I see Summer Rushing In

Rain and lots of it and continual. At 3AM, I lay awake on the sofa listening to the steady rythmn of the rain pelting the roof and tiled porch. We have had two weeks of rain. The grass has exploded, standing tall, the white clover gets beat down with the heavy downpours. Knockout roses engulf the mailbox while the flowers along the front of the house burst upward with their colorful blooms. It's a happy time for spring plants.


It has also been a busy spring here in southwest Louisiana. The husband has been in a 'non working status' since January 1. The oil field has taken more then a dip. It is in a full decline. Thousands and thousands of oilfield workers are being laid off. Rigs are stacked on the banks and boom towns are idle and withering away.

The husband couldn't get laid off as he works for himself but the calls offering him jobs has totally stopped which wasn't unexpected with the price of oil hovering around 50.00 a barrel.

All those phone calls that used to come in here and all those times the husband would say to me "I'm going to take these jobs. One never knows when it will be over."
I never minded. He was gone a lot. We saved a lot and now all those days he was gone and all the money we saved has let us accept this downturn without trepidation. We will ride this 'bust' out at home and enjoy the earned time off.

It's now time to do all those little things around the house we put off and to do a little traveling. To start the year off we headed for Arizona. Ten days spent in Casa Grande and then on to California and some sight seeing in San Diego.

Our break time back at home was spent remodeling. We tore out all the paneling and wood work in the office and hung sheetrock and new woodwork. Two weeks later, the office was finished and the cost was for materials only.
Sunday we will leave for North Carolina. We are going to visit my sister who is caring for her sick husband. He is terminal and she is alone there except for some very good friends that help her. I want to spend some time with her and offer to help her care for her husband.

On the return trip, I would like to cajole, beg, demand and plea to sidetrack and visit Washington, D.C. I have been wanting to go for the past two springs.