Friday, July 30, 2010
Stormy....
"Stormy," a song written by Perry "Buddy" C. Buien and James R. Cobb and recorded by the Classics IV, was one of the songs that got stuck in my head while driving across Montana and/or North Dakota. The satellite radio channel for the '60s was good, but a couple songs were infectious (another was an Everly Brothers hit from the '50s).
Well, on Wednesday morning (28 July), I got a call from Jill at Lake Services Unlimited. She asked if I'd heard about Tuesday night's storm and then told me several trees were down at the cabin. A window was broken and Jeff would patch it up if I wanted him to.
Well, yes, I want him to Thank you very much.
I called Larry and got a first-hand account of the storm, which was violent and short-lived. Quite a few trees were down along the east side of Little Blake and several cabins had been damaged.
On Thursday morning I headed for Polk County to see for myself. Things weren't pretty. Sidetrack's deck will need rebuilding; a kitchen window was broken; one pane of the skylight shattered and the frame was damaged; the sliding screen on the south side was damaged; a tree came down across the driveway and is leaning on the garage; and there are horizontal trees and debris everywhere. Arrrgh! (as Charlie Brown would say).
We were lucky. The cabin doesn't appear to be damaged (a couple others were). No one was hurt.
See:
Well, on Wednesday morning (28 July), I got a call from Jill at Lake Services Unlimited. She asked if I'd heard about Tuesday night's storm and then told me several trees were down at the cabin. A window was broken and Jeff would patch it up if I wanted him to.
Well, yes, I want him to Thank you very much.
I called Larry and got a first-hand account of the storm, which was violent and short-lived. Quite a few trees were down along the east side of Little Blake and several cabins had been damaged.
On Thursday morning I headed for Polk County to see for myself. Things weren't pretty. Sidetrack's deck will need rebuilding; a kitchen window was broken; one pane of the skylight shattered and the frame was damaged; the sliding screen on the south side was damaged; a tree came down across the driveway and is leaning on the garage; and there are horizontal trees and debris everywhere. Arrrgh! (as Charlie Brown would say).
We were lucky. The cabin doesn't appear to be damaged (a couple others were). No one was hurt.
See:
Sunday, July 04, 2010
Celebrating early
Weather and schedules brought on early 4th of July fireworks.
First came the sacred lighting ceremony.
Then the lame photo of a launch by a photographer with a new camera.
Followed, of course, by the duel with punks.
First came the sacred lighting ceremony.
Then the lame photo of a launch by a photographer with a new camera.
Followed, of course, by the duel with punks.
Flowers as evidence
How could I be a Russian spy? Look what I've done with the hydrangia.
Saturday, July 03, 2010
Nature's drama
I arrived yesterday about 3:00pm. Pleasant drive, although south of Baldwin I was falling asleep. Scared me enough to stop at the DQ for a a treat and some time out of the car.
I hardly got her and got settled a bit than one of nature's little tragedies struck. (No, not a bear. That would have been a big tragedy.)
I was quietly reading a violent, bloody novel on the deck when I heard two thumps. I looked up and saw that two little yellow birds (later identified as immature gold finches) had flown headlong into the glass of a window in the lake room.
One of them popped up and flew to the edge of flower pot a few feet away. The other lay twitching on the deck below the window. Oh, hell!
I sat with the book on my lap, looking sadly at the tiny birds. The one sitting on the edge of the pot full of salvia just sat. Eventually, the one on the deck stopped twitching. Oh, hell!
I went back to reading for a few minutes. When I looked up the bird on the flower pot was still silently sitting there. But the twitcher on the deck was sort of on its feet. It was crouched down and looking around.
A few minutes later, I looked up again and the little finch on the flower pot was gone. The twitcher was still crouching in the deck.
I went around back to get the camera. I came around to the front and took a couple pictures as the twitcher hopped about. Eventually, it hopped off the deck, hopped through some plants, and under the cabin. My guess is that it was unable to fly. Oh, hell!
Well, mother nature, it's your problem even if my window was to blame. Bring on the predator. Just don't let the raccoon or skunk or fox get trapped under the cabin.
Of course, the bird drama was more tragic than all the fictional deaths I was reading about. Talk about imaginary banality of evil.
BTW, the book was a good read and the sunset was beautiful.
I hardly got her and got settled a bit than one of nature's little tragedies struck. (No, not a bear. That would have been a big tragedy.)
I was quietly reading a violent, bloody novel on the deck when I heard two thumps. I looked up and saw that two little yellow birds (later identified as immature gold finches) had flown headlong into the glass of a window in the lake room.
One of them popped up and flew to the edge of flower pot a few feet away. The other lay twitching on the deck below the window. Oh, hell!
I sat with the book on my lap, looking sadly at the tiny birds. The one sitting on the edge of the pot full of salvia just sat. Eventually, the one on the deck stopped twitching. Oh, hell!
I went back to reading for a few minutes. When I looked up the bird on the flower pot was still silently sitting there. But the twitcher on the deck was sort of on its feet. It was crouched down and looking around.
A few minutes later, I looked up again and the little finch on the flower pot was gone. The twitcher was still crouching in the deck.
I went around back to get the camera. I came around to the front and took a couple pictures as the twitcher hopped about. Eventually, it hopped off the deck, hopped through some plants, and under the cabin. My guess is that it was unable to fly. Oh, hell! 
Well, mother nature, it's your problem even if my window was to blame. Bring on the predator. Just don't let the raccoon or skunk or fox get trapped under the cabin.Of course, the bird drama was more tragic than all the fictional deaths I was reading about. Talk about imaginary banality of evil.
BTW, the book was a good read and the sunset was beautiful.
Labels: adventure, fiction, novel, Perry
