26 July …

 

 

There is no special reason to open this week’s blog with this except that it is an amazing picture, taken by son John, of the beautiful area in which we live.

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Well, the radio club decided they/we will do the security watch for the Dunsmuir Rotary at their Brewfest the night of 5-6 August.  There will be six members involved in this fund-raiser on three shifts between 9 in the evening and 8 the following morning.

The donation of $350 will help the club’s bottom line, but I was unable to promote passes for the beer tasting.  Instead we get            t-shirts.

Oh well …

Next event will be the TinMan triathlon the first Sunday in September.

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The garden continues to do well.  Paul often goes out with me to do the watering and weeding, and yesterday he learned how to choose ripe vegetables and how to pick them with as little damage as possible.

The other garden chore he has learned this past week is how to shovel horse manure.  We make a good team.  Last week it took two sessions to move the load.  This week we did it all in one day.  Start them young.

In the process, he learned the difference between a stone and a horse t—   even thought they resemble each other.  I’m not real sure what his mother thinks of that accomplishment, but Paul was pretty excited over his new knowledge and learning the value of poo.

We are building a big manure pile so that next year we will have fertilizer waiting when it comes time to get the garden ready to plant.

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Weather has been pretty warm this past week. There are several fires in northern California, but we have a full 5,000 gallon water tank and knowledge of firefighting, so we are better prepared than most.

In fact, both Mark and Kamille are considering joining the local volunteer fire company.  Mark has talked about upgrading his drivers’ license so he can handle the water tender.  That is a vital piece of equipment in this area. 

George was a member of this group when it was first formed a long time ago. 

What goes around, comes around.

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Last week’s Medford trip was uneventful.  The scenery has changed with the season and the weather, but is still captivating.

One thing which caught my eye is the spot where last winter’s rain brought down a slice of the hillside along I-5.

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John’s birthday wasn’t much this summer.  The entire family is so busy, what with the resettling, but there was a surprise waiting for him in the courtyard under the pergazebollis.

Maybe we can have an all-family birthday party later when the press of chores gets lighter.  I haven’t done a Forrest Gump cake in a long time.

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John’s partner, Michael, will be home tomorrow.  We have missed him a lot and will be glad to see him safely home.

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It has been a chaotic and not completely comfortable week … but all things pass and we anticipate better times.

 

The difference between stumbling blocks and stepping stones is how you use them.

So … ‘til next week …