Nice, cool, calm weather

Clarinda, IA 66º partly cloudy
  Well, the holiday weekend is passed and all the visitors have come and gone.
    

Chris Gregory and Patty Miles

On Saturday we had several people here.  Was going to say a houseful, but we didn't spend a lot of time in the house and they didn't all stay in the house over-night.

 As most of the pictures show, we spent most of our visiting time around eating.  Even though it was quite warm, the high wind took care of any gnat or mosquito problems and made it somewhat comfortable.  Late Saturday lunch on the deck had chicken salad on croissants or hot dog on a bun fresh from the grill.  By putting a board over the rail around the "escape window" from the basement we had a ready-made serving area.

Chris & Becky's girls, as usual, were full of energy and on the move all the time--hardly having time to sit down and eat!

 Line up for food.

Finding a place to sit and eat.

 In the evening we were back at the deck, but this time with steak fixed on the grill, with baked beans, potato salad and Napa Cabbage salad.
In photo at right, Beth & Steve Gregory (Grandma and Grandpa) with Sara and daughter-in-law Becky.

At right, Phyllis, daughter-in-law Pat and son Cam.

Friday I had gone with Phyllis out to the Clarinda Cemetery where she put flowers on graves of her folks and grandparents as well as her brother-in-law's parents.  Lots of people were out visiting grave stones.  Though we did not go out to the ceremony on Monday, Steve & Beth did and said there was a good turn out and good speech given by Dustin Morrison, a soldier from New Market who was wounded in Afghanistan when another soldier from Essex was killed in April a year ago.  Steve & Beth & their family also went to the cemeteries in Missouri where their relatives are buried.

We also had put flowers on my sister's grave.  Her funeral was just 4 years ago on May 24th.





While most of the others did some walking on Saturday evening I stayed home with Homer, the 13 year old dog.  Phyllis & I did get on the recumbent trikes a couple times this weekend and did about 5 miles each time in the hills of Clarinda.

 We had brought our travel trailer from storage into set up at our place so the young Gregory girls could sleep in it Saturday evening.  Turned out they, and their parents, stayed in it--rocking in the high winds and listening to the air conditioner run as it was hot and humid.   The Omaha, NE Gregorys returned home Sunday evening and the Marengo, IA Miles returned home Monday morning.  This morning (Tuesday) the Grand Lake, CO Gregorys left for home. 

As you can see at right, Homer made it into the car and was getting a drink preparing for the 10 hour car ride back home in the mountains west of Boulder.

Now it is cooler with less wind and prediction is for high to be only 61 degrees this Thursday with 80% chance of rain--and 2-3" are predicted for this area.  With the cracks showing in the grass, we do need it here; and, the farm fields need it even worse.

Till later, Lynn