![\"DSCN2579\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/lh5.ggpht.com\/-cgYuxwf-T6U\/T_uW4lNfT1I\/AAAAAAAAJlg\/jiqgLQecHsE\/s1600-h\/DSCN2579%25255B3%25255D.jpg\" "\\"DSCN2579\\"")
<\/a><\/p>\nThe second took the skills of both Bruce and Helen to create:<\/p>\n
We have been baking along with most of the rest of the country. Highs in the upper 90\u2019s for the last 8 weeks, 102 degrees today. So hot that Smokey the Bear has switched to wearing a bikini bottom: <\/p>\n This is NOT a welcome moisture laden afternoon mountain cloud: <\/p>\n It comes from a fire on the other side of the mountain. It got a little darker later in the day:<\/p>\n From our house we have seen 4 fires come and go in the last few weeks. Not as bad as Colorado, but some houses were lost in a couple of them. <\/p>\n We completed our parkway\/tree-strip\/boulevard\/parking-strip\/grass-next-to-sidewalk (that thing has lots of names) replacement project. I wimped out and hired some guys to do most of it. Here is the grass excavation:<\/p>\n We planted about 6 types of 90 low water plants, along with 8 big rocks, which have even lower water requirements:<\/p>\n The trick to saving water here is to setup a system that drips water only to the roots of the plants along with a water permeable weed resistant fabric:<\/p>\n And then cover everything with a bark mulch to help keep the water in:<\/p>\n I\u2019m feeling slightly water virtuous now, but am still using plenty to keep the rest of our grass green. The deer are also helping keeping it green: <\/p>\n The little guys fit through a couple of places between our fence rails: <\/p>\n But when a guy with a camera shows up, they freak out and loose track where the exits are, so they fly back and forth in a panic, sometimes stumbling across the pool cover, which fortunately seems strong enough for small deer: <\/p>\n We have had a number of summer guest visits. Here swimming with \u2018Kissa\u2019 (aka Lenna, Helen, or physics professor from Temple U. in Philadelphia);<\/p>\n Noah also visited for a few days. He helped me play my yearly game of Tennis:<\/p>\n I forgot what Helen and Noah were talking about at this pool dinner. Kind of looks like Helen is saying he can climb a tree if he wants a coconut and Noah is saying he doesn\u2019t care for coconut:<\/p>\n And everyone else is pondering the fact that we don\u2019t have a coconut tree.<\/p>\n Abbey and Colin got back from the trip to Europe just in time to come over and watch fireworks with us. Mom, your telescope works great for fireworks!<\/p>\n Nick and Chloe just finished a long weekend with us. We did several hikes:<\/p>\n Per usual hiking protocol, Nick catches an animal, here a scary black gue spewing grasshopper:<\/p>\n And then he eats it:<\/p>\n And then wonders if the scary black gue will eat away his finger:<\/p>\n We swam (duh). This is a one person pool toy, but can work with 2 if you don\u2019t need to breath much:<\/p>\n Played games:<\/p>\n Went to a movie (I wore Nick out on a long hike, so Chloe game him a ride to the theater):<\/p>\n And relaxed:<\/p>\n That first mystery photo was from a bag of potatoes that Boris and Irena found in their pantry when they got back from a 3 month trip:<\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n