blog lite

I know this is the longest break I've taken from posting. part of that is some of the stuff going on in my life is a little serious and personal for public distribution. Don't freak out...if you need to know about it, I'm sure you already do. Two things I will mention, since they're already national news but have touched people I'm very close to. For those who pray, please lift these up.

1. Hurricane Dennis. Fortunately, my Pensacola family (and dog) got through with minimal damage. I'm thankful for that. After seeing the aftermath of Ivan, which still hasn't been fully repaired, I can only imagine it's taking a huge toll on the economy and morale.

2. Hamilton, Ohio, and the many towns like it across the country. Just today, I found that a terrible crime there sparked a wave of racial violence in the neighborhood of Hamilton Living Water Ministry, where I used to work. The people in this neighborhood were like family to me, dysfunctional as it may be. This violence is a huge setback in all I worked for and hoped to see continued in the city. See the linked article.

Now the "lite" part begins...

Again I'm housesitting/dogsitting. This time, I've been able to try out the hot tub and raid the blueberry bushes. I went out to the bushes today to free some birds caught under the nets intended to keep them out, and found another mysterious visitor...a green rubber snake! I'm sure it wasn't there when I picked 2 days ago, and it would take some effort to get it in under the nets. It was obviously placed with the intention of scaring, but it failed because 1)I'm not scared of any snakes I'm likely to find around here, 2)I know of no real snakes in Indiana that look like that rubber snake! But I wonder who the culprit is? A mischievous neighbor? One of my co-workers? At any rate, if it doesn't "slither" away by the same means it appeared, I'll definitely be using it on my friends.

Took a hiking/camping trip to Red River Gorge over 4th of July. This was my first backpacking trip, and luckily I was not the only 1st timer. I had some people to lag behind with when the boys thought it was a great idea to race up and down hills on not-too-well-maintained trails. It was hard, disgusting (meaning sweaty) work, but so worth it. Amazing views of many types of forest, cliffs, rock arches (like this rock bridge) and bridges, etc. Highly recommend a visit if you're ever in the area. The fact that we didn't run into too many people along the way, on 4th of July weekend, was a great bonus.



My biker (meaning cyclist, this time) friends have got me hooked on the Tour de France. You're probably thinking, as I did, wow...guys on bikes pedaling for hours day after day...not thrilling unless you're a big spandex fan. But once you know the riders, the teams, the strategies, it can be pretty exciting. Throw in a few mountains and some amusing commentary, and it's a great time.