This is a tree that holds itself as sentry to the property. It seems to have been the same size for 50 years.

The Wanderer Returneth

I came back from the Deep Woods and the two memorial services for my uncle and my father. We got to see lots of family, and I even got to meet new cousins, which keep popping out of the woodwork. Not hard to do in the woods.
The trip out there was nice, Northwest Airlines commercial nice. The trip back, on the two flights, were the stuff of which Northwest has been trying to counter. And failing. It didn't help that once I did arrive in my final destination, the prepaid shuttle (*$$70) was no where in sight or sound. The various shuttles that service Lindberg Field came and went 3 times before my Cloud Nine came; so, having arrived an hour and a half late to Minneapolis as the little commuter hop was sitting, and sitting and had no air on before they decided to turn the key or whatever they do to turn a plane on and make it go. Then, the flight to San Diego was delayed as they needed to order a part and eventually they decided to put us at another gate and another plane. That one took off two hours later.
To top it off, I was sick part of the time I was gone; off and on and returned with what I think is a cold. Considering the mildew in the house, a cold is a GOOD thing to have. I am beat, tired and drained. Oh, and going to have family for a couple of weeks in the house that I had neglected when I had a bad ear infection and struggling in more than 100 degree heat. Gotta try some red bull or something for energy.

Decamping to Wisconsin

And I do mean camping. Like, in a trailer. Last time we assembled en masse, it looked like the refugees of Hurricane Katrina, which by happenstance occured the same time. I will be with my new-klee-ar (thank you Mr President) family as we prepare to say good bye to our father and our uncle. We are many and widely scattered so we decided to assemble in September for various reasons to do this. Next time I hope to post pictures of the property that has been in the family for more than a hundred years.

We will be interring the ashes of my father, the lower right hand side of the picture. He loved the land and was raised and farmed on it with his father until he joined the Navy to go to the 2nd world war. This was his wish.

Too hot to move around much in 108 degree weather

My cat looks almost comfortable in this heat, it stays into the 90's at night until after midnight. Not great for sleeping. I found her cousin sleeping in the tub; he just rolled over and got the other side cooler. This weather is so wrong. No rain since February or March but the humidity is a killer.