Oooops! I forgot to put these pics with last post!

Now I finally "get it"

Yep. Now I get it. I get why you can have a whole bunch of dolls and call each of them "Soda".

It hit me when Hannah was showing my bedroom to her Mom and I heard her say, "And this is Raggedy Ann, and this is Raggedy Ann, and this is Raggedy Ann.........."

Enough already!

So here's the deal. It is not even winter yet. One more week to go before the winter solstice hits. What is this craziness?

Saturday school, thankfully, was cancelled yesterday because of this amazing amount of white stuff that filled our streets and brought tow trucks tons of business. Snow shovels were a hot commodity and I didn't even have my ice scraper with the brush on it in my car yet. We Minnesotans, who are a hearty lot, were not prepared to fight this huge pile of snow that filled the sidewalks, alley and streets.

I already have ice dams building in my gutters (because they hadn't been cleaned out yet.) AND....there are leaves on the ground underneath this foot and a half of snow that weren't bagged and raked yet. I am already sick of this cold, snowy winter wonderland, although I have to admit that when the moon shines on the house at night, it is a very pretty sight. Just depressing that we are in for the big haul...at least, March until we get some of it thawed, I'm sure.

I can't believe how hard it was to maneuver around in this stuff that first day and how much snow Jennie and I moved around to push her car from Dale and Iowa to my alley. It was probably about a three hour job. I still haven't cleaned up the sidewalk and alley edges like I should but I haven't had the energy to face it again. It is very tiresome and tedious. I will never forget Jennie giving up with tears in her eyes and saying, "I quit, let's just leave the car here and let a tow truck take it to the impound lot! I don't even care!!" But we persisted, got the car home, with some help, and had a hot chocolate to celebrate!

Thankfulness

It's here again. Another Thanksgiving Day. It is a wonderful time to reflect and be grateful. I find my life in these later years seems to be flying by. I hope I will take more time to really be thankful. Things seem to bombard me sometimes, especially lately. But, when all is said and done, life is good. I have kids I love dearly, and most importantly, I think, is that they care about each other. My grandchildren are truly awesome in my eyes. I adore them even if I don't get to see them that much. I am really looking forward to seeing everyone today. Hailey and Hannah will have changed and grown and will make me so proud. My family.....it is the thing I really cherish most in my life. I probably don't seem to show it so much, but I think the girls know. I am trying to keep a lower profile these days and not be the overbearing mom that seemed to overview their growing up years. I have every confidence that they are young women with smart heads on their shoulders and that they will make good, solid decisions in their lives. I just hope and pray they will understand how much they mean to me and how proud I am of them.

Today as we eat bountifully and enjoy each other's company, I pray that God will continue his blessings to us. I pray that we will tell Him just how thankful we are for those blessings. Life is hard. No one has ever claimed it is easy. He will lead us and comfort us and help us through when we feel overwhelmed. The thing is......we really do have it good. There are so many others in the world who are really suffering. There are earthquake victims who have not recovered. There are people who are living with diseases....cholera is flourishing again and cancer is still beyond the cures needed. Evil seems to have penetrated all corners of the world, but there is plenty of goodness, too. Friendships are important and we have good ones. I want to tell these people today that I love them: Tom, Mom, Bob, Kari, Andres, Agustin, Kas, Amy, Brian, Hannah, Hailey, Jennie, Kim and Kristin. I am, also, thankful that Dan and I can remain civil to each other for the sake of our family. May our spirits recognize the goodness out there and really appreciate each moment of precious life that we are given!

PINK

Her name is Pink. ( She came with that name.) She is a 2 year old golden retreiver. She is the newest member of Tom, Kyle and Jackson's household in Hudson.tom got her free on Oct. 3, 2010 from a woman in Rice Lake, Wisconsin. She really is a good girl, although she came a little skiddish and nervous. The first day she arrived within a half hour she had sprinted away because of a noise and Tom lost her. She took off like a bullet and was out of sight in no time. He looked everywhere and asked all the neighbors, etc. After coming to town and picking me up, he and I drove around until after dark, calling her name and looking for her in a ditch or anywhere thinking her leash had probably gotten caught on a bush or branch and she was maybe hung up somewhere not able to move on. Our hearts ached because she was in a strange place and didn't even know where her new home was yet and she was alone somewhere in the cold and in the dark, probably pretty frightened. The next morning the sheriff located her somewhere down on McCutcheon road and brought her back to Tom. We are so thankful she was found. She is a little jealous of Jackson and he of her, but they are also companions who have learned to spend some time playing with each other. One picks up the tug toy and the other grabs the other end and pulls. It's pretty cute when it happens.

Trees will be the death of me yet

Trees, trees, trees. They give us shade. They are beautiful when their leaves change color in the fall. They enhance landscapes.

However.....there are times when they are such a pain. Just this year I have had these tree mishaps. One fell near my woodpile at the lake...and luckily, missed the polebarn. Then, recently when the wind was crazy, I had a dead tree branch fall from the tree in the back of the cabin and take out my power line and damage my meter mast (which required a licensed electrician to fix). The latest was during the night Friday/Sat. morning when we just had this new heavy snowfall. I woke up to lots of creaking and noises around my house. My new siding isn't even finished yet. The big, gigantic pine tree in the back of the St. Albans house lost about 8-10 large, heavy branches. Several fell on my phone line, against my house (don't know yet if they already damaged my new siding...which is one day old there) and a huge limb fell on my roof and who knows if there is a hole or damage there?! My insurance company is already threatening to cancel me and raise my rates because of the last claim. What is going on with me and trees? (There were also two large limbs that fell from the boulevard tree in my front yard and a larger one from my neighbor's tree in her yard. I was actually a little nervous to walk out into the street for fear a branch would let loose and fall on my head killing me!)

Saturday School

I agreed to be a teacher for Saturday School for five weeks. I am teaching a group of about 20 first and second graders for a new pilot program that St. Paul public schools is very excited about. So excited that they have invested lots of money, I believe, because there is a curriculum that was put together for this. We got books, a software program that is awesome for reading, and lots of supplies. Plus, there are four sites and three teachers, a para, and a site supervisor at each one. We are being paid for 5 hours each Saturday.

Since I have had a zillion little incidentals attack my life lately, I decided the extra money would be a very good thing. I stressed out a little after a 2 hour training last Wednesday night that was a little overwhelming, to say the least. We were starting in three days, and we got a big box of stuff to look through, read, and try to understand in that short time. I spent hours preparing for my class yesterday. The hardest part was that I am not so familiar with the first and second grade classrooms anymore since I usually work with the older kids. How much reading and writing will they be able to do? How do I keep them engaged when they have such short attention spans, etc.? Over the years, I have collected and used tons of resources for the older kids and have lots of activities and ideas up my sleeve, but I am a little short when it comes to this age. Well.....I needn't have worried for a minute. Being prepared is the best thing, for sure.

The other thing, of course, was the snowfall that we all woke up to see. There, apparently, were a lot of parents who didn't want to walk their kids to school yesterday morning, or didn't have the proper snow attire to send them on the bus alone, or didn't trust the traffic and roads for a first snowfall commute (which was crummy, by the way). It probably didn't help that most of the kids were not familiar with the school since we were drawing from the area and neighborhood rather than just our own students. I am the only staff member, besides Brian, our custodian, from World Cultures/American Indian Magnet and we are one of the chosen sites. Last year, I worked with one of the teachers whose room I am using for the class. She was thrilled to know that I would be there instead of a stranger, because she could give me instructions about how to care for "Speedy", her turtle, etc. She was expecting to have to hide a great deal of her things, but she totally trusts me and knows I'll be responsible for taking care of her stuff.

Needless to say, we had 20 kids total, instead of the 60 who signed up. I'm sure the weather was to blame. I felt like the day was a huge success with my 8 students. Too bad we couldn't have that kind of class size all the time! Only four weeks left....

A Favorite Gift

One of my very favorite gifts ever given to me is my Mother's ring. I wear it everyday and it so special. My birthstone is the big amethyst (February) which is, coincidentally, also my Mom's birthstone. (How cool is that?) The smaller stones respresent my girls.....three green emerald stones for Kari, and Kim and Kristin (May), an aquamarine for Amy (March), and an opal for Jennie (October). I love my daughters, and each time I see this ring, I am reminded of how beautiful, wonderful, and special they are to me. It is, especially, meaningful because they had it made for me. Thanks, girls. I still love it!!

Feels like Fall

Jennie and I had a gorgeous weekend at the lake. She was recovering from her wisdom tooth extraction and I was thrilled to have her company. Grandma and Bob came up on Saturday, too. We had the fireplace going in the kitchen and it was warm and cozy inside, although a little nippy in the air outside. It was sunny both days and the sky was blue. The best part was that we had a bonfire Saturday night and Sunday afternoon and burned a lot of the brush that has been collecting. We both brought reading material and movies, so we relaxed, relaxed, relaxed. That being said, I, also, got mowing and trimming done!

The Holmgren's gave us a tour of the remodelling project in their cabin. It will be so great for them. Another bathroom, another bedroom, a laundry room (!), furnace and air conditioner, on-demand water heater and fireplace, an island in the kitchen with more cupboards, an expanded open space inside that will double their old living room area, and, best of all, a screened-in porch area on their present deck. They are excited for the change.

There were some trees up there that were gorgeous and it sure felt like fall. It is my favorite time of year at the cabin.....sweatshirt weather. I heard Jennie say the same thing. Too bad I have to close it down soon. Boo hoo!

Wisdom Teeth

Remember that old song about War....What is it good for?

Well...since Jennie had a wisdom tooth pulled today, I am thinking the same thing. Wisdom teeth....What are they good for?

She came through like a trouper. I was thinking about her at almost the exact moment she got to the office. We were in a school assembly at that time. As a parent you hate for your kids to have to go through moments like that in their lives. I got off the bus about a mile from the oral surgery office, so went directly there instead of home and she was still in recovery. I felt a huge sigh of relief seeing her with Mom and knowing the surgery was done and she was awake from the anesthesia. Went to Mom's and ate supper with them. She was getting picked up by Tom. I was glad to know that she would be in capable hands tonight. I am planning to go to the lake with her tomorrow and helping her to spend a quiet and restful weekend at the cabin, reading and watching movies, etc. And eating soft foods, of course!

The tooth that was extracted was coming in sideways, scraping the tooth next to it, and was causing her pain. I had expected that she was getting all four removed, but they decided that because she was almost 27, the top ones were still pretty far up and probably wouldn't descend any more. The decision was made to just pull one tooth. At $650 for one, I think Jennie was glad. She said she couldn't imagine having four done at once, affecting all corners of her mouth. She was pretty swollen, but kept applying ice. After going through all the braces stuff and surgery for an eyetooth that broke through her upper gum when she was younger, I think she was ready to endure this.

All I can say is.......yglck......Wisdom teeth.....What are they good for!?

Big Brother

I know it's goofy, but I was addicted to the tv reality show Big Brother. For the last few weeks (since I got DISH and free Showtime) I have even been tuned in to the late night live feed of the house. It is finally over. The finale was tonight. Hayden won the half million dollars and Lane won $50,000. Britney was voted favorite houseguest by the American public and she was awarded $25,000. Poor Enzo. He left his wife and baby daughter for 3 months, was definitely a super good player but came home with no money. WOW! I thought he was hilarious, but didn't care for the "f-bombs" that came out of his mouth every second, but then, he's from Jersey, so I guess you have to expect that, huh? He'll probably get some kind of agent and make some money some how for his "Bra-gade" and "Meow meow". Sounds nuts, I'm sure, if you weren't a fan and didn't watch. It was an entertaining few months. Amazing how you start to feel like you know these people. I feel okay about who won, but probably would have voted for Lane myself, since he just seemed like a good all-around person. Nice guy. Now that it's over, maybe I can "get a life" again....huh? (I'll bet Tom votes for that one!) Good sport that he was, he seemed to get a little into the show, too. Anyway, Whew! It's over.

The Revelation

Okay, I'll admit that sometimes I just don't get it. But, for the most part, I don't think of myself as a "dense" person. This one really made me stop and think, however.

A few weeks ago, Tom and I went to an Estate Sale and bought several items with the thought that we would resell them on Ebay and make a little profit. One of the things we bought was this old game. The copyright was like 1956 or something, and it reminded me of the board game Clue. There was a board with a floor plan of rooms and little metal weapons and you had to guess who the "killer" was. The box was in pretty decent shape, too. The only puzzling thing to me was the stupid name of the game. It was Mr. Ree!

Just the other night, I had the light bulb moment. Seriously, it took me almost a month before I fugured it out! (MYSTERY!......duh)

The Grandpa Dan Show

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Kari and Amy had been warned. They got several messages that something exciting was coming, but didn't really know what to expect. The rest of us had been forewarned and were very excited for the premier episode of the Grandpa Dan Show on Skype to be delivered at exactly 7:30 p.m. in Champlin, and exactly 8:00 in Quito, Ecuador. Jennie, Kim and Kristin had been installed as helpers, although their instructions were very last minute. Diane Mars and I were there as audience members to enjoy first-hand what goes on behind the scenes. It was a bit of chaos and craziness to be sure, and I could swear there was some hyperventilating, but it was obvious, Grandpa had done a ton of preparation and work to get this show on the road.

The marquis went on, the lights and music started up, and Jennie announced that the show was about to begin. Then Grandpa Dan and his puppets were introduced with about 25 costume changes. The "shy" puppets wouldn't talk to anyone but Grandpa, but they loved to sing and weren't shy doing that at all. When Grandpa started spilling all kinds of words out, his sidekick sock puppet started singing, "You Talk Too Much" ! Since the show had to be performed twice, some of the kinks got tweaked for the second presentation. The early show was for Hannah and Hailey. Hannah laughed and did a lot of interaction (which wasn't planned into the script at all). Good thing Mom was there to do some quick translation. She left at one point to get a snack, but the live show "had to go on without her". After all, there was a time schedule that was being followed and Ecuador was next on the billing! The music must have been soothing because it put Haileyto sleep in her mother's arms. I can just imagine, "You've Got a Friend in Me" was a good tune for rocking her back and forth as Amy stood there watching Hannah and next thing we knew.....she was out cold.

In Ecuador, the boys were squealing and Kari was laughing like crazy with them. I think they really enjoyed the silliness and thought it was pretty neat to have a show brought to them from St. Paul via the computer. Agustin was wondering how Grandpa had so many arms....until he saw the aunties at the end of the show and realized they were helping out with all the puppet changes. etc. Next week all the kids and moms are supposed to bring their favorite sock to the performance. And.....the Lollipop Twins will be the stars of the show. There were a ton of characters introduced like: Stinky, the Pirate, Silly, the King, the Policeman, and many, many more all created by hand and with lots of imagination by Grandpa Dan.

I felt privileged to be able to witness the Big Show and I'm glad it was a huge success. Wonder if the kids will be excited for next Tuesday night!?

I personally think my favorite part of the whole evening was when Hannah volunteered during the middle of the show that they have "a new radio and music" and Grandpa said, "Who cares?" Well....since I gave her that CD player and music for her birthday....I cared and was thrilled to hear it! Ha ha.

Happy Birthday To Me, I'm Three!

What a fun time we all had indulging our little Hannah for her third birthday party at Chuck E Cheese. She handled all the fuss and excitement like a little trouper. There were tons of presents, but she was so patient about opening them. I never heard her whine or complain about anything. She had tokens for games, and danced and sang with the other kids and Chuck E Cheese himself! She even posed for a few pictures. There were decorations, balloons, pizza and pop. I think the "present of the day" was Baby Alive....no surprise that her favorite would be a doll, huh? She got a little taste of Christmas early with all the nice gifts everyone gave. There were 19 adults and 12 kids in attendance. Kim had to miss because she was on a camping trip for her work. We all wished Kari, Andres, Agustin and Nicolas could have been with us! One thing is for sure.....she is definitely loved!!

Minnesota Nice

Tom and I went to the Fair on Wednesday. The weather was perfect with no humidity. It was a great day for people watching and that's one thing we do well. Tom was asking about how people figure out which "costume" they are going to wear. It's true....We saw lots of old grannies (older than me even) with the sprayed and sparkly goofy hairdos. At least they are having fun, huh? We didn't get there until 2. First thing, I got my free Kare 11 backpack...it only took 7 minutes in a line that started a block away. We made an effort to watch our calories, and shared stuff, but my favorite was still the cheese curds and the corn. I enjoyed seeing the famous local celebrities....Joe Souchery and Dave Dahl, Amelia and Frank from channel 4. We watched the Amateur talent show and saw some great acts. Lots of walking and sitting, but a very enjoyable time. We enjoyed walking the Midway at night with all the lights, too.

Modern conveniences

Kari and Andy left on Sunday the 15th of August. Tom was aware that I have a hard time saying goodbye and that I am preoccupied most of that travel day thinking about them riding for long hours in airplanes and making connecting flights, etc. (Even though they are definitely pros at it by now.) So....he suggested we go on a Sunday drive. We invited Mom and Bob and they jumped at the opportunity. We drove down to Lake City and Lake Pepin and then to Wabasha. We came home on the Wisconsin side. One of the stops we made was in Pepin to see this log cabin. It is the birthplace of Laura Ingalls. It was pretty cool thinking about her family actually living here, esp. after all those years watching Little House on the Prairie. I know, however, that even though it would have been a much simpler life, it was probably a hard one, too. I personally would miss my computer, internet, tv, cell phone, car, digital camera, and most of all, my indoor bathroom! Every now and then, something like this helps me reflect and put life today into perspective. That is when I can stop complaining and say a little prayer of gratitude.

Children's Museum

One of the things we did while Kari and family were here was go to the Children's Museum. It was a fun day full of all kinds of experiences. Hailey loved seeing the baby in the mirror. Hannah was an expert shopper in the grocery store. (She, also, had a fascination for hand dryers. Wherever there was water, Hannah was drying her "wet" hands.) Nicolas loved playing in the water, sand and making paper, etc. He had fun in the grocery store, and in the restaurant. I think he enjoyed sitting on a cow. Agustin was in heaven when he saw the play restaurant. Apparently he has already indicated that he would like to own his own someday. The best part is his price. He indicated the food will be free to his customers!!

#2 Monkey

How fast can these grandkids grow up? Too fast, that's for sure. I was looking at Amy's blog just now and saw the cutest picture of Hailey hiding inside the cupboard. She climbed in there herself while Amy was taking out the trash. I am reminded that just a short month ago, she was just starting to pull herself up at the couch at the lake.....and it just continued from there. Once they get the hang of it, there is no stopping them.

Jackson

Last year around Christmas, Tom Bloom presented Tom and Kyle with a present. It was a black lab puppy. His name is Jackson, and he has undergone quite a transformation. He is nine months old now and is full of energy. Yesterday Tom and I took him for a walk down by the Mississippi at Hidden Falls. He hasn't quite got the idea of how to walk nicely on the leash yet. He pulls and chokes himself constantly and turns into a coward when anyone else walks by or he hears a noise. We need to walk him more often so he can learn the "proper procedure". I thought it would be fun to post a few pictures of how he has changed from a tiny puppy to a huge puppy. He is still obnoxious at times and curious and loves to chew on things, but he is getting better at being a passenger in the car. How can you resist that big black head on your shoulder, Tom?

Andres spent time reconnecting with his nieces, too. It seems he had a reputation to maintain since every time Amy asked Hannah about her relatives in Ecuador, Hannah would give "Uncle Andy" top priority. It was heartwarming to see him interact with them. Quite a change from the usual boy games and toys (strollers and dolls vs. legos). I think he thoroughly enjoyed spending time with Amy and Brian's little girls.

The Three Best Weeks of Summer Vacation

Kari, Andres, Agustin, and Nicolas visited for three weeks this summer. We had a great time renewing relationships. The cousins got along beautifully....Agustin was so fascinated by Hailey and would often be seen admiring her openly and then reaching out a hand to touch her little head very gently. Nico and Hannah were kindred spirits and seemed to really enjoy each other's company. I loved hearing the name "Grandma" called out over and over again. The kids had plenty of aunties to enjoy. Kari had a chance to be with her nieces....and saw Hailey in person for the first time. The girls got to enjoy their nephews and listen to wild exploding sounds all day. Grandma Bauer and Bob played host to the visitors because they have an extra room in the basement. Benji was a little unpredictable and earned the reputation of being a "dragon". Bati, Andy's brother, was here for the main part of the three weeks, too. Five sisters finally together again was really special. I am such a proud mom!!

Why we really love Pizza Pub...

My last blog was supposed to include pictures of Jennie and Hannah enjoying their blue raspberry suckers. Here's one of Hailey, too. It was her first sucker, and she was really lovin' it, even though it was coconut flavor. She would take it out and look at it, and shove it right back in there with slobber as she was drooling. Sounds gross, but it was pretty cute.

Suckers from Pizza Pub

Such a nice surprise! I had company at the cabin this weekend. Amy was planning to go to a grad party with the girls, but Hailey came down with a huge, unexplainable rash on Friday. The doctor can't explain it, and it isn't contagious, but she was a mess, so Amy figured it was best not to take her. The best part was she decided to come to the cabin instead! Yeah!! Her friend, Karrie, and her daughter, Courtney, also, came. Then, Jennie and Kristin decided to join the group. Tom came up early and helped me with the mower deck, so it is working again. He used his grinder to help the door fit a bit better. Bob and Mom and Benji came up for the day right after Tom.

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We went to the playground around 6 and then ate supper at our favorite, Pizza Pub. Jennie was craving it! Great food. I loved the first for Hailey....her first sucker!! She figured it out immediately and would take the stick out and look at it, and it would get shoved right back in. She didn't even seem to mind that the flavor was coconut! Jennie and Hannah had blue raspberry and I got a great shot of their tongues. Yummy, huh?

Black Cloud Over Pine City?

This weekend at the lake was almost one disaster after another. Not funny at the time, but now as I look back, it was one of those "What can happen next?!" type weekends. It all turned out okay, but was pretty exasperating at times.

To recap....Friday night: I found a flood under the kitchen sink. Hardware stores were closed, so I bought a soldering kit at Walmart and enlisted Mike's help next door. He and his brother-in-law, Jim, helped me saw off the defective piece of pipe....and first thing Saturday morning I hit Ace Hardware. John, at Ace, is my troubleshooter, and he sent me home with the right parts and told me what to do and I fixed it all by myself!! By mid-morning, the hot water was back on and no more leak!!

Saturday: Bobby and Kristin came up and Bobby brought his Dad's boat. When Kim and Travis joined them to take a ride in it, it started filling up with water, and it almost sank! If the guys hadn't enlisted some help at the nearest boat landing, it would've been gone. Four guys cranking and pushing and bailing for all they were worth, and after about a half hour, they got it out and emptied the water that had collected inside. Whew!! Close call. (At one point, Travis jumped out of the boat, and his legs were caught in a life jacket strap and he couldn't kick to swim. The kids were laughing cuz they thought he was joking, but he seriously thought he was going to drown!)

I was mowing and hit the side of a ditch with too much speed and force and may have bent my mower deck. At any rate, something was shooting out great sparks when I tried to stop the mower and whenever my deck was up without the blades. (which is the only way it will start or stop). The guys checked it out and a pulley is rubbing against the mower deck....metal against metal....but Tom thinks he will be able to fix it.

It was hot, hot, hot, and sticky. All that mugginess made me decide to turn on our little air conditioner, but it wasn't doing a great job. We decided to play cards in front of it, with fans going and tried to stay cool. When the kids heard fireworks on the lake, they grabbed my two flashlights and headed down to watch.....I turned on the deck twinkle lights and the big floods, and when they turned around and looked at the cabin, it was totally dark!! I heard the big fizzle and stood there shocked while the lights and fans, etc.........all went off. We have a circuit breaker, so I went in and flipped the switch that was over, but nothing, nada, no way. It was limp and doing nothing. I tried the main switch, but it didn't work.....so for about five minutes we sat there wondering what to do. Finally, Bobby got it to work and we were back in business....but not before we learned the lesson that every light, the frig, the air conditioner, and all the fans in the house probably shouldn't all be used at the same time.

Sunday: When the kids were getting ready to leave, they turned to close the door and it wouldn't close! WHAT!! We pushed and shoved and lifted and prodded, but it was not fitting into the opening and was NOT going to shut. I noticed that the screws in the bottom hinge were coming out, so Travis saved the day and we put some longer ones in and tightened them good. It worked enough to get the door closed so I could lock it when I left. Whew, again!

Kristin called me after they had been gone a good while to tell me that they had had a flat tire on the boat trailer in Forest Lake. Bobby didn't know how to jack up the trailer and had to call his brother for help. The spare tire they had was too inflated so they had to let out air and then pump it up at the next gas station. It was a worry being on the busy highway. Kim stopped and picked up Kristin on her way home when she passed by them about a half hour or so later, and Bobby's brother came and helped save the day. I thnk Bobby is done with the boat for awhile.

So that was our weekend at the lake......oh, and we did have some fun, too! (screwball bridge)

After going to White Bear beach, we went around Bald Eagle Lake, and saw that it wasn't low at all. There are some really gorgeous homes on Bald Eagle and it is fun to look at them and daydream about the lives of their occupants. The weather has been so humid and the sky so full of clouds that I was not expecting to see the beautiful sunset that we noticed as dusk arrived. I had my little camera in my purse, of course, so I grabbed this pic of purples and pinks in the sky. It was ten times prettier in person. (Tom is so patient with me. As soon as he notices that I am interested, he will pull the car over and find a spot where we can sit while I shoot to my heart's content.....nice guy!!)