July 22, 2007:

Another perfect day for beachin’ it – temperature about 29, just under the fearful 30s, sunny, and very little wind. A good day for lazing around, which is just about all I did all day. Lots of boats on the lake, most of them with a tube full of kids towing behind. I didn’t even generate enough energy to go down to the beach, but bet it was lots crowded.

Yesterday started out with a thunderstorm in the early hours; it left about a quarter inch in the gauge. Lots of wind with it, too. When we got up, the sun was trying to break through, and it was dead calm. Then it started grumbling again, and dropped a few spatters of rain. That seemed to happen all day. There were four big tents set up just east of the Park Store on the parking lot, in preparation for a wedding. I thought the bride and groom would have to be awfully brave to count on a dry outdoor wedding, but they went ahead with it on the lawn west of the Beach Café. All went well!

When our daughter, Laurie, married Bryan Grimson, they planned an outdoor wedding at the farm. We tried to talk her out of it, saying: “What if it rains?” Laurie’s reply: “It wouldn’t dare!” And she was right. She was also right when she bet that Dan wouldn’t spread manure on the field right beside the house, as he had threatened.

We saw a neat young white-tail buck by the Tower Road the other day. It had a single point on one side and a double point on the other, all covered with velvet, of course. We backed up a couple of times and Doreen took its picture through the open window. We weren’t fifteen feet from it, yet it acted as if we weren’t even there.

I might have mentioned that the Breker cottage east of us had disappeared. Since then, a pony wall was built, and on Tuesday Glen Taphorn’s crew hauled in a good-looking two-storey house. Brand new, built in Humboldt. By Wednesday it was sitting down on the pony wall, looking great amongst the trees. A young guy told me it was his house, and he is hoping to get that bedroom upstairs.

We know of at least two cottages in the Greenwater Subdivision that are scheduled for either moving or demolition, to make room for new buildings.

Beach Volleyball bunnies who don’t like playing half in the water – take heart! Last Wednesday, the Park crew started ripping up sod just west of the present net, and told me that is where the new court will be. Shouldn’t take them long to get it set up, and it will be high and dry. By Saturday, there was a big pile of sand beside it.

Moose came into the Beach Café with a problem: “Do any of you guys know where I can get some auger flighting?”

Buck said, “Sure, I can give you a number.” And he wrote it on a paper napkin and gave it to Moose, who folded it up and put it in his shirt pocket.

Mark: “Now, don’t forget and use that to blow your nose!”

Moose: “What measurements do I need? The auger shaft is about this big.” And he held his hands, describing a circle about eight inches in diameter.

Buck: That should be all you need. Just go home and check it, then hold your hands like that until you get to Saskatoon .

Moose: “But how can I drive like that?”

Axel: “Take Mark with you to drive.”

Moose: “But what if I have to go to the bathroom?”

Axel: “That’s what you have Mark along for.”

Mark: “Oh, God! It’s going to take a long time to get that picture out of my head!”