The weekend is upon us!

At last it looks like we’ll have a pretty nice weekend. There are some potential showers and thunder showers possible in some areas Saturday, but the weather forecast generally looks like the day will be nice. And then Sunday looks like it’s going to be a beautiful day. This is a weekend that will allow some much needed outside chores for people who do outside chores to be accomplished. I’d be surprised if beach areas aren’t pretty crowded, too.

We are expecting Daughter Gator and her pup to be visiting both days. On Saturday she’s coming for lunch. Her request: Homemade Italian sandwiches, one of my culinary specialties. Sunday will be a grilling day. Steaks, possibly a salad, some French fries and maybe some of my world famous onion rings.

I don’t have to mow this weekend as that task was completed for this cycle Thursday. But I will be outside for a couple of chores. DG will help me pressure wash the tractor and the walk behind mower. The tractor wheels need a special cleaning. The grass was so high Thursday that during my pre-mow cleanup I missed a couple of souvenirs Dog had left behind. My wheels found them.

My other outdoor project has been to secure a couple wires that lead from my weather station transmitter to the rain gauge and the anemometer. The rain gauge is mounted on the railing on my deck and I began the secure project during the week. Almost to the end I ran out of wiring staples. A trip to a couple of hardware stores indicated that my style was so outdated that staples were no longer available. As happens quite often when I have a problem, my Fearless Friend came to the rescue.

He brought his wiring stapler over Friday and we completed securing the wire. He was kind enough to leave the device with me so I’d have it if we needed to secure the wind wire. That is the project DG will help me with Saturday and those two remote devices will be secure. I’ve been just a little surprised they had been able to withstand the wind and other weather for over a year and a half. However, we recently moved the anemometer to the peak of the roof and since then I believe it has been more accurate. But because of its new location, the wires needed securing.

A family day is about all that’s on the agenda for Sunday. I’m sure DG and WG will look over their vegetable gardens. The weather has done a lot of damage to them, although to our surprise the tomatoes have come back very well. The tomato plants are now turning out a lot more than we’ll be able to effectively use. In fact, DG has already taken some to the “help yourself” table where she works.

We got one, count ‘em, one summer squash. There were four or five little cucumbers and the first picking of beans resulted in a bountiful supply. We did have two meals of beet greens and Swiss chard. But most of both gardens succumbed to the weather. However, along with the revival of the tomatoes, the second planting of beans is blossoming and some tiny beans are beginning to show. We have hope for some more of those, also.

Those of you who follow this little attempt at ranting, raving, and just stuff know I love youth sports. The Little League World Series in Williamsport, PA, began Friday, although it did have some weather problems. I think it’s six games on the television (ESPN and ABC) Saturday and five on Sunday. I probably won’t make all of all the games, but I’ll see my share. New England (Connecticut All-Stars) lost their first game.

And speaking of Sports, Portland’s Ian Crocker was fourth in his signature swimming event Friday night as Michael Phelps won the 100-meter butterfly. FF and I had been discussing Crocker’s chances when he was here Friday. We had agreed that after seeing how out of shape he appeared to be following his semi-final race that Crocker would be a fourth, possibly a fifth, place finisher. We’re happy for Phelps, who now has more Olympic medals than any previous American Olympian, but a little sad for the local boy.

No political stuff this weekend. Weekends are for family enjoyment and family get-togethers. Especially in the summer time. And the sun shining outside my window right now hints this is going to be a good one. I hope you enjoy yours, and we’ll be back on Monday.

GiM