Another beautiful summer day.  I think this must be a Labor Day Weekend for the record books.  There has been hardly a cloud in the sky and temperatures in the high 70s and the prediction is for another great day again tomorrow for all those folks who couldn't get out to enjoy it today.  The weather can't get much better'n this!  It wasn't all play for some of us and we put in a little extra "labor" today at the Joe's Pond pavilion and buttoned it up for winter.  Not all of our board members were here this weekend, but those of us who were enlisted the help of our spouses and made short work of wrapping things up. Tom (Tom Dente, president of JPA) had told us it would probably take about an hour.  I didn't time it, but this evening I received the following message from Tom:

 The Pavilion has been put to bed for eight months. The JPA crew of Don Sherwood, Jane and Fred Brown, Susan and Butch Bouchard and Camilla and Tom Dente accomplished the feat in twenty-five minutes this afternoon. That included putting away the chairs and tables, removing the curtains from their vertical position and folding and placing them in a configuration to re-hang in the spring, preparing the kitchen for winter, stowing other objects properly for winter and properly folding and stowing the American flag for an eight month sleep. We also had a lot of fun and laughter. Thanks to all.

 
I really think Tom and Camilla had jump started the process by having at least the kitchen pretty well taken care ahead of time, and beyond that, Tom is always very well organized, so we even had time for chatting and philosophizing by Don Sherwood on "here" and "there."  I know; you had to be there.   Of course, it's a lot easier to close the place up when it's nice weather like today, but on the other hand, it seems a shame that it is already the end of a very nice summer season for JPA members.  Quite a few folks have closed their cottages and gone back to cities - vacations over and schools beginning; but some others will be around for a few more weeks to enjoy the late summer and fall.  However, about the time we get our first real frost, all but the most hardy will be out of here. 

We stopped at camp on our way home this afternoon, and Bob and Theresa were soaking up sunshine on the boathouse deck - enjoying the last of summer.  It's always sad when they have to close camp, and this year it seems as if summer has flown by.  I just looked up an apropos quote I really like but couldn't remember who said it:  "Life is like a roll of toilet paper - the nearer you get to the end the faster it goes."  Thanks to the late Andy Rooney for coming up with that. 

We thought some of you will appreciate this.  This is a picture of JPA member, Helen Morrison who many of you know volunteers at the Kingdom Animal Shelter taking care of homeless kitties.  We saw her Saturday afternoon at "Pete's" birthday celebration and noticed she had some "ink."  I was surprised at first to see a tattoo on our friend and neighbor, a retired schoolteacher, especially one that was real - a temporary "stick-on" maybe, but she assured us this is permanent!  The design is appropriate for Helen, though. She understands and appreciates cats and provides a loving home for several of her own in addition to caring for those at the shelter.  Way to go, Helen!