Dad called tonight wanting to tell Howie that the price of gold was over $1,000 an ounce. I was surprised to hear that was why he called because I never heard Dad discussing the price of gold with Howie, but I guess Dad told him about the $20 gold coin he gave him which I keep in our safety deposit box, and I guess those coins are made with 1 ounce of gold.

Yesterday I went fishing with the dogs, just me and the dogs across the highway from the house in my usual places and I must have missed a dozen fish. I'd hook them and they would break off. One fish sucked down my fly and just took off like a rocket downstream and unraveled my knot and was gone. He was big too, I'm not sure how big, but he was big and fast and strong and my knot was probably a bit weak, though I did catch a smaller fish with it on the previous cast. That happened to me again later that night with a different fly, I caught one fish and then the next one just bit the fly right off my line, again when I looked at my line I could tell it just unraveled. Earlier in the evening, I saw a tangle in my reel so I decided to unwind and undo the tangle and rewind, now that I think of it I did this twice last night. Both times as I'm standing on the bank, quietly unwinding my reel and undoing the tangle, ospreys flying by looking for fish, or a hawk hunting in the meadow on the other side of the river, suddenly Buddy would run past me hooking my line in his paws and causing a huge mess. The second time he did this after finally getting him to stop running I yelled at him to Sit! and Stay! and he miracuously listened and sat there until I was completely done fixing my reel and fishing again.

It was beautiful, sunny, warm and quiet down at the river last night. I ended up catching a few fish, but for the most part I missed them, I'd hook them and they would shake off, or I would set too soon, or I would do something wrong. So this time the big one definitely got away.

I wanted to go down there again tonight, but I never made it. Today was an interesting day - a different kind of work day. I walked the kids and the dogs to the school bus stop with Jackie. Then when we got back we took a bike ride to the second bridge in Porcupine. Good exercise for my knee. I am going to try to do that ride everyday. It's always beautiful and peaceful back in Porcupine, and since it is now off season there is no one usually back there. Then when we got back home, we made coffee and we both sat at the kitchen table with our computers and our work - I was working on employee evaluations, a hard thinking task which could use the quiet of home. Jackie was working on her birthing class. Lauren was working at the store today so it was a good day for me to work from home and relax a bit. Got some Mark and Jackie time even if we were both working. I ended up heading in around noon, had phone messages waiting for me, one from Deborah who I called back and left a message and then I had some other calls to make and work to do.

Deborah called me back right away, she needed a favor, she was looking for a just breathe bracelet. I had mine on and I had ordered a case of Orangina which I had meant to bring her yesterday. She is starting chemo on Monday again as long as her crud goes away. I told her I was planning on coming over today and visiting her if that was O.K. and she said right away would be great, so I did 5 minutes of chores, then skidaddled out of the store and headed over to her house. When I pulled into the driveway and got out of the car it started to pour rain, it was one of those 5 minute showers. I grabbed the case of Orangina, she had the door open with the dogs there to greet me, David and Emma. I put the case of Orangina on her kitchen counter. And I took the bracelet off my wrist and put it on hers. I sat down to talk and we ended up talking for like 3 hours, I didn't leave until 4pm ! A trucking company guy came by to take back a rug she needed to return because it had a hole in it. I helped her wrap it up in visquine and the driver took it out. We just talked back and forth the entire time. She told me the other day she was so dehydrated that the ambulance from the fire department came over and she took 4 bags of liquids. That is very dehydrated. She actually seemed great, trying to psyche herself for round 3 of chemo. The damn cancer just keeps coming back. She figures she has a few more fights left in her. I will need to stay in touch with her.

I went back to the store and did a little bit of work, then went to the bank and walked around the Thursday Farmer's Market. Talked to Kelly and Curly who had a booth, and some other vendor friends including the people running the market. I was on one of those talking rolls. For some reason they tend to happen more when Jackie is not there. It was just a day of lots and lots of talking. Got home to a full house. Ever since Andrew got cut from soccer we seem to be having a lot more family time, family dinners with other friends - tonight it was Andrew's friend Grant and Hannah from next door. A very nice meal.

And then Micah and I made Banana Bread, and then after the bread came out of the oven we all took a family hot tub. I haven't been writing much, but I decided I needed to start trying to write more often again, maybe not every night, but I feel like if I wrote every night I would have more to say. I get tired or lazy in trying to fill in all the missing days of this journal. I've been taking pictures, maybe I'll post some with captions, maybe not. I was going to have my usual helpings of ice cream and veg in front of the t.v., but decided to write instead. I'm going to try to quit ice cream for awhile, it's somewhat of a challenge from Jackie...

My friend Margy's husband Jim had a double bypass heart operation a week ago and Margy e-mailed us on Monday with the news. He's doing well, but it is still a major surgery and he's home in Alabama recovering. And so is Margy.

My 83 year old Uncle, my father's brother in law Donald had some kind of minor heart attack a week or so ago while he was vacation in East Hampton, somehow my cousin got him home to Washington DC and my Dad told me today he's doing much better today than he was a day or two ago. He has been talking to my Aunt Joan who just told him what happened a couple of days ago, at least a week after it happened.

I have all of these people in my prayers. I am very lucky and pray to stay this lucky and hope I can share my luck with these dear friends and relatives and hope they all have speedy recoveries.

I wonder why I missed all those fish yesterday....

I did catch a big rainbow on a small stream last Friday...