The Fire Purge

Late afternoon we got the shed code to get the paddles!

I did miss the paddleboard!

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I have a stupid amount of old paper stuff that I can't just throw out because it is sensitive information.

Old financial statements, papers from way back from my ex, stuff like that.

Over the last couple years I have been keeping it in bags to shred, but shredding takes FOREVER.

There is a fire pit at the lake so I brought three huge bags of paper-purge stuff.

We got through one bag tonight.

There was some kind-of heavy stuff in tonight's fire, which I didn't specifically intend but I'm glad it happened the way it did. It felt aligned.

The purge feels good.
I shouldn't have loaded up the fire pit so much at the start, but we got the job done.

Swimming with Painting Gear

Today I woke up very early to catch the mist on the lake and the early light.

It doesn't last long, and I love the early morning quiet.

KitKat was hard at work on the front door.

He gave up for a few minutes to help me with my morning tea.

I had Painting Plans for this trip, which I have been working out since we first planned to be here.

Because I was here last year, I knew the set up and what is around. There was no real discovery needing to happen.

Today we had the boats (and my beloved paddleboard) but no paddles.

We were waiting to hear back from Kedrin's landpeople who are in Hawaii, so there's a big time difference. But the lake is still there and swimming is definitely do-able. So is painting.

I bagged up my gear and swam out to the floating dock.  It was easier than I thought it would be.  Swimming in water shoes was more difficult than getting the gear over.

I did have to stop in the middle of the painting because of a thunderstorm, but afterwards I swam out again and finished.

The dock kept rotating. But mostly it was fine.

8x10 oil

Kat, Escaped

Kedrin and I headed off today to the lake house in PA again.

She is pet-sitting for her landlady & family, and they left the car and said "Go to the lake house if you want." So that's what we are doing.

It's about a three hour drive.

The dog sat on the cat for about half the way, then we rescued Kit.

When we got to PA, the first stop was Amish produce.

I got these zucchs for Daya, since that comprises about 60% of her diet.

It was so nice to be back!

I love this lake.

So the cat... KitKat....... this Kat is desperate to escape. We know this.

He doesn't go far and also he is super friendly and easy to handle.... but while we were making dinner he escaped.

And we didn't figure it out for.... we don't know how long, but it was a while.

Like he-could-be-anywhere-in-the-woods long time.

HOW did he escape?

As it turns out, he can open the front door if it isn't locked.

Yeah.

So.... we didn't panic... it was more of  that oh shit...... suspended feeling.

We knew he would come back eventually, that wasn't the problem.

The problem was coyotes and bears and everything else that can injure and kill a fearless Kat.

I prayed a lot.

Kedrin is an atheist so I'm assuming she did not, but whatever we did jointly to get this cat back worked.

Because her land-people are quite fond of their cat and.... oh my god how could we go back to Brooklyn without their Kat?

This on our first night of vacation.

We walked around.

Kedrin finally spotted him in the tall grass by the dock, where I had looked three times.

Once we recovered Kit, we felt very relieved and had dinner, which I made.

Nachos and a lovely salad.

Oh KitKat, you gave us such a fright, and you don't even care!

The 3rd 4th

I can't believe this is my third year already at the boathouse.

The 3rd 4th of July.

Of course we had our annual volunteer party then a short trip to Pier 25 to watch fireworks from the water.

Daya even showed up! She did exactly what I thought she would do- show up, eat some food, and leave.

And that's perfectly fine and great and ok.

Look at these fantastic marshmallow clouds!

It wouldnt be a boathouse party without Kedrin making sushi.

Everton tried to get Bitz's dog in a kayak.  This dog is the funniest dog. She likes to bite water.

This picture makes me laugh every time I see it.... Reign (the dog) has the funniest barrel-butt and stick legs.

Sunset and fireworks.

We kept getting pulled to the pier and hd to keep paddling to the center of the water during the fireworks, but it was still the best view.

__PRESENT__PRESENT

I can't figure it out.

This morning I had an early eye doctor appointment and when I got home Daya was gone.
Which is fine but I also was wondering where she went because she doesn't have work until much later today.

I called her. 

**********
Me: Where are you?

She: I'm on my first run.  Was waiting for you to get home for my second run.

Me: Run? First run? What does that mean? Second run? What?
Where are you? Are we going somewhere?

She: TJ Maxx.

Me: Oh good you are getting some new clothes!

She: No, I'm not getting clothes, I'm getting syrup.

Me: What? You went to TJ Maxx for syrup?

She: Yes.

Me: Absolutely nothing about this conversation is making any sense.
I'm wondering if I took drugs I didn't know I took.

She: I'll explain when I get home.

Me, at a total loss: ok...bye!

Choose Your Own Bullshit

Daya actually showed up for boathouse orientation! She rode my old bike in.

I love this bike, I have had it since I was 12 years old.

I waited a year to get it, because my sister got her 10 speed bike when she was 12 so I also had to wait until I was 12.

Yeah, looking back that's pretty messed up.

That was literally the only reason I had to wait an entire year to get a bike, so I would be the same age as my sister when she got hers.

I also had a massive HUGE blowout fight with my mother to get this bike to New York, many years ago.

And I'm glad my daughter uses it.

She's not allowed to leave it anywhere, it will get all or partially stolen in 5 minutes.
I actually did just get Daya a folding bike to commute.  Locking my bike up properly- which is really only a deterrent- is most of the cost of just getting a folding bike.  And it's a good idea for Daya to have another commuting option.

I LOVE that my bike went to the boathouse!!!

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I patched.

It was better than not patching.

For the most part people didn't act too inconsiderate or dumb.

Some people still think my medical stuff is their business.

But they knew I was looking at them at least.

I spent all day fitting life jackets.

Weirdly, that is very tiring and my shoulder is sore from tightening the straps.

*************

We had a HUGE STORM and New Jersey completely disappeared!!

Or... did WE disappear???