"Beverly Hills" by Weezer just popped up on my iTunes playlist. That's not where I am. Not at all - and I'm so thankful for it right now.
It's nearly dark outside, the stars are starting to come out (again, not in Beverly Hills), a temperate breeze is blowing off of the lake, the lake that is dotted with the perfect reflections of a few lit cabins. Most everybody leaves the area for the week and then returns on the weekend, this being Vacationland Minnesota (tm), so there's been very little boat traffic to disturb the mirror-like surface of the lake.

Last night, Heidi and I and the Deyos laid out on the dock and watched shooting stars leave smoky streaks across the sky. I've seen dramatic meteorites before, but never in such a concentrated proliferation. It was incredible. With the Milky Way as a backdrop, the dock became my spaceship adrift in the galaxy. Beautiful.

Another nice thing about being here this time of year is the distinct lack of biting representatives of the Bug Kingdom. I'm sitting on the deck in the dark with total impunity. Nary a mozzy or tick or biting fly to be seen (or felt and swatted at). Can't beat it. These last two days have been utterly perfect.

Yesterday, Deyo and I got the bright idea to do a little target practice with the single-shot Daisy BB gun we have in the garage. It's old, and rusty, and tiny, and perfect for frittering away a lazy afternoon. After setting up a handful of empty plastic film canisters (my dad being the avid shutterbug that he is) we took aim at the doldrums of the afternoon.
Here's The Marksman at work.


Note the steely glare, the intense concentration . . . I should go pro - except I had a very difficult time hitting the targets.

Well, it was windy! and the gun fires pellets at about five degrees off-center. So factor all of that in and you pretty much have a crap shoot (har har). Others tried their hands at our rifleman's game.


Here, my brother demonstrates his uncanny ability to adjust for wind and instrument inaccuracy by hitting the majority of his targets. This ability does not run in the family, apparently.


Even Heidi, who prefers to shoot in designer-brand shooting goggles, seemed to hit most of what she aimed at. This is humiliating, to be out-shot at my own game by my wife. I guess I must be as rusty as that gun.

And now you have some BB Gun Heroes trading cards!! Print us out and trade us with your pals! Collect all three. Maybe someone'll turn us into one of those card based battle games like Yu-Gi-Oh! and I'll have +3 to Intimidation and -7 to wind susceptability . . .

. . . and +2million to good-lookin'ness.