Fencing, Family and Fun

Fencing

For the past several weeks, I have been learning the art of fencing. Not the kind involving swords and protective gear. I'm talking about the other kind. You know - lumber, screws, post hole augers. What fun we've been having (read that with a slight tone of sarcasm) as we are racing the clock to get this done, all the while fighting rain and mosquitoes.

Six times in a row - SIX - we would just barely get all the supplies and tools hauled out of the garage and start working, when it would start to rain and we would have to haul it all back inside again. Now, I'm not talking a little drizzle. This was all out torrential downpours, and even once we were pelted with hail as we struggled to get everything put back in the garage. It has become the family joke that maybe during drought years we could offer to build someone's fence to help bring on the rain.

We have had a couple of productive days, however, and our fence is starting to looking pretty good, if I do say so myself. In our 30-year old neighborhood, it certainly looks better than all the other delapitated fences.

I'm trying not to get a swelled head over it.

Family

At the beginning of the month The Mr. and I hosted a mini family reunion at our house. Not many of us - just our own little family. We started out with five children, and now we've added two sons-in-law and four grandchildren. Still not a huge number, but it's so fun to welcome each new addition to the family, and I'm looking forward to what the future holds in that department. My thoughts have been centered on my family this summer. Thoughts of how they have grown. Thoughts of the kind of people they have turned out to be. Thoughts of how much I love them.

(You have lots of time to think while you're building a fence!)

The Early Years

One Year Ago

Fun

One of my favorite things to do is watch live theatre, especially musical theatre. I've taken two trips to Cardston this summer to attend the Carriage House Theatre's summer productions. The first trip was with The Mr. (after our previously mentioned camping trip) to see "Thoroughly Modern Millie". The second trip was with Daughter #3. We saw "Curtain Call", "Little Women", and "Thoroughly Modern Millie" again. Fun, fun, fun.

Each time I come home dreaming about being younger and having a little more talent.

Dixie

Camping With The Mr.

Daughter #3 was attending a week-long musical theatre camp.

Sons 1A and 1B were busy with their summer jobs.

So, The Mr. and I decided to take a little vacation without them. Nothing very exciting, but you'd think that The Mr. had died and gone to heaven. We went camping at Waterton.

As noted earlier, I'm not much of a camper. Okay, that's an understatement. But The Mr. absolutely loves being in the mountains. Unlike me, the thought of seeing wildlife doesn't frighten him a bit.

He could hardly wait to revisit the place where he spent so many of his family vacations as a child. He even convinced his parents to come camping with us to help relive the memories. Normally I would have preferred to stay back at the trailer reading a book while he went off to do "nature things". But I decided to be a good sport and tag along. (Didn't want the in-laws thinking too poorly of me!)

Things weren't going too badly -- By day three I had only seen a few deer and chipmunks. Nothing too intimidating. And then......

After that I was a nervous wreck! Thankfully Daughter #2 and her children came for an afternoon visit. I knew if we played hard enough with them, they would make sufficient noise to keep the wildlife away.

On day four we packed up the trailer and headed to Cardston to set up camp at the Lee Creek Campground. Now this was my kind of campground: Free Showers, Flush Toilets, Laundromat, Free Wifi, and best of all.....it was right in the middle of town -- no chance of wildlife!!

Dixie