is there any more pie?

My friend Pat just sent me this.

I think it says it all.  We don’t watch television here, but I do keep up with the news online and I am waiting to read about something good.

It could be a long wait.

As I sit here in Lake Bubble Mode it is a relief to be distanced from all the bad news.  Escapism, maybe.  Healthier?  Definitely.

Will and I went to town yesterday because I had an eye appointment.  We drove through the recently reconfigured main street downtown.  The street is narrower, the sidewalks wider, the visibility is bad and finding a place to park will always be a challenge.  And there were people everywhere–so I guess the summer visitors have arrived despite the chilly weather.

Will wore his mask and explored the antique stores while I was having my eyes checked.  We ate lunch via the drive-up window at Serv-A-Burger.

Banjo Man got his fishing license and spent the evening on the dock with Will as they tried to catch something (they didn’t).  Will announced that he had worn wool socks on the last day of June.

He is not in Texas any more.

Monday night we finished burning the ugly driftwood.  I say “we” but I didn’t have anything to do with it except carrying the paper bags and matches down the hill.

It ended up being a huge project, coals burning until bedtime.  But the beach is clean and ready for summer.

Banjo Man built a stone patio as a platform for a chair or two and an umbrella.  It is gorgeous.

Patio in progress.

All we need now is sunshine.  Come on, summer!  Let’s get this party started!

Will working on the fire.  The assortment of rocks in the top right corner will be part of a new shaded patio.

We’ve spent quite a few evenings on the beach lately.  There is always plenty to burn and we love campfires.

We need to enjoy them now in case the fire danger ramps up later in the summer and puts a stop to outdoor burning.

We’ve had a few warm evenings, but many more cool ones.
Whatever the weather, Banjo Man and Will burn driftwood and I sit nearby and enjoy the fire.

My job is to give out compliments.

This is what you do when there is no television.  We do have streaming capability, but we have only used it once, when we watched an awful movie, THE HOSTILES, and even had popcorn.  Most evenings  we are happy to play a few rounds of Canasta and go to bed early.

Oh, the excitement!

We are saving the marshmallows for the Funny Grandson, whose arrival we expect will liven things up around here.

The beach will be ready for visitors.

Last Saturday afternoon we took George to Spokane, as he was going to spend the night near the airport and catch an early flight out the next morning.

On the way home we stopped at Kohl’s because I remembered I had a 30% off coupon, just in case anyone needed anything.  Well, the guys decided they needed boots and sneakers.  They wore masks, the store was fairly empty and we weren’t in there very long.  That was in Washington.

When we reached Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, we decided to grab something to eat.  Our choices boiled down to Taco Bell (drive thru) and a favorite pizza place (eat in the car).  After looking online at the flatbread menu at the pizza restaurant we decided to do that.  The parking lot was packed with cars, which was a surprise.  I went inside to order (it was so difficult to do by phone that we totally gave up) and was shocked to see that the place was filled with people.

The large restaurant was full, couples and families were waiting for tables, and the only people wearing masks were the servers.

It was pretty unnerving, especially after months of self-distancing and the occasional take-out meal.

I ordered and then escaped back to the car to wait.  When I retrieved our little pizzas the place was even busier.  It seemed so very strange, as if I’d entered a foreign country.

In the past week our county has been hit with the virus.  Visitors from out of town are descending on Sandpoint to enjoy the restaurants and bars and shops, but they have brought the virus with them.

So we are very happy to be in our quiet little cocoon here at the lake.  The guys have quarantined for two weeks and are, thankfully, healthy.

And they want to stay that way.

Campfires, kayaking, arrowhead-hunting, fishing and swimming are all part of our summer.  And Covid doesn’t affect any of that!

The view on our way home from Spokane.

Will has been renamed “The Hunter”.  He found these in one evening, the first evening he was on the beach in 2020.

Two are chips, of course.  But the one second from the left is the real thing.

We remain amazed.

He also caught a foot-long bass the first time he put a worm in the water.

We want him to buy a lottery ticket!

Sunday evening (when the light was right) I joined him on an arrowhead hunt.  We sorted through a lot of wet rocks, but didn’t come up with anything.  We could search all summer and not find another arrowhead on the beach so we will admire the one Will found for the rest of our time here.

But I will not stop looking.  We are going to develop a system and possibly a grid.  I’m psyched.

The sun has come out and summer weather has moved in, as of yesterday.  Oh, joy!

Time to take my coffee down to the dock…