Nope, it’s not the political knee but the washing-the-floors knee and that only because the sponge mops I have don’t fit into the bucket I have and so we do things the old fashioned way. That’s at the Luck house, which is rapidly approaching the time when I can advertise for potential tenants. I have one more floor to wash and then it’s on to ridding the attic of its mouse and bat poop. I can replace the front storm door while prospects are looking over the place and very soon I should be able to begin scraping and painting outdoor wood trim .
All this takes place as I “garden” at home, which consists mostly of digging out unwanted volunteer plants and trees and pulling out invasive vines. There’s a buckthorn waiting to get the axe, too. And there’s the weekly grass to mow, both in the yard and down at the lake, so summer’s outside work keeps the calendar full. Maybe I’ll be able to begin cutting and splitting some of those trees downed by the tornado two years ago. I always seem to need firewood.
Lest you think it’s all work and no play–which is too close to the truth–we did get the pontoon out on the lake for the second time last week. The first time was July 3rd. That seems to be consistent with my pattern over half a century: when we had the cruiser berthed in Hudson, we always seemed to be the last boat launched in Spring. Spring?It was early July, mostly because I couldn’t come up with the money soon enough. On the other hand, we were among the last boats to come out in late Fall and I remember clearly the beauty of being the only boat out cruising the river with falling white snow gracing the dark river water.
Wolf Creek continues to meet on Sundays at 8:15 a.m. We record the services on You Tube (Wolf Creek United Methodist Church services) so every time I mess up something it’s on record for everyone in the world to see. Look for a Zoom Bible study this coming Fall, the subject to be decided upon.
My “Some Mangled Fairy Tales” book now is being sold at the Polk County Information Center and at the Gift Shop of St.Croix Regional Medical Center. I’ve proposed to the Century College Foundation a reading to help raise scholarship money for their students. Marina went from housewife to MSW/CAPSW and began her academic journey at Century College (it was Lakewood Community College back then); son Aaron took his final year of high school there and earlier had been part of the school’s pre-school class; and when I served as president of the White Bear Lake Area Arts Council we had our juried Northern Lights art show there, so my family has some attachment to the school. In addition, the College always had something going that our family could enjoy, including orchestra concerts, plays, recitals and art shows. We shall see what, if anything, develops. Meanwhile, St.Croix Festival Theater has expressed interest in my doing a third fundraising story evening for them. For me, doing that produces far more money for them than any check I could write.