May 20 - end of the day

David and Vanda arrived just after 7:30 p.m. so we got a chance to know her sitting around and chatting before and during dinner.

Earlier, Sandy continued her raking frenzy across the front of the house and there are now a bunch of piles to pick up.  I was out for a bike ride.

The bugs are going full tilt.  The mosquito thingy is collecting thousands of black flies but of course that hardly makes a dent.  Also, black flies are one generation per year, coming from the lake, so if anything that would affect next year's population.  I have a hard time believing that it will have any impact ... plus ... since they mature in the lake, it's not as if affecting the local batch really matters.  What does matter is that once the Mosquitoes start appearing, we'll catch those generations in the making.  It's been so dry that we might have an easy time ... who knows.

The gazebo is getting good use.  It's impossible to sit outside without a bug jacket and of course it's hard to drink wine in a bug jacket.  You'd have to have your glass of wine inside the jacket !

Arlene had called me to catch up when I was riding, first calling the 705 number and getting "welcome to your thermostat" and then leaving a voicemail on my cell phone.  I saw that she'd called and gave her a ring once I was home.  I also caught up with Hamid, who was pretty pleased that he'd finished the Texas 1200k.  That will give him some confidence for later rides, including the Cascade in June.

I may have a car booked for Italy, don't know for sure.  There was a problem with Visa not expecting that type of charge and  rejecting it at first.  I don't know if they went through and tried again. I'm not sure that I want them to try again. 

Car rental in Italy is costing us as much or more than our air fare.  What a pain.  Car rental in Seattle for the Cascade and Denver for the High Country is also expensive, leaving me with the cheaper option of taxi.  I've got friends in both places who would happily pick me up but I don't want to put people out.  Geoff or Vinny would happily pick me up in Seattle; Catherine in Denver.  If I end up going the taxi route, I'll probably accept a ride back to the airport.

That's about it ... I think ... until I publish and then I'll think of something else!

Onward !