For all of May's dark days, seemingly-continuous rains, and cool-to-cold weather, the month has ended as if determined to make its exit amid a blaze of sun and blast of heat worthy of mid-August.
The National Weather Service predicted daily temperatures of 91˚F (32.778˚ C) for the past three days, which would have set new all-time record highs. As it turns out—at least for yesterday and the day before—they overestimated by 2 measly degrees…which means it was just insufferably hot rather than unprecedentedly hot. Today remains to be seen, er, felt.
Myladylove managed to arrange from Saturday afternoon through today off from work. We spent the extended Memorial Day holiday decorating the graves of various family members and friends, watching the Indy 500, cooking slabs of ribs on the grill, taking long drives, and working in the yard and around the house. Ice cream cones were occasionally consumed as counter-measures against the heat. Interludes of dozy lethargy in the chaise lounges revitalized. We're building screens this morning, planting a few seeds, and perhaps going to see the new Pirates of the Caribbean movie in 3D at the local IMAX theater.
Except for the fact the river is too high and muddy for fishing, a near-perfect holiday.
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Yesterday was my Grandpa Williams' birthday. He was born in 1879 in Johnson County, Kentucky. When he and Grandma got married, they lived in a log cabin on Bear Branch. Their first two kids were stillborn. However, they raised four daughters and three sons, my mother being the middle child. She outlived all her siblings. Grandpa taught me to plant a garden and whittle safely. He passed away when I was 18 years old. He wouldn't have believe today's world…
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10 comments:
Seems nothing can deter you from having a both productive, enjoyable and memorable (in every way) long weekend Grizz.
Touching that as you commemorate the loss of loved ones to war, you remember your Grandpa William's birthday. Do you still whittle?
What a wonderful slice of your life, Grizz...thanks for sharing! We're experiencing 30 plus degrees here in Southern Ontario today, too...bring it on!
What a wonderful post, sounds like you and myladylove had a wonderful memorial day weekend. Your weather does sound very hot but you know Grizz after such a long winter a long hot summer will be just fine with me.
I think I would like your grandfather and I'm sure he wouldn't recognize today's world, I'm not even sure my father would. Not all bad though......:-)Hugs
Bonnie…
I have my down moments, for sure, and I've had some rather ghastly things happen…but when I get past the whining and moaning and feeling sorry for myself, I tend to try and figure out how to have the maximum fun possible from whatever there is in a given situation. I figure if your try, you can have fun in 90 percent of life's moments, and make fun of another 5 percent (which is kinda tacky, but fun)—so only about 5 percent of things are really serious and require you to treat them as such. This is both my nature and nurturing, by the way, thanks to Mom and her side of the family; I've been this way since I was a kid. Been called down or thrown out of more than one church service and/or funeral, got sent home from school, etc. But, I say if you're going to work, have fun at it and still get the job done.
I only whittle a bit, on stuff tending toward the utilitarian rather than artistic—hiking staffs, whistles, spoons, jimmy-dancers, whirlygigs, things along those lines. No decoys or yard gnomes or rustic old hillbillies sitting on a stump with a jug of moonshine in the crook of his arm and a bluetick hound lolling at his feet. Grandpa Williams did teach me how to make bullroarers—and every so often I whittle one out, hook a line to it, and go out in the yard and make it sing.
Julie…
We hit 90˚F (32˚C) today, but it didn't seem all that bad. I'd be happier with a dozen fewer degrees, though. But a little hot weather is okay…I just don't want temps warm enough for gators and palm trees every day. Uggghhhh!
Bernie…
You can have my share of "hot" for the summer; I be happy with "warm." But it will be what it is—not what I want. Which is reality. Long and hot, mild, warm, rainy, cool. We don't get to pick and choose; just make the most of things.
You would have liked my Grandfather Williams. A wonderful, gentle man—a man of the hill country and hard work in hard times, still reflecting pioneer stock. A man who would be amazed, appalled, and much ashamed at the world, country, and state of things today. And I expect my father, who passed away in 1983, would never imagine—or want to!—today's world.
The hardiness of the past generations never ceases to amaze me Grizz. Your Granpa lost two children but they still kept on trying and raised a fair brood.
You sound to have been incredibly busy for hot weather. It rarely reaches thatkind of temperature here but if it does then we all keep inddors in the cool.
Weaver…
Actually, my Grandparents Williams lost three kids. (All their kids were born in alternating order—boy, girl, boy, girl…)
Their first two, which I mentioned, a boy and a year later a girl, both being stillborn. After which they had another son, then a daughter, then a third son, followed by a third daughter, a fourth son, later a fourth daughter. But their fifth son lived only a few days before dying. A few years after that, their final child, a daughter, was born. Seven out of the the ten lived to adulthood, all but one—the youngest son who died in his forties—lived into their late-70s or early-80s, while my mother made it to 94.
What you manage to pack into one day always amazes me, Grizz!
Solitary…
Well, I guess that's one of those instances of perception being reality…I never think I accomplish much. I've always tried to fill my days, but anymore, it seems I sit around and contemplate about as much as I do. I'd view myself as a cautionary example.
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