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I had my first taste of summer vacation this morning.

I slept in an extra hour; I fried a couple of thick slices of smoked bacon and eggs over easy; I took Scout for a short walk up the coulee in the cool of the morning and then retrieved the morning newspaper. After which, Scout and I relaxed on the porch with a last cup of coffee and the sports section (I read while Scout suffered through a belly rub with my foot). Not a bad way to start summer break.

I have a summer list of projects to start and/or finish — get the rest of the garden in, finish the heating system in the basement, finish resetting and cementing up the bases of the tobacco shed, repair the back wall of the shop, get snow breaks up on the metal roof of the shop, finish piling firewood in the shed, clear the paths of downed trees and brush, mow, clean, etc. — but not today.

On the weekend, I added another thing to the list — sump and sweep out the basement. From Friday through Sunday evening we had pushing nine inches of rain; I am ready to holler "Ark!" On Sunday morning, there was over four inches in the rain gauge and later in the day, there was over three, and there had been over two on Saturday morning.

On Sunday morning we motored south to Cassville and a surprise 50th birthday party for brother Del. We had a great dinner and I lost to my mom at euchre. It was a good time, but then when we got home, there was a couple of inches of water in the basement and a washed out gravel driveway. @#$%^!

I have no doubt some of you have much worse water woes to tell about, so I am sorry.

Ellen went down to Burton to visit her brother Bill on Sunday. El said they could see a tree floating out of the Grant River into the fields down the bottom and there was plenty of water out in the fields covering the nearly knee-high corn. A few weeks ago back in April, the Grant went out of its banks onto Bill's bottomland at Burton washing away hundreds of dollars worth of fertilizer put on with $500 worth of fuel.

Then Bill had to clear the debris from the fields and get a bulldozer to repair the dikes. I heard someone from the powers that be wasn't too understanding regarding the repair that didn't hold this last weekend anyway. Perhaps a lesson in common sense might be in order for that official. Those fields provide habitat and chow for a huge crowd of big and small game animals and birds and waterfowl by the thousands.

Anyway, I hope to finish my garden and get out fishing sometime soon, if the weather ever settles down and I can get the basement dried out.

Until next time, get out...

I have to go as I have a doctor's appointment. I know nobody really wants to hear about other people's medical problems, but I haven't been writing much lately, because I have been sick. I spent five days in the hospital with pancreatitis, gallstones and speedy heart rhythm. I am all good now, sans gall bladder. So, if you anyone was wondering, that's why. I am good to fish at least.

Enjoy.