Lots Happening In Medina
It’s been busy here in Medina so far this Summer – at home, at work and just in general. First of all we have had extreme heat – by our standards – several days 90 or above and lots and lots of rain. And hearing from folks around the country it’s been so hot. Places that need rain aren’t getting it and some of us are dealing with flooding. My son lives in central CA and they have had temps in the 100s for several weeks now (it’s mid July as I write this) and as always they are hurting for water and the fires have started.
Closer to home because of all the rain and sunshine the gardens seem to be doing well. Our farmer’s markets are going strong and those who got an early or on-time start are already getting some nice produce. It’s so good to be able to gather with friends and family again and be outside and just enjoy Summer. Life is almost back to normal here in our area – churches, rec center, theaters, restaurants are all opening up and going strong.
We had an exciting Sunday afternoon on our road a few weeks ago. A huge tree just decided this was the day to tip over. Fortunately it wasn’t our tree. The sun was shining – there was no storm, no loud noise, but suddenly we lost power. On our nasty curve the first thought is always a car accident, but not noise. Within minutes the sherriff’s car was in front of our house blocking the road. We soon saw that the neighbor’s tree had fallen, completely blocking the road and taking out four or five power lines. Luckily it was Sunday afternoon and not much traffic so no one was hurt.
Because it is a state route ODOT (Ohio Department of Transportation) had to be called to remove the tree. Amazingly it only took until early evening to get power back on and the tree completely removed.
Back at the office it’s been a little crazy. The observation hive came back to the candle store for the Summer. That’s always an event that you just hope goes smoothly. It seemed to at first. Johnny (our wonderful IT guy here at Root) helped Jerry get it all installed. We watched for several minutes and everything seemed fine. About a half hour later I got a call from the store saying there are honey bees loose over here. The ladies in the store are pretty amazing. They don’t really get upset when this happens. I guess they’ve just gotten used to it over the years.
So Jerry and I went over to try and figure out how the bees were getting in the store. After catching all the loose ones and observing for several minutes Jerry saw the problem. We got it sealed back up and haven’t had any problems since. Next time you’re passing through Medina stop and visit our store and the bees.
And then there’s Oscar. Oscar is some sort of giant cactus that has lived in the Publications Department for 10 years or more. He came to us from John Root when he and his wife, Elisabeth relocated to Florida. Oscar has grown a good two or three feet taller since we’ve had him. We just sort of propped him in the corner and tried to remember to water him once in awhile and he seemed quite happy there.
Well due to renovations – painting, new carpet, etc. – Oscar had to be relocated. That was a challenge trying to figure out how to get him out without getting hurt. There is no place to touch Oscar without getting poked. So finally the maintenance guys got a tarp and tipped him over and drug him out of the building.
Fun times! I hope you all are finding ways to enjoy the Summer. I can’t believe this is the August issue already. Time sure flies by fast!
Kathy Summers
