"It was imprudent of us, in the first place, to become authors. We could have become something regular, but we managed not to.
We were lucky, but we were also determined." Roy Blount Jr

"I don’t change the facts to enhance the drama. I think of it the other way round, the drama has got to fit the facts,
and it’s your job as a writer to find the shape in real life."
Hilary Mantel

Sunday, July 29, 2007

Lakeside

Here's a blog milestone--today's posting is my 400th, 0ver a period of 2 years and 6 days.

It was difficult, abandoning that gleaming new fridge, but I headed up here to the cottage midday Friday with a carload of beasts, food, and beverages. The Chap showed up that evening with pizza for supper (the traditional Friday repast) and my Harry Potter book which had arrived in the day's post.

I've got advance knowledge of a couple of major plot points, but it was such a busy week that I encountered remarkably few spoilers.

Yesterday we had company--some friends and their young daughters. The weather promised to be dodgy, but the rain showers ended just before they arrived. Our afternoon was wonderful, not too hot, not too cold, not too bright, not too cloudy. And the lake was a balmy 75 degrees.

The girls try talking Lola into diving off the end of the dock.



A short time later, Lola fell off the dock into the water. She was unfazed, swam over to the rocks, climbed out, and for a few minutes shook water on us all. I think she was glad of a chance to cool off--it's late July, after all, that husky fur coat must be uncomfortable.

There was a thrilling voyage aboard the sea monster.



Looks like a magical creature out of Harry Potter, doesn't it--of the more benign variety!

The girls fished off the end of the dock, sometimes using wild blueberries for bait. Jewel discovered she could eat blueberries right off the bush. This does not bode well for our blackberry patch at the Lodge. Ruth cleaned it out last summer, and I predict Jewel will help her out when the fruit is ripe.

I was in the lake for a very long time--a wonderful place to socialise with guests. When I came out, Jewel tried to dry me off by licking me. Counterproductive, but she didn't know that.



We had a fabulous cookout--burgers, brats, and a hot dog. That Chap was an awesome Grill-meister. The guests provided a gourmet salad. Finished off the meal with ice cream cake topped by raspberries. (First time I'd made it. I'm the sort of person brave--or crazy--enough to try a new recipe when company comes to dinner. This dessert was so dead easy that there was no way I could wreck it.)

I'm spending this morning on the porch, sipping java from my moose mug and catching up on Our Hero's adventures.



The Chap headed to church. Ruth and Lola bid him farewell.



He'll stop by the Lodge to deliver my love to the fridge and collect the Sunday paper. Not that I need it, with HP7 here.

We're expecting a stormy afternoon. With luck, the rain will hold off long enough for more swimming. For that, I'll put down my book.

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