Tired Thursday

 Working three days a week for thirty hours that are not 'normal' hours has me very tired.  Today is one of those days that I just need to remind myself that this is what I wanted for work.  It is active, ten hour days, long weekends, and good benefits.  Tonight I hope to sleep well, tomorrow I am hiking with friends.  Happy things for today are:

• The stars were bright when I left for work this morning.  I tried to take a picture but they didn't show up well.  Within a mile from the house it was foggy.  Such a difference with just a slight elevation change.
• There are yellow butterflies that I have been unable to get a picture of, until today.  According to Lens, it is an orange sulphur.

Orange sulphur on a purple clover.

• The dog, Aesop, was a bit unruly this afternoon.  I suggested we take him to the dog park.  He had a blast playing with the other dogs.  Running and chasing and doing the things dogs do. Aesop burning energy made for happier humans.

☮

Currently reading: Mount Washington A Guide and Short History, by Peter E. Randall.

Thank you for being part of my happy things. Stay safe.

Butterflies

 Today Aesop was part terror, part cutie.  I will try to remember the cutie parts.  Some of his good moments include choosing to sleep by me on the couch and calmly greeting me when I came inside.  His best moment was when he was chewing on a piece of grass.

Chewing on a piece of grass...

It was a busy day, other happy things include:

• Aesop also had a bath today.  The reasons for the bath would fall under the terror category, but the soft, clean, nice smelling dog that emerged after the terror was nice and what should be remembered.

• Early this spring we had a houseplant that was dead.  I was busy attempting to grow new things and the inside plant was placed high away from the cats and forgotten.  Keziah brought it outside and I cut all the dead off leaving a pot of dirt.  I placed the pot on a shelf outside the shed.  Today Keziah noticed that it is growing again.

• There were people at the house today.  Each person or couple came by for a different reason.  It was great to see them all.  We now have two targets for thrown weapons so we can have practice and packages have been exchanged.
• There were so many flowers blooming that the plants had their own dance as bees and butterflies would take off and land.  Lens helped me identify two butterflies, the great spangled fritillary and the painted lady.

Bindweed.

Great Spangled Fritillary and a Monarch Butterfly.

Painted Lady Butterfly.

☮

Currently reading: Backpacking: A Hedonist’s Guide, by Rick Greenspan and Hal Kahn.

Thank you for being part of my happy things. Stay safe.

Monarch

In my attempt to find some happy things to write about today I went for a short walk around the backyard and out to the wildlife camera.  Unfortunately the batteries were dead and there are no pictures from that.  It is up and running now and I look forward to seeing what it sees in the next few days.  One of the routines that I've had a hard time keeping up with since getting a job is checking on that camera.  I'm happy that I got the trail cam working again.  Other happy things for today:

• For reasons unknown, work went fairly smoothly today.  I'm not sure if it had to do with the way the packages came through or if I am getting better at the job.  
• There are a few grapes this year.  We cut a bunch of it back last year and I think that is why there are less this year.

• I found a pretty flower that Lens identifies as being phlox.

• There were two Monarch butterflies out back!  This time I got pictures.

☮

Currently reading: Backpacking: A Hedonist’s Guide, by Rick Greenspan and Hal Kahn.

Thank you for being part of my happy things. Stay safe.

Imposter Syndrome

Procrastination is something that I am good at. I somehow had a hard time falling asleep last night and so slept in this morning. I started well with preparing for this weekend. I was hoping for adventure. Then I think imposter syndrome set in. I had a hard time finding and organizing things to take with me. I had a list and would forget to look at it. Other things would distract me. The result is that I left too late to go where I had hoped to go. That said, I did leave, not as prepared as I would like, and set off. Other happy things for today:

• I walked around a little outside before leaving and watered some plants and such.  I also saw a cool butterfly.

According to Lens it is a little wood satyr.

• Before looking at the weather, I was hoping for three new fire towers this weekend. The weather may be very rainy and include thunderstorms. That changed my plan to just two. Then I left too late and so I am hoping for one new fire tower visit tomorrow. However, I did have time to hike to the Oak Hill Fire Tower that I have visited before. The views, per usual, were lovely.

• While atop the tower a young man (maybe a teen) came up. He had ridden his bicycle to the top. It was his first time up there and seemed happy to have made the trek.
• Although not what I hoped for, so far I am safe and doing well.

☮

Today I skipped reading my books, there were other things to do and I thought I would have time, but didn't.  I'm choosing to be okay with this.  

Thank you for being part of my happy things. Stay safe.

Juneteenth

 The preparations I have been trying to do for starting the new job have not been going as well as I had hoped.  I know it will all be fine, but I also know I should have tried harder to sleep today.  Most of the day was very restful, and that was good.  I just didn't sleep.  Other things I am happy for today:

• Getting out for a walk with my friend, Amy.  She has been off visiting her daughter's family in Virginia.  
• There were two woodchucks in the garden today.  The happy part of this is that I learned more places that the fence needs to be more fortified.  Where this little critter is, did not seem to be one of them.

Woodchuck/groundhog.

• Lens helped me identify a butterfly on the vetch.

Silver-spotted Skipper.

• The milkweed that I let grow in the yard (shh, don't tell the lawn/weed police) is blooming.  This, as well as the butterfly weed in the front of the house, are supposed to attract monarch butterflies.  

Common milkweed.

☮

Currently reading: The Backyard Homestead, by Carleen Madigan.

Thank you for reading, stay safe.