Good Dog Days of Summer

July burst upon us like fireworks. The day after Independence Day I was delighted to officiate at my grandson’s wedding. Handsome, young Kenneth E. Cochrane, III was wed to the beautiful Miss Melissa Bricker at a chapel in Newcastle, Calif. More than one hundred guests, family and friends, were in attendance. The day was perfect with temperatures in the mid-80s and a gentle breeze blowing as the ceremony was held outdoors. Photos have been posted on the MyFamily.com page and potential members can gain access by contacting me at 2377cochranek@comcast.net

Since this is the month of my birth I became self indulgent and bought myself a gift. I purchased an electronic book reader called the Kindle. This is an amazing device that is produced by Amazon.com. It is a slim hand held, light weight product that can hold hundreds of books in its memory that are downloaded from the internet. It is connected to Amazon by using the Sprint cell phone technology, which allows one to access the huge library of electronic books held by that company for possible purchase and downloading to the Kindle, and with no access fee. Each page of a book appears on the Kindle’s screen, one after the other, by the simple touch of a side control key. The screen is designed to be glare proof and is not back-lit like a computer (which is hard on the eyes) but works by using a magnetic system like an etch-a-sketch which forms the page duplication in many shades of grey-to-black. It is like reading a newspaper or an actual printed book. The Kindle even remembers where you left off in a book and will take you to that spot automatically whenever you want to continue. Electronic books from Amazon cost from ‘free’ to $9.95 for selections from the New York Times best seller list. Downloading a book takes about 60 seconds and there is no extra charge beyond the book’s price.

This modern miracle is so light and small enough to fit in a purse or jacket pocket that it enables one to carry a huge library along on any trip, to the local market or to Europe. It is powered by special batteries that permit one to read for 4 days or more without recharging. The recharging is done with a provided adapter and cord, which also can be used to connect with one’s computer. You can carry your library with you to enjoy a read in the park, at the beach or while dining in a restaurant. It works anywhere your cell phone does. To learn more about this product go to Amazon.com for complete descriptions and even a video showing how it works.

This week we also had a huge pine tree in our front yard cut down. A couple of tree climbers with chain saws made quick work of the job. The old tree had been planted years ago too close to the house. It’s limbs were dying and dropping debris on the roof and the root system was becoming a threat to underground plumbing and a potential danger to the home’s foundation. So now new morning light is coming to our kitchen while the other many trees we have provide shade and protection from the afternoon sun.
Our July weather has been mild so far. My son's Yorkies, Jake and Elwood, have romped and played in the back yard; and, in sports, the ’boys of summer’ provide exciting baseball games across the land. Last night my favorite team the San Francisco Giants enjoyed a spectacular performance by a rookie pitcher who completed a “no hitter” to establish his name in the team’s history of great games. It was an emotional moment that was documented in today’s newspapers.
August may bring some more welcome surprises and happy events. I may be an optimist and expect too much but I think each day is exciting and a great day for America.

I am “Just Sayin’”