The lazy, hazy, days of summer.

After a respite from the heat, we are back in it again here in Texas. While the temperatures were certainly cooler in Montana, the blanket of mosquitoes that surrounded us distracted us some. Those pesky little things sure can stir up some serious annoyance on my part. Usually by early July, it is so dry that you hardly notice them, but this year with the cooler temperatures and rain, it was very lush and green and I guess the perfect breeding ground for the little pests.

But, truth be told, we had an incredible vacation. We did a little 4-wheeling, some fly fishing, lots of eating, and even caught a couple of the world cup games. We get 3 channels and fortunately one of them is ABC. We missed Karl as his project at NIST is going full steam ahead and he just couldn't get away. He will get his turn in October for the opening of pheasant hunting.

The ranch is now my favorite place to entertain. It is a place of simplicity and ease. No fancy dishes, or gadgets, just the basics. We hardly have a picture on the walls. It is a place where you feel comfortable putting your feet up on the furniture and kicking back. A friend of ours got it right. He said it is a place where you seem to be able to squeeze 2 days into one, and boy did we!