All's Quiet in North Port Alto

I arrived at the bay at 11:30.  The water was almost glassy, but clouds were building.  I don't know why this picture looks so dark.  It wasn't that way...it was a normal look except for a few clouds.

About an hour later, the whitecaps were rolling in with some force.

An hour and a half after I arrived, the rain started and continued for about an hour.

I decided to go to the bay today, Thursday, so I could get the A/C on get a head start on the weekend.  Carolyn and Brent and the kids are coming Friday afternoon just as soon as she picks them all up from school.

The temperature inside the house when I arrived was 93.  With with rain and wind, it cooled down a lot quicker than usual and is 77 inside now.  Cool enough to be quite comfortable...at least until the rain stops and the sun comes out and starts heating it up again.  

This might be our last weekend for a while.  We always say we'll come down in the fall, but it never seems to happen.

I think Virgie is down.  I looked out a little while ago and saw Bo's car, so I'll give them some time to get unpacked and settled and then I'll call.  It's been about a month since I've seen them.  I want to hear all about their visit to see the grandkids in Connecticut.

There's still light rain falling and I just heard more thunder.  Maybe I should take a nap.

Another one of those days

It's another one of those day that you read about in funny emails.  It started off in fine fashion.  I repositioned sprinklers late yesterday and then turned them off...ready to turn on this morning.  It was the first thing I did this morning.  So far, other than eating breakfast and taking my vitamins and supplements it's the only thing I have successfully completed.  Here's the map of activities started:

1)  After breakfast I decided I was going to write some thank-you notes I had been putting off.  So, I jumped right up and headed upstairs to get the notes, envelopes and stamps.

2) Well, the bed needed to be made, so I did that first.

3)  I might as well turn on the laptop.  Who knows when I'll have a few minutes to check in on things and I don't want to have to wait for it to start up.

4) The basket of laundry that I washed and dried yesterday is in my computer chair (read recliner) so I'll take that to the closet and fold/hang clothes.

5) The second item out of the basket was a pair of capris that have a wide cuff.  The cuff needs a touch up with the iron.

6) I go across the way to the bedroom that our great-nephew has occupied for the past week while he was helping Wayne in the field.  He's gone home now...school starts Monday.  So the bedding needs to be pulled off and washed.  Then I spy two pairs of my (older) jeans hanging on a rack.  Of course, I have to try them on.  They're okay in a pinch...but definitely an old style. They go back on the rack.  I fold the comforter and the light blanket, put them in a chair and move the shams from the ironing board (remember, that's why I came to this room to begin with) to the bed.  I go to the bathroom cabinet to get the iron and it's not there.  Back to the bedroom to look, but the iron's not there either.  Then I remember that Carolyn's iron stopped working and she borrowed mine until she gets a new one.  No problem, I think I have another one in the laundry room.  I pick up the bedding and head downstairs.

7)  I get the sheets into the washer and get it started and nearly walk out of the room before I remember the iron.  I can see it, but it takes some planning to get to it.  I get it and then on the way out I spy the large package of toilet paper and remember that I need some in two bathrooms.  I take care of supplying the downstairs bathroom and head upstairs with three rolls of t.p., the iron and the rack for the iron.

8)  I put the rack on the board, take the iron to the bathroom and try to figure out how to tell when I have enough water in it.  Unbelievably, it doesn't have an indicator.  Really?  That seems strange to me, but it feels like a pretty cheap iron...seems to weigh almost nothing, so I guess that's one of the frills you give up for cheap.  Back to the ironing board, plug it in and head across the way to stock that bathroom.

9) I have to step over the laundry basket with almost everything still in it to get to the cabinet where the t.p. gets stored.  In the cabinet I see a container of wipes, so I take a couple to clean the iron...it's really dusty...and head back across the way.

10)  Wait, before I head back, I realize that I can now get to the recliner to start up the laptop.  Okay, now I go back to the ironing board and clean it and the rack with the wipes.  I start to press the cuffs, (remember, that's why I'm there) but the iron is barely warm.  What the hell!  One of the plugs doesn't work so well, maybe that's what happened.  There's not even a freaking light on the iron to tell you whether it's on or not.  I change to the other plug and the iron seems to be making heating noises.  But, meanwhile, I got plenty of other things to do.

11)  I head back across the way and log in to the computer.  And decide this is something to put on the blog.  While I'm getting the internet connected and getting to this point, I notice the thank you notes and remember that's why I came upstairs in the first place.

So, I'm going to post this, carry the notes and stamps with me while I go across the way once more to iron the cuffs.  Hopefully, the iron is hot.  With my luck the only frill it has will be an automatic shut off.  I'll bring the capris back here, carrying the notes and stamps, and I hope I will then go downstairs and write the thank you's before something else takes over my brain!

There's still the laundry to fold/hang and put away and sheets in the washer...but, I think I'm moving in the right direction now.

Bay Days

(This was started a week ago...so please adjust for the time gap.)

I've been at Port Alto for almost a week now.  Last weekend Wendy, Kelly and the boys and I came down on Saturday.  Gage hasn't been here in a year...maybe more.  Zane was here with me in July.  Gage walked through the house (at age 8) remarking how he remembered this and that...as if it had been decades since he had been here.  Of course, Zane felt like an old hand having been here so recently with me.  He definitely knew to run to the house from the beach so he could be the first to rinse off while the water in the hose was still warm.

Zane

They left on Sunday and then the ladies started arriving.  Wanda brought friends from Austin.  Friends from San Antonio and El Campo came with Dee.  Janie's sister came from Bay City.  Carole came from Concan and stayed with me.  Patricia came.  Pat left...she had all her family...from Eldorado, Texas, and from California during the previous week.  She had to leave to take the Californians to Austin to fly back to their home.  Virgie was in Connecticut enjoying her grandkids out there.

I think I'll let the photos speak for themselves.  We gathered at each house for different meals, games, and visiting.  We spent some time on the beach; we read.  It was quality time spent with good friends. 

Why doesn't anyone tell me my visor is crooked?

I know, we're all blurry.
But, look how sharp the grass looks!