July 2023

Once upon a Forth of July found us at camp at Kilo Vista. Excitement was high like it always is when The Fourth of July rolls around. After all, it is one of our favorite holidays, as is still evidenced by the decorations at our house. At our cabin there at camp, Red, White, and Blue would be everywhere flags, banners, and balloons. A few days just before the fourth, I went to the cabin, alone and painted. The flag, on the big ugly old picnic table there, everyone had loved it. It was pretty and lasted for several years afterward.

Mike said he was walking through the woods and felt what seemed to be tiny critters running on his legs. He was thinking he had got into some seed ticks. Turns out it was a hole in his pocket and it was 22 shells falling out. I call redneck, either way. I was telling Mike this morning about when I was a freshman, I had surgery on my foot. I wasn’t supposed to put any pressure on it and wasn’t good with crutches. The teachers would have a senior boy carry me to my next class. Keep in mind I was a skinny little thing then. Mike said “I bet that was the slowest healing injury in history?” Yep, God bless those senior boys and their Drakkar Noir… Mike got up at 2am to go fishing. I heard him making coffee on my way to the facilities. I stuck my head in the kitchen and said “I thought I’d get up and make you breakfast”. Then we just laughed and laughed… My clients were going on vacation and told me I was the only one they would answer calls from. I’m assuming they meant only “real estate” related calls but they didn’t specify. Think I’ll call and tell them what I had for breakfast just to clarify.

Happy Independence Week! I, for one, enjoyed my extra day off this week immensely. We stayed home, grilled and managed to make it to a fireworks show. I will admit that I absolutely love all things patriotic. I stand for the flag, hand over my heart and sing every word of our national anthem. I often get emotional when thinking of the men and women who sacrificed, fought and died so that we could have this amazing experiment we call freedom. I enjoy patriotic shows, songs, colors and all of the hoopla that goes along with Independence Day and other patriotic holidays. I try my best to humbly thank every member of any branch of our military and let them know their dedication, commitment, honor and bravery has not gone unnoticed.