Summer's Over?

I can't believe that summer is almost over! The grandkids have already gone home and I didn't get a chance to write much about our adventures. The girls grew an inch each the first month they were here. All that fresh air, exercise and good food did the trick. Dena has been singing all summer, all day. She seems even taller but I think it is maturity that makes her seem to have grown. At 3, she is much more mature like her older sisters. At 7, Sarina survived...rather devoured her first weeklong overnight camp. She was really into it and went both inner tubing on the lake behind a boat several times and tried out the ropes trail. Art is her favorite other activity at camp. We still have a grocery bag full to prove it. Eliana, at 10, blossomed this year as well. She took guitar lessons, spent her first 3-week overnight session at camp and also grew a lot taller. She came home and immediately got on her computer to input all the email addresses of her new friends and was amazed she had emails waiting for her from her friends back in West Linn. Busy girls.

Allison had a hectic summer with all the things you don't really see behind the scenes at summer camp. They had a van totalled in an accident (no one injured) and had to rush around to find an emergency replacement vehicle for the next day's outing. In Lincoln City that is a miracle. The car rental place...if you want to call it that...is owned by the heating and air conditioning company. We multi-task around here. There was also a flu outbreak at camp and I think Allison bought out the store in the hand sanitizer department the first day. Luckily it only lasts 12 hours and the kids could go back into circulation but sometimes it hit 10-12 kids at a time. They had to make quick recovery rooms out of anything available and many extra runs to the laudromat for clean linens in each cabin as a sick kid appeared. That too did pass. Eliana's cabin was hit early and 11 kids went in the first night out of 16 in her cabin. She made it through the session staying healthy until the night before camp ended...it finally got her too. Even the doctor got sick but put on a mask and continued to watch over the kids in the health center.

Dick's campaign is in full swing now. We have buttons galore, brochures going out with a big mailing work party next Tuesday (8/24) and I am picking up signs today, I hope. Coffee at Starbucks and other places have turned into 2-hour morning rituals. Coffees are being set up at homes and new supporters are coming out of the woodwork. It is interesting. I have never liked politics but as long as it isn't me running, answering all the questions and being under the magnifying glass, I can support Dick's efforts. Keep your fingers crossed. It is a long time until November 2nd.

We will be out of here for a few days to meet up with the whole family in Camp Sherman in Central Oregon soon. A few days away will be fun and Camp Sherman is an even smaller town. The post office, gas station and grocery store are all in one. Otherwise there isn't anything else there except rental cabins, homes, etc. and one nice restaurant. I think we will hit that at least once. Last year I tangled with a brown recluse spider while there so I have already bought my bug spray for the bedroom. I didn't see any bugs but the spider found me in the middle of the night. I have a nice, huge scar on my neck to prove it. And I am going back again, you ask? Yes, it is a nice place to watch the wild life, trees, flowers, creek and no tv or computers.

It will be just another quiet day with at just running water, toilets and electricity!