Cub's Last Day with Papa Coyote and Gramma

This will be the last posting before debarking tomorrow to return M to his Mom and Dad and brothers. We have enjoyed him. Who else but a nine year old can catch an 8" planted trout and say, "Grandpa, it's huge!" while reeling his catch in? My old buddies catch a 22" brown trout non-chalantly and then after a fifteen minute fight release it to fight another day.
Not that I don't like my old buddies, but the change of fishing partners is pretty refreshing.

When it is really not outside, like 101 degrees, M knows how to find relief. Either go to the basement where it is about 68 degrees and play while Gramma J is sewing new outfits for him, or go outside and laze around in the pool on pool floaties. Of course, when outside he has to put up with the Trickster who has a garden hose all to close for comfort. (I have not used it once upon him, I swear). He can be much more relaxed with his trustworthy Gramma J even if she keeps reminding him to quit scratching.

I have included pictures of the white daisies blooming and the lily pad blooms in the pond. Unfortunately, this hot weather is bringing forth the algae bloom in the pond, also. And you might ask what happened in the living room. M's favorite thing to do here at our house is to gather all the cushions, even the ones in the basement, then make various structures that he can crawl in and out of and even collapse them on Papa Coyote. That may well be his all time favorite thing to do---collapse two-story cushion structures on Papa Coyote. Oh, My Aching Back!

We went to the high school grounds to fly M's new gliding plane. He can toss it about 90 feet on a good toss. He took a look at the rubberized track (the company that installed it is located in Tualitan) and decided to run a quarter mile. This is at noon on a day that is predicted to see 101 degree temperatures. He marks the time on his watch and takes off. He has to walk about a third of it but finishes with a strong 100 yard run in a time of 2 minutes and 29 seconds. I thought that was decent for a nine-year old on a hot day.

I have to go move the water around. When it is this hot, the yard needs extra water in some places.

May the smoke blow in the other guys eyes and all your trails be slightly down hill,

Papa Coyote