Weather: Odd. Last Sunday and Monday we were broiling, it was so hot. Then the marine layer of clouds moved in and cooled us down. Temperatures have been in the 70s since then but the cloud layer is very odd for this time of year. We were glad for the cooling, though, don't get me wrong. This is better than that.
"What to the slave is the 4th of July?: Descendants of Frederick Douglass read his words (and more)
How will you celebrate Independence Day this year? In years past we would join neighbors for a block party in front of our house. The children would run around with sparklers until one guy would pull out the big fireworks and it felt like the whole world was exploding. No block parties are planned this year. Hmm. Is it because of COVID or are we all aging, our children grown and gone, or we just can't be bothered? I hope that our neighbors don't spend the whole day and night setting off fireworks. Our poor dog was in distress yesterday, and it was only the dress rehearsal for the real thing.
How are we celebrating the 4th of July this year? I won't call it celebrating, but we are painting an old wash basin stand which we are repurposing as a storage unit for our newly remodeled bathroom. We just finished painting on the second coat of paint and will wait 24-hours until we can reinstall the hardware. Speaking of hardware, here is a photo of the filigree work on the brass handles. I didn't even know they were like this until taking a closer inspection. After we finish the painting project it is likely we will spend time organizing "stuff" back into the bathroom we moved out for the remodel. Stuff, so much stuff.
Fire: Everyone is worried about fires caused by fireworks this year. The ground is so tinder dry. We need an alternative to fireworks. How about drones? Watch this video of what was done in Sacramento with drones. Here is the news about what is/isn't happening in our area. (KOMO News)
The CDC is not just concerned with COVID: This graphic notice has been drawing lots of chatter on Twitter today. Don't let a person with diarrhea in the pool. Good advice. (Watch the girl on the slide.)
Don’t swim or let your kids swim if sick with diarrhea. One person with diarrhea can contaminate the entire pool. Learn more ways to keep you and those you care about healthy. #HealthySwimming https://t.co/3ogS3ZlQX6 pic.twitter.com/lbN6uvvufu
— CDC (@CDCgov) July 1, 2021
Reading:
- Completed
- We Are Not Free by Traci Chee. A 2021 Printz Honor winner. Japanese American forced incarceration during WWII. Fourteen youth talk about their experiences in this novel which is based on facts. Well done and touching. (Audiobook)
- Breathing Lessons by Anne Tyler. the Pulitzer Prize winner in 1988. Sometimes books don't stand the test of time. This is one of them. (E-book)
- Currently reading
- This Tender Land by William Kent Krueger. A book club selection about four orphans in 1932. I've only read 20 pages and have already highlighted three phrases. (E-book, 4%)
- The Ministry of Utmost Happiness by Arunhati Roy. Another book club selection set in India. I confess to be dragging my feet on this one. (Audiobook, 7%)
- The Night Watchman by Louise Erdrich. Another book club selection (books always seem to arrive in batches from the library.) This is also the 2021 Pulitzer Prize winner. (Audiobook, 0%)
- Challenges -- I made progress on every challenge this past month.
Advice to pet owners on the 4th of July: (Follow link to article at Spectrum News 1):
- Keep pets inside and create a safe place for them (next to you, under the bed, in a crate.)
- When they must go outside, use a leash.
- Keep fireworks away from all pets.
- Make sure pet's ID is up-to-date.
- If pet does run away, start looking for it right away.
- Be observant and proactive. Don't let the pet's fears go from bad to worse. Help your pet out by being as soothing as possible.
We, too, tried to entertain our grandsons in a kiddy pool in our backyard during recent heat wave. "The fun" lasted less than 15 minutes. Ha!
To my International friends, have a good day, which just happens to be July 4th.
-Anne
I like the idea of drones doing sky shows. I remember seeing it for the first time in the Winter Olympics and being very impressed. I wonder how the cost compares to regular fireworks.
ReplyDeleteWe aren't doing anything special for today either; the thought of battling crowds of tourists (vaccinated? not? who knows!) at the beach and downtown does not sound appealing.
Happy 4th!
I hope your 4th was great despite the changes in your friend group. Our neighborhood keeps having a parade every year with new kids on their bikes replacing the ones that grow up and leave.
ReplyDeleteBest… mae at maefood.blogspot.coom
It has been extremely noisy here for the past two days; Ziggy isn't a fan. I very much enjoyed "Cool Millions" and am loving "This Tender Land" also. (I'm halfway in) We did very well on our BC choices so far. Such beautiful writing.
ReplyDeleteWe have a tiny plastic pool that we've had since our granddaughter was just one year old, and she and her brother spent hours and hours in it on Friday. We also have some things for pouring (little buckets and spoons). Playing with water and sand is one of the most important experiences for young children, according to Montessori. Maybe some pools are too complicated?
ReplyDeleteOur book club read Ordinary Grace by William Kent Krueger and we all liked it very much. I'm glad to hear that you are enjoying This Tender Land so much.
Thanks for sharing the drone show. I don't like the noise of fireworks; it's alarming to hear all that popping. The drone show was beautiful.
That CDC gif is unexpectedly graphic!
ReplyDeleteI’ve seen some brilliant drone shows, I think they are a smart alternative to fireworks esp in summer.
Wishing you a great reading week, stay cool!
This Tender Land is now on my TBR list! I'm grateful my library has several editions of it! Yes, my poor Chico has been a nervous wreck since the beginning of the month. He has even been vomiting at night! We finally gave him some medication to soothe him. He's getting extra snuggles and cuddles for sure! Take good care!
ReplyDeleteHope you ended up having a good 4th and that your dog was not traumatized. We are in NY now and spent most of the weekend with family we haven't seen in way too long - it was wonderful. There was a group of neighbors near my parents house that set off a ton of fireworks. They were pretty, but I'm sure there were many pets in distress because of it :(
ReplyDeleteYeah we broiled in the heat here for a week too. The heat dome was brutal. But luckily it's gone now ... and we've had some rain lately. I thought about getting a kiddie pool for our dog ... but we went to the river instead ... Have a great week.
ReplyDeleteThese drone displays are so cool! It's exciting to see more of them now. Won't beat the beauty of fireworks but time to explore environment-friendly options.
ReplyDeleteIt's been good here, weather wise, Not sure why. I guess I am not getting out of the house much, is probably what it is.