And Suddenly, It's Summer!

Hostas are lovely in June

An absolutely perfect weekend!  Temps about 80 degrees both Saturday & Sunday, brilliant sunshine, and low humidity.  We got lots of yard work done, cooked on the grill, and I got the dining room & living room thoroughly cleaned.  Even got the webs out of the ceiling corners (while worrying about spiders dropping on my head) and cleaned the hardwood floors on my hands and knees.  Wish I could afford to have them refinished - or had the energy to do them myself, but . . .

Biggest project of the weekend was getting the two window air conditioners installed.  One of these years we will be unable to manage the unwieldy things, but we managed it again this year.  NOT a job for seniors!  Each year I hold by breath when I turn each one of them on, wondering if they will still work.  Both are getting elderly - as I recall, we purchased the large one when Rob was alive.  Actually, Ron purchased the large one because the heat was bothering Rob that summer - and Rob's been gone for 11 years.  The technology has changed a lot, and the newer models are lighter and more energy efficient, but Mr. Frugal (Ron) figures that if they still work, why replace them?  I'm the one who pays the energy bill, but there's no point in arguing.  As long as the house stays cool . . .

Argus blowing bubbles in Lake Como

I promised Argus that when he was done being campaigned we would do Pet Dog things together, things like swimming in the city lakes and the Mississippi River, things we never did when he was being shown.  Because there is always the risk of a cut foot, coat problems related to less than pristine lake water, and ear or eye infections, I kept him out of the water, knowing that he would LOVE to dabble in the water.  I kept my promise.

On Sunday morning after dropping my mother off at church, we stopped to walk around Lake Como in St. Paul.  My folks owned a house a few blocks from the lake, so I had taken that walk many times - but not for at least 30 years.  My, how things have changed as far as city lake management!  Natural vegetation has been re-established along the banks, the walking and biking paths are separate, traffic has been rerouted, the Pavilion has been redone, and the lake looked and smelled so much better.  We walked the lake, stopping to let Argus swim & dabble.  He loved sticking his head under to blow bubbles, and raced up & down the shore, and in & out of the water like a puppy.  We had such a good time, we re-walked the lake in the other direction.  Argus practiced his sit-stays while I took some flower pictures, "talked" to some other friendly dogs, and had a thoroughly good time.  Promise kept!