Saturday was an all day LOTR ‘festival’ at Jon & Beth’s house with their super fancy projection system. In attendance were Jon, Beth, Katherine, Paul & I. We arrived at 10 am for brunch. I made raspberry muffins and a Gate of Moria chocolate cake.

Watched the extended Fellowship and Two Towers and then walked over to the Laurelhurst Theater for the Return of the King. The Return of King Started at 6:10 pm. We started the Fellowship of the Ring at 10:35 and didn’t take more than a 15 min. break in between. We got to the theater with maybe 5 min. to spare. It was a funny moment when we were standing around, watching Sam give his end speech so we could rush over to the theater. End to end is really the only way to see the films. Beth decided it’s definitely an annual event but we need to do it again in the fall when the extended release comes out.

It’s one thing to think it. It’s totally another for paul to say that out loud.
I decreed that no branches would come down that were not removed that very weekend. It didn’t go my way but I can’t say i’m unhappy with the results. Last weekend 1.77 tons of plant matter were hauled off.
I was gone most of the day Saturday. When I drove in the drive way I could barely make out the front yard “for the cloud of T.” Paul & Mark looked like they were guilty of something. So I parked and went over to survey the damage.
They had been busy. They got bolder with each success until Paul finally said. “You know, I have a permit to remove those trees.” With the help of another neighbor (Pat) and his son Kevin and Pat’s SUV, they chopped down two of the pine trees in the front yard. The big one was 35 feet tall.

It was yard-work weekend. What beautiful weather we had for it. Paul is absolutely nuts and has blood lust for tree limbs. Look at the look of glee on his face in the first picture! I wish it was not so blurry. Our front yard is a pile of slayed branches. My favorite moment was when the limb he was working on crashed down and broke the one he was standing on. I spent most of the first evening glaring up at him with my arms crossed waiting for the need to call 911. I wonder how Eula (Paul’s Mom) survived so many years. Saturday our neighbor Mark drank beer and directed the branches falling. Paul just admitted to secretly calling his saw, the “saw of kings” when he takes it in and out of its sheath. (The “saw of kings” spent the winter rusting in the back yard.)