Saturday, July 30, 2022

Postcards from the Lake: Just Life!

It has been an odd summer, one where we aren't quite sure where we are going or when we are going there -- or are we just staying put for a bit? You know what this one would like!

Our weather cooled from 90s to 60s and now settling somewhere in-between. It is much more pleasant that way for walks and I took a few turns around the area, really seeing not much that is new (which may be a good thing!). I always go down Wah Wah Soo, where my cousin's cottage is and where my mom spent her summers as a child.

There were some lovely wildflowers, though not as many as later in the season.These Tiger Lilies seem to pop up everywhere.


And the Queen Anne's lace has started.


And this is odd for so early -- a trio of white mushrooms.

 

But this -- a wee leaf on a fairly new maple in our yard -- is not a good sign! I'm not ready for fall color when it's still midsummer!


We had a bit of adventure with the visit of the septic tank pumpers. Slow drains and a close-call back-up made it more imminent to have the tank pumped. 

 

So, two guys came out to do it. And they couldn't find it. The spot where I thought it was turned out to be an abandoned well. The second one they found was only a reserve tank. Finally they landed on the third and main tank! 

 

The yard was a mess -- the tree still there (the guy who was going to do the last of it still hasn't shown up. (My turn to call him next if he doesn't show in what he says are "a couple of weeks). Then three big holes, which they did a pretty good job of covering up in the end. I was glad I had no flower beds there!


Have you ever looked inside a septic tank? It's kind of interesting -- and it didn't smell as much as I would have expected. 


The guys who came were real characters, but they knew their stuff. Best of all, the price was less than quoted. Although even after the pumping, the kitchen sink is still draining slow and backing up into the other side. So, back to the drawing board.

And some fun -- my cousin David is here for the week with friends and our mutual cousin Jack stopped by. We're all the same age and it was fun to be together again, even if briefly. 


The geese continue their visits. As you can see, the goslings are coming along but their size and coloring still haven't caught up to the parents.


I find them so striking, especially on a brilliant blue lake. Yes, when the sky is blue and clear it looks just like that.

 

It's a regular parade and I love it!

 

I haven't seen them walking on my beach but I can tell they've been there!

Thanks for the wonderful and kind comments on Rick's birthday and his aunt, too. As of now we plan to go in September with Rick's brother. That may change but at least we're somewhat settled for now.


Meanwhile, the weather is cool here -- we've been in the 60s and low 70s and even had a fire at night.


Life is good.

Sharing with:    Saturday's Critters  

56 comments:

Misadventures of Widowhood said...

Do you have a fire pit? I used to love fires on our beach at the cottage where I grew up but now when I visit the place (my niece owns it now) I have to leave before dark because I don't drive after dark anymore.

It's amazing how easy it is to forget where septic tanks are in a yard. And I'm surprised you still have one as I thought there was a law now about having them near lakes. At the lake where our family cottage is they are now connected to a county sewer line.

Deb Nance at Readerbuzz said...

It would be glorious to experience some 60-something degree temperatures in the summer. We are still closely eyeing every cloud that passes through and pleading with it to drop some rain. It's nice to know that you are enjoying some pleasant temperatures and seeing some beautiful flowers.

~Lavender Dreamer~ said...

It's such a relief to get those 'needful' things done! Love the geese and how nice to spend time with cousins! Enjoy your weekend my friend!

kathyinozarks said...

Good morning Sunday, your weather sounds like ours Has settled into cool mornings and mostly high 79s pretty nice, along with the rain too. we will be back in the 90s soon though.
You live in a pretty area, no sand beaches here lake in the ozarks is a man made lake to generate electricity and since covid hit the lake has expanded so much with business's and new homes popping up everywhere. kinda sad in a way this used to be just for families and fishing.
loved the photos of the geese, I wonder if the leaves are turning do to the hot summer enjoy your day

Anvilcloud said...

Glad you're enjoying summer life even if it's a bit haphazard for you. Yes, the weather has been much better lately. It is overcast and cool (18C) here today. A very approximate conversion would be 65F. Now I have to look it up to see how accurate I was. 64.4 -- not bad.

Divers and Sundry said...

That's not the kind of adventure I'd like, but how nice that the professionals made it a not-unpleasant experience. I hope you figure out the sink issue soon.

The woodland photos look like a place I'd love to walk :)

Salty Pumpkin Studio said...

Sorry sink problems. Sounds like it needs a snake to clear out a clog. Sinks need regular grooming. Check out baking soda and vinegar process.
Lovely walk. Nice to see good handsome old guys. Too few are blogging.
The geese flotilla melts the heart.

Shiju Sugunan said...

The photo of foot prints is a winner!

eileeninmd said...

Hello Jeanie,

Lizzie was first to greet me when I opened your post. She is a cutie! The parade of Geese is a cute captures. Love the flowers and the white mushrooms. I've been seeing some early colorful leaves too, it seems too early. The sunset is gorgeous. Nice shot of you and your cousins. I hope you find out the drain problem, but it is good to have the septic cleaned out. Thank you for linking up and sharing your post. Take care, have a great weekend. PS, thank you for leaving me a comment.

Bill said...

Love those footprints on the beach. I have some of my dogs back in the day when it was icy and cold. Always brings a smile to my face. Enjoy your weekend.

Vicki @ lifeinmyemptynest said...

Lovely, lovely up north. The cool nights sound wonderful!

Lowcarb team member said...

Happy Saturday and weekend wishes.
Lovely to see the Queen Anne's lace.

Take care and enjoy your visitors.

All the best Jan

Anonymous said...

Happy Saturday and weekend wishes.
Lovely to see the Queen Anne's lace.

Take care and enjoy your visitors.

All the best Jan
(the low carb diabetic blog)

Marilyn Miller said...

It's amazing you have had an evening fire.
What lovely vistas from your cottage, especially the goslings and sunsets.
Glad the septic was found too.
Enjoy your time of summer lake visits and swimming.

acorn hollow said...

We get our tank pumped every 3rd year. WE had a horrid issue with our kitchen drain about a year ago. It was a clog in the pipe that had built up over 30 years.
Nice to see family.
your lake pictures are so lovely
Cathy

Joyful said...

Oh how I would enjoy your temperatures, especially by the lake. It sounds perfect and everything looks peaceful. I agree about signs of fall at this time being way too early. I love fall but I don't want it to arrive too soon because then winter is not far behind. It would be nicer if fall would be twice as long and winter half as long.

DUTA said...

Lizzie, at the opening of your post, seems to agree with the sentence closing your post -'life is good'.
Hopefully, the heat won't affect it in a bad way.

Karen @ Beatrice Euphemie said...

Your cottage is so cute! Too bad your sink is still clogged after all that :( Nice to have cooler weather to get out and do some walking. Love the lilies growing wild and seeing the geese on the lake. Fun to have visitors, too. We are at the tail end of a weeklong heat wave here in WA state. It was 97 today. It's supposed to cool down by Monday and I can't wait. Hope you have a fun weekend. x K

William Kendall said...

Is that a big yawn from Lizzie?

David M. Gascoigne, said...

I am amazed that an old style septic system is still permitted so close to the water. Before I sold my cottage years ago, I had already received orders to install a modern, upgraded treatment facility, and failing to do so would have denied me continuing use of the property. The buyer had to consent to the upgrade as a condition of the purchase and it was written into the contract.

Rita said...

Yes! Yes! Yes! Life is good! :) :)

La Table De Nana said...

I live in a septic tank area and having been a realtor for thirty yrs I’ve seen my share of septic systems and issues.A by law here is it must be emptied every two years.We even have above ground systems..And the aroma..day of cleaning can cross streets☺️Summer is flyinggggg by!

Penny from Enjoying The Simple Things said...

Sounds like you need a plumber to snake the sink drain. The geese look so pretty on the lake!

anno said...

Ahh.... that blue lake, the line of geese, the ever-adorable Lizzie! Add in some lovely walks and an enjoyable visit from family, and it sounds like a wonderful time at the lake. (And even the visit from the septic tank cleaners made for an interesting story and some interesting pictures.)

Hope you're still enjoying this beautiful weather! Happy weekend!

Carole @ From My Carolina Home said...

We have our septic pumped every three years or so. For slow drains, you may need to put an enzyme down your pipes to break down clogs at the bends in the pipes. I use a super strength one called BioClean, stronger than RidX but the same principle. It takes months, but once those pipes are clean, they stay clean with a once a month treatment. You may need to have the pipes 'snaked' for now. Good luck!

gigi-hawaii said...

In spite of it all, you did have a great time with family. Priceless!

Karen said...

Looks like you are finally starting to feel a bit more "normal", yes? What is normal anyway.
We're flip flopping all over the place too. Mike is so busy with service calls this year and I've been working part time as a GARDENER! Maybe after the Labor Day long weekend we can get somewhere.
My kitchen sink isn't draining properly either. Mike has had the pipes under all apart and can't find a problem. He thinks we need to get a new sink and counter top (imagine how one small issue turns into a much BIGGER fix!!) just to reconfigure the drainage system on the sink. We get our septic pumped every three years.

shoreacres said...

There are reasons other than incipient autumn for leaves to turn red. It isn't necessarily temperature, although your sudden drop could have some effect. Depending on how interested you are, this article has some good info.

I laughed at the name of your septic service. You surely know that the manure spreaders farmers use are called 'honey wagons.' What names!

Pam Richardson said...

Oh, those septic tanks!! Your temperatures sound amazing. Wishing you a lovely week, Jeanie!

Nancy said...

Looks like a lovely place to cool off at!
And those sunsets were fabulous!
And yes… Life is Good!

My name is Erika. said...

I recently looked into a septic tank also. It's funny you should mention it. My MIL's home needed a new pump and I was the designated person to be there while all the work was being done. The one thing that was in hers was lots of roots from a drought we had a couple of summer's ago, and I think we're quickly moving into now. The septic man mentioned how he's found these roots in most people's tank because the trees are out to find the water.

Summer life sounds good for you at the lake Jeanie. It's nice you were able to meet up with your cousin and enjoy those beautiful sunsets and all the geese. That's a whole lot of them.

Happy start to August to you. Hugs-Erika

Joanne Huffman said...

It really has been and still is an odd summer. I think the rhythm of my life is changing in my old age. Cooler temperatures, pleasant walks, and family time sounds wonderful.

Prims By The Water said...

Well what everyone calls Queen Annes Lace is what we called wild carrot on the farm. I have three of those lights that look like fireworks to me. Love them! Janice

Veronica Lee said...

Glorious photos, Jeanie!

I especially love the geese.

Nice shot of you and your cousins.

Hugs and blessings!

Jyoti said...

This looks like such a beautiful place! The lake is so pretty.
Wonderful and Lovely Post dear! xoxo
Allurerage 
Thetrendybride 

Bleubeard and Elizabeth said...

My friend's parents own a farm in the country and a septic tank is the only sewer relief they have. In KS, farms can be at least 1/4 mile apart, so having a county sewer line would be out of the question and cost tax payers a huge amount of money to install and hook to. Glad your septic tank was pumped and cleaned, but it sounds like they didn't really do the job right.

So nice you had family visit and something/someone to enjoy other than Lizzie and the ducks on the lake.

Rehoboth said...

Nice Post
Thanks

DVArtist said...

Really wonderful photos. I'm glad it has cooled off for you. Have a nice day.

R's Rue said...

Have a beautiful day.

Lisa from Lisa's Yarns said...

I'm glad the geese only left footprints! They can make a huge mess w/ their waste on the beach! But they are pretty from a distance! Geese terrify me. I've had some close encounters w/ them when running and they can really terrify a person!

I have had a really busy month of July. Kind of overly busy but I know life will quiet down. And Will is in a really tiring stage of life and is more mischievous than Paul was. I need to research oven locks because his new interest is stepping on the drawer pull for the drawer under the oven and holding onto the oven door... He moves so fast! Next summer will be easier. I find 2 easier than 12-24 months!

I hope Rick's aunt is doing ok...

DeniseinVA said...

Lizzie is so cute! Happy for you that your family is visiting. Never had to deal with a septic tank before but I remember hearing about such things from a good friend of mine. Lovely shots of the geese and other things in nature. I hope you get the tree guys back soon :)

ashok said...

Lovely place and gorgeous pictures

Carol @Comfort Spring Station said...

Beautiful photos - you know I love flowers and birds - geese look great

Vagabonde said...

Cool weather by the lake sounds heavenly. Here in Nashville it has been mostly in the 90 F and with the humidity it feels like in the 100 F. You have some pretty photos of geese and also l love that sunset.

Victoria Zigler said...

Definitely does sound like life is good. And I agree: it really has been a hot Summer everywhere.

gluten Free A_Z Blog said...

Lovely photos especially the sunset and the footprints of the little creatures. Enjoy your cooler weather - here we have a heat wave with temps in the 90's.

Amy at Ms. Toody Goo Shoes said...

I love a post that ends with "life is good!" I'm glad that you've settled in, and are enjoying all the joys of your lake house summer!The Purple Poop Pumper gave me a laugh!

R's Rue said...

Hope you’re doing great

Sandra Cox said...

Cool sounds wonderful right now. After the heat we've had I'm looking forward to Fall.
As always, you've included some beautiful shots of your lake paradise.
Have a great one.

Iris Flavia said...

Such a very cute pic of Lizzie.
The name of that truck is plain hilarious!!!!
Beautiful pics and the perfect ending, "Life is good"!!!

Carola Bartz said...

Thank you for my first look into a septic tank - too bad that pumping the tank didn't help with the slow draining. I hope you can find the reason for it. Your area is beautiful and it's wonderful that you can walk it in lower and much more pleasant temperatures now.

Beatrice P. Boyd said...

Se also had a septic and well when we lived in VA and we did have it pumped, but never looked inside, so thanks for that photo info, Jeanie. Your days at the lake seem to be peaceful with walks when the weather permits. The Canada geese and their now-adult goslings are still here in Nashua and we have about 23 total. They can be quite humorous to watch, especially when the young ones attempt a river landing.

Pamela said...

I think it has been an odd summer too, for so many reasons. I’ve given up on things getting back to normal and I’m just trying to take things as they come and doing what I can to stay safe. Yes, life is good.

The French Hutch said...

It's nice at times with no schedule, just go with whatever you feel. Not much of that going on here, just dong a lot of early fall cleaning while it's so hot. Once we get nice temperatures back into the yard and container planting. I'm so ready for the heat to be out of here. Nice you are spending time with your cousin and enjoying walks. Wish Rick a happy birthday for me, think I missed that. Have a nice weekend Jeanie.....

crackercrumblife said...

I love that photo of looking onto your screened in porch. It's very moody.

Sigh. What a lovely way to spend your days, looking out at that lovely lake! Enjoy all of your moments Jeanie! :) I am shocked about that leaf- I love fall but it is too early!

Red Rose Alley said...

Oh Jeanie, I thought I commented on this, but maybe I got distracted with something and had to go. I am familiar with the septic issue. At my old house, my neighbor was dealing with a septic problem, and since we were in the house in front of him, it was worked on in my yard as well. No fun. The Queen Anne's Lace is always so pleasant to look at. I'm glad your weather has cooled down a bit. Isn't that nice that your mom spent her summers as a child at your cousin's cottage? Those leave look like they are turning into Fall colors. What a wonderful sight to see the geese on the lake, one right after the other. Wow, can't believe you are in the 60's and 70's there. It's in the 90's this week, and feels like Summer.

Have a good weekend, Jeanie, doing the things you love.

~Sheri

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