A Surprise, Glorious Visit

The message came by email: “Surprise. Short notice. We’re be at your place by three or four o’clock in the morning,” or something to that effect.

“Jerry,” I called across the room, “Andrew and Shawnna are coming in tonight!”

We were ecstatic. Before I went to bed I walked upstairs, arranged bedding on couches, and pallets on floors, swished out the guest bathrooms, and turned on lamps in the bedrooms.

“Don’t wait up for us, of course,” Andrew had said. “I have a garage door opener and we’ll let ourselves in.”

4:00 AM Arrived eight humans, one goldfish splashing about in his/her bowl, and one basset hound, whose name is Charley, and who drools like you can’t believe, and who is the sweetest, most affectionate dog, and who travels drugged up because of his extreme tendency toward car sickness.

Come daylight, no one was up early, of course, so while the house lay quiet, I stirred around and snapped pictures of my dear ones laid out here and there.

“I heard you taking our  pictures, Granny,” Chloe said later in the day.

Cole was gone.

Ella and Chloe had the floor of the game room.

I fried bacon, whipped up biscuits and gravy, and some of them ate at the bar, while others carried their loaded plates to the back deck where Pappy was drinking coffee.

Chloe wrapped Winston in a doll blanket and carried him about as a baby. He didn’t like it.

Speaking of Winston: At 4:00 am, before either Jerry or I heard them, Winston bolted up in the bed (Yes, we now sleep with him,) and began barking. Such a good watchdog, guarding the castle and all that. However…..by the time the family of seven had traipsed in, bearing a friend with them, and lugging in suitcases, and afore mentioned goldfish and basset hound, the place was in such an uproar with chaos reigning, that Winston yelped, ducked low and crawled under our bed, still barking out commands. 🙂

So much for guarding the castle.

By mid-afternoon they were gone. Sweet, quick, surprise visit.