Summer Time

At last, it looks like summer is here to stay. Hot and humid with thunderstorm watches and warnings. I'm finally learning the difference between a watch and a warning as well as which siren means fire and which one means tornado (a handy thing to know in either case. Like most towns around us, we have a complete volunteer fire department so the siren is the ultimate call to arms, so to speak). We have survived the stormy season so far. Although, I did experience some large hail the other day. Hardly worth talking about, only the size of a nickel. Can't even buy penny candy with anything the size of a nickel. Other communities around here got Quarter sized and some golf ball sized. Now, that's worth something. (Do you know how much golf balls are going for these days?) Besides the half-tree loss that I mentioned a couple of blogs ago, the only weather related setbacks were a couple of clogged gutters. Not nearly as dramatic as Sally and Uncas' tree bearing gutters. (Also mentioned a few blogs back) Speaking of clogging, I recently attained the Email address of another old friend. The reason that clogging reminded me of that old friend, Barb, who was a freelance writing partner, a client and a friend, is that she married a real "Doer", Trey, who flies (both planes and the fishing kind), and anytime the occasion arises, dons his kilts and blows a mean bagpipe. Being the ever devoted wife, Barb has joined Trey in his many endeavors which brings me back to clogging. I could say that the sound of my clogged gutters resembled that of a poorly tuned bag of air. But that's not it. But consider this, Barb and Trey, a handsome couple I may add, wearing kilts with the pipes (drum I believe in Barb's case) hung from one shoulder a creel over the other, both wearing bright tartan kilts and olive drab rubber waders striding across the tarmac to their waiting biplane, leather helmets and goggles in place and white scarfs blowing in the breeze. Now that's clogging if I've ever seen it. In all fairness to Barb and Trey, I do envy many of their endeavors (Not counting bag piping) and I am hoping to renew our friendship through, at least, the internet. All in all the internet has been a wonderful tool in rekindling a number of old friendships and hopefully many more in the future. So far I've remet (I love to throw in words like this to rile up my spell check) a friend that I grew up with, both physically and professionally, a couple of good friends who influenced me so much with their photographic talents, and a kid who became such a close friend that was considered part of the family. It has also allowed me to keep in touch with family and friends across the nation, a thing that is so enjoyable in my elderlyness (Take that spellcheck!)

A quick pic of yours truly with Mom on her 96th birthday fighting over bag of popcorn!
(She's a lot stronger than she looks)