Fun on the Mountain

Today's Forecast
Sunny this morning. Partly cloudy this afternoon with a slight chance of thunderstorms. Locally heavy rain possible with thunderstorms. Highs 100 to 108. West winds 15 to 25 mph this afternoon. Chance of precipitation 20 percent.

108. 108!!! WITH possible heavy rain! The rain will be boiling hot! I can't do 108 and raining. That's just gross. I thought the worst of the summer was supposed to be in August. How much worse can it get than 108 and raining?! Ggrrr!

Yesterday we went to my dad's house. I got my oil changed and then we looked for ways the mice were getting in the car. Well, when we pulled out the air filter, the entire bottom of it was covered with little pieces of paper. Nesting materials. Great. The air wasn't so clean. Dad did put a screen on the air intake where we found the dead mouse, so hopefully there won't be any more going in there.

The girls had SO MUCH fun at Papa's house. He took us for a ride in the golf cart, but the battery was going, so I got out at the bottom of the hill and followed the golf cart. He got out a little further up and had Jess put her foot on the gas peddle while he held the steering wheel. They loved the golf cart! Then we had lunch, which the girls ate a ton of. I think it was the mountain air. Remember the story of Heidi? Who goes to visit her grandfather in the mountains of Switzerland and the mtn air is so good for her that she gets really healthy. Well, the girls yesterday had rosy cheeks, ran around in the yard, ate a ton of whole wheat pasta with mushrooms and corn mixed in, with spaghetti sauce and they had a grand time. Then we went outside to water the plants and then drove up to Dad's brother's place. They oversee a Greek Orthodox church camp that is about two miles from Dad's place. Well, when we got there, my aunt was in the pool and my uncle was next to it. So, the girls didn't see her at first, they saw the swingset and were all over that. Big slide on the side and everything. Then they came over to the pool and my aunt, they call her Oma (which is Grandma in German), let Jess get in the water. Stripped down to her undies and put a floaty ring around her. Jess swam around like that for a long time. Then Bekah wanted in so Jess got on the raft and Bekah used the floaty ring. They swam and played and traded places and splashed and then, when it got too cold to stay in any more, Oma brought them a bag of Oreos and sugar cookies and Jess munched on those a while. She sat, shivering by the side of the pool, eating Oreos. She was in heaven! The temp outside never got above 85 degrees up there and when they got out of the pool, it was probably closer to about 75-78. The pool was 75 degrees. Cool. Very cool. We all went inside and Sandy dried their clothes and the girls went up to the attic, which their four granddaughters (10,7,3,2) use as a play room and they had a blast! Then they came down and sat in Opa's chair and munched on all his snacks - pretzels, chocolate covered popcorn(!), cookies, candies. They were not lacking for junk food yesterday! Opa pulled out a bag of beads and they made bead bracelets. We have to finish Jessica's bracelet today. Oma sent them home with a HUGE bag of beads to take home with them. They did not want to go home! But at 8:30, we headed out, with the girls promising they would come back! With a quick stop at Dad's house to gather our things, we headed down the hill and by the time we were halfway to the freeway, Bekah was asleep. Jess wanted to stop at McD's and I pulled in and asked her what she wanted. By the time I got to the window to pay, she was fast asleep. They had a busy, fun exhausting day! Me, too.

It was so nice, though, to be where it was cool. Dad says it was 55 degrees yesterday morning when he sat out on the front porch and ate his breakfast. I can see why he lives there. I would love to have him closer, but how can you beat that? Pine trees, soft breeze blowing, his wildflowers blooming, bunnies hopping around, the sound of quail in the brush, clear, bright blue skies. Dad lives where people go to camp, to get away from it all. Nice.

We will go back again before the summer is out. They are already planning to bring their bathing suits. Actually, they got up this morning and Jess mentioned that they might want to go up there today. Can you blame her? This is the place she got hot cocoa and cookies after playing in the snow and sledding down the hill in the wintertime. She calls it the cookie place. She is going now to draw a picture of the pool and the slide. What fun. I could kick myself for not having a camera with me! Dumb, dumb, dumb. And we just went up for an oil change!