After months of cold, rainy weather, the temperatures are approaching 80 and beyond and I believe the Pacific Northwest has remembered that it's time for the sun to come out!
It's been a busy week all week. Sunday, Father's Day, was also Tim's birthday and we pretty much emphasized the birthday. (Lyn and I don't really do father's or mother's day). Tim turned 23 and chose to go to a Thai restaurant for dinner. Keri was able to join us and we had a good meal and came home to play 2 games of Yahtzee, which left us in tears of laughter. I really think my abs haven't had such a workout in years. We had a cake, cupcakes (from New Seasons from Keri) and brownies. We each had a cupcake and left the cake, etc. for the next day when Lyn brought home fresh strawberries and whipped cream for the brownies. We gave Tim some gift certificates for shoe stores and a tank of gas for his car (because he was using mine). A sign of the time, I guess.
I joined a book game at Ravelry where you answer a questionnaire about the books you like and don't like and then you get matched to someone who will recommend books for you. We have deal breakers (for me, vampires and Christian fiction) and those books are avoided. I got matched to a great partner (eventually) and he chose and for me. I ended up getting both of these books at the bookstore and got Sullivan's Island, too. I'm ready for some summer reading.
Summer has always meant going to the beach for me. When I was a child growing up in Tallahassee, Florida, my father would take the month of August off and we'd go to St. George Island to a sand-block beach house we had there. At the time, you couldn't get to St. George without taking a ferry, so half the family would go with my mother in a car on the ferry, the other half would go with my father who would leave a car on shore and would drive a boat to the island. When we needed supplies, we would take the boat, get in the car and go to Appalachicola for groceries. Again, half of the kids would go get supplies and then we'd get to pick out comic books and have a root beer float. Those that didn't go for supplies got to go fishing in the boat.
The month was spent reading, swimming, crabbing, fishing, floundering, and just slowing down and enjoying life. It was a wonderful place - the natural life was amazing - wild pigs, sand crabs, hermit crabs, cochinas, sting rays, sharks, dolphin, sea grass. The sand was white, the water was warm, and I loved that place. When we moved away to Tennessee, a bridge was built to the island and more roads were paved. Houses started being built and a state park was established on part of the island to keep some of St. George wild. Homes are now several million dollars and the island has become a favorite destination for visitors to the "Redneck Riviera." We sold our beach house when we moved to Tennessee, but still go back for family reunions and for day trips when I'm in the Tallahassee area.
Until now... Last week my father told me the oil spill was 7 miles offshore. My brother lives in Pensacola and the beaches there are sickening = quite a contrast between the oil and the bleached-white sand beaches that Pensacola is famous for. This is a long-winded way to say that I'm in mourning and that I detest BP!!
Another blast from the past - I found my old roommates that I lived with in my mid 20s on Facebook. One of them moved back to the area just a week ago and we have plans to get together tomorrow. We're certainly older, and I am guessing we're wiser, and I'm looking forward to reconnecting.
I've been told to work with Kristin in a head collar. I bought her one yesterday and we took a walk around the Tech Center. Kristin doesn't care for the collar and will try to paw it off her nose. I was told to use a food protocol with her when getting her used to the head collar and I did this last night. She got to where she could walk about half a block before resisting the collar. She also started balking at getting out of the car and into it again. I'm not sure what that's about. This morning I took her for a neighborhood walk and she did much better. The time is nearing for her to go back. We'll be concentrating on the head collar, recall, and obedience commands for the remaining months.
I'm off to work with the cats at the shelter. The kittens are thriving. I think I've named them Frida, Diego, Che and Zapata. Kittens from litter #1 were all adopted very shortly after being taken back to the shelter.
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