Locke Mills July 1

I was sorry to hear of the death of Nettie Fitzpatrick last week. She went often to Praise Assembly many years ago. I hadn't seen her for some time but that doesn't make the sense of loss any less. Sincerest sympathy goes to the members of her family and others who loved her.

The weather today certainly was typical Maine weather, never know what it is up to next. I saw sun, wind, clouds, rain, and then back to sun again. Whenever it rains, Chloe takes it personally and has to go out and run up and down her run barking furiously. Then, duty done, she demands to be let back inside immediately before she gets too wet. She is not a water dog. She also does not care for squirrels, chipmunks, and birds in the yard but there she is out of luck because I like to put food out for them and they seem to understand that, although noisy she may be, she cannot get at them and they go about eating and ignoring her.

Right now, though, I am trying to get more than a glimpse at a couple little animals that come into the backyard after something to eat. It can't be for the food I put out because I don't put anything out there but something calls them. I am a little concerned that they might be baby rats. They look too big to be mice, although Garbo has caught two recently, but they do not go up trees and they seem to be gray and they come up over the bank and go back the same way. They just are very fast and the vegetation has grown very fast and thick this year so I can't get a good look at them.

Obviously I don't care for rats so I would really like to know what they are. I suppose it won't make much difference because I cannot think of any way to get rid of them that won't affect the little squirrels and chipmunks, short of shooting them and I don't like guns and I do like the squirrels and chipmunks.

Wednesday evening we finished the book of Isaiah at Praise Assembly just in time before we move into the Linnell Conference Center. There we will be having more to offer because we have more space so there will be two classes for adults and activities for the children as our new couple, Vince and Tracey Allegra, from Pastor Thacker's home church in Maryland, will be Youth Directors. They have a seven-year-old daughter, Lexie, who is looking forward to meeting some new friends.

We are starting off this weekend with the Lord Family from Blue Hill and hope that we will see many people who have already met them and like them and their music and, obviously, some new people who haven't met them yet.

It promises to be a fun, and busy, summer and probably, as usual, altogether too short. So. get out and enjoy!