Mid April

What a week. Work was very busy, the food bank was very busy, and the usual life things were very busy.

I didn’t go to yoga on Tuesday, the morning class on that day is a gentle class and instead I put in several hours of work in the yard to fill both yard waste bins and got half of the front yard cut back. It is easier to see backing out of the driveway, but still half to go.

The goal this rainy weekend was to fill them again to be picked up this week. That has not happened.

On Wednesday I worked my check in shift at the yoga studio then had a private session to work on a couple of things that need fine tuning.

Besides having to be at work a couple hours early on Monday the shifts all week until Friday were non stop. But there seems to be the dullest of lights at the end of the peak tunnel.

On Thursday I was really hoping for a light day at the food bank so I could get more done at home but instead it was extremely busy. They have also changed the days for handing out food so were expecting a lot of people later in the day.

After I put everything away they had me bag up food for 12 families. This was three bags apiece. One was full of cans (blue bags) then a bag of dried goods like oatmeal, beans, applesauce, pasta, nuts, milk, peanut butter, ect. And then a third bag of frozen food, protien, strawberries and tortillas. By the time I finished I had just enough time to get home and walk before work.

Friday after yoga, dropping off dry cleaning, doing laundry and my walk before work it was nice to have a slower night.

I also took about 20 of these pictures, sticking my phone into the Portulacaria trying to get a glimpse of Ethel and her kittens, with no luck. But at one point something growled at me so I figured I was close and walked away.

Today while on the phone I walked out back to lower the umbrella because the wind was picking up. I had seen Ethel go into one of the feral cat condos yesterday. She had gone in but came right back out.

But while walking past it and she was across the yard I opened up the lid to see four week old kittens.

I did not stick around or try and touch them. From what I have read you should wait about two weeks before touching.

I also don’t want her to abandon them. I was happy to see her hanging out in the rain on the top floor looking out the door, knowing her kits were dry and warm inside.

Lori thinks she has homes for all four, of course assuming we catch and tame them. So very many pieces of advice on that today as the pictures were shared.

One friend who has captured kittens that young guaranteed us the momma would follow if we moved them. She did it and put them all in her spare bathroom. I said fine I’ll bring them all to her place because we don’t have a spare bathroom. 🤣

I do know that if Ethel abandons them we will have to bottle feed as the pound euthanizes bottle babies for lack of staff and we do not have the time or energy for that!

Productive day

Today was a very productive day. Funny thing is it started with me cancelling my yoga class.

I went to yoga on Monday and Tuesday and I just needed a day to get some things moving.

First thing was to get my walk in before it got to hot. I got just over four miles in, picking up more peacock feathers since I was out so early.

I then did some yard work, some weeding but mostly pruning the portulacaria in the front yard until I filled up both yard waste bins as they were to be picked up today.

When Lori got home from her acupuncture appointment I went on her walk with her. We did just over two miles but by then it was at least 90 degrees outside.

We were back with plenty of time for my to make chicken and some risotto that I bought ingredients for.

I managed a few other indoor things before sitting down for a 9 hour shift. Work was so busy I didn’t even take a lunch break. Luckily I had cooked earlier in the day.

Tomorrow and Friday are volunteer days at the food pantry. Just makes it better that I got some things done today. Oh how I love that productive feeling.

June miles

This month I will not have the 100 miles in my walking challenge that I started at the end of 2020. I’ll probably have about 140 in general movement but not in actual walks.

After getting back from vacation there were a lot of projects to work on. Since I was already behind and Lori hasn’t started her Summer session yet we have taken the opportunity to work on some of these things.

Weeding. Editing out plants. Refreshing the back yard which required a few shopping trips and putting together a new grill. Also prepping for baseboards.

Actually the prep for baseboards has just been blocking out this coming weekend for it and picking up the paint on one of our shopping trips so we can pre paint them starting on Friday.

We spent a couple days weeding the front yard and removing two big agaves. There were three and they had gotten quite large ana were just to much. It’s a much cleaner look.

We have added more gravel where things were thin and Lori spent the day breaking out a bad uneven section of concrete by the back door and replacing it with pavers so it matches the rest and is more permeable.

Tomorrow we both have oil change appointments early in the morning. Knowing I’m not going to make the 100 has me fitting in all kinds of other errands and projects.

I do love the daily walks and the 100 goal keeps me consistent, because just a few off days and it’s hard to meet that goal. It is such a time commitment to get them in along with working full time and all the other projects it’s nice to not stress about it for the next few days.

Catching up

We returned from vacation and we had the rest of the week off. A perfect time to get some things caught up.

After being gone for nearly two weeks and being completely focused on kittens before we left the yard was in dire need of weed removal.

On Wednesday we managed to fill both yard waste bins before they were picked up in the afternoon.

Thursday we filled them again. And today, Friday Lori removed our very large and spent rosemary. Along with some other plants being pulled out and weeding we have at least two more bins stacked up for next week once they are emptied again.

While she was pulling out the rosemary today, I was putting together a new grill.

I had been asking Lori what she wanted for her birthday, but she had said nothing. Yesterday afternoon she said she wanted a new grill. I am “sure” it had nothing to do with my looking at them when we were at Lowe’s yesterday.

So this morning when we were both awake before 6:00, we headed out for birthday breakfast and then to Lowe’s and I bought a new grill. I put it together and we moved it outside and put the old, technically still working small one on the curb and it was gone in no time.

Now we are reorganizing the back yard and refreshing the whole area for the Summer.