Packing up busily

I was hoping to get that Madison trip post about the cows finished tonight--it was going to be mainly photos, anyway--but that's going to have to wait until some time next week.

Tomorrow morning, we're hitting the road for the neopagan event in southern Wisconsin, and tonight was dedicated to gathering stuff together and putting it in the car. Or in boxes that will wind up in the car. The trunk is pretty packed already, and so is the back seat. It's a small car, after all, and there will be precious little free space.

So it was all about hunting and gathering, looking over my checklist (yes, I did make one!) and tracking stuff down. Things are OK. We'll inevitably forget something. Otherwise, it wouldn't be a vacation--right?

By an odd coincidence ... I've written before about how dry our weather has been for the last month and how dry the lawn is getting. (Though the sunflowers are doing nicely--photos to come.)

So guess what? Tonight, there are some storms developing in North Dakota and heading into Minnesota, and the weather statements say they may be roaring into our area Saturday morning. Yep, just as we are planning to leave--we have targeted 9 a.m., but that's very approximate. The drive is six hours long; my impression is that the stormier weather will be to the north, so we'll be driving out of it. I hope.

The first thunderstorms to hit this area all summer. If this batch doesn't do the old fade-away as it crosses Wisconsin.

Last year, the weather was fine down there--no rain at all. There was a windstorm Sunday afternoon and distant thunder and lightning that night, but it never got very close. This year, the forecast calls for a chance of showers or storms every day. Temperatures will be warm, but not overly warm. Highs in the low to mid 80s, lows from 60 to 55.

Whatever happens happens. We'll find out, won't we?

Anyway, I'm sorry for the delay on the cow pictures. But I'm feeling tired and a little stressed-out already, so working for an hour or so on pictures is not going to remedy that.

Hope all of you have a happy Fourth. To my Canadian friends, Happy Canada Day, and enjoy the 1% cut on the GST. Woo-hoooo! You'll save 20 cents on a $20 DVD. You'll save 7 cents on a $7 meal at Tim Horton's. And you'll save $10 on a $1,000 furniture set.

(I saw the CBC story tonight about how many businesses will simply be pocketing the extra money themselves instead of cutting prices. Surprised?)

Oh, well, I got off track. Getting tired. So it's time to say good-bye and good night. My last night in a real bed for a while. I'll be back on Wednesday.