news flash

My family has lived in the Maxwelton Valley for over 100 years. My mother kept track of the high and low marks in the valley for well over 50 years on a daily basis, prior to that it was just on observation but not recorded. She said she had seen 99 degrees but never 100, and she had seen 1 but never 0. Well, today we broke the century mark but good. I saw 105 on the thermometer in the kitchen for most of the afternoon! No, that is not a typo, that is really what I saw. It is hot beyond belief and has been all week, building to this record breaking day. According to the news folk it has shattered the recorded temperatures in Western Washington. Shattered by several degrees records that have stood a long time and, with a little bit of luck, will stand forever or until I no longer care. What a miserable day to be trapped in heat beyond reason! There is nothing one can do. Even the pool is so hot that dipping in the water offers no cool, and the sun is burning down enough to burn the most tanned of bodies. Yah, this day will be one to remember and one that I want to forget really soon.

Too hot already

I live in Washington for a reason and that reason would be the fact that I am a wimp when it comes to heat. With that statement made, I do not approve of the weather that has settled onto the Island this week. Today I have seen it as high as 94 degrees and it is not as hot as it will get...but more than hot enough to heat me plenty. If I wanted to live in the heat I would move to it, it does not need to move to me! And they say it will get worse before it gets better. They are talking a three day climb before it breaks at the end of the week. We will see if this all happens....but lets hope it doesn't!

Last week Kristin and I went to Sun Lakes to enjoy some time in the sun, and, of course, it rained. I get used to this kind of stuff but it still makes me laugh when it happens yet one more time. Eastern Washington in July should be pretty dependable but it can not trump my ability to find bad weather to camp in. The Connie P solves that problem however, it really could care less if there is rain or not. We enjoyed the weather from the inside looking out....and even got some time to go swimming between the showers. Or rather Kristin did, I sat that one out. I am certainly a fair weather swimmer in my old age!

the Brides of yesterday and tomorrow

Many years ago I decided that I wanted to have a picture taken of all my daughters in their wedding dresses. I decided that this would happen when the last one married. Well, Nancy did that this past December so I felt this was the summer to do this. And everyone was to be here on the 4th of July so we celebrated the 3rd of July with Bridal pictures. And let me tell you, it was one of the funniest picture shoots you could possibly imagine! Spain has the running of the bulls and we had the running of the brides...all documented of course....as we came from the porch and down the hill to in front of the roses.

And, as might be expected, some of us did better getting into our dresses than others. Nancy is the most recent bride but she has lost weight with her training for yet another marathon so her dress was rather loose. Linda's dress was too big when she wore it and still is, but looked beautiful on her all the same. Michelle has a 5 month old baby which explains her challenge with zippers really well. Emily has 5 babies from 3 to 11 to justify her situation and I claim the 32 years between wearings to explain the fact I could not zip mine. The future brides didn't have those concerns!

Kristin wore the dress that matched Nancy's (She wore a bolero jacket at the wedding but it was hot so we omitted the jacket for the pictures). Claire wore the dress that matched Linda's wedding dress (worn by Kristin in the actual wedding pictures) and Amy had a beautiful white dress that Emily came by. They were as excited with this day of dress-up as we were!

Then we did individual shots with the husbands in shorts etc. and the wives in wedding dresses. An interesting combination that showed the true spirit of the day. We did a serious picture and then some really stupid ones....and stupid we do really well! The final Amen came from Nancy as she did a full lay-out back summersault on the trampoline while in her wedding dress. It was breath taking. When I think of all the money invested in those dresses it just makes me smile to know we can have fun with them.

I have decided our next visit with these dresses will be at the next wedding in the family. Several years away at this time, but we will need several years I think to better what we have already done! Sometimes you just have to take a step backwards and see the fun in it all...we did and it was a great day.