Drizzle, Drizzle, Drear

That's today in 3 words.  The sun got kidnapped by a thick blanket of clouds the other day and most of the warmth went with it.  We're left with gray light, temps in the mid-50s, and rain or drizzle.  Hoo. Ray.  A couple from Arizona came into the dive shop yesterday loving the rain and asking if this was really a Wisconsin summer.  I told them no, this is Wisconsin early spring misplaced into June.  I told them that we usually have mid-70s and sunshine.  She said they're loving this, especially the rain, since it's about 108 degrees in Arizona and drydrydry.  They were fun; they've driven here from AZ, are on their way up the U.P. to Sault Ste. Marie, and then into Canada to come back into the States at Niagara Falls and then drive back home.  (oh, I should have told them that the limestone bluffs of Door Co. are the western end of the limestone that Niagara Falls falls over, it's called the Niagara Escarpment)  He was looking for shore dives along the way so I gave him info about the dive shop about an hour north of here and info about diving in Munising, MI on the shipwrecks there.  I want to be them, driving off for weeks to see the country.  We had such a great time last summer driving out West, I can't wait to do it again in October.  (we plan to unlimber the map soon, maybe this weekend, to plot out a route just as soon as I check the dates of the horse races in Lexington... and it looks like we'll be in Lex the first weekend in October because that's the last weekend there's harness racing at The Red Mile, the thoroughbreds race at Keeneland until the 26th of October but I like harness racing a lot so that's when I want to go, I've got twenty bucks to blow)

One of our backyard chipmunks figured out that if it climbed up onto the biggest of the herb pots it could leap onto the nearest birdfeeder and fill its cheek pouches with very little work.  Durwood's been trying to get a bead on it to shoot it with his BB gun but it's too wily for that, so I just went out and moved the pots away.  Now the chipmunk's trying to figure out a way to get back up there.  Leaped from the pots and missed, tried to climb the pole and hit the Slinky (thanks again, DIL2, for the Slinkys) so I think it might be Barbara 1, chipmunk 0--for now.  **NEWS FLASH** Durwood just watched it leap from the birdbath and land on the feeder so the score is tied.  Guess I have to either move the feeder to a hook on the back fence or buy a really tall shepherd's crook.  Stupid rodent.  No, smart rodent but you know what I mean.


I want to show you my favorite wildflower up at The Clearing.  It's called Canadian Wild Ginger, the settlers used the roots as a ginger substitute but look at the dark red/purple flowers.  They lay on the ground under the leaves because they're pollinated by ants.  Isn't that the coolest thing?

I did my first business history interview yesterday and it went well.  I think I had only one phone call and it was from a telemarketer during the 45 minutes we talked.  I'm so glad I have my little mini-tape recorder (and a stock of blank tapes) because I can just have a conversation with the interviewee and then transcribe it later.  I've always taken pitiful notes and now that my concentration's shot so I can only either talk, listen, or write, not all three at once, that tape recorder saves my bacon every time.  There's no rush on this job so I've got the luxury of time, which might not be the best thing since I feel like I do my best work when a deadline's looming, but I'll figure it out.  This is a kind of writing I seem to be pretty good at so I'm not stressing out about it--yet.

June 7--American, Tom Thumb.  He had to hold still for so long his muscles cramped.  The lights heated the room and made spots dance before his eyes.  The new photography was all the rage and his Ma was determined to make the most of it.  See, Tom was small for his age and grew slowly because there wasn't enough to eat.  His Ma made him a suit just like a rich man wore and sold him to the sideshow.  No, that was wrong, she rented him out to them.  They fed him a little and gave him a place to sleep, they sent Ma his pay.

Okay, that was depressing but all too true I suspect.  Today Durwood and I have appointments in the afternoon so I'd better get going so my errands are done.  I need soil to plant some green peppers in an upside-down planter to see if that helps us get more than one and I've got a couple tanks in the car to drop off for testing.  We're hoping that tomorrow's sunny so we can tool up to Baileys Harbor so I can take more pictures and hike a bit on a Rustic Road or two.  See ya bye.
--Barbara