16 August …
Word came just after I posted the blog last week that Paul Michael had been accepted into the Mt Shasta school system. Cold Comfort is in the Butteville district, but it is a weird gerrymandered district which requires passing through the Weed school district to get to from here. But that doesn’t matter. Michael and Mark both went to MS schools and now so will Paul. First day of school will be next tuesday.
Next item for solving … where does the school bus stop?
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Weather took a turn for the worse last Wednesday afternoon. A low pressure area settled over the area between us and the coast and all of a sudden we could have been in upstate New York. The temperature wasn’t quite as hot, but the humidity was brutal for an area which is used to 20 or 30%.
Then an inversion layer set in and the air has been filled with smoke ever since. 
Last Monday, on my way to Yreka, I could barely see Goose Nest and Herd’s Peak. Usually they are prominent on the northern skyline.
And at dawn and dusk, when the sun is low, the air turns brownish-red.
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The family (but without John and Mike) went to the county fair last Friday. We arrived early and headed for the animal barns.
We watched a couple of the beef cattle judgings …
Then watched some of the chainsaw carvers …
Stopped by the wild animal zoo …
Ate curly fries …
Rode the Dizzy Dinosaurs …
I took a lot of pictures and had planned to overwhelm you with them … but something happened and my pictures of the cattle judging and the wood carving and the food and the carnival rides and all that jazz just disappeared. Oh well … you will just have to use your memory and imagination.
We ended the day at the “Captain Jack Spareribs” show where I got to join the Captain for some of his magic stuff (this was the one photo that remained … go figure … and note the feather in my hair).
George figured out how he did his magic, but I just had fun.Altogether a good day.
Mark and Kamille went back Saturday night for the rodeo where the highlight of the evening was the performance by a toddler, obviously in the midst of potty training, who showed he had learned well the lesson about pulling down your pants before taking aim.
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One of our new chores (not an unpleasant one) is baby-sitting (although Paul is no longer a baby) when Mark and Kamille want to or have to be gone. I get to read the bedtime stories when that chore falls in the evening.
And another perq is being included in “family” for the “Back-To-School” potluck picnic. That is this evening before the radio club meeting.
Pictures and notes next week.
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We’ve been picking the long, armenian (?) cucumbers every day for a week now. Last week I tried a couple of jars of refrigerator pickles with mixed success. They tasted good after 48 hours, but were strong on the vinegar. Next batch I will use the brine recipe I have with which I pickle red onions.
John brought me some regular cukes a few days ago with which I will try some dill recipes.
There is gooseberry juice waiting to make jelly and we are keeping our eyes on choke cherry and elderberry bushes.
The 7-11 will be well-stocked for winter.
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A thought to end the week …
http://www.kcra.com/article/usgs-deems-2-norcal-volcanoes-as-very-high-threat/11819593
So … ‘til next week …