Guess Who Came To Dinner

The breakfast room is the most unused room in the house (I don't eat breakfast).  Second to that is the dining room, which only gets called to duty when there is company, so I haven't had reason to clean out the collection of toys left there when Cam's Honey and Arden's Audrey were last here for dinner.  Other playthings scattered throughout the house by the dogs were picked up long ago.  Ralph is continually finding new toys, such as the pull strip on plastic bags and the thick rubber bands from bunches of broccoli.  I don't mind so much that the house looks like a doggy daycare center, but Ralph makes us look trashy so I'm always picking up after him.

I needed a way to celebrate the holiday on the Fourth of July so, with a burst of ambition, I vacuumed and dusted!  This turned out to be propitious, as my friend Harold called and said he'd like to come over, bringing a watermelon to share.  It was nice not to get caught with my dust down.  Some time back, the Kids had given me a window air conditioner for the dining room which makes it bearable in summer, so we sat in there, sans toys, to enjoy the sweet melon.  Harold, as is everyone, was impressed with the number of hummingbirds at the feeders.  Company or not, the plants on the deck were in desperate need of water, so we talked out on the deck for the rest of the afternoon, moving from one shady spot to another.  Bess went wading in her pool.  I did ask permission before turning a mist of water on Harold, who gave the slightest hesitation, but then, as I did, truly enjoyed the cooling effect.  It brought back memories of playing in the sprinkler and water fights when we were kids, long before this drought that would have made us guilty at the waste.

An impromptu watermelon picnic, good company, and this natural fiery display made it a great Fourth of July.

It was a good day.