[pct-l] Supposedly quiet house

[bluetrail at aol.com]

Took my hiker to the Orlando airport this morning at 5:30.  He should be in San Diego by now.  He's taking in a Padres' game tonight and hitting the trail tomorrow very early.  Our FT trail angel connections found a friend of a friend who's picking him up, putting him up, and going to the ball game tonight.

So, the house should be very quiet.  Instead I have a constant whine of chain saws.  Two days before Jon's departure we found that a big old sweetgum tree in the back yard (an ecocological study in "what would happen in Florida if all you did was mow the weeds?") was completely dead and losing branches.  Yesterday Jon saw some tree guys doing work across the street,  So, they showed up this morning, took out all but 10 feet of the dead sweetgum, and trimmed a lot of dead branches off the MANY oask around the house.  This is a good thing to do before hurricane season.  I had them  leave the 10' of sweetgum for the woodpeckers in the neighborhood.  The remaining 10', if it falls, won't fall where it could damage anything.

Jon just called.  He's cleared in the airport in San Diego.  Uneventful flight.  Now he's off to a maritime museum before meeting up with his trail angel.

The 2nd guest room/library/FT hiker crash site is now HLSC HQ.  Hiker Logistics Supply Command Headquarters.  Supplies/food/clipped maps/backup clothes and shoes piled in boxes everywhere.  First trip to the P.O. will be Monday, at that point one box down and 26 to go.
My Dad was once Deputy Director of Defense Logistic Supply Command in Battle Creek, Michigan.  Somehow I feel like I'm carrying on a tradition---albeit on a much smaller scale.


Joan