Wednesday, August 2, 2017

August 2 – “Halloween House Skeleton”

Ah, welcome to August.  Great month for birthdays.  But that’s a few weeks away …

Didn’t get our four miles in yesterday.  Or three.  Or two.  Didn’t even get all the way to one.  On our very first lap we ran into a neighbor and ended up talking for a long time.  We reminisced about Ike, lamented about taxes, complained about FEMA, and talked about home renovations and family.  It was a great visit.  Well worth the walk interruption.  Besides, my old body needed an extra day to recuperate from that four mile military hike Chris made me take.

40 Steps … first thing in the morning they started on the decking for the house.  The hammering and sawing and general noise factor has really taken its toll on the old lady of the house.  That would be Heidi.  She is extremely unsettled.  I think she knocked the little gate down four or five times before we just had to close the door.   She also did some outside business indoors, so Chris was not happy.  The other two dogs are unsettled as well, but they seem to be handling it a little better.  Freddy has suddenly reverted to a total lap dog, to the extent that she whines to get into a lap rather than just relaxing on her own as is her custom.  Fritz just goes outside and barks every so often to let us know they are still there.  We appreciate the updates.  Oh, and speaking of updates, by the time of day’s end, not only was the floor decking down, but the walls were up.  And the roof joists above the walls.  In one day.  Looks like a Halloween house skeleton has moved in next door.

We had some surprise visitors descend upon us in the afternoon.  Christina and the kids went to the beach with some friends and came by afterwards for some pizza.  Luckily we had a stash in the freezer for just such occasions.  To our further surprise, while they were here, who should stop by but Cailyn and April.  We had what one might describe as a bit of a full house for a few hours.  Still missed the Waco cousins, though.

Last night Chris went to the last session of her ladies Bible study at church.  While she was gone, some incredibly nosy, but admittedly daring neighbor actually dared to sneak over to the new structure on 40 Steps.  Now, I’m pretty sure he wouldn’t have even have attempted such an incursion had it not been for the makeshift ladder the workmen had hastily constructed and left … right there in plain sight.  The neighbor cautiously climbed the ladder, or rather the rickety climbing wall.  He only banged his head once in the process.  Finally achieving the five-foot peak, he strolled around, trying to picture where the different rooms would go.  He looked quite confused by it all, just not very good at it.  He needed someone like Chris to interpret the closets and bathrooms and kitchens.  A pair of grandparents walked by with their two little bitty charges.  The little boy suddenly cried out, piercing the finally quiet evening, “Look! There’s a worker up there!”  Busted.  I … er, I mean … he … confessed to just being a nosy neighbor, giving in to the little boy in him that longed to climb and explore.  After a brief conversation grandma and grandpa continued on their way and the aforementioned, yet unidentified nosy neighbor made his way down and back home.  I was a bit concerned for him.  Hope he isn’t too sore this morning from such an unusual and courageous exertion.

1 Peter 2:2-3 says, “Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good.”


Father, help Heidi and her comrades stay calm through the construction process next door.  It won’t be long and they will be done.  Amen.

No comments: