It is the second month of the year and the excitement in the air reeks of love! Yes it's Valentines Day. Here in the Trailer Park, most of the folks refer to it as Valentimes Day, but a lot of the folks here are related; literally. The adults with their wide smiles and missing teeth are winking at their secret sweeties, their sisters or their cousins. And the children with their misshapen heads cutting our heart shapes out of old food cartons and construction paper. But what does it all mean?

For Zelma and Bud, it means a long life of happiness. They have been married for 48 years, and have lived in the same trailer since they were both teenagers. Second cousins, Zelma and Bud were both products of broken homes. Both sets of parents went to prison and they were left to fend for themselves. Naturally a strong bond grew and they decided to marry. Well, they bred like jackrabbits spawning 14 young ones. Bud is on disability from the asbestos plant and spends most of his time hacking up chunks of his lungs and Zelma is right there to clean it up. She is a devoted wife and spends the remainder of her time writing to her children in the local penitentiary. It is convenient having all 14 of their kids in one facility because she can use the bulk mail discount at the post office. She is sending each one of them a personal hand made "Valentimes Behind Bars" card.

Kitty just loves Valentines Day; it's her favorite holiday according to her. Kitty is 40 although she says that everybody says she looks 25, mostly in the bar at the bowling alley cause the lights are dim there. Kitty is a peroxide blonde with some rather loose morals. She is looking for Mr. Right through quantity. She is as pristine as a prize poodle, and as high strung. Some folks say that comes from in-breedingin poodles that is. Kitty is busy cleaning for her gentlemen callers. She wants to show them that she has the qualities of a good wife, plus she needs to make room for all the love letters and Valentines cards she will receive this year. This may be her lucky year. If not she will keep trying, and trying much like the energizer bunny.

Valentines Day is especially meaningful to Bobby Jean and her husband Ray. They were married on Valentines Day and then 9 months later out popped their first baby. On their first anniversary they had a big party and in November 9 months later, you guessed it kid number 2. Well, it seems every Valentines Day you can set your clock that in November Bobby Jean and Ray will have another kid. That's love.

The annual Trailer Park Valentimes Day Party at the laundry building is sure to be a really great one this year. Doreen and Colleen the twins are in charge of decorations. They are so creative. Last year they actually dressed their babies up as little cupids and hung them from the ceiling amongst the streamers. It was breathtaking! Heart shaped cookies and love potion punch topped it all off. They have a lot of work to do to beat last year. Of course Elmer will probably spike the punch with his special blend that he makes in his trailer and Kitty will dance with all the single men and most of the married ones too. We don't think Alice Simpson will be here, we sent her husband a "Congratulations" card on the birth of his new baby. He is in Iraq and had no idea that Alice was pregnant. She is very depressed now and probably won't snap out of it until St. Patrick's Day. That is another big party for us here at The Trailer Park. See you then.