Weekend Walkabout

So my wonderful husband noticed in some pictures that his mother posted that they had a hole in their roof. Not a patch-it hole, a huge gaping 8 foot square hole. So, as any son would do, he called to find out what was happening. Well, they had decided to put in a dormer in that upstairs room and Dad D had just started the project. So, like any loving son who lives across the state rather than three states away, he told us to pack up for the weekend, we were going to go help. Well, that wasn't really a problem since we had nothing to do but clean this weekend, I didn't really care about procrastinating about that! So we packed the car and left after lunch on Friday. Upon our arrival at their house we were greeted by the sight of both of my in-laws struggling with a huge tarp to get this gaping hole covered before the storm broke. Well, the storm didn't break until nightfall, so they had a few hours to spare. But Handsome got up there and helped out too, making the job go a little faster with three sets of hands controlling a flyaway tarp. Once that was secure we went inside for dinner and games, talking for hours and laughing good naturedly with each other. It was good. Waking up the next morning, the boys ate quickly so they could get going on the project for the day while the rest of us cleaned up the meal and played. Oh it was a glorious day! Beautiful sunshine, small fleecy clouds hanging on the horizon, and a breeze to take the edge off the heat. It didn't get too hot, thankfully, but the sun sure did seem to beat down on that section of roof. Handsome and Dad D went to work quickly, taking off the tarp and gathering necessary equipment. Mom D and Sis went to work cleaning up the mess from the day before when they stripped all the shingles off and dumped them on a tarp in the yard. Once the trailer was full to bursting with the stuff, the boys took it to the transfer station. Then it was time to really get to work. Loading the 2x4s through the window, going over the plan, and measuring. Then came a beautiful sound: the BZZZZZZ! of the first cut! Yay! They were off! After a couple hours they had a frame put together and ready to go up. I actually got to help! I stood there and held it while Handsome cut the hole slightly bigger so that it would fit properly. It looked very good. They then secured it with a single 8 foot-2x4 and went back to the plan to be sure that they got it all right. Yup, they did! So on with the rest of the anchors! Up went 6 more to finish the "ceiling" of the dormer. Now came the fun part. The dormer needed to attach to the roof at an angle. The question was: what angle? Handsome climbed up and after a few minutes of measuring and mumbling he came down and buzzed through the end of a 12 foot-2x4. Dad D handed it up, and it almost fit! Back down for a final cut, and it was good! Cheers! Handsome then proceeded to sit up on the rafters and watch as Dad D cut the remaining boards. Putting them on, tightening the last screw and hammering the last nail for the day. It looked good. The nearly complete frame was up! Yay!! Now, for showers and games...Fun times!

Glorious

This morning I got the opportunity to do something that is quite often under appreciated. I was able to watch the sun rise. The morning looked just like most other mornings. There was dew on the grass, a slight mist in the air, and the sleepy calls of birds just waking could be heard. The clouds seem to beckon to the sun, asking it to bathe them in light. They turned from grey to purple. Each color fading imperceptibly into the next. You couldn't really see it as you watched, but glancing away and back, there was a difference. Purple gave way to pink which slowly faded completely away leaving the fluffy clouds white. Untouched by color. Pure. Then, true to form, the sun came bursting over the horizon. Vivacious, alive, beautifully bright. The mountains seemed to rejoice at its presence that lifted the shroud of fog from their shoulders. The birds sang jubilant songs. Suddenly it was day!

Somebody bet on the Bay...

We went to the races not to long ago. No, not the four legged kind, the motocross kind. You know, the two-stroke and dust, revving engines and fast food. Oh it was fun!! Peaches had gone with me in years past to watch my friend race, but this was the first time that the whole family went. We had a blast! There are so many races. Some of the kids that are out there start at age 3 or 4. Their bikes are tiny itty-bitty things and you don't see much of the "race," you see more of the parents running after their kid to restart the bike so they can keep going. Then as the evening goes on it graduate to older kids. They are separated into classes (mostly) by skill, but somewhat by age. Watching the kids race around the track was really cool. There are corners that test your ability to turn sharp, your balancing ability, and/or being able to adjust quickly to a new situation. There are several jumps. Catching a rider in an air-born photo is really quite easy here. The largest, which is a table-top jump, is affectionately called Cody. Cody is fun. Cody is at a spot that tests a rider. Right after the "whoops." Whoops (as we call them) are a series of small jumps set fairly close together. Usually they are roughly a bike's length apart and about 3 feet high. Riders really have to be physically fit to succeed at the whoops because the bike is shifting so quickly under you, forward and back. Your hand cannot get off of the throttle or you'll get bogged down. It really takes skill to ride a dirt bike like that.

To Improve my Outlook on my Life

Just recently we were able to go to the local zoo (not the one I live in) with our cousins who live close and some neighbor kids. We were there for just over 5 hours and still didn't see everything. When we first walked in there was the carousel. That was fun to watch! We rode it on our way out of the zoo. Walking down the trail we saw penguins! Those funny little birds that waddle with their flippers out, dive like pros, and look almost like ducks if seen from above when they are floating. They were fun to see through the windows. They dove and swam, taking forever to run out of breath. As they dove the bubbles would string after them like a disappearing trail. They are such fun loving birds! They always seem like practical jokers, wearing a tuxedo to go fishing. After leaving them to their diving and swimming, we moved on towards the tropical birds. These ones, with bright plumage and eager beaks, were fed most of their daily meals by those who visited them. A stick with a drop of hot glue and seed pressed onto it was handed to you, and then you were off to find a bird willing to land on the stick and eat. All the kids were fairly successful, the tall ones convincing birds a bit easier than the shorter kids. Each one had a bird sitting next to their fingers for at least a short time, picking away at the seeds. I was amazed that the birds could still fly after consuming so much seed, but they did. Once the seeds were all gone, they would fly away. Some would look back down as if to say "Ok, now where's dessert?" On to some bigger animals. Ok, the biggest animals that we can see at the zoo: elephants. Those huge, grey, amazingly strong and smart animals. The trunks swinging down to sample the grass and hay at their feet, swirling it around to get a mouthful, then bringing it up to their mouths. Really so much like our thumb and forefinger that it is fascinating to watch. After eating for a while they began giving themselves dust baths. Getting a trunkful of dirt and slinging it over their backs, using the dust for a measure of protection against the sunshine. Finishing out the Savannah with the rest of the Savannah creatures: lions, gazelles, ostriches, zebras, hippos, and monkeys (not all in the same pen). The hippos were bathing, or more like, keeping in the water to avoid the hot sun. The just laid their like huge mostly submerged logs. The only thing that moved was an ear occasionally twitching to ward off a fly. Then we did something that I've been wanting to do since I was a child: feed the giraffes. We walked up a short trail, got handed a small branch with lots of leaves from a keeper, and got to hand feed a giraffe! Their heads are nearly as tall as Peaches from head to foot. They have one of the largest eyes for mammals, and they have the same number of vertebrate in their neck as humans: 8. When they stuck out their tongues to eat, the underside was purple, and the upper side a light pink. They would stick their heads over the railing (built for this purpose) and gently nibble at the outstretched leaves. For a carrot they would stick their tongue out and curl it around the carrot to get it into their mouth (not like horses who use their lips). Really quite fascinating! Once we were done there, it was time to call it a day and head home. Oh it was a good day! Tired feet and tired kids, but TONS of fun!!

Where's the Remote?

Life has this habit of not slowing down, even when we really really need the break. It has been busy, hence the slightly longer breaks between postings lately. The kiddos and I took a road trip for a couple days. Upon our arrival home, we were greeted by a van full of cousins very happy to see us. We had a nice visit with them for a day, then they had to head homeward. The morning before they left we had a big breakfast with the six of them, plus five more who were camping. We had a house full for a few hours! It was good to see everyone though. But too short. The grandparents stayed on for a few days, picking blackberries with me and the kids their last day here so that they could put up jam too. They took off and I had 11 loads of laundry to catch up on. That's what I get for paying attention to the people that visit. It was so good to see them! I caught up on the house, and then went berry picking again. 24 pints of jam later...I had a messy kitchen again, but a shelf full of blackberry jam! Why can't life slow down?

Flies Time

Where has my baby boy gone? Just yesterday he was army crawling around our apartment. Then it was on to running (and me chasing). Suddenly there were two to keep track of, and a puppy that Mr O tried to take care of. The 30 minutes that lasted a lifetime out on the vineyard when Mr O and tail wagger disappeared, and were found at the neighbors about a half mile away. Several moves later we are in our new house, and Mr O is proudly riding his bike without the training wheels! Yes! Finally! But...Oh where is the cute little boy that snuggled for hours on end? The boy who drew pictures for my recipe box? Where did he go?

Toot! Toot!

While we were visiting, we got to ride the train! It was fast, electric (quiet), and lots of fun. Mr O tried to lean out over the tracks to see when it was coming, and Peaches stood far back so that the wind wouldn't blow her. Cute kids! They did very well, considering it was only the second time that they have been on public transport for any length of time. The ride took about 20 minutes from Aunty's house all the way to the zoo. We saw lots of stuff going by the windows: people walking, people riding bikes, lots of cars, trees, a few horses, and two tunnels. Lots of fun! We also got to ride the train at the zoo. It only went about 5 miles an hour and took about 30 minutes for the whole loop. It was a nice chance to sit down for a bit of a break. We got to pass the other train from the botanical gardens on the loop, and that was fun waving to all the people. The kids especially enjoyed looking over the edge and seeing how far up we were. It sure was pretty!