Aug 5, 2013 Busy Weekend!

Rose Camp is beginning to . . .

. . . look like a park.

Friday 8/2.  Since this was mainly a cool, indoor day, JB worked on his Magic card decks in preparation for RJ's and Mike's visit.  I baked cookies for the same reason.

JB heard hatchlings in the wren's nest today.  No wonder she is complaining so much - she's a single mother!

Got the call advising that my glasses are ready to be picked up, so I will go Down There on Monday to do laundry and grocery shopping also.

RJ and Mike arrived at 5:30 for dinner.  Mike looks like he is 20 now, not turning 15 in September!  Had a great visit and they will be back up for breakfast and cards.

After they left, we drove down to Larry and Elsie's to pick up her ATV and get last minute instructions for taking care of their place for the next three days.  They are taking their boat for a well-deserved mini vacation.

It was cloudy all day, with a high of only 60.

Saturday 8/3.  RJ and Mike arrived at 9:00 am for breakfast, although Mike was still half asleep.  Didn't keep him from winning the most card games afterwards.  Was hard to say goodbye as this may be the only time we get to see Mike this year.

My sinuses were really acting up today, so took a nap before I drove down to Larry and Elsie's after feeding the dogs at 4:00 pm.  Riding the ATV, not only can I see more, but I can smell more also.  In the car I get the general outdoor forest freshness, but on the ATV I get the individual scents.  Like the sudden muskiness of an elk or a bear (I wouldn't know the difference).  It was a great ride.

We had a little more sun today and our high was 64.

Sunday 8/4.  Overslept, so I basically jumped out of bed and threw on my clothes, then left at 8:15 for Larry and Elsie's.  It was a beautiful morning and 60 degrees.  The chickens were so glad to see me, but they didn't give me any eggs. . .

When I got back, I grabbed a cup of coffee and some peanut butter toast, then we were off to the end of the driveway to cut some small trees and pull them up to the splitter along with some logs.  There was one nice size tree that had broken off during the winter, so we dragged out the broken-off part and JB cut the 8' "stump."  We worked for a little less than two hours and pulled four loads up.  A good morning's work.

Meanwhile the thunder clouds built up on the horizon.  A few drifted overhead but the great majority of them were to the north and south, coming in from the southwest.

Wow!  August already.  And the days are noticeably shorter.  Time to tilt the solar panels halfway down, which we did after lunch.

I made chicken broth for the dogs, then took them on their afternoon walk and fed them while JB rested and worked on his Magic card decks.  At 4:00 pm I headed down to Larry and Elsie's.  Our high for the day was 72 but it was much warmer down at their place.  The chickens were again happy to see me and this time there were four eggs.  

I ran into a cloudburst on the way back, just before our road, and it followed me all the way home.  I didn't get too wet though as I had remembered to bring my rain gear.  Of course the rain let up as soon as I got inside.

I didn't water the potatoes this evening as it soon became overcast with dark clouds and scattered lightening and thunder.  The rain began at 7:15 and the lightening was right overhead!  It was a downpour for about 30 minutes with some hail mixed in.  The storm lasted for about 45 minutes, slowly rumbling off to the northeast, having rattled the dogs and watered the garden.  I made my after-storm rounds in the last of the sprinkles and couldn't see any sign of lightening strikes.

Monday 8/5.  A clear, quiet morning with a few clouds off to the west.  I want to leave by 8:00 am as I will have to feed and water at Larry and Elsie's on my way Down There.  Hopefully the road wasn't too badly rutted in that downpour.

Thought for the day:  The bad news: There is no key to the universe.  The good news: It was never locked.  Swami Beyondananda