It's amazing to me how busy Labor Day Weekend is at Silver Lake. I was busy from Friday night right through last night. Friday I went out for dinner with Linda and Erdvilas, to one of their favorite restaurants in Wilmington. We had a nice time, the food was ok but I had an absolutely undrinkable drink. This pleased Erdvilas a lot, and me, since I could compliment him on his bartending acumen even more. After dinner I had a GOOD drink at Linda's camp and toddled on home.

Saturday was a beautiful day. I spent the morning doing road clean up with the Hawkeye Conservationists. We got a lot of garbage and had a successful time doing it. It was sunny and bright. There were enough volunteers to cover the nearly-6-mile stretch of roadway we are committed to, and we filled several garbage bags. I got "caught" picking up garbage in a friend's driveway: he told me later that he saw someone with a garbage bag in his driveway, but as soon as he recognized me he went back to his breakfast. I visited with Annie in the afternoon--she and Rush were here for the weekend (since Congress was in recess). Steve was at my house all day, working on the deck. It's almost finished, all that's left is the small bit that will tie in the side door and the front deck, plus the little deck in front of the side door. Of course, this could take weeks at his pace. Anyway he got a lot done on Saturday, less after I ran over his circular saw. My friend Ann from Baltimore came for a quick visit as well, since she and Kathy left on Sunday.

Saturday night was the Main Event: a Vodka Tasting Party at Linda's. This really was an amazing thing. It was Bill's idea and he brought his 3 close friends from work. Erdvilas had lined up 7 small glasses in front of each of the 8 chairs around the table. First we tasted 7 different vodkas at room temperature, then we tasted each of them straight from the freezer (the way vodka is meant to be consumed). It was a blind test, even E. didn't know which was which. We discussed odor (vodka is not supposed to have any odor), flavor, smoothness and overall impression. Everyone had a favorite. Prices ranged from $12 a bottle to $40 a bottle. We had food with the frozen round, the type of food that E. had ordained to be appropriate to accompany vodka (smoked trout, salmon pate, tapenade, etc.). Much discussion, a great time. Small sips, not enough to get anyone drunk. The final determination was that the most expensive vodkas, Grey Goose, Plantation and the new French vodka made from grapes (inexcusable, according to E.) were no one's favorites. The cheapest (Smirnoff) also no one's favorite. His favorite, the harsh Stoli, no one else liked. Bill and his friends all preferred Absolut. I preferred a Polish potato vodka that costs $13 a bottle. Mostly I'm not a big vodka fan but over the years E. has taught me to appreciate it. He then made us 2 martinis to pass around, one gin and one vodka. I do NOT like gin martinis but am developing a taste for vodka martinis. As usual a slave to fashion.

The tasting was followed by a delicious dinner and lots of good conversation. A really nice group of people.

Sunday morning, another beautiful day, I got to spend relaxing at my house before Sunday dinner. I hosted Sunday dinner on the boat house porch, with Bill providing the food. Cold chicken, potato salad and cole slaw. Rush and Annie were at my house visiting in the morning and helped me make brownies and set up the b.house. We had a great time with everyone, L & E, Bill, Ken, Rush & A. Jim (cousin) stopped by and had tea with us all after dinner. He was there to see cousin Elsa next door.

After dinner Elsa insisted on having a dog play date with my dogs and the 13-week old choc. Lab puppy her visiting friend had brought, so we walked to my house with Janis Joplin the Puppy and Elsa's awful Jack Russell terrier mix Midget. My dogs were first more interested in eating apples from the wild apple trees, but eventually got really interested in Janis and played long and hard while Midge made awful barking and growling sounds. I finally had to ask Elsa to leave, I had dinner plans at 5.

Sunday night I had 3 dinner invitations and accepted one with good friends I don't often get to see. He's a glass blower from the Finger Lakes region, she's a nurse/teacher. They have 2 camps; hers is one of the cabins from the girls' camp, his belonged to his parents. I had a a great time with them. His 2 adult children were there, along with 2 friends of theirs. We ate, laughed a lot and sat around a huge campfire for a really long time. I got home around 11:30. A really successful day but exhausting.

Yesterday was peaceful. I spent most of it by myself. Some time at home, watching morning news of the New Orleans situation. Rush's sister Jane lives in New Orleans and is still in her house, with no water or power and struggling to get by. She will be evacuated probably today or tomorrow and will fly to NJ to live with Rush and Annie until she can return to her house. Her neighborhood was not flooded. Anyway, I got to spend some time on the dock in the warm autumn sun yesterday, and swam in the still-warm lake water. It was heavenly. There are hardly any boats on the lake now and it was almost silent. Just the loons. My dogs were peaceful and I read Wicked, the biography of the Wicked Witch, the book our book group is now reading. Others will perhaps enjoy it more than I am but I'm working on it.

Last night I ate with L & E and E. cooked a wonderful meal. We had filet mignon cooked to perfection, with Bernaise sauce and wild mushrooms picked by Linda. I drank vodka martinis. We sat around the campfire after dinner and enjoyed each other and the moment immensely.

Today I am back at work and my life is returning to normal. I have only one dinner invitation for the week (so far) and will be able to spend time at my house. I have a lot, lot, lot of firewood to stack and I should be working hard getting things ready for winter. There is something wrong with the pump/water system at camp and I must report this to Jim. I spent hours watching news of New Orleans voraciously over the weekend, nearly all the time at my house was spent in front of the television worrying about displaced and dying people, fretting about their futures. And, I must admit, feeling fortunate that hurricanes are not natural disasters I have to worry about.