Greetings from Caroga Lake

It's been almost a full month since I last posted. Apologies to the faithful. We have been so busy this summer, and it's hard to sit down and write a worthy blog. I will try to be worthy today. The garden is spitting out zucchini faster than I can use them, and so today I will bake zucchini bread. It is a wonderful recipe that I have had for many years, and I will be using the new gluton-free baking flour (made from rice and corn). I used this same flour in March when I made Irish Soda-bread from scratch. It was a screaming success, and I hope it will be today. The tomatoes are not yet red, but boy are they bursting. We did some cherry tomatoes this year, which was new, and I am very happy with them. I am also planning on canning tomatoes this year, so the garden should keep me busy. We started out in the spring walking each night after dinner, putting in a few laps over at the cemetery, which probably equaled a full mile all total. Lately, we've been too tired to even attempt that. Evening comes and I am a sack on the chair. Just too tired to move. I do know that exercise brings you more energy, but it's a real tough call when it's almost bedtime and you are comfortable and exhausted in your club chair. Not moving. A friend of Allison's as well as my cousin Carrie were here for a week, and we did the tourist thing for a solid seven days. Carrie and I did. The girls rarely came out of the loft which is Allison's room, and when they did they were off taking pictures or hanging with other folks their own age. We were clearly not the main attraction. We did manage to get up to Nine-Corner Lake, which is a popular hike (9/10th of a mile) up to a pristeen mountain lake. All the kids hang out there, as well as us oldies who want to see a bit of nature. As you can see, we had quite a great time. I was covered head to toe for the hike up the mountain, and of course when we got to the top, I began to peel off the layers of clothes to reveal my bathing suit top and shorts. And what should my wondering eyes reveal? A TICK! Just laying on my chest waiting to infiltrate. We brushed him off and there was no apparent connection, thank God, but for a moment I had a little private freak-out. All I need now is a relapse and we are back in trouble again. My latest blood tests have revealed a lyme disease remission (is that what they call it?) and so I am vigilant (hence the ugly scarf over my hair). But all trauma aside, we had a great day. We stayed at the base of the lake by the dam, and watched the strange teenagers across the way swinging and diving from the rocks. I call them strange, not because they were weird, but because none of them were mine. Allison made HER treck to Nine-Corner Lake later in the week. It's all good. Stay safe, stay cool, and stay connected!