Well Monday was once again an overcast, rain at times "duck weather" day. We received over an inch of rain on Sunday and at times on Monday it poured. What's with this weather pattern as the west coast is in such a deep drought the lakes and ponds have dried up which will eventually effect the water supplies for habitat.
We started the day with another sleep in to the sound of rain on the tin roof. It eventually stopped around mid morning so we were able to get in our daily hike for the day. After quiet times and the posting of this ramble we had a lite breakfast before heading out to check on the yards and gardens. We saw no one on top of the mountain as we hiked but did noticed Dean's truck at Norm's so he must have driven him to the doctors down off the mountain. We are disappointed in Norm's family for not giving him the care he needs and leaving friends and neighbors to look after him.
We came back down the mountain which was dripping wet and it eventually dried up enough that we were able to head over to our "mountain moms" place to assist her with a few odd jobs after lunch. I cleaned out her gutters at the cabin and then on her work shed, pulled up her retaining fence around her garden and stored that for her and helped to clean out some stuff she wanted to be rid of from her shed. I salvaged an old swing that she wanted burned as well as some fishing poles and tackle. The swing is at least a century old and with a little paint and new chains it can be used again. I'm not one to get rid of old things just because they are old and this swing was used by her grandfather so it has some sentimental value to us as well. We have know her family for many years and she and her husband Roy who is deceased were responsible for us finding and building in this beautiful part of GOD'S creation.
We had a nice visit with her before heading back to the cabin. We had a whole leftover smoked chicken from Saturday and decided to have Patrick and Kathryn over for supper. They supplied us with some home grown corn on the cob from their rental property folks and we supplied a fresh salad loaded with garden tomato's, lettuces, kale and beet greens, yeow was that some fine eatin' with a little vino to wash it down. I passed on the smores for dessert. We got into a guys vs gals game of Spades and once more we were whupped after going nil for 6 times and never achieving any of them. Nil is when you don't attempt to take no tricks(plays) and the opponents try to give you one; anyhow we loss with a negative score and the gals while winning barely had a score in the positive. After 2 hours of play and the end score is supposed to be 500 points we were looking at after midnight to complete the game so we just gave up around 10. They did go Nil once and Kathryn was successful. Needless to say we haven't beaten them at this game all summer long but we have been getting some great cooking with fantastic meals. I'm beginning to think there is a correlation between losing and great eatin'.
After they left I headed for the showers and too watch a little of the second NFL game. The Lions beat the Giants in the first game so the Bucs have some company in the cellar with some perennial winners. The Cardinals and Chargers were just starting the second game and the sandman was working on me. I headed into the reading room for a few moments of some horizontal lab with a Sandra Brown's new read before it was lights out around 11, LATER
