Random Updates

Monday monday, and no school.

No school all this week, we're calling it Swine Break '09. Rumors abound about how many cases in Denton County, whether or not there are any confirmed cases in Flower Mound, and whether or not the school closure will be extended another week.

Pretty much every kind of organized activity or community gathering has been cancelled upon the advice of the health department.

Our swim team is cramming the 600 kids that normally practice in 5 pools into the 2 pools that still remain open (as of this second).

So, in light of all that, the kids and I are going to go play Texas Tourists for a few days and give Ray some peace and quiet so he can work without wild kids tearing through the house. Of course, we'd rather he joined us, but somebody's gotta earn a livin' around here as he says.

I didn't want to head to someplace like Austin or San Antonio and suddenly have the health department close down Sea World or somesuch, so we're "goin' country" as the song says. Yeah, yeah, yeah... most of you would say that I'm already there.

Our target: Glen Rose, TX. Our agenda: Dinosaur Park which has a lot of dinosaur artifacts (footprints, fossils, etc.) in a pretty concentrated space. Also, Fossil Rim Wildlife Center which is a drive-through safari type place with animals from the African Savannah. Optional activities will include fishing, trail riding, reading, bird-watching, etc. We're staying in a little cabin in the woods with it's own kitchen and hot tob, and it sounds just perfect to me.

There is no in-room WiFi, so you won't be hearing from me much for the next few days 'cept from Twitter (upper right side of this blog).

Other updates.... Ray and Aidan killed a two-foot copperhead out back today. Ray's been trying to get that darn thing out of it's hole for several days now, I'm glad it's finally good and dead. I found a smaller one the other day while moving a rock pile. I very nearly didn't see it, and ONLY saw it because I was being incredibly careful, as moving a rock pile on a hot day is a SURE way to see a copperhead.

Had a fun weekend... joined some neighbors for their annual "Derby Party" and enjoyed mint juleps and plenty of good company. Lost a few bucks on the races betting on the WRONG long shots. Headed to the "after party" at some other neighbors and eventually left that when we'd lost a few more bucks at Texas Hold'em. As we were among the first to leave, and this particular crowd has a reputation for mischief, Aidan and Scamp appointed themselves to guard duty and Aidan stayed up until 3am by the upstairs balcony with his AirSoft gun awaiting the middle-aged toilet papering party which never materialized due to the rain.

Speaking of rain.... it looks like we quite possibly could have white-water rafted down the gulley in our back yard, had we been awake at 5am when the storms were at their worst. All that rain thoughtfully washed away all the dried leaves we'd dumped in the gully after raking this fall. Fewer hiding places for the darn copperheads.

And ALSO speaking of rain... my poor garden. Ray keeps telling me not to panic, that I'll be grateful of it's location in the heat of summer. But right now I say, "Heat? What heat?" as any heat is but a memory lately. It almost feels like Seattle around here - very little sunshine and intermittent rain. The mushrooms (which I did NOT plant) are doing quite well. The tomatoes, lettuces, carrots, etc. (which I DID plant) are water logged, sun-deprived, and rain-flattened.

All for now. Stay healthy and don't kiss any pigs!