I have nothing to add to this....

It's back to work today - bummer!  I could get used to be retired very quickly!  I got a few small projects done around the house and yard, but sooooo many more to do.  I will admit that most of said projects were done early in the week, when the weather was better.  The back yard did not get mowed yesterday because it was 90 degrees by 10:00 yesterday - too hot for me to want to go mow.  Not that it's going to be cooler any time soon....I may just have to mow after work today.  

I did install a UV filter on the fish fountain yesterday.  I'm having a hard time keeping the water clear in it - probably a combination of the heat and the pump filter getting clogged.  I put off working on it "until I had time", by which time the water got bad.  Hopefully the UV filter will buy me some more time between cleaning the filters.....we'll see!

What I did on my summer vacation......

Book Club is this week, and instead of bookmarks, I made masks - kind of a sign of the times, right?  The book this month is American Dirt - a good book, but I didn't get very far yet.  I thought I would have plenty of time to read it while I was on vacation.....bad idea!

I also picked up the fabric for the Quilt Club quilt for June - it's coming along nicely.  Still not my favorite color choices, but I like the block patterns.  I would get rid of the red and green blocks, and do it all in blues and yellows.  (and may do that before I put it together - I really don't like the bright red one on top....)

Check out the frogs hanging out in the bottom of the planter....too cute!

Alli's Day Program started a weekly project for the clients - the first week's project for Alli was planting a sunflower.  The kit they dropped off at the doorstep contained a pot, paint, paint brushes, soil, and seeds.  Cindy helped her complete her project - and while Alli didn't seem to actually enjoy doing it, she did at least cooperate.....

The finished project.....

The second project was a suncatcher.  I wasn't home when Cindy helped her with this one, but she said Alli did great until the paper started sticking to her fingers instead of the paper.  It's a great idea for this population to do at home activities - too bad the Day Program is shutting down completely - they will not be reopening when COVID restrictions would allow it.  Back to square one looking for a program for her.....

One of the many, many frogs we have invaded the house, and took up residence on the back of the couch in the computer room.  

Meredith and I went on an adventure Tuesday!  We drove up to McCloud Lower Falls and hiked (really, it's a walk....) to Middle McCloud Falls, then drove to Upper McCloud Falls and had a picnic lunch.  After lunch we went to Burney Falls and walked the Loop there.  Fun day!

It was a nice cool day, too - lower 60's throughout, with just a sprinkle of rain - enough to stir up the dust on my windshield.  We stopped at the Vista turnout on the way up, and Shasta was clear, but we would be playing in the clouds to the right...

Lower McCloud Falls - there was even someone swimming below the falls - and the water is ice-melt......brrrrrr!

Middle Falls - the pretties of the three, I think.

We did have a nice chat with a fellow hiker - he had on a Search and Rescue vest, complete with his gear, and had his search dog with him, and they were exploring different Falls for the day, waiting for his wife to finish up some business meetings.  Meredith stopped to chat with him, and they swapped skiing stories from the Tahoe area (Meredith worked at the resorts during college) and avalanche/rescue stories.  (I'm always amazed at the questions Meredith asks, and that people actually answer!) There were some other people doing some sketching climbing around the Falls, and he joked that he wasn't ever really off-duty - someone always seemed to be doing something stupid.

Upper Falls - not so dramatic.  This is the cascade above the actual falls.

And the Falls.....If we hadn't seen the other two, it probably would have been a decent waterfall.

This is the pool right above the big Upper Falls

And a couple of beggars visitors for lunch

Burney Falls - there were people swimming here as well.  One of the signs said that the water is 48 degrees year-round.  Double brrrr!  (Though one of the girls walking down wearing her inner-tube did say she had a little bit of alcohol fortitude...I started to wonder if the guy we talked to at Middle Falls was stopping by Burney Falls too....)

The Rainbow Bridge on the Loop trail.

This little guy did not want to get out of our way.  He sat/walked/ran down the middle of the trail.  The flash from my camera finally sacred him enough to let us by.

Here's what the patio area by the pool looks like now.....

I spray painted the heads black again, and moved them around in the patio area.

And I had a helper.....three of them actually, but Luna was a bit more inquisitive about the paint job.

I also took on a 'new to me' project.  The filter for my bubbling fountain was clogged, so I was just getting a little bit of water through.  I dug out all the rock, cleaned out the filter and put the rocks back in.  I also found where a water snake sleeps during the day.  I don't know which one of us was more startled when I picked up his rock.  (I'm pretty sure it was me.....)

But the fountain is back to bubbling.

Digging rock is hot and dusty work, so....it was time for an adult beverage and a swim with the kids.

Saturday was not as productive as Friday for my to-do list, but it was more relaxing!  Since some of the stores have started opening up, I went in to town in search of patio "stuff".  I didn't find a lot - the supply chains are still not caught up, but I did pick up a few things to update my patio/pool area (pictures of that later...)

Alex and I even took the dogs for a walk, since it was still only in the upper 70's.  The seasonal creek in the field is now the host of millions of tiny frogs... like under 1/2 inch tiny.....

And the blackberry bushes are full!

Ahhhh - vacation time!  And it started early!  I was able to finish up and leave a couple of hours early on Friday!  Usually I end up working late right before I leave to get everything ready to go.  This time, though, everything worked out.  I still have one project hanging out that may require me to log in, but otherwise.....I'm free!  Well, free from bank work.  My to-do list is a mile long.

Since I had a couple of extra hours Friday, I jumped right in to my list.  I weeded the garden....and found baby tomatoes!  These were hiding in the weeds.

These were just from the tomato bed - and it isn't very big!

I finished the painting project on my shelf and got it out in the pool area - I like it!  (The duck is a floating wi-fi speaker - pretty cool for the pool!)

I also did more yard clean-up - not only did I have a couple of extra hours, it was only 75 degrees outside!  I transplanted plants, moved rock around, trimmed bushes, etc.  So nice to be able to work without melting.  We have another cool day today, so more yard work is on my agenda!  We are supposed to get back up to 100 later in the week.