MY favorite.  Not sure I'll have time to do any carving this year, what with my ten hour days.  I'm lucky to make it as far as the couch when I get home.

I'll try to get more pictures today.  I'm determined to slow down and smell the sunflowers!!

We Interrupt The Pumpkin Patch For This Important Message

Trying to be quiet in this house at 4:30 am with two dogs can be trying.  Especially when the two dogs know there is another dog in the house.

Friend Cyndae showed up with her little pooch Rusty (another poodle) at the Buzzard's Roost Hotel, just in time for dinner.  Luckily she brought it with her.  Applebee's salmon ... my favorite!!

Try as I might to keep Cooper quiet the next morning, that never happens when there is a ball to keep away from THAT dog.  Once fed however, they usually settle down while I work on the blog.  On this particular day, I checked my emails first.  I'm always more than suspicious about anything that looks too REAL, if you know what I mean.  This day it was a note from PG & E ... the company best known for sucking money from my pocket on a daily basis.

Here's what it said:

This month* your utility bill will include a credit identified as the “California Climate Credit.” Your household and millions of others throughout the state will receive this credit on your utility bills.

The California Climate Credit is part of California’s efforts to fight climate change. This credit is from a state program that requires power plants and other large industries that emit greenhouse gases to buy carbon pollution permits. The credit on your bill is your share of the payments from the State’s program.

The Climate Credit is one of many programs resulting from landmark legislation called the Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006. Together, these programs are cutting pollution, creating jobs, and investing in cleaner energy and transportation. Your Climate Credit is designed to help you join in these efforts.

I can always use a credit, especially from these guys.  So what is this program that is fighting climate change?  They require power plants and large industries (of which there are few in California since they all fled to lower tax states) to buy carbon pollution permits.  In other words, those business are paying to allow them to emit greenhouse gases?  Apparently we are getting part of those permit fees.

How and why is that happening?  Is this their idea of a payback to keep us from gathering a lynch mob together over increasingly high prices?

So how are these permits creating jobs and cutting pollution?  Maybe the companies will invent cleaner ways of producing energy?  I suppose that might create jobs, but doesn't that just cost them even more causing them to flee California?  I'm confused.  Happy I'm getting some kind of a credit, but confused over the whole permit thing and how this helps.

I think I have a reader that worked for PG&E.  Maybe he knows.  I'll let you know just how much my credit will be when the bill comes out on the 20th.  Funny ... out of all the mail that has been stolen from our mailboxes around here, no one has ever stolen my PG&E bill.

I had a lovely day yesterday, just hanging out doing absolutely NOTHING until time to attend the funeral.  I'm not good at those sorts of things.  He did have lots of friends who loved him.  I'm sure he was looking down with a smile at the packed house.

I spent the rest of the day watching the baseball playoff games.  Definitely not as exciting when YOUR team is not playing.  I'll be back to the grind today, but not going in until 9:30 and leaving early.  I've decided I'm going to burn out quickly if I keep up the present schedule.

In the meantime, baaaaaaaaa from the goats and Sneaky Pete says HI!!

Slight Immigration Problem

I was up early again yesterday, but that's nothing different or exciting.  On THIS day however, our little puppet refugees were expected to arrive.  It's funny that they were caught up in customs at the Canadian border, which is where these guys were hatched.

Remember the old television show Hollywood Squares where the contestant decided whether the celebrities were answering the question correctly or not?  Well meet Barnyard Squares.  All those kids coming from the schools don't get an entirely free ride ... they have to have 20 minutes of learning experience while here.

In the past, it was the Magic Oven, where Farmer Scott turned tomatoes into spaghetti sauce, and corn into Fritos Chips.  Now we have these characters who answer questions, like what does it take to make shirts, jeans, underwear and money?  Why cotton of course, and it's grown by a California Farmer.

The two contestants are Billy Goat and Mrs. Woolrich.  There needs to be some adjustments, since Mrs. Woolrich looks like she's all lips.  

Finally up and running yesterday for the first time, the kids were quiet as can be ... meaning it was sure keeping their attention.  They learned where milk, eggs and beef come from, as well as bee pollination and how corn and wheat grow.  They loved it!!  Especially the part about the underwear!!

I ran about 200 kids through the show, drove tractor for awhile and before I knew it, it was time to give lunch breaks.  Suddenly I was hijacked into setting up the hot dog stand.  Food service is not my bag.  Too many rules.

At any rate, the previously served hot dogs were not hot enough.  I'm guessing because they have a "warmer", not an actual cooker.  With a huge roasting pan present, my solution was to heat up water in the roaster, drop in the dogs, and once hot, keep them that way in the warmer.

Unfortunately, that meant I had to eat THREE dogs along the way to be sure it was working.  With everything set up, I beat a hasty retreat.  You have to wear hairnets in food service, and I had trouble getting it over my hat!!

Back to the tractor, wasn't I surprised to find this freeloader riding without a token.  It was pretty hard to get a picture with one hand on a bumpy road, so this is as good as it gets.  See the yellow dot next to his left wing?  That's all pollen.  Both legs had big yellow bumps of what ends up being honey, which we also sell.

At around 3:00 I made a big mistake.  I lifted a HUGE case of water into the back of a quad, then lifted it back out.  I can now tell you EXACTLY what muscles are required to do that trick.  Oh my aching back!!

At 5:00 I ended up on the Time Travel Tractor through Sneaky Pete's gold mine and Dinosaurland.  The owner's son and I had a blast.  He was dressed up as the Lone Ranger, who would jump out from behind the building and throw a bundle of dynamite in the pond.  I yelled FIRE IN THE HOLE and BANG!!!  The electronic blaster would shoot off an explosion of water.  The kids screamed and the parents jumped.  

By 6:15, I was still on the tractor, having been on my feet since 8:00 in the morning.  I darn well better lose some weight while I'm here.  I've never walked, run and climbed so much in my life!!

I'll do it all over again on Sunday.  I am actually getting a day off today!!

Rain Hits California

Another gorgeous morning at the Pumpkin Patch, except for that big black cloud.  No worries, my weather report says NO rain for the next ten days.   That suits us just fine, but the dark sky and the cloudy clouds are troublesome.

The lines were empty until I met up with 66 kids from Winfield School.  As we walked from one attraction to the next, a little boy ran up and tugged on my shirt.  "There's a man out there ... in the field.  I think you should check on him!!  He doesn't look good!!  In the field ... you should go check!  I think he's DEAD."

Knowing there was nothing in the corn field, I asked him exactly where it was.  "There's a man on that machine and he's got neck bones.  YOU CAN SEE HIS NECK BONES!!"  Then very quietly, "does that mean he went to heaven?"   Finally it dawned on me.  He had seen the skeleton man in the excavator.  Rather than try to explain all about the bones, I said yes ... yes it does.  He went to heaven.  It was easier than trying to explain a Halloween skeleton to a five year old.  I hope he's not scarred for life.

Pretty soon the sky darkened even more and it was beginning to look like those tornados we drove through in Kansas.  This old 1800's windmill was SCREAMING!!

As the sprinkles began, we frantically raced around covering up the hay ride hay and picking up signs that had blown over.  Lucky for us, the wind was so strong it blew the shade covers enough to remove most of the dirt.  

And then it began ... probably the biggest rain storm I've seen in all my years here.  It's a good thing this is all nice sandy soil because the water just disappeared.  No need to irrigate the corn today!!

We closed the snack bar completely and began cleanup.  I brought three huge towels just for the occasion to dry up the ride seats.  In no time we were back in business ... just in time to go home.  But WAIT!!  Someone forgot there were two big parties coming to the barn.  

At 5:30 I finally snuck out the gate.  I'm exhausted and I've got company coming.  Lucky for me she brought dinner from Applebees.  My favorite salmon and veggies.  I literally fell into bed at 9:00.

Today I do it all over again, only this day I have FIVE schools.  I'm determined to slow down and push work off on others.  Shhhhh ..... don't tell them!!

EMT Training Comes In Handy

It's certainly beautiful and quiet in the mornings.  Unfortunately it didn't last.

This place is kept immaculate by one girl named Ysennia.  She is constantly on the move picking up and cleaning, and it shows.  Every day people comment on how nice it looks.  It helps that there are tons of crushed almond hulls on the grounds, a great way to keep the dust down.

I arrived early yesterday to set up shop.  Since the big crowds won't start showing up for another week, we are on minimum crew, which is why I'm on double duty.  Aren't these the cutest cookies ever?  Perfect halloween decorations.  Tasty?  Not so much.  

Once the snack bar was set, I fed the goats (pictures to come) and headed back to the office to pick up the school bus schedule.  Only 300 kids on this day.  For the most part, the teachers have them well under control, but there's always a few who run around like crazy and don't follow orders.

I gathered together the first group of 150, placed armbands on 23 teachers and Chaperones, and shooed the parents off to the front gate to pay.  Originally everyone got in free, but of course the parents took advantage to the extreme, so now they have to pay $5.00.

Did I mention the puppets got hung up in customs on the Canadian border?  Two made it to Detroit (???), but the rest got locked up abroad.  Hopefully they will be there today.  In the meantime, Farmer Scott gives a Magic Oven talk about where food comes from.  There are no Chips Ahoy cookie bushes, nor any Fruit Loop trees.

In the middle of his presentation, I hear SCOTT - EMERGENCY - BARN!!  Uh oh ... I took off running.  As a dive instructor, I've had lots of EMT training over the years, plus to be honest, it just helps to be older with some common sense.  There was a little boy laying on a picnic table, not wanting to talk to anyone, mostly because they weren't asking the right questions.  Instead of what's wrong, you ask does your head hurt?  Does your stomach hurt?  Things that can be answered with yes or no.

I thought he was just overheated with such a heavy sweatshirt ... the humidity was probably 95% and it was HOT.  I got a cold rag for his forehead and neck.  He was lucid and responding to all my questions and his pulse and breathing rate were normal.  In no time the EMT ambulance arrived to check him out.  He was just fine and finished out the field trip.  

It was sweltering ... almost worse than Tucson's hottest day.  At noon the rain began to fall.  I sent the handyman off to get tarps to cover the hay ride hay bales.  If they get wet, there will be lots of wet butts ... not good in pumpkin land.  Soaked to the skin and looking like a drowned rat, we closed the place down.  YAY!!!  I get to rest up!!

What I REALLY did was make a beeline to Walmart for two cooked chickens.  Cooper was completely out of food.  I spent the afternoon cutting and packaging it up with my handy dandy food saver.  What a MESS!!  It sucked the juice out of the chicken and right out of the bag into the machine.  Yes there is a slot there, but the bags are not always lined up perfectly.  I didn't care.

At 7:00 I was asleep on the couch.  But WAIT!!  There's a baseball playoff game on!!  I was up again at 4:15 this morning ... ready to do it all over again.

Scarecrows and Sky

Get up!!  Get up!!!  That's Cooper pawing on the side of the folding kennel and making little crying sounds.  It's 4:00 am again and he is ready to play the ball game.  Ugh .... I just wanted to sleep.

This time I DID remember my hat, but not because of the sun, only because I didn't want to fix my hair.  That takes time and energy.  Turns out that was good and bad.  Good because it was fast and the predicted rain did not happen.  It was sunny all day.  Bad because there was not a breath of wind and it was miserably hot wearing a hat!!

All around the ranch are photo ops for kids and family.  Pretty short handed on this day, I had triple duty.  I started out setting up the snack bar with 20 pounds of cash,  a computer, glasses so I could see, ride tokens and miscellaneous flotsam hanging around my neck (we wear aprons just for the purpose).  

Then I greeted 150 kids, placed wristbands on the teachers and sent at least 75 parents to the pay window.  They all want in free and can't understand why it isn't FREE.  Their kids are here on a field trip and they should be FREE!!!!  The cost per parent is $5.00 to ride all the rides and spend the entire day at the patch.  

Once they were set up in the education center and the snack bar Queen showed up for duty, I landed on the hay ride.  

I always tell the kids to count the scarecrows.  There are 18 in case you wanted to know.

Still no rain, it began to get hot.  Hot almost worse than Arizona.  The hat, though vented, didn't help.  By 1:00 all the little kiddos who just love to pass on their germs, were out the front gate with free pumpkin in hand.  Quiet returned.

That's when I got to work training a new tractor driver, cleaning up trash and trying to look busy.  There's nothing worse for an owner than to see four employees hanging out at the snack bar, so I give them lovely tasks like sweeping the concrete or stocking the ice chests.  I'm sure they all love me.

That's when I got the call.  I KNOW you know what it was.  What day was it yesterday?  Tuesday you say?  My Bingo cohort had a bad tooth and wasn't going to show up.  Neither was I at that point.  Okay ... no rest for me.  I called to say I could be there, but I would be late.  

Hot and miserable, I took the fastest shower EVER, actually fixed my hair and landed at BINGO around 5:30.  It was one of our record nights, meaning we paid out over $5,500 and I was there until 10:00 counting and balancing.  Oh my aching back ... literally.

My poor puppies never got played with.  We went right to bed, mostly because I think I pulled a muscle in my back while tractor training.  At 4:00 this morning, the whimpering began, only this time it was ME!!  Back to the patch ... but I'm going to try and slip in a 30 minutes nap first!!

Floater Turned Tractor Driver

The garage door OPENED!!!!  AND it closed when I got home.  SUCCESS!!!

It's October and here we are back at the Hunter Farms Pumpkin Patch.  Did I tell you how much I love this family?  They own most of the almond orchards in this area of the valley, yet are the most down to earth people you'd ever want to meet.  

Besides that, they have the best family pumpkin patch in the country, basically run for free.  Pay $5.00 each to get in and get a token for either $5.00 worth of food or $5.00 worth of pumpkins.

The reason I help out each year is twofold.  I love that they bring in over 5,000 kids from local schools to ride the rides (for free) and give them all a pumpkin to take home (for free).  Is that cool or what??

I have to admit it IS rather hard to have the puppies get me up at 4:00 and then work from 8 - 6.  We'll see how long I last.  It's always so nice and quiet in the mornings as I walk around and pick up bits of trash.  This hundred year old barn is used for parties, fund raisers and even weddings.

With a slower schedule at the beginning, we welcomed 100 handicapped kids yesterday.  I spent the morning setting up the snack bar and waiting for help to arrive.  It's funny, the snack bar is on the east side of the barn and always has a nice breeze, meaning it's the best job to have.  At noon I turned into a floater ... giving all the kids lunch breaks and stocking products for the next day.  

I really wanted to get back on the tractor though.  Be careful what you wish for!!  The Big Boss needed help with a project and snatched the Hay Ride driver.  "Nancy can drive"!!  About the same time, the sun turned up the heat to 87.  

By 1:30 I was running back and forth driving BOTH tractors ... the Time Travel Tractor and the Hay Ride.  In no time I was roasting.  A hat ... I definitely need a HAT!  and SUNSCREEN!!!  

The sunflowers are in full bloom ... this one about twelve inches across.  All the flowers you see here are replanted every year ... and boy are they happy campers.

By 4:00 I was ready to head home.  I checked the schedule to see who was taking my place.  Unfortunately, she was all involved with a fund raiser happening in the barn and forgot she was to drive.  At 5:00 it was getting dark.  Oh wait ... that's because I have my sunglasses on.

At 6:00 after one more round, I finally said I really had to head home to the puppies.  Exhausted, I fell on the couch after taking three aspirin, and feeding the babies of course.

This morning 400 kids will arrive ... loud .. excited .. incorrigible and happy to get out of school for the day.  It's just another day at the pumpkin patch!!

My Winning Streak Continues

Did you ever think you were an attractant ... like a magnet ... to crazy things happening?  That's me, and my winning streak continues.

Up early, I fed the critters and sat down for a marathon of Home Improvement.  I love Tim the Tool Man Taylor.  We have a lot in common ... a kind of camaraderie of crazy mishaps.

Time to head off to the big town of Chowchilla for another visit with my friend.  I jumped in the truck, hit the garage door switch and VOILA!!  The door opened.  That's always a plus.  Too bad when I tried to close it, it locked up tight.  What the heck?

I can't leave the door open as there are miscreants around here that would just love to clean me out.  No matter what switch I hit, the door would not budge.  I checked out the lights at the bottom ... you know the ones that keep little kids and dogs from being squished.  Nothing.

I did learn once, completely by accident, that if you pull the little orange handle, the door will close.  There will be a small earthquake when it hits the ground, but at least it will close.  I was a tad on the short side and couldn't reach.  I grabbed my handy dandy ladder.

I climbed up a couple of steps, positioning it close to the door so I could hold the handle and not drop the door like a rock.  I delicately pulled the handle on a string and SNAP ... it came loose.  I let it go very slowly until I ran out of arm.  Wait ... wait!!  I'm gripping the ladder with one hand and am stretched out like my well worn jeans with the other.  Uh oh.

Suddenly the ladder began to tip towards the door.   I tried to hold on tight in both directions, but it wasn't working.  I was precariously balanced between the door and the ladder.  The door was winning.  I finally had to let go of the handle.  The door landed with an earthquake CRASH!!!  Thankfully, nothing broke.  I left it and drove off.

After a nice visit with ten family members, three dogs and two cats, I promised to call this week, since I'll be working.  All the way home, I pondered my garage door problem.  Maybe I should check those little light things at the bottom again.  I was sweeping rather vigorously around them, trying to get rid of massive spider webs.

First off, I backed up to the door, then went inside on the ladder and tied a long rope to the orange handle.  Maybe I can pull it open.  Nope ... not going to work.  I climbed in the back of the truck and was finally able to raise the garage door all the way.  I heard the latch snap.  YAY!  At least it's open.  I pulled the truck inside so I could stand in the bed.

It seemed to be latched correctly.  I really didn't do anything but adjust the little lights at the bottom of the door.  I hit the switch.  NOTHING.  RATS!!  I walked over and hit the switch on the wall.  EUREKA!!  The door closed.  There's nothing like the sound of a working garage door.

That's where I left it.  I didn't dare try it again for fear it wouldn't work.  This morning when I head off to the Pumpkin Patch, I'll test my handiwork.  Keep your fingers crossed it opens and closes.  

It's the little things that make me happy nowadays ... like the lovely grinding sound of a garage door opener that works.