The Fourth of July

Morning came on the Fourth of July and the Floaties were very excited.  It seemed they had to wait FOREVER for 11:00 when the parade would start.  They waited and waited and waited.

Pretty soon Great Grandma sat there and waited with them.

At last the parade began. First of all the fire trucks came through. It was very loud!

When they went past they could only see the wheels, they were so big.

When the parade was over Tom-Tom and Monty and Peter saw the GIANT Flag.

"Take our picture by the flag.  Take our picture by the flag."  They demanded.  "We never saw anything like that before.  We want to send that picture to all our friends."

Gamellen took their picture.  They were very hard to see next to such a giant flag.

"What else can we do?"  Peter asked.  "Is there more to do today?"

"You can play in the pool since it is such a hot day."  Gamellen told them.  "When it is dark I have a surprise for you."

The Floaties played in the pool all day.  And, they waited and waited and waited for it to be dark.

"It is dark now."  Tom-Tom informed Gamellen.  "We want to know what the surprise is."

"What is the surprise?"  Peter asked impatiently. "Please tell us!"

"Yeah, tell us now."  Monty demanded a little rudely.  Monty had been busy all day long and had missed his afternoon nap. 

"You get to swim in the big lake you can see from the pool."  Gamellen told them.

"Hooray!"  They shouted.  They were so excited they started splashing lots of water out of the pool.  Gamellen carried them down to the lake.  They had on their chains so they wouldn't blow away.  Gamellen tied them together and to her Kayak with a bright yellow rope.  Grandpa Tim took their picture.  Aren't they handsome and brave?

Here is a picture with Gamellen.

They followed in a row perfectly.

What they didn't know was that they would be able to watch FIREWORKS!

Before long the Floaties were tired and scared.  They had never seen fireworks before and there were so many loud noises.  Poor Gamellen.  Her boat was so full there was hardly any room left for her.

It is good the Fourth of July only comes once a year.

It is time for Gamellen and the Floaties to wash Gamellen's Kayak, don't you think?

 It is very dirty.That will be their adventure for tomorrow.   They get to play with the hose and play near the lake.  Do you think they will fall in accidentally?



Shark!

Gamellen was busy making her bed this morning when she heard a great commotion outside her window.  "Sharks, sharks!  Gamellen, come quick!  There are sharks in the pool!"  The Floaties were yelling and screaming at the top of their lungs."

"Hop out of the pool and I will be right there."  Gamellen yelled as she ran outside to see what ws the matter.  When she got to the pool the Floaties were sitting on the edge of the pool looking at the strange creatures in the water.

What was it that was scaring the Floaties?

Sure enough, there at the bottom of the pool were two sharks. 

Gamellen knew right away what was scaring the Floaties. She took them out and put them on the table. Then she took a picture of them.

There were two sharks and a sea horse.  "They are pool toys, not real sharks."  Gamellen explained to the Floaties.

"Why are they in our pool?"  Tom-Tom asked indignantly.

"That's what I want to know."  complained Monty.

"I was so scared I could have..."  Peter couldn't think of what he might have done for a minute.  "I could have lost all my feathers."  He finished his sentence with great drama.

"I am sorry you were so frightened.  I put them in the pool."   Gamellen apologized.  "Yesterday you found out that tomorrow is the Fourth of July.  That is a holiday and my family is coming over!  You will get to meet some of my grandchildren.  I put the toys in the pool for them to play with.  I don't know if they are brave enough  to play with the little pool toys,  but I know they will play with you."

"Friends for us?  Friends for us?"  The Floaties were very excited.

"And, Great Grandma will be coming to visit.  You have never met her, either."

It will be a big day tomorrow.  I wonder if the Floaties will be able to sleep at all tonight.

Love,  Gamellen

The Secret Garden

"Gamellen,  Gamellen"  called the Floaties from the pool.  "This pool is lots of fun, but we want to do something different today."

"What would you like to do?"  Gamellen asked them. 

"You could surprise us!"  Tom-Tom said.

"Yes, Yes, surprise us, please."  agreed Peter and Monty--quite loudly I might add.

"I know a secret garden in our neighborhood.  We can go see that."  Gamellen decided.  So off they went to see this secret garden.  It is a beautiful garden that almost no-one knows about! 

"Take our picture."  the Floaties asked.  So, Gamellen took lots of pictures.

They sat on an old bench with a duck.

They walked down one secret path

and then another one.  Gamellen stayed with them so they wouldn't get lost.

They tried to hide, but Gamellen could still see them.

Then they found a little wishing well. Tom-Tom looked inside. Peter flew to the roof. Monty decided to hang upside down from a branch and was as happy as can be.

On the way home they had their picture taken in front of Uncle Sam.

That garden was all ready for the ready for the Fourth of July.  What do you think the Floaties will do for the Fourth of July?  We will have to wait and see.

Love, Gamellen

The Big Surprise

Gamellen went out to check on the floaties early this morning.  They were all shouting at once.  "Gamellen, Gamellen, where were you last night?  There was a terrible storm.  There were waves in the pool.  We could have been swept into the yard and washed down into the lake.  Where were you? We were so scared!"

"Well,"  said Gamellen  "I think that storm was a very good test of your chains, don't you?

"Oh, yes.  It was a very good test."  Monty agreed, shaking his head up and down.  "We stayed right here in the pool, safe and sound.  Tom-Tom hid in his shell because he was so scared."

"Is that right?"  Gamellen asked Tom-Tom.  "Were you terribly scared?"

"I wasn't scared at all."  replied Tom-Tom.  He was quite indignant that they would think he was scared.  "It was very, very loud.  I went into my shell so it would not be as loud."

"Peter closed his eyes all night because he was so scared." Monty reported to Gamellen.

"Is that right?" Gamellen asked Peter. "Were you terribly scared?"

"I wasn't scared at all."  answered Peter.  "It is just that the lightning was so bright.  I had to shut my eyes."

"So Monty,"  Gamellen asked, "Were you scared?

Monty answered very bravely.  "I was very scared.  It was loud and bright and wavey and you didn't come home until it was all over.  Where were you in such a terrible storm?"

Well Gamellen said.  "I have a surprise for you."  The Floaties all went to the front porch and waited patiently to see the surprise."  They sat nicely on the bench--showing off their fancy chains.

But before you know it they were sitting on the porch railing, that is how excited they were.

Then, there it was--the surprise they had been waiting for.  Gamellen bought a new car!

Of course the Floaties had to have their picture taken in front of it.

And then they wanted their picture taken inside of it.  So, of course, Gamellen took that picture too.

"Your secret wasn't a big secret."  Tom-Tom confessed to Gamellen.  "We heard you to talking to Grandpa Tim about a new car.  But..."

Peter interrupted Tom-Tom  "We have an even bigger secret.  We are going to..."

"Don't tell!"  shouted Monty and Tom-Tom together.  "You will spoil the secret."

Maybe we will find out their big secret tomorrow--or the next day.  Gamellen doesn't know when she will find out.  It is going to be a BIG surprise.

Love, Gamellen

Bottoms Up

Gamellen put the Floaties in the pool with their chains on.  Oh dear.  Look what happened!

There they were with their bottoms in the air.  Poor Peter Pelican was looking straight down to the bottom of the pool with the left side of his face in the water.  "I can see the bottom, Gamellen.  I think it needs to be cleaned."  he gurgled.  Every time he opened his mouth to talk it filled with water.  When Gamellen rescued him he had a great time blowing the water out of his mouth in a big fountain.  A pelican can hold a lot of water in his mouth. 

Monty the monkey didn't like having his face touch the water at all.  "Help, Help Help." he cried.  "I might just drink the pool dry!  Help! Help!  Help!"

Tom-Tom blew lots of bubbles.  Then he talked into the water.  The sound came out in gurgles and pops.  "Heeeellllp mmmmeeeee.  I caaaannn't breeeeeeathe."

Gamellen quickly took them out of the pool.  "I know you are very proud of your chains," she said,  "but we need to turn them around so the weight is in the middle, not in the front."

"But then we can't see them." they all complained.  "We want to be able to see them."

Gamellen thought about that a long time.  Then she said--quite firmly.  "You can wear them in front when you are out of the pool.  When you are in the pool they must be behind you."  They all agreed and turned their necklaces--I mean chains--to the back.  That worked very well.

They were so happy to be able to float that Gamellen had to block them in to take their pictures.  Sometimes the Floaties do not want to hold still.

What is going on here?  I think Monty is telling Tom-Tom a secret.  I wonder what it is? 

Now he is telling Peter.  Do you think Gamellen knows?  Maybe we will find out soon.

What do you think the secret is?  How did Monty know something the others didn't know?  Did he hear Grandpa Tim and Gamellen talking?

Come back tomorrow to find out what the secret is.  You will be surprised.

Love, Gamellen  



The Necklace

Gamellen and the Floaties gathered around the table to talk about how to keep the Floaties from blowing out of the pool.  "I think you need a necklace."  said Gamellen.  "I have some very heavy beads that I could make into a necklace."

Peter was very excited about that idea.  "I hope they are red and blue and green and will look good with yellow."  Unfortunately, the beads were black and white and that did not make Peter happy.

"I think we need something more for boys."  said Tom-Tom. 

"I think we need chains."  added Monty. 

"With locks."  added Tom-Tom.  "Girls have lockets so boys can have locks."

"Well then."  said Gamellen, "We will need to go to the hardward store."

So Gamellen put Peter, Tom-Tom and Monty in the car and strapped them in.  They were very wiggly and could not sit still.  It was their very first car ride and they were very excited.



Off they went to the store with the "helpful hardware man."  Gamellen pushed them around the store until she found the chain section.  They all studied the chains carefully to see what would work.

It was very important the the chains not be too heavy or too sharp.  Then they had to find a way to hold them on.  "I know you wanted locks, but they will get all rusty in the water and soon we will not be able to open them."  Gamellen said.  They looked and looked until they found just the right chain and just the right clasp.  This is what they bought.



They all watched the hardware man cut the chains with a special chain cutter.  He had to get out a hammer and screwdriver to make it work.  Tom-Tom was very interested.  Monty wanted to get out of the cart.  That was not allowed.  Peter started singing.  When all the chains were cut they went to the checkout and paid.

Finally the Floaties went home and put on their chains.  This is how handsome they looked.

They are very proud of their chains.

Thank you for reading about Gamellen and the Floaties. 

Tomorrow you will find out what happens when they wear their new necklaces--I mean chains--in the water.  Oh dear!  It wasn't what they planned, that is for sure.

Love, Gamellen





My New Friends

Dear Friends,
Welcome to the adventures of Gamellen and the Floaties.  I am Gamellen.  That is short for Grandma Ellen.  I put up a pool in my backyard for my grandchildren and me.  Look who showed up!

I have three new friends!  There is Monty the monkey, Peter the Pelican and Tom-Tom the turtle. 

They have already started having adventures.  It was a very windy morning.  Who do you think blew out of the pool?  Do you think he might have jumped?  You know how monkeys are.  He landed in the bushes.  Thankfully he just sat there looking at the sky.  I picked him up and put him back in the pool.

The only one left in the pool was Tom-Tom.  He was patiently waiting for his friends to return.  I guess turtles like water better than moneys like water.

Then I looked around for Peter.  Where was he?  I looked around the pool and in the yard?  Where could he have gone to?  Then I remembered.  He was in the house.  Whew.  He wasn't lost after all. 

Poor Peter.  He needed a little more air.  When I brought him in the house he was quite frightened of the noisy air pump.  He kept looking at the pointy thing out of the corner of his eye.

I told him it wouldn't hurt at all.  I don't think he believed me.  I tried to use the pump but it was way too loud and I thought it might give him too much air.  So, I just blew him up myself until he was nice and firm.  Then I place him in the pool with Monty and Tom-Tom.

Later I went out to check on my friends and the pool was empty--even Tom-Tom.  The wind blew them all into the yard.  Peter bumped his nose.  He is okay now.  I will have to think of a way to keep them from flying, jumping, crawling and blowing out of the pool.  I want to keep them safe in their new home.  We can talk about that tomorrow.  I think there will be new adventures.

Thank you for visiting. 

Love,

Gamellen