Anticipation

Temps are supposed to drop by a few degrees today, something to look forward to in its own right, but especially because Deb and Craig are coming up.  I say goodbye to my local Kids along about May and it could be Thanksgiving before I see them again.  Pete's visit was a complete surprise, and Clay might brave the heat to come and watch a NASCAR race (a sedentary activity that doesn't raise a sweat), but otherwise it's just too darned hot to enjoy a visit.  Deb and Craig have a few days off from work and are sharing one of those days with me, summer or not.  We're going to go for lunch to a pizzeria up the road in Pleasant Valley.  This might not be a big deal for flatlanders (I think there was one pizza shop for every ten people in West Sacramento), but I haven't been out for pizza in years so I'm pretty excited.  It's also possible that it might be air conditioned!

Tree Guy (aka Go-To) stopped by in the afternoon.  He has anticipation of another sort.  He is being called out to fight a wildfire somewhere up the Highway 50 corridor.  I live on the high ground, and he wanted to look for telltale smoke.  That is his "day job," running a firefighting crew.  The fire must be back in wilderness, because we couldn't see any plumes.  Last month he spent eighteen days on a wildfire in Utah.  Dangerous, hot work; not something I'd look forward to. 

Bessie Anne spends her afternoons moving from the entryway tiles to the stone hearth in an attempt to stay cool.  When I ask her, "Want to go in the pool?," she jumps up and goes to the door.  She'll go directly to the pool and while she might need assistance getting her front feet in, once in the water I can almost hear her sigh of relief.  I scoop water over her back and get her good and soaked before she steps out.  It's amazing how energized she is afterward.

I've got to get cracking here...Deb and Craig are coming!