The Cousin Week Begins

Hebe Plays Zoo
;... the hippo is submeged in a tupperware cage of water (upper left corner)...

... Jenga blocks provide zoo walls
feeding time for the hippo

We watched a storm come in from Queest (pronounced Quest) Mountain, an unusual direction for a storm to come.

Usually one comes down through what seems to be the Narrows, if the wind is blowing from that direction.

Most of the family was out on the porch taking a look.

We could see where the rain was hitting the water.

The demarcation was apparent from
the porch.

The fir and larch trees were bending with the wind. There was only a bit of moisture in the air for us, not enough to send us running for cover. Doral was finishing BBQ-ing the chicken.

Church was over.

Families were coming home in different groups. There was lots of food and we were enjoying the last day of partial cloud. Now it is going to be 30 to 33 degree for five days.

We will be longing for the cool of the basement once it is noon tomorrow.

The evening was spent at the board game table.

There were two tables.

... the money needs food too ...

One for beginners and one for the more seasoned players.

What had been a dining room table for dinner has now been turned into the permanent game surfaces, so that the intricate pieces don’t have to be put together every evening. Marcia, Art, Gabe, Zach and Audra came over in the evening – welcome additions to the places that had been set around the gaming table.

Glen, Laynie, Janet and Landon came over with water balloons.

... this was a complicated board game ...

They hid them all around the land – some by the large rock at the row of raspberries, some down where the devil’s club used to grow at the stream, some on the shoe rack at the front porch, a bucket right by the LaRue bush, more down by the fake Italian marble fountain of a little girl pouring water.

But the storm rained us out, so the balloons will be thrown tomorrow and not today. In the afternoon some people watched one of the Harry Potter films.


Downstairs was a good place to enjoy buttered and salted popcorn and a well loved movie.

Catie found a treasure in the dress-up basket.

... Hebe practises taking a selfie ...

She wore the Egyptian pharaoh hat she found there. Upstairs Hebe played zoo with her Aunts Anita and Bonnie, making cages for the animals and even making sure they were fed during play time.

There was a late afternoon walk to the beach. Only one of the cement pads of the ramp is showing, so you can imagine how little beach there is.

... and can you see who might have lost? ....

The Little Canadian Stream has no reach at all. It just comes out of the bushes and hits the water within a yard or two.

As the summer goes on, that will change.

Arta