After Work Activities

Attempts at being productive were made but were not successful. It's still to wet to mow, especially if your tractor isn't presently 4WD. It's hard to tell, but some of the weeds are now waist high; there's still good grass underneath, but not for long if the weeds aren't under control soon.

Shooting practice provided a nice diversion, although the .45 (it's a Glock, maybe a 21?) is getting expensive to load. It's a real pleasure to shoot though!

Got hay?

We do! Fifty bales, just picked up out of a field a few miles away; it's now tidily (sort of) stacked in the milk barn, and should last several months. A year ago there was no hay to be found in this area; our foot of rain last week was greatly appreciated, as were the unseasonably cool temperatures.

A little goose seems to have discovered my garden pond-said goose has also discovered the basil, but we try to take such adversity in stride.

After Action Assessment

The following is strictly, well mostly, the opinion of the author; argument will be entertained, probably to no noticeable effect.


Strictly by the Numbers:

Max Temperature: 106F

Inches of Rain: 2.5

Highest Gust: 55 mph

Boats Sunk: 3

Paddles Lost: 0(!)


Significant Injuries: Only one, that's too many

Near Death Experiences: Only one, more evidence there's no justification for the existence of Ski Boats

Fallen Overboard into Icy Water: Too Numerous to Count (related to #1, no doubt)



More Importantly:

Best Old Recipe: A Tie; Two Plate Ribs vs Dooms' BBQ Chicken

Best New Recipe: Two Plates' Steamed Corn

Best New Gadget: Battery Powered LED kitchen lights, even if they were shaped like flowers

Best New Story: Wild Man's Socks, a Remarkable Tale of Survivorship



And finally, this vacation was brought to you by Daddio and Jake who remained in uniform and on duty throughout (Katherine is in picture through no fault of her own, she conducted hygienic maneuvers regularly).

Thanks Y'all!

Final Day of Frivolity

We rented a pontoon boat to cruise around the lake, accompanied by the Paddle Team. There was lots of swimming and snacking, jumping off of rocks, and rope swinging. You can see most of the Paddle Team assembled below, some pictures on the lake, and The Toy Trailer:

Wowza!

This entry is from the kitchen tent, where we now live, because it's still standing. Another extreme weather event has occurred, but grilled chicken, salad, farm fresh sweet corn, and ice cream sundaes were served.

Remarkable.

Pre-Float Menu

Ribs! They're what's for Breakfast:

So Many Pictures

And none of them of the real action (it being rather damp out there). Here's some stuff we did today, it did rain, but we spent the day on the river none the less. Of note, you'll see Daddio demonstrating Dunk & Chuck, a Man Overboard Activity (it appears as if he's drowing Kenny, it's purely for demonstration), an interpretation of the Statue of Liberty, and, of course, the Mackie Cheese Dog and its creator, Tommy:

Warning! Graphic Image!

We survived an evening of amazingly foul weather last night, without incident; we're having spaghetti tonite so we anticipate even better tonite.

This morning, after the storm, serious injury occurred. The victim was attempting to rouse the Wild Man and stepped on a tent stake. After stanching the hemorrhage, she passed smooth out, requiring the hasty erection of a MASH facility. The victim was transported by litter into the operating suite where the wound was irrigated, disinfected, and dressed. A full recovery is anticipated.

The last photo is of the grisly wound; viewer discretion is recommended.


Important Update: After reviewing reports, last nights weather event was truly off the charts. The extreme temperatures and remarkable dew point made for a very unstable atmosphere; fortunately there was very little upper level shear (causes tornadoes). Sadly, There were deaths in the community near here.

Second Update: It was thought there were three deaths, the actual number is 18.