Weekend Trip

Take quick trip to visit grandmother in Whidby Island. Dave comes with but Jenny is to be housesat by the Contessa. Give the Contessa firm instructions on the feeding and walking of Jenny: she is to be walked whether she wants to go or not, whether it is raining or not, and she is to be fed regular dog food. Have just finished speech and am showing the Contessa where the dog food is kept--dry in air tight container to keep vermin away, when notice that the Contessa has Jenny's face in her hands and is giving her a vigorous scratch behind her ears as she says, Jenny Benny Wooks Hungwy do oo want some cheese? Reexplain position to the Contessa. She nods. Adds caustically, I suppose at your grandmother's you'll be depriving yourself. Do not like insinuation, but free dog care very diffictult to find, so bite tongue. Also see that the Conessa may have a point. When arrive at grandmother's discover that there are five different kinds of cookies in the freezer, also heaps of fresh fruit and refrigerator full of cheese. For first dinner we have dungeness crab, grilled lamb chops, corn, salad, pie and with after dinner cofffee, cookies. Next morning, after gorging ourselves on cinnamon rolls, Dave says We Have Got to do some exercise. Take out two man kayak and paddle vigorously. When we get back, we are very, very hungry. Eat salmon salad heaped onto buttered bread. After lunch, Dave and I sit on deck chairs in the sun.Weather strangely hot, and have to keep batting away disturbing thoughts about Climate Change (Note: have noticed that is term now in use for Global Warming--can't decide if CC more or less terrifying.) Grandmother sits under umbrella and we work on cross word puzzle. Dave says we really Ought to swim. But despite hot weather, water of Puget Sound still icy cold and feel apprehensive about submersion. Tell Dave that It seems that sitting in sun is practically as good as exercise anyway. Speciousness of statement proved by arrivial of next door neighbor, name of Beverly Dussler. Beverly (Bev familiarly) is crisply umber and also at least two hundred and fifty pounds. Is wearing fuscia bathing suit with skirt. She lets herself down on chair. We talk (or rather Bev talks) about the weather (hottest its ever been), her husband's prostate (a little better, still gets up fifty times a night), her grandchildren (numerous and darling despite her sons' wives), what happend to the neighbor who owned the helicopter (gambling, bankruptcy), the new neighbors (the money comes from Her family, ; He drinks) and now she's taken up too much of our time she'd better go on and take a dip. Does not leave, however, but instead touches on What is Going on In the World. Lebanon. After one more try, does finally leave, promising to drop by for a drink tomorrow. Watch as she walks into the water, and then launches herself into the deep, seemingly impervious to the cold. Dave definately stunned. Grandmother rolls her eyes, says dryly, I wish she wasn't so shy all the time. Eat another cookie.