"A Great Summer"

Things have calmed down for us.

We had a couple fantastic weeks trying our best to entertain everyone. It was great fun, seeing the grand kids enjoy their time on the lake. We enjoyed getting in the water with them, and playing around as if we weren't really the age we are!! But the reality sets in after everyone returns home, that we are flat wore out after trying to keep up with them. But we wouldn't miss it again for anything.

The heat this summer is relentless! This week is to be in the 100's the entire week. The entire center section of the country is in the oven! Our front yard is holding it's own,in fact the Bermuda grass is really spreading out, but the back is gone. We will re-do it in a few weeks when the heat subsides. Until then, keep the curtains drawn and stay inside!

We had a new roof put on in the last month. We gave a lot of thought to putting on a metal roof, but decided to stay witth asphalt shingles. We did go with a green color, that we both think looks pretty sharp. I am showing a before and after picture of the house. I hope I can say with some certainty, that we are pretty much done on the outside of the house. We do hope to soon to build a patio cover, to give a break from the sunlight. Sounds like a good fall weather project to me.

Our dogs are having kind of a rough time this summer. We think they are having a real dry skin or possible allergic reaction to something. So we have started them on some allergy pills and a spray for their skin. Sometimes their scratching and itching goes on and on, and they look at you as if to say "HELP"!!! So we shall see if this helps out. Probably won't see immediate relief, but we are hopeful. But they too do have times where they go out with us on the lake. We try to take them out at night, when the temp is lower. Otherwise they are doing some severe panting. Kath continues daily with her walks with them. They go around 6am, when it is much more comfortable for everyone!

Two weeks ago we went out on the lake real late, with full intentions of spending the night on the boat. We had taken a camp stove and all we would need in the morning to fix a breakfast. The dogs were with us, so we were all set to go relax, watch the sun go down and enjoy hopefully anight of stars being out, and some peacefull sleep on the boat. Well we were all just fine till around 2am, when Shorty alerted us to an incoming storm to the northwest. He hates thunder and lightning. So we thought best to pull up anchor and head back north to the marina. It was a beautiful ride back, with the moon in the east, showing us the shoreline to navigate by, and the thunder and lightning up to the northwest towards Branson, Mo. As it turned out, the storm skurted to the east of us, but it was the best decision. Being out on the water, even though we were in a cove we are very familiar with, coming in was the right thing to do. So we will try that breakfast, another morning. Get out there in time to watch the sun come up over the Ozark Mountains to the east of us.

That is about it for this time, take care

Bob and Kathy