Nothing but Blue Skies...a Blessing and a Curse

 Fast forward through July, which was lovely.  We basked in the plentiful sunshine.  Visited with cousins.  Made it through what we thought would be the hot and humid "week" of the summer...for two weeks.  Said "goodbye" to a few cousins and "hello" to even more friends and relatives who arrived in time for "the Games".   With each passing day it felt like every sequential day went faster, and faster!

Pugwash on Canada Day, July 1

The buoys caught my eye!
Leaving Bar Harbor, Maine

The flower "pot" is doing great this summer!

So is the fennel!

Can't make these colors up!  One of the good ones.

We spent a lot of time watching our diligent tree swallows, build their nest,
populate the nest, feed the babies and raise them over the month.
"Must see tv"

The view from the lawnmower,
back when the grass was green and needed to be mowed.
I'll get to that in a minute.
Plus, my favorite clouds.

Another sunset...why not?

We did take a little trip down to Boston early in July, to help our daughter move to a new place.  It went well and they are settled into a nice neighborhood!  We drove down memory lane back and forth remembering the many years of driving those same roads with a van or a ginormous SUV loaded with 4 kids, one or two dogs and all the luggage for a summer of fun.  We stayed in nicer hotels this time and ate better food.  We added a stop in Bar Harbor on the way home because TJ had never visited Acadia National Park.  Checked one more off the list this summer.  Although I am not sure we can really count it as all he saw was a road, a lot of fog and some misty water.  We did however get the obligatory photo in front of the sign.  

This makes it official!

July shifted gears the last week when Rachel and the three grandsons arrived.  Suddenly the table was set for 6 or 7 or 9 depending on who joined us.  The garden started providing side dishes and summer was in full swing.  Their week culminated with...THE GAMES.  If you are unfamiliar with THE GAMES, read this post...it says it all.  Suffice it to say the days are jam packed with activities and the nights don't let up.  This year the Browns (our team) won and there was happiness and joy along our beach.  It's been a few years since we were the winners!

You would think after THE GAMES we could sit back and relax...but NO.  Add to the family, our daughter Katie and her two kids and we were now a table for 9.  All good, it was a brief overlap and then we had to say goodbye to Rachel and the boys.  Time flies up here!

Last week, was all the events for the kids.  Mini Olympics, the 50th anniversary!  Think about it...THE GAMES celebrated 50 years last year and this year the Mini Olympics turned 50!  We like to play games and compete up here.  All in good fun too!  These games were followed by a Walkathon to raise money for the Koolaid Kids.  Then, we finished the week with the Sandcastle Contest.  

Softball players

Getting ready for the 3-legged race

The Red Solo Relay
not what you think...

Water Relay, swim, push a kayak, SUP, Canoe

Mini Olympians and Alumni Mini Olympians

The Koolaid Kids!

Serious work being done here!

All of this brings me to today.  Have you noticed how nice the weather has been in my photos?  I was counting my blessings for a while when every day was sunny and warm.  After a while, we noticed we needed to water the flowers more and the garden needed more water.  Well...then the grass quit growing and then it started to turn brown.  The cars are all coated with dust.  If the windows are open, you can forget about passing any white glove test.  My skin is beginning to resemble that of an alligator.  The province has issued a fire ban and has closed all hiking in the woods, all trails in the province are closed to hikers. We are living in a giant tinder box.  One spark and it could all go up in flames.  The skies have been hazy from the smoke out west that has blown this way.  When was the last time you were on "vacation" and prayed for rain?!  We need a good soaking...soon.  Normally, looking at my weather app and seeing nothing but sunshine in the forecast would make me smile broadly.  Now I scroll across the week just hoping to see that rain icon or a thunderstorm.  So far...August 23rd is the first day with even a hint of rain predicted.  Yikes!  It is crispy out there.  Please send rain.

Life has taken a bit of a slower pace this week.  With THE GAMES in the rear view and there are only weeks until Labor Day, we are all savoring the time we have left here.  I want time to slow down.  There are things I still want to do and people I want to sit and have a nice chat with.  There are vegetables in the garden that need to be made into deliciousness.  I find myself sitting on the beach later and later each day just dreading going up and saying goodbye to another day of summer at the shore.  Usually, I write at least one summer post on a rainy day, because I am forced to stay inside.  Today I am seeking shelter after a hot and dry game of golf.  My skin felt like it was frying, and I am indulging myself with the AC running.  The other part of my brain says the sun is shining and it is time to go visit on the beach.  Guess I'll apply a gallon of moisturizer and sunscreen and head to the beach.  That part of my brain always seems to win.

Hope your summer is going well!

Everybody Is Doing The Houston Swat

Today in my LEM class most of my students looked like they were doing some sort of weird pantomime.  They were swatting the air around them, they were swatting themselves and even slapping the people sitting next to them.  Yesterday, when TJ and I took Sadie for a walk TJ was doing the same pantomime and eventually ended up running home, leaving me to fend for myself.  Today on the front page of the newspaper it was confirmed.  We are in the midst of a mosquito epidemic!  Just when it got nice enough to sit outside and enjoy the fall temperatures and maybe have dinner and drinks on the patio....we have been accosted by swarms of mosquitoes who are also enjoying the weather and eating out.   

As you know or may have read here,  we are in a drought.  The good thing about that drought was there was no water for mosquitoes to breed and we have had a relatively bite free summer.    Well....that 4 inches of rain we had (2 weeks ago!) was a good news/bad news situation.  The good news was we needed the rain desperately and every growing thing is doing the happy drinking dance, finally!  The bad news was it was just enough water to breed a wicked batch of swamp mosquitoes, who have been just waiting for that water to come to life and torture everyone in Houston! 

So, to all my northern readers....send cold air!  It is the only thing that will make this epidemic end!  We want to play outside! Smack!  Ouch! How do you like my new cologne?  Deep Woods Off.... don't leave home without it!

Back to "Normal"

Life is back to "normal".  Don't you just love September?  As great as the summer was, it is nice to get back to a familiar routine.  Part of that routine for me is my Learn English Ministry volunteer job.  Last year I taught level 2 classes.  To be in level 2 you must have a basic command of the English language.  Which was good for me since I speak no Spanish and most of the student's native language is Spanish.  We were able to communicate between their English and my minimal Spanish.  Well....."the powers that be" decided to put me in level 1 this year.  What??? This is a bit of a challenge, I have some people who speak NO English.  Yikes!  There are a few blank faces staring back at me now.  Just to make things a bit more challenging, since it is the beginning of the school year, the classes are very well attended, it is free!  As in any classroom there are several levels of ability from the students who speak NO English to the ones I feel are getting close to moving up to level 2.  This helps a bit, the more advanced students can help translate to the ones who are just beginning.  It is amazing how fast 90 minutes can go by with a full class of eager learners!  I forgot just how much I enjoy this ministry.  They are just so happy to be learning a new language, it is enough to make anyone's day!

Another part of the fall routine and being back "home" is reconnecting with our friends.  Yesterday we reconnected with a couple who have a ranch not too far out of Houston.  It was also the opening day of dove season, whoo hoo!  You know I am all over that one!  TJ managed to cram three different dove hunts into one day with three different groups of people.  I almost said "men" but realized there were several women on the last dove hunt.  The last hunt was at our friend's ranch.  It was the first time I witnessed actual hunting.  I try to avoid anything to do with guns, dead animals, heat, and the potential of running into a snake at any moment.  This hunt was very civilized if I do say so myself.  No, I did not hunt!  My participation was limited to watching, taking pictures, eating, drinking and enjoying the breeze....all from the deck of the house, far away from any snakes.  It was about as far away from London or France as one can get in two weeks!

TJ and Sadie had the time of their lives!  Sadie being the ever faithful dog!



Sadie, doing her job and loving it!

The viewing deck!

After all the hunting was done we all sat on the deck and enjoyed a nice meal with the beautiful sunset behind us.  I could not resist this beautiful picture.   An iconic Texas shot!

Beautiful sunsets follow me wherever I go!

This morning when we were having our breakfast on the deck, the owner had just mowed the grass around his fruit trees that are fenced in to keep the deer and cows away from them.  After he mowed, he apparently forgot to close the gate and about a half hour later this was the site.....

"YUM!  This freshly mowed grass is the best thing we have eaten in weeks, maybe months!" 

There were 3 cows inside the fenced in orchard just chowing down on the freshly mowed grass and the tender green weeds.  (the orchard gets watered) Since we have been in a serious drought, they have not had grass this lush to eat in a while.  The owner went inside the fence just to make sure they did not eat the treasured fruit trees and then gently herded them out, back into the crisp brown yard.  "Drats!", they said.  FYI, the longhorn is named Sirloin!


Speaking of the drought.....
While I was away for over 3 months, I had read about the drought in Houston and heard about it from family and friends but the severity of it slapped me in the face when I got home.  This is a serious situation.  The rain is just about the only thing anyone can talk about these days.  They preach about it in church, they talk about it on the radio, it is on the front page of the newspaper and on the news on television.  Remember this post?  If you check out the last paragraph you will see the beginning of the drought, it is now September 24th and our rain total for the year is 11.9 inches, normal is 34.7 inches!  We got 1 inch of rain so far this month and you would have thought it was manna from heaven.  Add a month of over 100 degree days and you have brown crackly grass, dry lake beds, wild fires, water rationing, and trees that have turned brown and my never recover.





The "lake" in September....where is the water?



The same "lake" in April.....





They are not brown because it is fall, they are dying because they are thirsty!

So I leave you with hopes that it will rain buckets on us soon.  I'm off to do one more of my favorite September activities....watch college football!  Geaux Tigers!

Why are these two smiling? 
Because they will be getting married in one week!
  

Stay tuned for pictures and stories!