Give Me Autumn

  

Every Summer

my mind seems to

be displaced from

my body.  I am so

sleepy ALL OF THE TIME. 

It’s not healthy.

 

Every Winter

my mind always believes

it is later than it is because

the sun sets BEFORE

4:00 p.m.  What’s up with that?

 

Temperatures change and send

me into a coma in the summer and

a stupor in winter.  But

changing the clock from one

time to another does not

help with my sleeping

habits either.  I have NEVER

had good sleeping habits.

 

I have allergies all

year round.  Spring has

always been the worst though

I have experienced a

runny nose, itchy eyes and

sinus problems in

summer and winter as well.

 

Can’t we just keep the

temperatures of fall for

the entire year?  None of

the weather record highs or

record lows.  No snow, no fire,

no comas. Please keep the

 sunrise and sunset at

reasonable hours and

so forth.  Give me the

fall.  Get rid of the fatigue.

 

Water Fitness

        The largest sized classes 
take place in July.  By

mid-August the number dwindles

as there are several who

are instructors and have

already started their

        “back to school”.

There were only six of us

in the pool yesterday. 

          Usually toward the end of class

children will start staggering in

for their swim lessons which

follow our water fitness class. 

          There was no staggering and

I wondered if maybe they had

discontinued with the lessons as

several life guards may be

returning to school as well.

          Then they came.  A heard of

children entered just as our

class was coming to an end.

I guess that means summer is

          coming to an end as well.

I'm sad that Dottie is 
          no longer with us.  I 
think of her each time I 
          park as we would park in
the same area.  Her dogs 
          would always bark at me.
I miss Dottie.  I don't
          miss her dogs.

Call It What It Is

I don’t wish to jinx it by saying anything, but the weather has been nice overall. There have been many cool winds.

There have been some hot days.  I think we had the most heat in May.  That is when I was sick and miserable anyway.

The July temperatures have exceeded over 80 only twice thus far.  Yesterday it did not get over 71.  That is really awesome.  There were even a few drops of rain throughout the day.

The fire signs have all indicated moderate.  I am so happy to refer to this season as summer and not “fire season”

I Love Our Communities

from last year

             Friends of Myrtle Creek Library did not have a booth this year.  Jenna was bummed as she desired to lure others to the booth as she had last year.

            While at my swim class, one of the women stated that she would be manning the booth for the Riddle Library.  How awesome.  When I returned home, I let Jenna know about it.

            Turns out that it wasn't a booth for the library after all, but rather the sawdust jubilee which is held the Saturday before July 4.  They had actually held it on the 4th every year until this year. It just wasn't conducive for many volunteers to put in the hours and try to work the next day.  There is a disappointment among many, but I for one understand the dilemma.

            Yesterday was the first year they created a booth for Myrtle Creek Days.  The idea was to raise fireworks for the sawdust jubilee that will take place next year.  Jenna asked if she could assist and blew up some inflatable toys for them.   

When the inflatables were all blown and hanging, Shelly and Tony left and left Susan in charge.  So Jenna and I stayed so that Susan would not be alone.  We stayed after Annie had come to release Susan.  But still, it didn't seem right to leave Annie alone - and I'm so happy we didn't as it turned out the heat was more than she could bear.  I think it should be mandatory that there be at least two people in every booth - especially if more than one activity is offered - which in this case was two games - one throw two footballs through one hole, or get a ring around a hook (that one was the hardest of the two) 

            Jenna had asked if she could hang around with one of her friends, and I ran to the car for a bit.  When I returned, Annie appeared as though she'd pass out.  She had come prepared with water to drink and water to squirt on herself, but it wasn't enough.  She contacted the next shift and asked if they could be there early.  Jenna and I left shortly after they arrived - though Jenna would have been happy staying until closing - I knew Roland would have a problem with it.  I don't know why.  Leaving her with the community for a community activity feels a lot safer than having her just walk down the street in our prior Utah neighborhood.  But Roland doesn't know the community as well as Jenna does.

            I got in touch with Annie on facebook so that she'll be able to get a hold of us next year as she would like Jenna's assistance for the Sawdust Jubilee. 

Wearing a Winter Coat to Kick off the Summer is so Wrong

       Jenna had planned to kick off her summer by going to the beach.  The temperature had dropped on her last day of school.  It’s been cooler at the beach and raining as well.  The weather has challenged her plans as the temperature has dropped all over the state.  It's also been raining.

      

           Jenna enjoys the rain and thinks she'd be okay at the beach in the rain.  But I don't wish to drive an hour and a half in the rain to go to a cold wet beach.  I will have to take her later. Poor baby.

       She and a friend kicked their summer off at our house playing games.  They would like to go see "The Incredibles" next week.  The theatre is much closer to us than the beach.

'Tis the Season of Outrageous Power Bills, Loud Noises, More Showers and Washing, and Losing Sleep

        It's hard to believe that just over a week I had the heater on just before Memorial weekend - and now?  June 1st hits with high temperatures and warm winds and knocked me into a coma.  Would not have made a good chaperone had I gone with Jenna and her classmates on her first overnight field trip through the school.

        The house is in need of new paint - actually, new railing - but paint will be less costly for us at this time.  Roland picked out the forest green I have wanted for each house that we had lived in but never quite got the color right.  Just after we put the first coat on, I wished we would have gone with blue. Jenna picked out a really pretty color - unfortunately not early enough.

The green on the house shutters and trim match the railing .
It looks more blue in this photo.  It was a steel blue before -
a VERY faded steel blue.  Guess it's not a great picture

       

        Actually the house looks nice from the road.  Up close  it is quite obvious that it has been painted by armatures. 

     I have gone outside first thing in the morning and have returned to the inside just a few hours later.  Summer hasn't officially started yet.  I am not looking forward to another year of unbearable heat.  Oregon was supposed to be cooler than Utah! 

        For a state that seems heavy into recycling, one would think they would have found a way to recycle the water that falls from the sky and use it to our advantage and lower the cost of the flippin' high water bills. So many fires and smoke last year.  Can't we just keep the rain going and enjoy cool breezes without being scorched?  And how do fires spread when it is so dang humid outside. 

        We have also painted the shed with a half price paint that didn't mix to the desired color for someone else.  We thought that one gallon would do it - and it would have if the surface hadn't been like a sandpaper texture.  Roland tried mixing the primer and varnish to finish.  He called it "giraffe paint"

which actually matched when it went on wet - but dried much lighter.

adding the "giraffe paint"

which lightened up quite a bit

So we did a mix and match patch up job.  Doesn't look great, but it actually doesn't look any worse than it did before we painted it.

we still haven't done the back - this shows how
horrible the entire shed looked before we painted

nobody sees this side of the shed

        Meanwhile we have our air conditioners running, and washing machine (I must change clothes already at LEAST three times a day) which means we're going to need to put the clothes line up - on level ground (I'm not hiking uphill to hang clothes) and the amount of sleep (or lack of sleep rather) I get is HORRIBLE - four hours a night (if that) and then the heat wakes me up - or else the loudness of the air conditioner.  I can't get in comfortable position to fall back asleep.  I AM ALWAYS TIRED.  I might as well be taking Benadryl or Nyquil.  I really would like a divorce from high/hot temperatures.  Temperature is bound to rise as the months continue.  I think it's going to be a LOOOONNNNNNGGG Summer.