Postcards From the Lake: Hot and Happy

I promised myself that no matter how hot it got this summer, I would not complain. I would observe, such as "It is SO hot today!" but not complain. So far, so good. Things have "cooled" off to normal summer. After a sticky start, the fun of summer has started!

 

And I suppose if I was going to, last week would have been the week to do it. Everything was hot and sticky. Rick swabbed out the porch and three days later it still hadn't dried and there were wet patches all over the linoleum inside where the condensation just wouldn't dry up. Then there was the rain. I woke to rain coming in on my head from the bedroom window right above it. Well, that and the thunder. Rapidly I brought in all the porch cushions -- I got them right before the deluge. That was our third big rain of the week. One of those storms was so intense and windy that it blew our neighbor's dock into the water. No wonder things wouldn't dry.

 

Fortunately, it stopped at the water. A couple days later, it was put back in place. 

 

Something seems to have happened to our beach. Now when it rains, it seems to get these little ponds in the sand. The water table appears to be very high. What used to be dry sand till one got close to the water is hard and damp. Which makes it cool to the feet but just not as appealing unless you want to build a sand castle.

 

The reflections are rather pretty, though!

 

But then, those days of sitting on the beach waiting for the sun to bake you to a crisp are long past! When it's hot, you go jump in the lake!

 

And when it's hot, you read. I read all 553 pages of "The Marble Hall Murders" in two days. Well, mostly one with a few hours on another. It's that good. I was going to pick something short next and somehow I ended up starting Ken Follett's "Fall of Giants," the first of his Century Trilogy. It's 900 and something. Shoot me now!

 

In other news, we went to Petsokey, about an hour away, to celebrate Cam turning eight. 

 

We decided we didn't want to go in on a family present which was contributing a Nintendo Switch gadget. Rick and I both think kids have too much screen time as is and didn't want to support it. So we found some other fun things. He was especially excited to get a set of Gold Pokeman cards. 

 

Rick had fun pushing the boys around on the tree swing and we all enjoyed a wonderful day.

 

Then Cam got to blow out the candle on the cake he helped bake -- a "Lego" cake! 

 

I finally got out the art supplies. I don't know why I've been somewhat resistant. 

 

I did a sketch of my neighbor's flowers. Not great, but it got me doing something. (Also did a from life portrait of Lizzie sleeping. Let's just say that one isn't ready for prime time!

 

But I did spend some time working on the England journal. If you've read along for a bit, you'll know that after returning from England in 2024, I did a watercolor journal, leaving room for writing on each page. Now I've finally started filling them in.  

Evenings are mellow. We moved a dining table outside so we can eat in the backyard. We enjoy dining on the porch but the sun is so hot and coming right in on us at the time. We've a little table for snacks while we grill.

 

And grilled burgers, brats and chicken are always the best! I love my new sauce brush!

 

And, if the conversation lags, just look up! It's one of my favorite views. 

 

And when it's too hot to eat or you forgot to thaw anything or you really need air conditioning or you left the bag with the brats in it at the grocery store -- you go out!  

We had a quiet outside dinner on July 3 before the fireworks. Pork chops with rice and roasted veggies -- perfect! (Yup. That's the flag hanging from the clothesline!)

 

Then friends of Rick's came over to watch the fireworks. Boats gathered out in the lake in front of a cottage for a ringside seat.

 

Then, Boom! 

 

 As fireworks go, they were pretty good but the finale was pretty blah and anticlimactic. But at least the barge from which they were shot off didn't sink as it had a couple years before!

 

So far, our summer is lovely. I leave you with a favorite view., the view from the porch as the sun goes down. Scrabble or Rummikube on the table, and this as a backdrop.

 

It's good to be back.