Category Archives: Weather

Weeding, fishing, and a mean sunburn!

Tuesday, July 24, 2012, @ 8:44 amadventure, Family, Life in General, pets, Reading, Weather, Writingchildren, eating, Family, fishing, Grayling, great days, making the days count, reading, Summer Vacation, sunburn, teaching, weather, writingClay

ivy_sleeps — Ivy’s nest in the corner by the front window

It’s mornings like this one when I truly appreciate the cottage. It is quiet and the lake is calm, much calmer than yesterday when the wind whipped the lake into whitecaps, the trees rustled in the wind, and the sun beat down through the clear blue sky.

Grandma and grandpa left almost a week ago and I miss grandma and our early morning coffee together in the front room looking out upon the lake. Ivy’s curled up on her pad almost as if it is her nest, sleeping. I got up much earlier and it was cool, crisp, and clear I decided to sit out on the deck and invited Ivy to join me, she decided to stay inside and curled up and went back to sleep. Continue reading Weeding, fishing, and a mean sunburn! →

Sunday morning by the lake

Sunday, July 22, 2012, @ 10:13 amadventure, Cooking, Family, Life in General, pets, Reading, teaching, Teaching and Learning, Weather, Writingchildren, eating, education, Family, Grayling, great days, making the days count, Paris, pets, reading, Summer Vacation, teaching, weather, writingClay

survivor_bracelet — my survivor bracelet – courtesy W

I have been in a writing funk for almost a week, now. I started to write Thursday and stopped. I started, again Friday, and again Saturday and stopped both times. Honestly, the summer has been a whirlwind and lately, I have been having a hard time keeping up.

After a week in the hospital grandpa came home and my in-laws returned to Ohio late Wednesday; and grandpa is recovering, slowly. Beth returned with them and is helping where she can. The kids and I stayed back at the cottage and I feel, sort of guilty enjoying summer at the cottage. Though, I’m not really enjoying summer as much as I would or could. Continue reading Sunday morning by the lake →

Monday, lake time

Monday, July 16, 2012, @ 7:21 amadventure, Family, Life in General, Reading, teaching, Weather, Writingageing, children, Family, grandma, grandpa, Grayling, hard work, making the days count, reading, Summer Vacation, teaching, writingClay

Grandma and I are enjoying the lake, sipping coffee, talking baseball, and sharing memories of our time up here. I am writing, but my mind is somewhere else; our thoughts are with grandpa and we’ll hop on over to visit him this morning.

O and I drove back to the lake Saturday afternoon. She won her game and she was elated, but she was even more excited about getting back to the lake. I can’t blame her. Except for a bit of rain as we drove out of town, the drive was dry and clear. I could see thunderheads off to the east, or west, or north, but we missed them all.

IMG_0178[1] — thunderheads loom ahead in the distance, the road disappears behind us, and we get closer to the cottage every minute

As soon as we pulled into the driveway and unloaded, W and O were in the lake and having a great time. Ivy was content to sit in the yard and watch as they played in the water. O took the kayak out and the hooked it to a buoy and played together in the water. They swam and played until they tired of the water and came in, dripping. Continue reading Monday, lake time →

Friday

Friday, July 13, 2012, @ 8:45 amadventure, Family, pets, Scouting, sports, teaching, Weatherchildren, education, exercise, Family, fitness, great days, hard work, making the days count, pets, reading, seventh grade, sports, Summer Vacation, teaching, weather, writingClay

mile_swimmers — four-fifths of the Troop 35’s mile swimmers – 6/29/12

I have been up for almost two and a half hours and I have yet to start writing. Yikes, where did the time go? I spent some of it reading a couple of blog posts, some of it wandering the yard and watering the plants, and I just finished working to resolve an technical issue I have (and have had) with the teacher association website I run. I have ignored the issue for a while, telling myself, I will get to it in the summer. Well, it’s summer and I am on to it. It’s probably some setting or something simple, but I haven’t been able to figure it out; I e-mailed tech support and I replied this morning. Maybe, hopefully, it’ll be resolved and then I can move on to other things I have been ignoring for a while. Continue reading Friday →

Halftime, my second half

Wednesday, July 11, 2012, @ 10:29 amcountry, Family, jobs, Life in General, pets, Reading, Scouting, sports, teaching, travel, Weather, Writingchildren, education, Family, fitness, football, girls softball, history, making the days count, patriotism, reading, second half, seventh grade, sports, Summer Vacation, super bowl commercials, teaching, writingClay

Today is the fortieth day of my summer vacation. Unlike Phineas and Ferb – who live world of a hundred and four days of summer vacation, mine ebbs and flows depending on the school district’s calendar. This year summer break is eighty days long, last year summer break was seventy days and the year I began Making the Days Count dot org, it was eighty-two days. Today, I am in the first half of summer vacation and when tomorrow comes, it will be the first day of the second half and the countdown to the first day of school will be on.

I am home for a few more days, O’s team won their game last night in an 18-9 win, the girls played well Continue reading Halftime, my second half →

Tuesday and almost halfway

Tuesday, July 10, 2012, @ 10:42 amadventure, Family, pets, Reading, sports, teaching, Weather, Writingchildren, Family, hard work, making the days count, pets, reading, softball, sports, Summer Vacation, teaching, weather, writingClay

july8_tribune_drought — Sunday’s weather graphic, courtesy of the Chicago Tribune – 7/8/12

O and I drove home last night. Let me clarify; I drove, she slept. We left the cottage late, really late, so late momma was concerned and wanted me to leave in the morning, but I wanted to get here and have a full day to get things done, so I left late. I actually enjoyed the drive – there was no one else on the road except for a few truckers and they seemed to converge on Chicago at the same time I was – past midnight. Except for a bit of whining, barking, and yipping early in the trip – the first 30 or so miles – Ivy settled and slept most of the way.

They both perked up when I pulled off the toll way exit and the car’s rhythm changed. I think Ivy could smell we were home and she sat up and looked out the window as if she knew where we were. O recognized the Arboretum and perked up, too. When we pulled into the neighborhood, I could hear Ivy whimper and purr. As soon as we stopped, she was out of the car surveying and making certain her domain was as she left it. I unloaded what we needed and went to bed; I was asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow, maybe before. Continue reading Tuesday and almost halfway →

Stormy Tuesday, and other days

Tuesday, July 3, 2012, @ 7:42 amadventure, Family, Life in General, Reading, teaching, Weather, Writingchildren, Family, hard work, making the days count, pets, reading, Summer Vacation, teaching, water sports, weather, writingClay

july2_weathergraphic — Weather graphic from the *Chicago Tribune*, 7/2/12

Yesterday, it was warm and dry here, but early this morning storms rolled through with gusty winds and lightning setting the sky ablaze. I heard the rumble of thunder and rolled out of bed to close windows and gather drying towels before the skies opened. We need the rain, it’s been dry here, and it’s been dry back home.

Home has been dry for over a month and June was a record dry month in Chicagoland. Before leaving for camp, I spent early mornings and evenings watering the plants and reluctantly, the yard. Continue reading Stormy Tuesday, and other days →

Thursday’s camp update

Friday, June 29, 2012, @ 12:46 pmadventure, country, Family, Life in General, Reading, Scouting, teaching, travel, Weather, Writingchildren, education, Family, great days, hard work, history, making the days count, reading, scouting, Summer Vacation, weather, writingClay

Troop 35 begins Thursday with the Flag Ceremony

I have been blogging all week from Troop 35’s spot on the web – Wheaton Troop 35 dot org, chronicling the troop’s adventures for the folks back home. I have been writing and I’ve had help with the photos from the other assistant scoutmasters. It is great to be part of such a wonderful team, I know the scouts can feel it, too. Below is today’s post to save you time. Today is truly gonna be a great day. Making the Days Count from Scout Camp, one day at a time! Continue reading Thursday’s camp update →

Summer Camp 2012 update

Monday, June 25, 2012, @ 11:50 pmadventure, country, Family, Reading, Scouting, teaching, Weather, Writingchildren, great days, hard work, history, making the days count, patriotism, reading, scouting, seventh grade, sports, Summer Vacation, teaching, weather, writingClay

leaves_of_three — Leaves of three, leave it be – poison ivy!

I am at summer camp with the Boy Scouts this week. We are at camp Tesomas in northern Wisconsin, not far from the UP (Upper Peninsula) and it is truly the north woods. It is good to get away; no, it is wonderful to be a boy all over again. This place takes me back in time, when I could play, and run, and swim, and fish, and just be outside.

I missed my Monday post, and Sunday post, too. I am blogging, but at a different location – I posted a short MtDC (Making the Days Count) with pictures this morning at the troop site – it is Wheaton Troop 35, please follow the link. The past two years I blogged and shared MtDC with the parents, this year I am blogging at the troop site. I had hoped to be able to do both the troop site and blog here, too – but I am realizing that it is difficult to keep up, so I’ll do what I can and keep you updated, via short posts with a link to see the troop post. Continue reading Summer Camp 2012 update →

Feet dragging and other time wasters!

Saturday, June 23, 2012, @ 8:28 amadventure, Family, jobs, Reading, Scouting, teaching, travel, Weather, WritingCamp Tesomas, Family, great days, making the days count, reading, scout camp, scouting, summer camp, Summer Vacation, teaching, weather, writingClay

I have been dragging my feet, to those who know me well, it isn’t a surprise at all; however, to those who don’t it is perplexing and perhaps even frustrating, and to those who know me well it is frustrating and they’re resigned to the fact that it is just the way I am. It is the day before camp and I need to pack and finish a multitude of other need to do tasks and all through the house…. Continue reading Feet dragging and other time wasters! →