Sunday 20th August
After a late night we rise slowly, but after every party comes the cleanup. The morning is sunny a little cooler than yesterday, the grass wet as if it had rained last night but probably just a heavy dew. Troy plays breakfast chef, making everyone waffles with strawberries, blueberry’s and maple syrup. Energised we spend the early part of morning packing up the garden and the sun room. The waterslide now lies deflated on the side of the house awaiting pickup. All the other rented items are collected together and also awaiting pickup.
We take a break before a left over lunch of cold ribs, chicken and pulled pork all still just as delicious as yesterday. Then just relax under the shady Pin oak on a day that has turned out to be perfect, the humidity gone for now, a gentle breeze blowing. The kids are unseen hibernating in their room most of the day, Calista at a friends house, Justin studying.
That’s how we spend the day, in recovery mode happy to listen to the silence, after a big day yesterday and a huge build up to that big day.
Troy & Heathers friends Jeff & Vicky come over late afternoon with their two sons, Ethan 17 and Jacob 15 to help hoover up the rest of the leftovers, this time hamburger’s the main fare. Another pleasantly warm evening spent in conversation with Troy, Heather, friends and family. Once again soaring bats flutter in the dusk, an occasional firefly flickers on and off sending a mating signal. Late in the evening we decide to watch the footy, Jeff is interested in the game as is his eldest son Ethan. The Crows are playing Sydney in Adelaide should be a great contest at this end of the home and away season. The Sydney Swans come out fighting and are soon well on top of the Crows. Jeff, Vicky and family have to leave halfway through as the hour is late. When we resume the Crows fight back taking the lead late in the game only to eventually loose by 3 points, a real nail biter. Now tired ourselves we retire. Troy and Heather are back at work tomorrow the end of our stay coming ever closer.
Monday 21st August
Summer rolls on, another warm still day today. A special one at that, today is the day of the American eclipse, the sun, moon and earth line up for the first time in thirty eight years to create a solar eclipse that will appear to traverse the sky from Oregon in the north west to South Carolina on the east coast. The warnings are out and broadcast across the country, don’t look at the eclipse the piercing light from the corona could damage your eyesight permanently. We are in the north west and so out of the band of totality that provides a 100% coverage of the sun by the moon, blocking all light from reaching the earth. Here we are at 80% meaning that a good deal of light will still be visible from behind the moon.
Today also we are baby sitting the three youngest children Abbey, Aubrey and Cadence for the first time. They are all sleeping peacefully this morning thankfully allowing us time to prepare for the day ahead. After a peaceful breakfast on our own, Troy and Heather off to work, Calista and Justin off to a Spirit day event ( I’d elaborate but have no idea really) the children slowly appear as hunger eats at their belly’s. Once fed I let them know that they need to dress and prepare themselves for grandmas crochet class to take place in the family room as soon as they feel up to it. To our surprise not much time elapses before they descend for their lessons.
Our two tradies are back putting the finishing touches on the last of the reconstruction work, a task that takes them most of the day, at times the constant drilling making us feel we are in a dentist waiting room.
Later, together we watch the eclipse on TV as the event moves in an arc above us and across the US. As the time approaches the sky darkens somewhat and the temperature drops a little, but we have quite a bit of cloud cover. Justin appears from his morning adventures with a pair of the special viewing glasses and offers them around but I prefer to keep the kids indoors away from temptation. The event passes and really it’s a non event here, cities and towns in the direct path of the eclipse experience an eerie darkness with the bright orange ring of the corona clearly visible through the glasses. A lot of places are having huge events for people to gather and view the spectacle, even the White House has Donald Trump, wife and daughter out on the balcony taking it all in. The event passes and we return to normality, the warmth of the day returning but the non threatening cloud cover remaining into the night.
We eat in tonight, happy to have a kitchen to cook in, Troy has become a veritable grill master chef over the years and tonight chicken has a turn, while Heather makes a pineapple coleslaw with Asian flavours of cilantro, lime juice and chilli. Add to that the last of the left over pasta salads and we have a delectable meal. Of course accompanied by that glass or two of Californian Chardonnay.
