Fine is the day that is with us

Our yard has provided a steady supply of flowers, in spite of the heavy rain that crumpled flowers in other parts of the state. Sandra has put tulips and now lilacs on the table by the window in the family room, where we have our meals. The lilacs, white, have a rich, sweet smell.

We'll try again today to get the water on at the camp and to get the boat in the water. We will have four generations of Hakkarainens, plus Andy, the boat guy. (When Andy isn't working on boats, cars, or other vehicles, he's selling a bug repellent called Andy's Bug Juice.)

One of the fundamental laws of the camp is that, at some point, you'll need something that's at the other place. Last week, we needed the set of locking pliers that are in the cupboard at home. (We might have used one of these.) My father has a chain wrench that would have done the job, but his was at his house. Adam had the right wrenches also, and also at his house. This week, we'll have three of the right tools and will need something else.

Camp fare, as you might expect, tends toward the simpler choices. Our favorite supper is eggs and beans. We'll have hot dogs for lunch. HJ Heinz, ever on the cutting edge of cuisine, is test-marketing a new frozen-food delicacy - beans on toast. Pop it in the toaster and, a minute later, you have, well, you have beans on toast, a nice side dish, perhaps, for a gummi t-bone steak.

During a discussion in the North Carolina legislature regarding ethics and how much money can legislators can receive from whom, one representative put everything in perspective. "Even the baby Jesus accepted gifts, and I don't think it corrupted him," said Rep. Drew Saunders, a Mecklenburg County Democrat.

There's a good chance for more rain tomorrow. So, to keep the kids entertained, it's a good idea to have coloring books on hand, such as Tommy Tsunami and Ernie Earthquake Coloring Book.

The summer forecast in Britain isn't good. Those lovely English roses won't do well when it starts raining frogs and fishes.

Until the showers or the BFOs (Bizarre Falling Objects), we'll enjoy this sunny day. The rain or jellyfish or coal will find us soon enough. Even if they do, we'll be ok.

Happy Anniversary, Sandra. We still got it.