5/12-16/25 I went up to Camp Serendipity for 5 days: Monday through Friday.

I arrived at 12:40. Just as I was approaching our driveway, I saw a deer in the road. I stopped the truck and scrambled to get my phone so I could take a picture. By the time I took the shot, the deer had walked away from me and was quite a ways down the road. I got a couple pictures, but they are of really poor quality. It was good to see the deer, though.

I drove in, parked in the hairpin turn, brought my gear up in 2 trips, hoisting the flag in between, and then had my lunch. Then I walked to the grave. When I got back, I unpacked a few things and then had my nap. When I got up, it was time for my shower.

On Tuesday morning, I practiced the piano and then walked to the grave. It was pretty windy, but I was glad because it blew most of the mosquitoes away. After lunch and a nap, I laid up stones around the right side of the foundation using mortar batch number 110. It is very awkward working on that side because I have to duck under the scaffolding and there is no good place to stand. But with patience and perseverance I got the job done.

On Wednesday morning the temperature outside was 42 degrees. Not much chance of freezing anymore. I practiced the piano, listened to the radio for a while, and then walked to the grave.

After lunch and a nap, I went to work on the masonry. I mixed up batch number 111 and worked on the wall around the right side again. I had worked out some techniques that helped and the wall back there was a little higher, so it was a little easier than the day before.

I quit for the day and went in for my shower. At 5:15, just as I tried to microwave a yam for my dinner, I discovered the power was out, and in typical fashion, when the power goes out, the phone goes out too.

I had a cold dinner and did some reading in the dim natural light, but mostly I just relaxed until the power came back on at 7:30. Then I went through my normal evening rituals except for getting a call from Ellen.

On Thursday morning, the phone was still out so I planned on calling the phone company as soon as I got cell service on my morning walk.

I watered Tiger, the snake plant, practiced the piano, and then got ready for my walk to the grave. Just before I left, I checked the phone again and discovered that I had dial-tone.

I called Ellen to let her know and she told me that Dave had been trying to call me and was concerned that I might be in trouble. Ellen explained that power outages are fairly common and that they take the phone out with them. Anyway, when we hung up, I called Dave, and we had a nice long Thursday morning conversation.

When we hung up, I walked to the grave. Just as I rounded the bend so I could first see John's driveway, I saw two deer standing in the road at the driveway entrance. I replayed Monday's fumble as I tried to get my cellphone in a position to take a picture and by the time I did, the deer had walked away from me again and were well down the road. I got some poor quality distant shots of them anyway.

When I finished my walk, I had lunch and a nap. Then Robert called and among other things, he told me that he had finished "Cabin", the book I had lent him, and he had enjoyed reading it.

Next, I went outside and laid up another batch of stones again around the right hand wall using mortar batch number 112.

On Friday morning, I practiced the piano, took a picture of the wall I had been working on, walked to the grave, and worked on the puzzle a little. Then Bill called with the happy news that Cam and Melissa are going to have a baby. Bill is excited to become a grandpa for the first time.

When we hung up, I had my lunch, packed up my gear, and left for home at 12:45. It had been another interesting, productive, and fun week.