Miscellaneous

1. All three kids that went to Ithaca, NY had life expanding experiences.  Some were pleasant and some were not.  I stayed awake obsessing about the ones that were not, but most of us were o.k. the next day despite that.

2.  The San Diego fireworks show was a mess-up.  Google it!

3.  On the 4th of July (yesterday), I came home from an early morning shopping trip to find that the top portion of our bird bath had been flipped off the pedestal.  Sadly, a baby raccoon was trapped underneath it.  I went out to rescue the raccoon and found that though it could limp away, most likely one of its thigh-bones was broken.  It tried to climb the fence to get to its mother and couldn't, so I went back and opened the gate.  Poor thing.  Irresponsible mother (i.e. teaching her baby to drink from a bird bath when the river isn't too far away).  The weird thing is that raccoons are a nuisance species here in the city, but there I was talking to that baby in a soothing voice and helping it get to its mother just the same.

4. I'm finally reading "The Lord of the Flies."  People keep asking me if it has gotten bad yet, so I'm anticipating that.  Things are breaking up and I can tell it is heading that way.  I've never read reviews or heard a complete synopsis, so the horrible-ness will be a surprise to me.  So far, I'm taking a view of it that maybe not many people would due to my experiences over the last year and a half.

5. I fear for the birds as the weather has been so dry.  There are fewer insects available to them.  However, the very fine-looking immature robin out on the front lawn today seemed to be having a successful hunt.

6. I watched a documentary by Frontline called "Heat" today.  That was DE-pressing.  The synopsis?  Things are heating up.  There is a point of no-return.  Even if you don't believe humans are responsible, you must realize that though the world has been hot before, it didn't hold 7-9 billion humans at the time (some with pretty extravagant lifestyles).  Big business and politicians won't make changes until they hear that enough people and dollars are behind them.  Politicians don't listen to scientists because they don't have $$$$$ behind them.  I think everyone should watch this documentary made by PBS.  Well, if nothing else, have your kids watch this.  They are the ones that this incredible mess is going to be dumped on.

7. I watched a short video about the current heat wave.  It seems that we'll have a hotter than normal July and a cooler than normal August.  I wonder.

8. I'm going on my first backpacking trip in about 17 years in one week.  I'm not ready.  By that, I mean that I'm unorganized.

9. Brigham and Sariah and sometimes Elijah are playing cars again.  I wonder how long before everyone loses interest in those cars.  It's weird watching things be totally outgrown, including clothes that have been handed down through the years.

10.  Nathan is reading up on Native American Herbology.  Cool and interesting.  He's finding cures for our ails.

11.  In just over a month, when May turns 13, we'll have two teenagers.  I like them.  They are both amazing people.