Gradually. . .people are leaving. . .

It seems like ages since I've had time to write. Lue says we're lucky to have people leave "by degrees" so that the house doesn't echo with silence! Our house has happily been inundated with family and pets, but gradually vacations have ended, and they've been leaving for elsewhere. Brenda, Emma and Bode left for California via Elmira airport Saturday afternoon, leaving us with Nee Nee and Brenan.

We moved Nee Nee downstairs to the futon here in the computer room, and Brenan in the guest room. We didn't like the idea of them being upstairs in the Kids Kamp by themselves, and I don't think they wanted to either. Paul has moved his computer into our bedroom so he is able to get on it as often as he likes. I don't mind sharing the computer room with Nee Nee for a couple of days. That's the disadvantage of not having a laptop.

Charles, Lee and Ida arrived to spent the day with Nee Nee and Brenan while their mother works at the insurance agency.

While I've been walking Gracie, I've become friends with Kathy, down the street, who loves to walk. She has a newer-than-us-family who moved in last winter. Low and behold, she and her husband, Drew, have a 13 year old girl named Madison or Maddie for short. (It's a small world). Since Nee Nee (age 13) is the lone girl here, besides Ida, age 7, we made introductions just a couple of minutes ago, and Maddie is over here at the dining room table playing cards with the boys and Ida and Nee Nee. Maddie just went to volleyball camp, and Nee Nee is going when she gets back to Florida. I say, the Good Lord provides. Wow. Could it get any better???

We had a perfectly gorgeous day yesterday - low heat, low humidity, temps in the 70's. Today it's starting to get more humid and warmer. It's been a very different kind of July here. Hope August doesn't just turn cold, as it has in some past Augusts. Nee Nee and Brenan went to a matinee movie, Despicable Me, with Sharon and her family so we recorded The World Cup for them and we watched it when they got home. Unfortunately, the three and one-half hour recording ended just after the Spain team scored a point, and two minutes were remaining for the game! We checked with the news, and noted that no other points were made. So fortunately, I guess, we didn't miss some important action. You'd think 3 1/2 hours would be enuf time!

The house two houses down on our side is having a new driveway put in by a paving company. I actually used the same company when I lived in Bath. So Paul hired them to seal our blacktop! It's such a messy hot proposition. I know he wasn't looking forward to doing it. It's well-worth the money. I guess they're getting a lot of business here at the Woods Edge. The people next to us are having it done also. I bet that happens whenever they're on a job. I wouldn't say it was word of mouth. . . it was more word of sight!

Sharon and Dave had their annual out-door Fourth of July party on Friday night, July 9th. Even Jeff arrived on his motorcycle. (He had a friend in racing events at Watkins Glen this weekend, so he stayed with us Friday and Saturday nights.) Everyone brought a dish to pass, they supplied hamburgers and hotdogs. . .and it poured! About an hour after we got there, the rain came down in buckets. And it didn't stop! Luckily, they had plenty of room under cover on the back deck and inside. It worked out well. The kids stayed outside and played volleyball in the rain, tag, and other games. They were soaked, (really soaked) but it was certainly warm enough that they didn't get cold. The rain did bring in a "cold front" however that cooled the temps down into the eighties!

The next night we were all invited back to see fireworks. Which were fantastic! We didn't take Gracie with us because a couple of weeks ago she was so frightened by the drummers in the parade that Sharon took her to, we thought she'd be terrified of the sounds. Lue brought Greta and sat by the car with Greta in her cage. She now weighs 41 pounds and is 4 months old. We took our folding chairs and went and sat with Lue to keep Greta and her company. We could see the fireworks fine. Greta was nervous at first, but she adapted very well. Lue, being there, was the key.

An interesting aside: Gracie was with us Friday night, and we decided to drive home the back way over Middle Road. It was still raining. Half way there, we had to turn back because a tree had fallen over the road and blocked it completely. So we went another road, and all of a sudden there was a deer in front of us. We were in my Spectra, Paul screeched on the brakes, which fortunately did their thing and worked very well, I yelled because I didn't know what else to do. Gracie was on my lap and started shaking like a leaf. I had to cuddle her and hold her close. She knew that things weren't as they should be. All was okay. After a while.

After the rain, the grass is all lush again. It had started to look really brown from all the heat and dry weather.

Okay. That's the news from this end of the Woods Edge. What's happenin' in your neck o' the woods?