TIME FLIES!!

What an interesting summer!  A couple of my water aerobics gals and I have been swimming the buoys at Pinecrest Lake a couple of times a week, watching the water levels go down earlier that normal.  Dry year causes "permanent solutions" to be dropped in favor of necessity.  The rule by the Dept of Water Resources that Pinecrest Lake would "stay full" until after Labor Day was re-visited in favor of allowing more water to run down to service the customers in the Sonora Area.  When you "always" enter the Lake at the same point the level is VERY NOTICEABLE - shoulder level becomes armpit, then waist, and when it gets to ankle, you enter the water at a different place!!  The docks are still afloat and the fish are still biting and these two "old gals" can swim to the YACHT tied up at the end of the line of floating buoys next to the sail boats!

The air temperature at 9 AM has been right around 50 degrees and the water is colder than that, but I am not brave enough to take my pool thermometer over to the Lake to check the water temp.  As long as we keep moving until the fingers start tingling, we have enough strength to make it back to our entry point - avoiding a walk on the sweeping asphalt walkway that circles the beach area.

The water company has been able to keep up with the town's water needs by running a diesel pump, getting water from the river coming out of Pinecrest, for 3-4 hours twice a week.  LABOR DAY weekend saw the use skyrocket, even with conservation, so we have - the number of bottles of water brought up from "down below" always amazes me!!  We recycle CRV ONLY, but those water bottles have to have their little caps removed or the recycling center will not take them!!  It may be one of those "is this really worth the effort" jobs, but when combined with the aluminum cans and beer bottles, it equals at least a half tank of gas for the car.  We try to never take recycling as an ONLY trip, but combine with doctor's appointments, grocery store visits, etc.  it works out!

The phone is now ringing for Thanksgiving and Christmas!!  Praise GOD for a good summer despite no swimming pool!!