I worked like a demon yesterday on the project I brought with me. No, not the novel or the nonfiction book. I'm doing some paid consulting for an educational organisation, meaning I must track hours worked and be more productive than I would be if faffing about with my own writing. Progress is good, I expect to finish a solid draft of the report before the man and the third dog turn up.
The girls and I took our Ultimate Walk this morning because 1) I wanted to take the edge off their energy level early, so I could work at the computer undisturbed, and 2) because the weather is supposed to deteriorate as the day wears on, and 3) because I was in that writer's "zone" yesterday and we didn't walk at all, and 4) to spark my apptetite for a pasta dinner.
Again it's blustery and cool and decreasingly sunny. I'm in sweatpants and sweatshirt today, with most of the doors and windows closed. (But not all...round here, that's sacrilege.)
The wind destroyed the spider's fantastic web, but she made another, smaller one in a more sheltered spot. It was intact last time I checked.
For pictures today, I tried to find something that wasn't water, a mountain, or a dog.
This is a bird's-eye view of the lake, a vintage print that hangs on the porch.
It's an original. We've got a framed reproduction of the same iconic print hanging in our downstairs sitting room at the Lodge.
Here's some of the surrounding terrain--the recently reclaimed (not by me) stone pathway that leads down the hillside to the old well on the cliff.
The hill is much, much steeper than this photo indicates!
With my mate's impending arrival, I've upgraded the quality of my personal grooming. Instead of merely relying on a bar of soap, water, and a washcloth, I've used lavender body wash, a comb, and other implements that I dispense with when in hermit mode. And I'll be sure to inform my beloved of these extraordinary efforts...
Janice wondered what locals think about the Amex tv ad, and Ellen's comment about her bathing suit catching fire. Well, I can't speak for others, but I can take a joke. I assume the joke is on her, and she's not really casting aspersions on our lovely lake!
Considering its popularity, this body of water is clean and seemingly healthy in most respects. One of our neighbours is a volunteer water monitor, he goes out in his boat on a regular schedule and takes samples in various parts of the Bay for testing. According to the reports, all is well. We need to keep it that way!
I personally can attest to the clarity of my water--now that the wind has blown the pollen layer away I can see to the bottom of the lake again. All the way from the hilltop cottage, if the light is just right. I have no qualms swimming in it. Or, for that matter, showering in it. The lake supplies all our household water--it's filtered at the pump in the boathouse, so it's cleaner when it enters the cottage.
For drinking and cooking, however, we keep an ample supply of well water or bottled water.
We make every effort to be good stewards of our waterfront. We use biodegradable and no-phosphate everything. We obey the Shoreline Protection Act, maintaining the plant growth and preserving our stately trees (we sometimes have to trim a few branches to allow for a view!)
The rain is coming--I see it on the other side of the bay, looming over the mountain. The wind will push it over to me in no time!
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