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Borrego Springs, CA

Saturday, August 25, 2012

Kool Aid Kaper??

Another drive in the rain this morning to get to work at the Gateway Visitors Center.  I sure wish I could send some of this precipitation to those states ridden by drought.  As expected for working this location, I didn’t have any visitors until 10:30.  Then there was a a steady trickle through the lunch hour.

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During one of the lulls, I stepped out on the back porch of the VC, and found this guy along the railing.  He was only about an inch long.

69  Pea Island & Alligator River NWRs  201212

Can’t remember if I’ve mentioned it before, but Saturday is switch out day on the Outer Banks.  That means all those folks that rented beach houses for the week along the coast head for home in the morning.  North and west bound roads are crammed with cars like a big city rush hour.  Then in the afternoon, the south and east bound roads are packed with the new group of renters coming in for the next week.  It’s quite a phenomena.  The morning is kind of like being at a campground on Sunday when all the working people make a great exodus for home after the weekend.  Some sight seeing destinations in the area are closed on the weekends since people are either leaving or settling in upon arrival.

I think the reason I had a flurry of visitors this morning is because all the rain this past week made people a little desperate to visit something today before heading home.  Whatever the reason, after 1:00, I could count the number of visitors stopping in on my hands.

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           So I was able to walk around a bit outside while waiting for business to arrive. 

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The insects were certainly busy with a native blooming plant that looks like black-eyed Susan's.  The plants sure had more visitors than I did.

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              All of the recent moisture is bringing out a nice crop of fungus as well.

My drive back to the rig after work involves passing the entrance roads to several rather ritzy subdivisions outside of Manteo on the shores of Roanoke Island.  At one of the entrances I noticed a cardboard sign advertising a Kool Aid stand.  Now I’m a real sucker for kids that have the ambition to set up a lemonade or Kool Aid stand, so I pulled over.  As I stopped, I waved at the three youngsters that appeared to be about seven years old or so.  They jumped for joy, and got my cup of red Kool Aid ready.  In the meantime, a bare footed mother hopped out of a nearby old pickup to approach my window.  She said, “That will be a dollar.” , and grabbed the bill out of my hand as she hollered at the little girl to give me my drink. 

That kind of took me by surprise.  A buck seemed a little high for about 3 oz. of Kool Aid, but that’s probably what I would have given the kids anyway.  I don’t know, it just seemed a little odd to me.  Perhaps the family really needed the money.  At any rate, I enjoyed my two gulps of cold Kool Aid; red being my favorite flavor of bug juice, and as I headed home I tried to remember the last time I had a serving of this beverage.  It’s got to be about twenty years or so…

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                                                                                    THE END!!

Thanks for stopping by… talk to you later,  Judy

31 comments:

  1. That is really strange that the mother would jump in the way of the kids. My guess is that they don't get any reward for their enterprise.

    I know what you mean about the switch out days, same as at a campground although obviously more predictable. I'll probably have the exodus from Butte Lake on Monday morning (Labor Day).

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  2. Really neat pictures of "small" things today. And "the end" is too much. lol. Really strange kool-aid stand too.

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  3. I think more parents are weary about there kids going up to the strange cars. Mom might have been just being protective over them. BTW that frog is so adorable!! looks like he is smiling in the first picture.

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  4. If it were my child, I would walk with them up to the car and let them hand over the kool aid and take the money. A buck is definitely too much to charge and that mother was out of line in my book. Love your frog. Especially with his front legs all folded so proper like.

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  5. I agree with all the above. Strange behavior for the woman unless she's using the kids as a front. But good for you for wanting to support them. I would have too.

    Nice The End. You are definitely the winner of this competition by far!!

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  6. Kids kool-aid stands are the only time I drink that stuff nowadays. But, having once been a kid I stop if it is safe to do so. That Mom was not cool!

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  7. I have a frog like that hanging around our lanai, which is of great interest to Halley. At a buck for 3oz, that is expensive:)

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  8. That was Starbucks pricing. Next thing they'll follow the Starbucks model and we'll have Kool Aide stands on every corner...

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  9. How strange...the mom sounds like she uses the kids for props!! What a strange lesson that must be for them. Like you say..I would have given a dollar or more so the joke is kind of on her...

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  10. Those critters in your blog today has more class than that Mom. And how appropriate that on a rainy day the visitors "trickle" in.

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  11. Mom is probably on the Link Card, and expects lots for nothing....just sayin'.

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  12. Not giving the kids much of an opportunity to learn from their endeavor it sounds like. There are other ways of protecting the kids ... if that's what she was doing, but I have my suspicions that she was perhaps using the kids to make money herself.

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  13. The Kool aid Mom does make you wonder but its probably best to enjoy the Kool Aid and hope the kids get some benefit from the dollar. That is a good end picture.

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  14. Good thing you didn't take a picture of the kids... that might have cost you $5. Ahhhh... those butt shots!

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  15. Toadally awesome pics as usual! Sure wish you could send some of that liquid sunshine down here to Texas. So many ranches going bankrupt or having to just plow destroyed crops under to collect crop insurance. Look for cotten prices to go up for sure.

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  16. I'll bet the look on the kids' faces as she snatched the dollar would have said a lot. Nice of you to support them or the mom! Love the frog photos.

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  17. Love your froggy friend, he's so cute. Boy I sure have some mixed thoughts about that Kool-aid stand! Poor little girl. Stay dry!! We're having rain today too, but it is needed here!

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  18. I have a small paperback called "Life's Little Instruction Book" and it says to always buy what kids are selling from a card table on the sidewalk. LOL and I do. But I think I would have had a word or two for that Mom.. off to the side of course.

    My kids held a "toy rummage sale" once in conjuction to the neighbors having a rummage sale. I let them choose what toys to sell, and they made change, and thanked their customers while I kept a watchful eye.

    It was all their own idea, and they earned enough $$$ to pay for their ballet and tap lessons that year!

    ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
    Karen and Steve
    (Our Blog) RVing: Small House... BIG Backyard
    http://kareninthewoods-kareninthewoods.blogspot.com

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  19. I think the mother was out of hand. Its good to be close by but...

    Love the frog.

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  20. Sounds like the kids are getting an early lesson on how 'big business' operates.

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  21. I may have to come out there and catch that frog. I collect them, except the ones I collect are ceramic, plaster, or metal. Someone told me that FROG stands for "Fully Rely On God." Sounds like a program!

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  22. Love the frog and the bugs. I agree that was strange behavior on the part of the mom.

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  23. We always posted our price. It was part of the fun to make the signs. $1.00 is a bit high.

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  24. That mom set a bad example for her children. You set a good example for us adults to follow. I hate lemonade, but I buy it whenever I can from little kids.

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  25. I remember Kool Aid stands when I was younger, I think we charged $.05 a cup. Wow, times have changed!

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  26. Feast or famine, Judy - that's the way it can be with rain. I wish you'd send some of that flood of moisture out west to help put out the fires in NorCal. We are dry, dry, dry.

    Thanx for buying the Kool Aid. Never mind the Mom.

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  27. Bugs and a frog - sounds like a perfect match!

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  28. I love the photos for today - that little frog is adorable! I hope to get to the Outer Banks once I get my rig and stop working, so I'm enjoying seeing them through your eyes. Interesting that the changeout day is Saturday, I would have guessed it was Sunday.

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  29. Nice photos of the frog and bugs

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