Yikes!

Back when I lived in California, and Spain, and Germany, I used to read books where characters stood around, talking about the weather. I thought this was exceedingly odd behavior, but now that I live in the Midwest, I understand completely.

Now, it's a regular staple of conversation: "Well, the weather radio said we were under a severe thunderstorm watch, but it sure doesn't look like it now, does it?" "Yeah, I wish the storm would show up and cool us off..."

Beware of what you wish for.

The storm blew in as we were sitting down to supper, and it blew in hard. The sky got darker and darker, and then the winds picked up dramatically. I heard a swish and a thump among the sounds of trees roaring in the wind.

Fiona was very concerned that all manner of things would blow away, including the decorative wind sock (with good reason; I fished it out of the mulberry tree...) to her bicycle (which I thought much less likely, but I humored her anyway.) When I was taking her bike around to the shed, I saw this:

Er, yeah. That's a good chunk of our northeast tree, broken off from about 30 feet up, and mashed right through my neighbor's porch. Amazingly, no one was hurt (various people had gotten inside just 30 seconds earlier) and the branch missed the main part of the house. I'd have trouble getting my arms around that branch.

Chris and Ryan plotting on how to make the front door usable again.

Well, at least the roots held...

Down the block, there were more limbs, and even an entire tree down. This one split about 25 feet up — that was not a small tree.

No one was hurt, that we know about... and we've got plenty to talk about now.

Interesting New Developments

A view from the proposed new property line. A hammock over there, a wading pool there, a garden of our own over here... Oh, hi, kitty.

A very interesting letter showed up in my mailbox on Monday. The Village at Winona, which runs the shops just down the street, and owns the land just behind our house, is offering to sell the latter, and would I be interested in a slice?

Would I be interested?

Is a kitten interested in dangling string?

Does a dog want a piece of bacon?

The odd bit about this deal is that it's all or nothing — all nine surrounding property owners have to buy all 12 lots. At the price mentioned — and, since I don't have to by a minivan — I can afford one; by default, the one connecting to the back of my property. The Volkers registered their positive interest, too. I'm eager — and anxious — to find out what the rest of my neighbors decide. (To spur us on to the correct decision, the letter included an oblique mention of an apartment block as the alternative.)

Odder yet is the fact that this isn't the first time the surrounding owners have had a chance to own this property. I asked how the property came to be owned by The Village, and Brent told me the history:

The McKee Courts area was originally the location of rocque and tennis courts and was owned by the Winona Assembly. (Hence the street names “Court” and “Tennis”). The Assembly removed the courts and built a 48 room single story motel, McKee Courts, on the property in the 1950’s. Grace Schools assumed all assets and liabilities of the Assembly in 1968 of which McKee was one. The motel was used as men’s dormitory space until The Village acquired all of the old Assembly property from Grace which included McKee. At that time we asked all adjacent property owners to share in the cost of demolishing the structure and we would give them the land in a plan similar to the one currently proposed. All owners, except one, refused to participate so The Village removed the structure, graded, seeded, etc. which leads us to today.

It's a bit discouraging that all but one refused the plan back then. Hopefully, the neighbors that live here now will see the value in having the land. Personally? I can't wait. A garden, a hammock, a wading pool...

Impromptu Supper

We were standing around on the sidewalk with the neighbors, watching the kids play together. (The Volkers' kid likes the toys on our porch; our kids like the toys on their porch.) The conversation wandered to dinner. Deborah liked the sound of the pork chops they were having, they wanted to try the gallo pinto (black beans and rice) that we were having. So the Volkers invited us (and our supper) over to the cottage for supper.

The Volkers are, in local parlance, Lakers. It has nothing to do with the L.A. basketball team, and everything to do with the lake itself.

Chris shows off his new toy, a Sumo Tube. This is apparently a device for people who like to be dragged behind boats, without the bother of having to keep track of skis and other such unnecessary accoutrements.

Fiona cuts a somewhat less impressive figure.

So what do lakers do after dinner? Well... they go out on the lake.

On the docks. The speedboat, pontoon, and canoe are all theirs.

One of Chris's hoobies is what he calls the "Funtoon." This is, at it's most extravagant, a floating party, a pontoon boat complete with second floor (!) working water slide, tiki torches, coolers, and festival lighting and surround sound.

Reagan doesn't seem to mind that his swing goes out over the water.

Today, though, it was fresh from having the upper deck rebuilt, and outfitted mainly for a pleasant summer cruise around the lake.

The crew of the U.S.S. Funtoon.

It's not a bad way to spend an evening, actually.