Back in the Saddle Again

This year has been a year of extremes. We've had a colder than average winter, a 100 year flood in Nashville (some claim it was a 1000 year flood), and record breaking heat so far this summer (though we aren't suffering like points along the Atlantic coast). It makes us wonder what's next. Jim and Dianna told us the ocean water temperature was about 3°F higher than normal this year which is an indicator of an active hurricane season to come.

We actually had a little break in the heat last week, but around here we need rain. Everything is starting to turn brown. We were amazed at how much the corn had grown while we were away, but Will Ed Osborne was telling me Sunday if it didn't get rain soon it might not make anything. Bill Chatman has been planting soybeans since we got home.

BACK IN THE RAT RACE. Wouldn't it be nice to get back from vacation and have a few days to relax? One can dream. Vicki and I both had to go back to work last Monday (June 28), but she has had to get back into the swing of things more so than I. She had one week at home before heading out again with kids to CentriKID camp this week. She'll get back tomorrow and have one week before Vacation Bible School hits. After VBS we have a week before school starts and with that comes a new year of Awana.

INDEPENDENCE DAY. This year the Fourth of July fell on Sunday and so many towns held their activities on Saturday. The entire holiday felt unusually long as I was off work on Monday for the Fourth.

Our Kilgore Remembrance Ceremony was held on Saturday morning. Mark Lowe was the featured speaker this year. He spoke of what Thomas Kilgore's relationship with other longhunters of his day must have been like. Mark is a very interesting speaker and did a great job. Ben and Nate wore the Cub Scout uniforms and helped raise the flags.

The boys and I went up to Kilgore park Sunday night for the Cross Plains fireworks show. They put on a good show, but the neat thing was that from the hill where we were you could see fireworks from all the neighboring towns. I think one of the firemen shooting off the fireworks must have gotten hurt because an ambulance left from where they were immediately after it was over.

THE ADVENTURES OF DAD AND NATE. I mentioned above that Vicki took a group of kids to CentriKid this week. Jenna and Ben were part of this group which left me and Nate home as bachelors for the week. The campers are coming home tomorrow so I'll save their stories for next time, but I can tell you what Nate and I have been in to.

First of all, I worked half days this week so I could spend time with Nate. While I was at work we lined up play dates for Nate with his friends. Monday was taken care of since I was off for the Fourth. On Tuesday Nate went to spend time with Matthew Rollings. The next day he was with Mom and Aunt Mar. Today he played with Cole Totten, and tomorrow he will be at Zachary Norfleet's house. I think he's played video games everywhere he went, and he's been swimming as well.

When Nate and I have been together we've mixed work with pleasure. We got several chores done around the house, but took breaks to play the Wii, watch TV, and read a book. Yesterday afternoon we went to the Boy Scout store in Nashville and took in a movie (we saw Toy Story 3 again as there was nothing else playing age appropriate for him). I don't know about him, but I'll always treasure the time we spent together this week.

Joe