Lightning Storms and Fireworks

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Okay, now I know about humidity.

We had thunder, lightning, and downpours today. It cleared mid-morning and I went to the graveyard to take pictures and just have some time to spend alone. By the time I walked from my car to the row of Maxfield tombstones, I was totally drenched, I would say in my own sweat, but I think that women are supposed to "glow." Anyway, despite the fact that I felt that I was carrrying around my own personal sauna, the overcast sky created good light for pictures. I would get the picture all set and then, out would come the sun and destroy the good lighting. It went on like that for quite a while, but I did finally get some good images. Of course with my directionality impairment, I had a hard time remembering where all of the tombstones and markers were from our quick trip the day before. But as I circled about, retracing my footsteps and becoming quite familiar with some of the names, I realized that it was the first time that I have not been creeped out by a cemetery. It felt that I was not intruding, but that I was welcomed to the grave stones that had the names that I have spent so much time researching.

When I felt like I had actually been poached, I went back to the Vineyard and changed into something much cooler. Next time I come I am only packing flimsy bernooses . Cay's son and daughter-in-law invited me to a Fourth of July barbecue, but it was too sweltering to be outside. We opted for an old fashioned air conditioned dinner instead. It was nice to have some place to go, and kind of them to invite me because everything was closed for the holiday and I had made do with a bag of trail mix for lunch.

I made my way back to the vineyard just as two little towns in the distance began their fireworks displays: the storm had cleared just in time. Fred and his lady-friend Connie, Bandit and I sat on the porch and watched the simultaneous displays. Until Bandit went to hide. It finally started to cool off, the fireworks were over, and I went in to save my pictures, only to delete them from the camera....AARRRGGGHH! I'm not sure how I managed this one.

This trip has been a steep learning curve in so many areas; genealogy, technology, and in remembering how to be independent.

Cay and I have a long list of tasks to do tomorrow-actually the last full day that I will have to do research. I have become so familiar with this town-although I still get lost everytime I go somewhere-that I can't imagine that I will leave it in a few days. At the same time, I have random sharp pangs of homesickness. I am sure that I will also feel that way when I leave Toulon.

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Comments

[Richard]

Humidity
I think often about what it was like for our ancestors to work in the field all day those summer days, then go home in the evening to an unair-conditioned house and no shower. If the heat and humidity didn't kill you, the odor would.