Countdown!

One more wake-up and then Ara and I are on the way to camping for a week at Sly Park in the foothills of the Sierra. Today was the gathering-of-the-food day, and started with an early morning trip with Jeannie and Ara to the Farmers' Market in downtown Sacramento. I restrained myself from buying anything we wouldn't take with us - cherries, carrots, celery were some of the snack items I bought. Then I found fresh corn on the cob that looked absolutely fantastic, so I bought some of that. I shucked and cleaned it, and packed it in a ziploc bag. Usually I wouldn't do that until I'm ready to use it, but don't want to have to get corn silks all over my hands on a camping trip. The corn necessitates taking a bigger pan along to cook it, but it will be worth it.

Then to the grocery to buy items such as beverages and pasta dinners. Ara is a vegetarian which makes it a little more difficult, but I can handle it. Jeannie couldn't believe I'm going to eat packaged pasta dinners without meat, but I remember all too well the endless meals of pasta while I was backpacking on the Appalachian Trail, and I can deal with a week of it again. I told Jeannie that when Steve and Donald get there I will be perfectly happy to eat grilled chicken, burgers, and whatever other good things they want to cook. I did buy myself a pack of hot dogs - something I've been wanting to eat for ages, although I usually ignore the desire for them because of the high fat content. I won't eat hot dogs labeled "65% less fat" because that always means "65% less flavor", so on this trip I'm going to eat what I like.

I was cleaning and packing the celery & carrots into snack size pieces, and then remembered I had fresh parsley in a glass of water in the fridge, so I might as well take it along to flavor the pasta. When pulling it out of the bottom shelf of the fridge I must have bumped the Brita pitcher and I ended up with a full pitcher of water over the floor. I mopped it up and am letting it dry while I'm starting my last blog entry for a week. I don't think I even cussed when it happened, so I must be in a great mood!

By the way, I just love my new voice recorder. I've used it a number of times already, and will rely on it to remind myself of the happenings on the camping trip. Between that and the camera, I should be able to come up with a decent blog entry next week.

Just a little before 2 pm it is 91F and heading for 102, before starting a light downward trend next week, 101, 97, 90, 89, 89, and so on. By contrast Pollock Pines is 93F tomorrow, followed by 88, 81, 81 and 80, plus it will probably be 10 degrees cooler at night. Lady doesn't care for this weather either, and all she wants to do on our walks is to lie down on the grass. Believe it or not, my apartment is still cool enough I haven't turned on the a/c.

I will be back in range of the internet in about a week - we will leave to return home on Sunday morning, July 4th. I hope everyone out there has a great week, and a fun Fourth of July (even the Canadians have a fourth of July!).