A note home

Hope you got that early start you were looking forward to. You probably found out that there was no heat to worry over - but I venture you encountered members of your other concerns (those wacky vacationers that clog the roads).

Wanted to write you yesterday, but the storms here were vicious and unyielding, and I worked right up until the last minute. By the time they ended, I was comfortably in for the night, and there was no way I was heading back to COB FOB at 9pm to send email! Call me lazy...I can take it. [wink wink]

Lots of wind, lots of drenching, lake-creating rain - which darn near washed away one or two panels of floor in our wardrobe tent! There were MANY lightening strikes - one started a pretty rousing fire not too far from here.

I am having fun despite missing the boys like crazy, and would love to see you on your return trip. Let me know if you have any interest in coming on base and I will let them know. Need to do it well in advance, so notice would be good.

The fun is tempered by loneliness and after-hours boredom (I have stuff to do, but would rather do it at home - my billet is dark and brings me down), and I forgot to bring the AVI cable that lets me download images from my DV camera onto my PC, so I can't even edit together a simple show to put out in my blog. Mostly I write or lay in bed and watch movies or walk a bit here and there. I spend time listening to the birds and the deer crashing through the woods just beyond the fence. Sometimes the darlings wander onto the lawn on the camp side, and spend as much time watching me as I do them.

Last night, after the storms, two deer went careening through the brush, making an awful racket, running, jumping, racing... and then, one of them stopped dead in his tracks and stared at me. No blinking, no twitching - just staring. I spoke to him and moved forward one step at a time. He remained still and seemingly calm. I went back into my room to get my camera, fully expecting to hear him tear away in my absence, but he didn't! He repositioned himself only slightly, and watched me. The minute I raised the camera up and powered it on, he strode into the tall grasses just far enough away to make getting a decent image rediculous.

I liked your email regarding the critters you encounter (your grape stealing robins and fastidious sparrows that remind me of home), and I wanted to respond, but when I am here...I am fully engaged (unless I swipe a few minutes for myself to decompress and connect with something off base and less camo).

Like now. Spoke with the boys last night, and Brian is planning on driving down to Gram's on Sunday, and he will have Karl with him. Don't know what time or for how long they will stay, but if you call them beforehand, ask Karl to bring his memory stick to show you some of his class work, and Brian should show off his sketches and shading for his class, too.

Thanks for your email, it helps me to have something to look forward to.

Please give Gram a hug for me, and hug yourself pretty good for me, too.

Lots of love,

me