Kayaking in Fish Lake

Just back from kayaking on Fish Lake. It is the best thing in the world...kayaking with a couple of happy loons, a young eagle, a mature eagle, more sunnies than I can fathom, 5 geese lazing, hundreds of white lillies, thousands of mating dragonflies, and quiet, but for the sounds these beings make and the occasional splash of an oar in the water.

Storms continue...

The other night, I think it was a few nights before the vote on the debt ceiling was finally reached, there was a big thunderstorm which ended in what I am calling "heat lightening", because that is what it looked like.  The flashes were far away, but not necessarily low on the horizon, so I don't know if it was really heat lightening, but it was a hot night, and the local storm was over.  Only the lightening remained.  I stood there startled to see the power in the sky.  I could look at nothing else, but those flashes.  It was like the fireworks celebration on the fourth of July.  I could only go "Ooooh" and "Ahhhh".  I wondered about that great power, looking at that ceiling up there and all around me on this dark night.  As if we think we can harness nature!  Every flash revealed a little more of the great dome of night, and just as quickly took the image away.  We are tiny dwindling lights on earth, dimmed out by the hubris of our lawmakers, pathetic in our search for light from them.  I'm feeling powerless.

First big storm

This morning, before coffee, a big wind storm hit. One hive out of ten blew over and two hives lost their covers. The corn and the tallest plants look like they are done for, but maybe they are ok. We didn't loose any trees, but we had to saw our way out when we got to the township road to get into town for coffee and news and power. Big trees are down. It's a sad sight.

After further inspection of the woods, we find that we lost some big oak trees, a couple of big spruce, and many poplars. All the sunflowers and dahlias and dill and tomatoes and eggplant are blown over. The big prairie plants, like goldenrod and bee balm and joe pye weed are down, but they will probably revive. The vegetables may revive. I'm networking at the coffee shop in town with a smoothie and taking ice and gin and tonic home. We may not have power for another day or so. We do have a generator, but only for emergency electric needs.