Birthday Week

This week was the birthday week for three of our five kids. Boom boom boom, all in a row. Yes, just a few days after my own. It makes for a week filled with lots of fun & treats.

Monday, July 24, 2023, 6:37 AM

Because of the event I worked over the weekend, I had to flex some time and so I took Wednesday off.

Tuesday, July 25, 2023, 6:42 AM

And I slept late late late for me!

Wednesday, July 26, 2023, 8:11 AM

I also took Thursday off to attend a fun art event, but sadly both it and my morning walk were cancelled due to rain. :(

Friday, July 28, 2023, 6:41 AM

The mornings may look lovely, but often I am fighting off hoards of mosquitoes and deer flies while attempting to take my photo(s).

Saturday, July 29, 2023, 6:52 AM

They've been so bad this year. If I keep walking, they can't catch up, but the moment I stop...

Sunday, July 30, 2023, 7:22 AM

Frustrations

I've been working for hours this morning, trying to find a work-around to having to download and re-upload my photos for this blog, since both platforms are owned by Google. There *is* a tool that should allow me to add them directly from my Google photos, but that tool is not working. This certainly doesn't make me want to keep blogging here, but here we are. Anyone have other options for similar platforms?

Monday, July 17, 2023, 6:05 AM

Monday, I woke before my alarm, and we took our walk as the sun was just breaking the horizon.

Tuesday, July 18, 2023, 6:40 AM

Tuesday, the sun was red and sky dark from more Canadian fires. As before, I don't know why my camera won't pick up the colors right. The sun in this image is almost the accurate color, but the sky wasn't so dark & purple, more of an hazy yellow-grey along the horizon and blue above.

Wednesday, July 19, 2023, 6:44 AM

Wednesday and Thursday were sunny but hazy, foggy mornings, but not due to poor air quality.

Thursday, July 20, 2023, 6:39 AM

Friday was a cloudy morning, but not all day.

Friday, July 21, 2023, 6:38 AM

And Saturday was my birthday, but I had to work, and earlier than usual. The sun was just climbing over the horizon again during our walk.

Saturday, July 22, 2023, 6:00 AM

And today I slept later than usual, and the sun was high and the sky was beautiful.

Sunday, July 23, 2023, 7:59 AM

Rough Week at Work

I think these morning walks are a habit now.

Monday, July 10, 2023, 6:36 AM

Monday, there were torrential downpours and the basement at work flooded. A literal river from the front of the building to the back corner where the sump pump drain was. And the sump pump was completely overwhelmed, could not keep keep up at all. And leaks from the windows on the second floor into the walls and my office on the first. Also, no real management in the building so I muddled through, thankfully with help from the rest of the staff.

Tuesday, July 11, 2023, 6:39 AM

Tuesday was ok. Things still a mess at work from the flooding, but at least we could get some work done.

Wednesday, July 12, 2023, 6:40 AM

More rain on Wednesday had me worried about more flooding & damage, but it was a short-lived storm and caused no issues.

Thursday, July 13, 2023, 6:41 AM

Thursday started the local firemen's field days which takes place behind our offices and uses our parking lot; so there was more stress from moving the company vehicles around and blocking off the basement stairwell which drunken revelers use as a toilet if not blocked off.

Friday, July 14, 2023, 6:43 AM

Friday we said good-bye to one of the management team. 😢

Saturday, July 15, 2023, 6:39 AM

Saturday, we celebrated my mother's 75th birthday! It was a LOT of work, a LOT of walking, and a LOT of heat, but I think my mom had fun, which was the important part.

Sunday, July 16, 2023, 7:12 AM

Today was humid but cooler, and I was able to get a wee bit of yard/garden work done. Not all I wanted to get done, but enough to satisfy me. I still have so much I want to do.

Messages from Mother Nature

This week was a wild ride.

Monday, July 3rd, 6:40 a.m.

I should have been listening to the message of all the Amber snails on the road each morning.

Tuesday, July 4th, 7:45 a.m.

Slow down. Be patient. Find your resiliency. Everything you need, you already have.

Wednesday, July 5th, 6:40 a.m.

Because despite the chaos-filled days this week, there were moments filled with family & friends, peace & joy, beauty & love.

Thursday, July 6th, 6:34 a.m.

And every morning, we got up and took a walk in the sun. Mostly. 

Friday, July 7th, 6:38 a.m.

The gardens need the rain to grow.

Saturday, July 8th, 6:54 a.m.

And we need the clouds to appreciate the sun.

Sunday, July 9, 6:56 a.m.

And the chaos to appreciate how serendipitously everything just works out. ♥♥♥

Weekly Wandering

 

Monday, June 26th, 7:13 a.m.

I took Monday off to attend the interment of our boyfriend Joseph's ashes. Joseph died from COVID in January 2021 before vaccines were available, and it is only now that his family felt it safe enough to hold a gathering. His ashes were buried at a natural cemetery in a small grove of pine trees surrounded by rolling hills of meadows. It was good to meet some of his friends from the area that we had never met before. The thunderstorms held off until we were on our way home, and the evening ended with a beautiful rainbow just after sunset.

Monday, June 26th, 8:47 p.m.

The rest of the week was filled with sun ...

Tuesday, June 27th, 6:40 a.m.

... and rain off and on as is usual in the summer.

Wednesday, June 28th, 6:39 a.m.

The Air Quality Index (AQI) was high again from the Canadian fires, and Thursday the sun was otherworldly. 

Thursday, June 29th, 6:42 a.m.

My cellphone camera could not accurately capture the color, even when I zoomed way in.

Thursday, June 29th, 6:47 a.m.

The color was so much more red than this photo and the sky lit up more like the photo above.

Friday, June 30th, 6:30 a.m.

Friday still held a haze from the smoke, but the AQI wasn't as high.

Saturday, July 1st, 7:25 a.m.

Yesterday was hot, right from the get-go. The deer flies joined us on our walk.

Sunday, July 2nd, 7:17 a.m.

And today, although it had rained, was still hot. The grass & wildflowers along the road are almost as tall as I am now.