The Weekend

I've been spending some time cleaning up the last two piles of "roof-tus" (roof detritus). The dumpster was picked up weeks ago, so we fill garbage cans and stack them against the wall. Then we drag them out, a few at a time, every week for the garbage truck.

Our neighbors, no doubt, are blessing the slow transformation of our pigpen property.

Four cans got filled Saturday -- with, I'm guessing, 3 or 4 to go. The nicest part of all this: we've got at least a cord of burnable lumber. Our fireplace will benefit this winter from all the rotten spots we had to fix on the roofs!

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Dad Update: Not looking good. He is spending more and more time sleeping. This is partly due to his recent radiation...but I'm not naive. It's another sign that his body is slowly shutting down. In a way, the sleep is a blessing, though -- it keeps the pain at bay.

I'm hoping he can hang in there until we can get there.

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Like IMAX movies? Get a free popcorn:

http://img.ed4.net/aeagle/2008/081204_imax/IMAX-AMCfreepopcornv1_GenericEBlast.pdf

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I've just started reading a great source for my new book on California Gold:

A Mine of Her Own: Women Prospectors in the American West by Sally Zanjani

More than a dozen-plus women are covered, from Marie Pantalon, who planted grapes to hide the gold on her claim, to Ellen Nay, a feisty little thing who found her own boulder chockfull of gold. (The corresponding claims were filed in hers, her brother's, sister's and father's names -- but not her husband!)

I've only heard of one or two of these ladies -- but I'm grateful to find out about them now.