Visiting Mary

Out to visit Mary, who says she is doing well. Ryan is still in a hotel somewhere in the Mideast. I’ve brought my sketching and paint supplies, a scarf I’m remaking, and our computer so I can update the Bloom and Grow PowerPoint. 

The week’s project, in my mind, is to get all of the school supplies currently in piles on the living room floor stored so they are accessible. I always forget to take a ”before” photo.

Mary had made great progress by sorting things into piles. So many markers, so many crayons. Just way too much for what shelves are available. Long term: items not used will be moved on. Short term: get things into the upstairs storage room with distribution TBD. 

Well, finding the mouse and her nest certainly helped our decisions to throw stuff away. After 6 days of plodding away, going through the garage moved to the top of list. A full van of items donated, and a full garbage can thrown away. Thank goodness I looked in the cubby with the stuff from Ryan’s old car. A perfect mouse hole, complete with rag to chew up for bedding.

We didn’t just clean. One day to the library for Tinker Tuesday where the kids made Cartesian divers in plastic water bottles. Another day to Makers where Bella and I tried to figure out wings for her crocheted Pegasus. Remi played with robots; Mary went to the doctors, all is well.

I also birdied in the backyard. I thought the highlight was the greater roadrunner eating snails. However a close second, if not tied, was the red shouldered hawk scratching by the fence. Looking for mice? It flew off before I could grab a photo. Also: house finch, hummingbirds (likely Allen’s and rufus), California thrasher, spotted and California towees, mourning doves, crows, house sparrows. And 2 bunnies.

Friday we drove down to the zoo for plant day and sketched in the orchids house. We’d put together “out bags” with sketch pads and pencils so Remi and Bells are ready whenever they visit the zoo, museums, and their library events. I’d hoped to visit the carnivorous plants but ran out of time. The loaded Tater Tots were absolutely not nutritious and more than marvelous. I’m hoping all my walking there and then all the stair climbing I’ve done will counteract the calories. I have my doubts.

Now home to my sweetie who claims he has been working away on his assigned tasks and is just fine from the fall. No matter where I am, I want to be at the other. 

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