Interesting Day

I started out in a blah mood.  A friend and I used the word curmudgeon this morning, and that's how I felt. Or is that just men?  I roused myself a little bit to make my week's supply of oatmeal/banana breakfast muffins and did some laundry, but mainly I listed to The Other Bennett Sister, which is good but long.

I had planned to sit on the balcony as soon as it was warm enough, but the roofers were busy working on a nearby apartment, and it was loud - that and all the children in the neighborhood out playing, it seemed.

Elise took her house plants out to visit mine, and it looks so pretty.  Not much sunshine, so they should enjoy the fresh air.  That's where I'm going when I finish writing this.

The family left this morning for a camping trip, so I went over to check on Luna the cat.  I realized once I started walking that I was overdressed in a long-sleeved T-shirt and jeans, but I plodded on.  People were out everywhere, and it lifted my mood.  In one alley, a father and son were sitting in camping chairs reading their books.  Several families with children had water tables and wading pools set up in this back yards.   I heard some horn-honking on the main street and found a drive-by birthday going on with balloons and lots of laughing.

I was walking along feeling pretty upllifted when something happened that has never happened to me before.  I lived in 5 Southern states for  over 60 years and never came upon a snake.  I've seen dead ones and ones cats were carrying but never actually came face to face with one (except for that one in my house in Mississippi, and I've tried to wipe that from my memory).  Not until I moved to a state where I was under the impression for the first 2 or 3 years here that there were NO snakes here.  It wasn't until last year that I realized that there are, in fact, SOME snakes, garter snakes mainly, but no poisonous ones.  I don't really care whether they were likely to bite me; I just knew if I ran up on one, I would have a heart attack first.

And I did just that and didn't have a heart attack.  It wasn't near the rock wall that I always avoid but right past the birthday party on Emily and Ryan's street.  I thought it was dead and stopped and stared at it.

And took a picture.

And then turned around to find something to throw at it to see if it was dead before I walked by it.

And it wasn't!

It just nonchalantly crawled over to that big crack and got in it and headed for the blackberry bushes.  I took this picture from the safety of the street.  Heart rate didn't go up much, and I made myself watch it and think Oh, gross, gross, gross, I'm not going to react or faint or throw up.  I was really pretty proud of myself.  Knowing it wouldn't hurt me gave me courage.  I would NOT have lingered at all for a big unpredictable one.  This one only wanted me to go away, so I did.

I have to admit, though,, that I wasn't really anxious to feel around in Emily and Ryan's flower pots to see if they needed watering and didn't poke around much at all in the flower beds.

I went in to sit with Luna the cat for a bit to make sure she wasn't lonely.  She has a self-feeder and automatic watering bowl, so I knew she wouldn't be hungry or thirsty but might like some company.  I cleaned her litter box but never saw her.  All the bedroom doors were closed, but I opened them and called her anyway.  I looked downstairs all over the place.  I went out back and sat on the patio in case she had gotten out while they were packing the car.  No Luna.  I finally had to leave, but I'm a little worried.  She's been sick lately but had been feeling better.  I called Emily who said she was "probably okay" but maybe hiding in their closet.  I'll go back tomorrow and try again.

I was feeling so proud of myself that I walked by the rock wall on the way home - in the street and not on the sidewalk.  I stopped and looked at the garden, which is looking good and not needing watering yet.

Everything is nice and lush and so pretty and finally HOT!

I tried not to think what kinds of things might be hiding in these places.

Millions of blackberries blooming along the garden path, but I won't be stomping through there this year.

This is the only picture I've gotten from the camping trip.  Lovely!

It's Lake Wenatchee State Park, only a 2-hour drive from here.  I know they're having a ball.

Oh, and another one just now.  Kate kept saying how tired she was, and then she said, "I'm getting so cuddly cozy and I'm putting myself to bed."

I see Graysen back there probably planning her fire.  Ryan said he was going to try to let her build a fire, since that's one of her main bucket list things.

Playing camping yesterday. 

I got the honor of a visit with them yesterday.  I surprised them with a Happy Meal and kept them about 3 hours while Ryan finished up with the camper.

They couldn't eat at first for having to talk so much.  There's a lot of catching up we had to do.

Birds and cats and the differences between girl ducks and boy ducks.  "This is what I know.  Boy ducks are fancy  and have green necks, and girls ducks are skin-colored and plain," according to Katherine.

Loose teeth - 3 of  them - and whether the tooth fairy will show up on the camping trip if she's needed.

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News and weather report.

Kathrine told Emily later that "Mimi held me when I bit my finger."  I wish it was as good as it sounds, but I did get her a Band-Aid and hugged her with her back to me. I had on my mask, and they held their breath!   Not quite the same but SO much better.

I'm going to go outside and drink my tea and listen to my book and enjoy the last of the day.  It looks like a good week coming up with some temps in the low 80s and almost no rain.