First Weekend 2009

I'm finally unpacked, and the Summer Palace is reasonably clean. The slough across the road from me flooded this spring, and some of the campers have lost golf carts, barbeque grills, and shed contents.

There is evidence that the beavers have been busy this year too. There is more than one tree stump with that "sharpened pencil" look, indicating that a beaver or two got to it. There's also a fairly large tree near the edge of the swamp that is half-eaten. I think a good strong wind will blow it down.

Speaking of beavers, I was sitting here tonight enjoying the silence once most of the campers have gone home when I noticed movement out the corner of my eye. A beaver crept out from under my camper and waddled across the way to the next camper. Something startled him, because he ran back under my camper twice. I keep trying to get a picture of him, but so far no luck.

My next door neighbor is continuing his practice of burning garbage - last year I saw him burning plastic chairs in his firepit! I don't know what he threw on the fire this afternoon, but it sure is producing black smoke. Good thing the wind is going in the opposite direction.

The bluebirds have found the neighbor's bird house. They're so picky, they'll only nest in a specific type of house, but once they do they come back every year.

It got up to about 62 degrees this afternoon, so everywhere you saw shorts...and sweatshirts. It hovers just above freezing at night.

I enlarged my garden just a little bit today, and planted green onion seeds. The dirt here is so soft, and deep black in color. Even the grass is lovely - it doesn't spread underground like the nasty Bermuda grass I keep trying to get out of my garden in Texas.

The trees are bare, but they have buds. Within a week or so there will be green everywhere. The ice is off the lake, and a large flock of Pelicans enjoyed the day near the shore. Docks and boat lifts are being put out in preparation for the fishing season opener next weekend.

Last night we had the first campfire of the year. We huddled around the blazing fire in the rain passing chicken wings cooked on the grill. It felt like I had never left.