Happy Birthday Eric!

Happy Birthday to our sweet, wonderful, caring, amazing immediate family patriarch!   We love you immeasurably!

Yup, another "COVID Birthday", so we just hung out in the house together, having a delicious meal and acting like goofballs.  

Maelstrom

To say we have an unconventional 6-year-old is putting it mildly sometimes.   The other night, he used the word "maelstrom".  Eric and I both looked at each other and laughed, with raised eyebrows.
Eric asked Ramsey to spell it.   So....

He did.  LOL!

In the video below, he's trying to sell us some of his Star Wars characters.  He may need a little work on his salesmanship skills.  *wink*

Another Big Storm

This summer, it proves difficult to have a simple nice rain.  If we've had rain, 75% of the time, it is accompanied with 80 mph wind gusts, thunder, massive amounts of lightning, and even hail.

Last Friday evening was no different.   Winds picked up and blew wildly.   Although there was no rain, this storm was crazy.   Our house actually "hummed".   The windows and doors vibrated and shuddered.   The attic access panel actually got sucked up and moved into the ceiling.  

On Saturday morning, we went outside to assess the damage.  We found a number of issues that would need to be addressed.  First, [we knew] our black mulch would be problematic.  Most of it had been blown away and will need to be replaced.   (again)

There were branches everywhere too, of course.  Then, when I walked down by the shoreline, I saw this:

 One of our neighbors' beautiful mature pine trees had uprooted and fell onto our lake shed!  The winds were from the east and wreaked much havoc!

An adjuster will come soon (once the tree has been removed) to assess the damage to the shed, plus any damage that may have have incurred onto our roofs.    

Kid Central

The summer is passing by so quickly!  We always say that, once the 4th of July has passed.   It seems like after that date, time flies like the blink of an eye!

 We hadn't seen Bridger for a while, so we invited him out to stay and swim.  (He ended up spending two nights and three days! Ramsey was in heaven.)

 The boys had a hay day on the aqua mat one afternoon.  Connor swam with them for quite some time before finally deciding to bail.

Neighbor kid friends Raelyn and Ashton came over to swim with the boys and play with water toys.

Meanwhile, I had gone over to our neighbor's to chat.  She and her grandson were hanging out in the front yard.  We thought her grandson might like to join us.   Instead, she invited all of the kids over for popsicles.  And, as long as we were all there, the kids jumped in the water and played on their Maui Mat for at least an hour.

 Summer fun at its finest.  Good times.  :-)

Comet "Neowise"

In the midst of this crazy year, a new visible comet is in our midst as of late - a comet known as Comet F3 Neowise.   Known as the inner-solar system's "intruder", it's being called "the Great Comet of 2020".  And, this will be the first and only time our generation will ever see it; it will not appear again for another 6,800 years!

The comet blew past the sun and is now headed toward "the outer ring" of the solar system.  It measures approximately 3 miles across (considered quite a large comet) and it is said to be visible to the naked eye (but a pair of binoculars or a telescope could certainly improve the sighting!).

It's said to be the brightest comet in over 23 years (since Comet Hale-Bopp in 1997).  For the duration between July 14th and 19th, it will be visible in the northwest sky, about "three fists below" the big dipper.

We've been searching for it, but neighboring lampposts and yard lights are very bright, thus impeding a miraculous view.  We will, however, keep on the look-out!

Later in the month, Comet F6 Lemmon should also be within viewable distances as well!

Update: We weren't able to see it!  Dang!!!!