Thursday In The Sierras

Fire Season
Not everyone everywhere has a "fire season." Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall...sure, those are seasons. There's the dry season and then there's the wet season...but in California there is fire season. And we're in the thick of it out here in the Sierra Foothills. The last few days, along with 100 degree temps, the smoke from several wild fires in the region filled the valley. Some of the fires are started by lightning, some are started by people (innocent and suspicious)...but the question isn't IF there will be fires, the questions are: how many fires will there be, which direction will they move, and how large will they become...

From Google Images

Cribbage Season

No, there really isn't a Cribbage Season (that I'm aware of) but Karen and I have continued our Cribbage Tournament...and she's beaten me ten games to five. Ouch. She has also accomplished a very rare event in that she "double-skunked" me...and then hit me the next day with a standard "skunk." I can't remember ever being double-skunked...though my Dad did skunk me several times when he was teaching me how to play the game 1000 years ago...

Here are the final peg positions. 

In the photo, Karen's peg are red. Mine are blue. My front peg is 61 points behind. There are only 121 points to the game. Finishing more 60 points or more behind is a double-skunk. Finishing anywhere from 30-59 points behind is a regular skunk. Anybody want to sit in for me for a few games?

Irrigation System Maintenance and Fawn Season

I've been privileged to play the role of "Irrigation Detective" during our stay here. Irrigation is a way of life in California, especially during the summer if you want anything green in your yard. Automated, underground sprinkler systems are issued with birth certificates out in this part of the country. Our host's home incorporates most types of standard irrigation utilizing pop-ups, vertical stand, and assorted drip lines to support a wide variety of greenery, grass, bushes, plants, and shrubs. As I've monitored the system's migration from station-to-station, I've been blessed to discover several drip lines that were more like gush lines due to structural failure of their various heads (rated in gallons per hour/spray angles/drip rates, etc).

Reconnecting wiring to reactivate one of the front yard irrigation stations after making repairs.

Here's a fawn enjoying the fruits of the front yard irrigation.

Appointment Season

Our calendar is rather full as we head into our last ten days in Grass Valley. So far this week we've had seven appointments to include meetings with the Elders and the Missions Committee of our sending church, Calvary Bible, with another appointment this evening with a young couple that's supported us for several years. This Sunday we're blessed to share with the congregation of Foothill Christian Fellowship in the morning and then with First Baptist's College/Career group in the evening.

Thank you to each of you who are praying for us during this six week trip. Deputation is always a challenging mix of encouragement, stress, exhaustion, and fun as we share what God's doing in our lives with those who already know us, have just met us, or will soon meet us through God's grace.

In between appointments, I'm handling my MMS office responsibilities and fine-tuning PowerPoint presentations and video clips to share.

 We are definitely missing those Missionary Mutts!