Camping Trip

Hello,

We went on an overnight camping trip with Brian and his children. His wife does not enjoy camping. I guess you could say we enjoyed the heat (96 F.), humidity, a few bugs and sunshine.

The biggest adventure happened late in the afternoon on the first day. Leroy and the two kids went exploring while Brian and I were sitting by the camp site relaxing when ten year old Sophia came racing into the area yelling, “Dad, Dad, come quick.”

Brian popped up and said, “Calm down. What happened?”

“Logan (aged seven) and I were showing Grandpa where you climbed down to touch the water when he fell!” Sophia exclaimed, gasping for breath.

“Who fell, Logan or Grandpa?” Brain asked.

“Grandpa!” Sophia said getting her breath back somewhat.

“Is he hurt?” Brian then wanted to know.

“I don’t know, we can’t see him.” Sophia said.

Brian took off running at that moment with Sophia following behind. I also decided I had to know and ran also but not as fast, partly because of my footwear and partly because I have not run in a long time.

When I got to the place, I could see Brian making his way down the steep, 10 to 20 foot incline. Leroy indeed was not in sight.

In a bitI could hear Brian calmly ask him, “Are you hurt?”

My heart filled with joy at his answer, “Not much.”

Brian told Leroy, “Let go of the branch and walk over here.”

Leroy said, “I do not want to get my shoes wet.”

Then I heard Brian tell Leroy, “You need to step in the water, I cannot reach you.”

Brian helped Leroy up the hill. We all went back to the campsite where cuts and scrapes on legs and arms were attended to.

Sophia felt so responsible because she has suggested that Leroy go down the “almost” path and check out the river. We, of course, did not think it was her fault.

After much talk we figured out that Leroy had gone down the first large “step” and decided to jump to the next one. Unfortunately the landing was sandy and he slipped forward, rocketing into a small tree which could not hold his weight and he went some more levels down where he ended hanging from a branch above the back water of the Root River.

The kids say that he did not answer them when they called to him, but Leroy tells me that he told them to get help. In the excitement it is hard to know the exact occurrence. I know that we people up above were thoroughly frightened. Guess Leroy was a bit shook up too, but he knew he was alive and going to get out of it all, he just did not want to have wet shoes because he had only brought one pair.

Paula

Corn Growing and Black Raspberries

Hello,

When I drove to work on Monday I was astonished to see how much the corn had grown since I had last seen it three day before. It seemed to be almost a foot taller. Perhaps you could have heard it grow if you listened carefully.

Leroy and I went black raspberry picking along the bike trail close to our home. It was wonderful. We just stuffed our mouths full and enjoyed. Sunday evening we came back dressed in jeans, long sleeved shirts, hats, socks and shoes. Bug spray had also been liberally applied. We pushed our way into the thickets and got a nice amount. Some we shared, some we froze, and a big some we happily ate for the next two days. This afternoon I went back with two buckets. I was able to get an inch or two in each bucket. I could tell that someone had recently picked. But I certainly got a lot. On the way home I spotted a young woman coming toward me. I wondered what she thought of me in my berry picking garb. Soon I learned as she asked before we were even together, “Did you pick raspberries?”

“Yes,” I told her.

“I am going there too,” she smiled.

“Oh no I picked most of them and the bugs were eating many of the others.” I said with a bit of distress. “I picked the edge ones for sure.”

She was not dressed in berry picking clothes, but she had a backpack. “I have paper bags in here and I will catch a supply of those bugs for my chickens.”

“Do they like those beetles?” I wondered.

“Yes they love them. Last year they ate so many that their poop turned glisteney in the sun.” she said with a laugh.

I apologized for taking so many of the berries. But she assured me that it was first come first served. And she had picked a lot last night.

Paula

                                                                          

New things, New Learning

Hello,

I have now started to use the IPhone five that a friend gave me. The flip phone that I had purchased worked, but after about a week no one could understand me. Did I drop it or did my voice just become garbled? I am not sure, but it was no longer a good option.

I am now learning to use the new phone. Mostly that is going well because we do have an IPod and there are many similarities. Also at work I spend a little time using the IPad for yoga. Today I figured out how to post a phone picture on FB and it was easy. However I am not sure how easy it will be to move it to the computer so I could share it with you in a letter. There is more new learning in the future.

The pictures that I shared were of our oatmeal bowls this morning. The fresh fruit was heaped up on them. Before breakfast Leroy and I went out along the trail that we can access about two blocks from our house. Yesterday evening we had taken a walk and “pigged out” on the black raspberries that were deliciously ripe. This morning we went back dressed in jeans and long sleeves allowing us greater penetrating ability without getting scratched. We were also carrying buckets. We picked both raspberries and mulberries. It was so exciting and satisfying. Almost made me feel back home on the farm even though I am in the middle of a city.

Later this morning we bought a new laptop. The current machine is seven years old. The battery no longer holds a charge and apparently there is a short in the power cord because from time to time it would just stall. I was quite surprised that Leroy did not take the new one out of the box immediately, but he did not. So I am still using the old model. Tomorrow the new one will surely come out and then I will have to get used to that model. We are keeping our old forms of all other programs so it should not be much learning required. This one is also a touch screen. We were not sure that we needed this feature, however this one was on clearance so we took it as part of the package. Hopefully it will work well and faithfully. Seven years would be nice.

Paula

Complaints and then a new perspective

Hello,

Complaints can become a way of life when dealing with the uncontrollable weather. It seems just a week ago we were considering getting into high gear complaining about the dry spell that did not have an end. However now we are contemplating complaining about the rain that appears to have stalled over us.

I hung out clothes today. I had planned to just hang out the sheets, but before I knew what had happened the entire first load was on the lines. The moisture in the air inhibited and lengthened the drying routine. Most things were almost dry on the line and finished dried satisfactorily when I spread them out on the bed or hung them on the clothes rack. No rain during this period of time was much appreciated.

Pain has a way of exploding into our lives and wrenching us sideways just when we feel that life is good. My friend’s young granddaughter was hit by a car and killed.  I was so shocked yesterday I could not write, but these thoughts.

Paula

Greens, Greens, Greens

Hello,

I heard Leroy get out of bed and take off his pj’s. “What time is it?” I wondered because I had not heard the alarm go off.

“It is 5:29, and I am going to go to the community garden to get some lettuce for my lunch.” Leroy replied.

While leaping out of bed I said, “I’ll come with you,” with visions of greens and a great half mile walk moving through my mind.

The garden is producing produce well. Leroy picked a nice amount of green stuff. On the way home we stopped at a small garden that is by a school in our neighborhood. Last year a man had told me that it was open to the neighborhood, but no one was going there, except himself. I hope that was still true this year because we picked a nice head of lettuce as well as some leaves. The headed lettuce is getting ready to bolt, or at least that is what my mother called it when the heads went off into space and eventually became seed pods.

After we got home I put the head of lettuce on the kitchen counter because we had run out of bags for this bounty. In about one minute I noticed some long, half inch bugs coming out of that head. I smashed two or three of them, but more kept coming. Leroy was stretching in the living room. I called to him, in spite of my belief in the necessity of exercise, “Come kill bugs, I am taking this lettuce outside,” as I raced down the stairs and outside. Hopefully there are no more of these critters roaming around our rooms. Little creepy to think about, but I suspect they do not like humans.

I declare, one day early, summer to be here, bugs and all.

Paula

Inside Cool

Hello,

I did go out this morning to hang out three loads of clothes. I was happy that they were all dry before noon so I did not have to be out in the hot time of day. It was wonderful to be out in the cool of the morning. I am so happy with our flowers it lifts my soul to look at them. The poinsettias still have red leaves on them. I am quite surprised to see that in the middle of June. I do not remember this happening in the past. I have previously planted them outdoors, but usually they just get green leaves almost immediately.

I see I should have weeded today before I took these pictures, especially the ones by the compost bin. We are becoming a go to place for creeping Charlie. Apparently the word is out that we are tolerant to a degree.

We are taking care of both front garden beds this year. I planted marigolds on one side about one week before the other because I had not bought enough. The first side looks vigorous and healthy. The second side has been attacked by some bug. We had put netting over it since the squirrels wanted to dig in there. Do you suppose that bugs were trapped under the netting? The marigolds were not only there for their looks, but to deter bugs. Leroy wonders, “Did the marigolds save the plants by attracting the bugs? The other plants have not been eaten.”

Life is full of mysteries.

Paula

Hot Walk

Hello,

This afternoon I delivered the last of the neighborhood newsletters that are our responsibility. I had intended to have Leroy help me for this last bit. However, after learning that he was working at the museum Saturday morning and preaching Saturday night as well as preaching on Sunday, doing it all alone was the easy way out of guilty feelings.

 I set off at 2:00pm which is a hot part of the day. Usually this part of the route can be done in about half an hour so water did not seem necessary.

At the third place I delivered to a teenager who was outside. Upon learning that he lived in the duplex, I handed over the newsletter. He was going in the door when a woman’s voice called out, “Wait!”

I assumed she was talking to the boy so I continued to move until he told me, “Mom says to wait.”

Shortly his mom came out with a water bottle in hand. She put that ice cold bottle in my hand. I still did not really think I needed it, but took it since she was so gracious as to provide it. Later I decided a drink would indeed be nice. That walk took me over an hour. Before I got home I had gratefully consumed the entire bottle.

Renters and blacks do not have as high a status in this country as home owners and whites. This woman was probably a renter considering that she lived in a duplex. I could clearly see that she was black. No white home owners offered me anything. It would be good if all could remember that there are good people everywhere in many different circumstances.

I perhaps looked like a homeless person in my garb and backpack. I did notice that a well dressed white guy in the bank parking lot looked at me and then quickly looked away as he might have done with someone he wanted to avoid. He certainly did not seem concerned with my welfare.

Paula