We Worked And Then We Played!

Posted on Saturday, July 11, 2026 by Paul

We made a very ambitious plan yesterday: get up, get dressed, and conquer the garden.  And somehow, against all odds, we actually followed the plan.  We marched outside like professional landscapers and came back as sweaty, dirt-covered garden warriors.  Final score: one 90-gallon trash can stuffed with trimmings, seven old tomato plants evicted, and two humans questioning every life choice that led to this level of productivity.

We ended up with a box of tomatoes, including a few LARGE green tomatoes, which we will turn into fried green tomatoes.

Tomorrow, we are going to Roger’s Gardens to get a “Disney Rose” and have lunch at the Farmhouse with Bob and Robin.  While we are there, we will get seven tomato plants to replace the ones we removed today.

We eventually went out to the patio, and Mary planted the violets Donna had given her on the 4th of July!

Here are some fun violet trivia facts:

• Violets are edible — both the flowers and leaves of many violet species can be eaten, often used in salads, teas, syrups, and candied decorations.

• They symbolize modesty and faithfulness in the language of flowers.

• Napoleon Bonaparte loved violets so much that he was nicknamed “Corporal Violet” by some supporters.

• Violets can “self-pollinate” using hidden, closed flowers called cleistogamous flowers that never fully open.

• The scent of violets seems to disappear and return because a compound called ionone temporarily numbs your smell receptors.

• Ancient Greeks associated violets with love and fertility, and they used them in perfumes and medicines.

• Violet is the state flower of several U.S. states, including Illinois, New Jersey, Rhode Island, and Wisconsin.

While Mary rested, I put away the folding chairs and worked on the drip lines, making sure all the plants could get their drinks!

By 3:30, we were getting ready for tonight’s forage into Elkdom!  But first, we strolled through the garden, admiring that all the dead leaves were gone, the onions and garlic had finally been planted, and the green beans were reaching for the sky!

The green beans grow a foot every day!  We will be swimming in beans in another two weeks!

Tonight’s Elks event was a welcome-new-members night and a tribute to a 51-year member of the lodge who just became a nationwide Elk officer.

That’s Paul on the left!

We finally got to the Elks around 5:45 pm, where we met up with our new German friends, Hans and Hannah!

We met them Thursday night at the Elks!

Mary and they talked German for a good hour, which they all enjoyed.

They seem like nice people, and we enjoy their friendship!

We had a lot of fun!

We met up with Bill Capps and his wife, along with Will and Iris, and Gail Petersen.  We had a table right up front and had a wonderful meal.  Mary and I ordered one steak and one chicken, then shared and compared them.

Mary and Bill greeting each other before dinner

Sandy and Bill sat next to us, and we chatted all evening long!

Good friends are a good thing!

Bill and Sandy are fun to be with!

The life of the party!

Gail joined us this evening, and we had a good time visiting with her since we haven’t talked in a month!

Gail and tonight’s entertainer could have been mistaken for a duo act; they were both in blue outfits!

We left around 9:00 pm and decided to swing by the Tartan Room for a nightcap.  One glass of wine later, we were fully nightcapped and ready to make the long three-mile expedition home.

We had planned to do a little dancing, but the place was packed tighter than a suitcase before vacation.  So instead of tearing up the dance floor, we ended up sitting in the dining room, bravely dancing only in spirit—and possibly with our eyebrows.

By the time we got home and after visiting with Grace, we crashed!

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Friday Has Arrived!

Posted on Friday, July 10, 2026 by Paul

At exactly 6:00 am, we launched ourselves out of bed with all the speed and grace of two antique refrigerators being pushed downhill.  Our knees held a committee meeting before approving the first step.  Every joint announced its presence with a pop, crack, or mysterious click that sounded suspiciously like breakfast cereal.

I declared, “I’m moving!” Mary replied, “No, dear, you’re making noise.  Moving comes later.”

The coffee maker fired up like mission control.  We stared at it with the devotion of explorers spotting fresh water.  Before the first sip, conversation was limited to grunts, eyebrow raises, and an occasional “Did you hear that?” Nobody ever knew whether we meant the house settling or one of our hips.

By 6:20, we had checked the weather, discussed seventeen doctor’s appointments that belonged to other people, and complained about youngsters sleeping until noon.

Feeling energetic, I attempted ten jumping jacks.  I completed three enthusiastic arm waves before deciding he had already “captured the spirit of exercise.”

At 7:00 am., we proudly announced we had conquered the morning.  The dishwasher was running, the coffee was gone, and absolutely nothing important had been accomplished.

It was, we agreed, another wildly successful Friday.

We waited until a decent hour, 10:00 am, to call our accountant and the insurance people.  After that, Mary made a beautiful brunch which we gobbled down in a matter of minutes.

Around 1:00 pm, we decided to go out to the patio and set up the yard decorations so they could be repainted.

Our rain gauge was almost white after five years in the Sun!

Doctor Mary used her acrylics to repaint the statues.  We have several others that also need attention!

They looked brand new after Mary’s careful painting effort.

Around 4:00 pm, we headed inside to prepare dinner.

I cooked the spaghetti squash, took the innards from one half, and put them into a bowl.

Mary decided tonight was the night she would become a culinary legend.  She brought a spaghetti squash from the HeShed, patted it like a prize melon, and announced, “Tonight, we dine fancy.”

The squash, however, had other plans.  It rolled off the counter, bounced into the floor, and came to rest under the table.   Mary rinsed it, glared at it, and asked me to microwave it anyway.

While it cooked, she warmed up her famous spaghetti sauce: tomatoes, garlic, basil, and “just a tiny pinch” of chili flakes, which somehow became half the jar.  The sauce bubbled like a volcano with attitude.

When Mary scraped the squash into noodles, she felt victorious.  She poured on the sauce and called me to dinner.   I took one bite, blinked, and whispered, “I can hear colors.”

Mary tasted it, coughed, and declared, “It’s rustic.”

Nobody knew what that meant, but we drank three glasses of milk and kept eating, because honestly, it was delicious.  By dessert, we were sweating, laughing, and calling it “Mary’s Fire Squash.”

Mary smiled proudly.  Next Friday, she planned soup. 

Chef Boy-R-Dee, eat your heart out!  In addition to the main course, Mary made a new caprese salad, provided cherries and grapes to munch on, and we polished off a glass of vino!

An amazing dinner is served!

Post dinner, we went into the hot tub and soaked for a while.  We tried calling Diane Porter since it was Sue’s birthday, but they must have been out and about.

We ended up watching Von Ryan’s Express.  Von Ryan’s Express (1965) is a classic WWII adventure film starring Frank Sinatra as U.S. Colonel Joseph L. Ryan.  Shot down in Italy, he takes command of Allied POWs.  The men hijack a German freight train and race through occupied territory to Switzerland while evading intense Nazi pursuit.

Mary loves these old WWII movies because she speaks German fluently; she gets more out of them than I do.  She does translate the critical parts.

We finally crashed at 10:30 pm.

Today was Sue’s 75th birthday and Colleen wrote a loving note on her Facebook account:

Happy Heavenly 75th Birthday to my bonus mom. ?

Not a day goes by that I don’t miss you. I never realized just how much I would depend on your wisdom, your love, and your gentle guidance. Looking back, I know I didn’t always make things easy on you as a teenager, yet you loved me anyway—with grace, patience, and an open heart.

Whenever I was in the middle of a recipe and realized I didn’t have an ingredient, you were the one I called. Somehow, you always knew exactly what I could substitute, and you patiently walked me through it. When life became overwhelming and I needed advice, encouragement, or direction, you were always there with a listening ear, a loving heart, and words of wisdom. Those conversations are treasures I’ll carry with me for the rest of my life.

Even though my heart still aches from missing you, I find comfort in God’s promises. What a beautiful celebration Heaven must be having today as you celebrate your 75th birthday in the arms of Jesus.

Thank you for loving me as your own. One day, because of God’s amazing grace and His promise of eternal life, we will see each other again. Until then, I’ll cherish every memory, trust in His perfect plan, and thank Him for the incredible blessing of having you in my life.

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Time To Visit The Elks! TWICE!

Posted on Thursday, July 9, 2026 by Paul

We were up and moving at 6:00 am, which is nothing short of a miracle considering we didn’t crawl into bed until 1:00 a.m. Apparently, our bodies are still operating under the “force of habit” program, even though our brains filed a formal complaint.

We spent the morning working in the yard—putting chair covers back on, picking oranges and veggies for our Elks family, and tackling a few odds and ends.  Basically, we were tired, productive, and only mildly confused about why we were awake.

We departed for the Elks in the brand new super spiffy Silver Fox!  He was scrubbed spotless by our car cleaner, and everything was just like new, except us!

Just before we departed, a quick walk through the garden revealed that the artichokes had gone to flower.  Artichokes are not vegetables; they are the immature flower buds of a large thistle in the sunflower family.  If left unharvested, these buds open into massive, striking purple or blue blossoms that can grow up to six inches in diameter.

Before the 16th century, women in Europe were not allowed to eat artichokes because they were widely considered to have aphrodisiac properties.

We arrived at the Elks, and for some reason, it was busy.  There were seven of us today.  George was not present, so we made a call.

On the way home, the car got very quiet, so I looked over as we pulled into the garage, and there was Sleeping Beauty!  Noises were emanating from this lady that would frighten a Tyrannosaurus Rex!  The windows were rattling, and the vibrations sent my dark glasses, which I placed on the dashboard, skidding towards the windshield.

After a few pokes and prods, Mary woke up and went inside for a short nap!

While Mary was asleep, I went to visit our new family member.  Grace came to me, and we had a great conversation.  Grace was anxious to see what was behind door number one, so we plan to let her into the rest of the house on Saturday to explore.  We will make sure all the doors are closed, or we could lose her in the house.

On the prowl!

We spent the rest of the afternoon working in the office, and then we ran across a notice from the Lodge,

After knowing Ronnie was playing, we headed to the Elks again around 5:15 pm and enjoyed a lite dinner.  Mary had an artichoke, and I settled for about half a pepperoni flatbread.

Ronnie plays music especially for us.  We did waltzes, two steps, foxtrots, and good old-fashioned swing.

Someone likes artichokes!

We dined and danced until around 8:30 pm and then headed home!  The menu was quite interesting.

Yummy

We danced so much that Mary ended up with a blister on her toe and a note never to wear those red shoes again!  After getting home, we decided to stay out of the water tonight.

Since we stayed up past midnight last night, we headed to the bedroom to catch up on some well-deserved sleep!

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Time For The Mid-Week Rumble!

Posted on Wednesday, July 8, 2026 by Paul

Our little buddies Snap, Krackle, and Pop joined us this morning for our twice-a-week journey into the thrilling world of physical exercise.  Who needs a radio when your knees, hips, and back are already providing surround sound?  Mary and I make sweet sounds together!

The trainer asked, “Can you touch your toes?” I said, “I can touch them; I just need two business days.”

Mary said he crushed her workout today.  Turns out he sat on her water bottle.

We did our five-mile bike ride and then went on to the floor exercises, followed by the torture machines.  I gave that stationary bike a run for its money!!

Mary was up for the challenge!  I heard her moan and groan a few times, and of course, when I walked by her, I assisted in counting (usually by starting back at one again!).

BEFORE!

After 90 minutes of exercise, we definitely do not leave in the same condition we arrived!

One look at her and I’m thinking my best option is to toss her and her clothes straight into the washing machine, hit “heavy duty,” add extra detergent, and hope they both come out recognizable.

AFTER!

Mary’s fitness tracker said she did 5,000 steps.  Most of them were looking for where she parked the car.

I do not know how fast I was going because the needle on the speedometer flew off and hit the wayy!

After a CVS flyby, we headed home for a great lunch!  Fresh salad from the garden, weiners, and sauerkraut!

Caprese salad is a simple, fresh Italian salad featuring sliced fresh mozzarella, tomatoes, and sweet basil, seasoned with salt, pepper, and extra-virgin olive oil, often finished with a balsamic glaze drizzle.  The key is using high-quality, ripe ingredients, traditionally arranged in alternating layers of tomato and mozzarella, with fresh basil leaves tucked in between.

After that, Mary worked in the house, and I continued in the garage after making our reservations for this Christmas’s annual trip to see Scrooge!  This will be my 29th year of attending the play!

Twenty of us will continue to visit the play!

We had visitors this afternoon.  First came our car washer who did all three cars for us.  Precious (Mary’s car) got a good bath, and she was put away with her cover in place.

She almost has 13,000 miles on her now!

The Grey Ghost got a real rub-down, and when finished, he gleamed, and when done, he was parked in our next-door neighbor’s driveway.

Mary decided to take the tricycle down the block to visit Geri and deliver a few newspapers we had for her.  I had fixed the rear brakes a few days earlier and even tested them, so naturally I assumed everything was fine.
I went back to working in the garage, glancing down the street every few minutes to make sure Mary was okay.

Then I heard it.

A low rumble.

The ground started shaking.

For a second, I thought, Earthquake!

But no.

It was Mary.

Coming in hot.

Rocket Girl was heading home at full throttle, tires smoking, hair flying, and probably setting a new land-speed record for a three-wheeled vehicle with a newspaper delivery option.

Grace gets her first ride on the trike!

After her trip, she headed for the kitchen, and with my assistance, we whipped up a batch of zoodles.  Zoodles are zucchini noodles — thin strips of zucchini cut to look like spaghetti or noodles.  They’re often used as a low-carb, gluten-free alternative to pasta.  You can eat them raw, sauté them briefly, or add them to sauces like marinara, pesto, or Alfredo.  They’re called “oodles” because they combine zucchini and noodles.

Mary whipped up her magic spaghetti sauce, and once it hit the zoodles, dinner officially turned into a low-carb wizard spell.  I’m not saying we levitated, but there were definitely suspiciously happy noises coming from the table.

After our enchanted noodle feast, we headed to the pool, where we floated around for an hour like elegant manatees with excellent life choices.  Then we wandered back inside, fully relaxed and only slightly pruney.

It was a beautiful evening, the temperature was perfect, and nobody had to be rescued from a zucchini-induced food coma.

We went to the TV/Living Room and watched TV.  It was 12:30 am when we finally called it an evening.

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Checkup Time!

Posted on Tuesday, July 7, 2026 by Paul

Another typical day, we are off to the races!

Oh boy, we set the alarm for 6:00 am because apparently my eyeballs require a two-hour commute and an early-morning wake-up call.  We had to be in Newport Beach by 8:00 am for my semi-annual eye checkup, so we rolled out of the house at 7:10 and obediently followed the GPS like it was leading us to buried treasure—or at least clearer vision.

We arrived about 20 minutes early, which was perfect timing for coffee, because nothing says “medical appointment” like showing up over-caffeinated and slightly confused.

And, of course, we brought two boxes of fresh veggies from our garden, because when you go to the eye doctor, it’s always good to arrive with produce.  You never know when someone might say, “Your vision looks great—also, are those zucchini?”

I was poked, examined, dilated, and imaged for about an hour, and the diagnosis was, “You are doing excellent for an old fart!”  It was a good thing that I studied for the eye test last night!

While driving home, I remembered what had happened this morning and why Mary seemed distant from me!

Note to self: You do not have to tell the truth ALL THE TIME!

On the way home, we stopped at the Original Pancake House for breakfast!  We shared a veggie omelet, and I added a hunk of ham.  We could not finish the omelet (which is about 1400 calories according to the menu), so we brought it home, meaning tomorrow we will finish it off.

When this delivered to our table, Mary went into hiding!

We spent the rest of the day working around the house in our usual highly organized division of labor: Mary handled the civilized indoor work, while I tackled the workshop—also known as “the place where tools go to hide.”

And believe it or not, I made it almost presentable!  I can actually see the top of the workbench now, and all the tools are put away, which is either a miracle or a sign I should buy a lottery ticket.

I even fixed the brakes on Mary’s tricycle, so she can now stop safely instead of relying on bushes, walls, or sheer panic.

On top of that, I repaired six of the outdoor solar-powered lights in the backyard.  So now, not only is the workshop less dangerous, but the yard is once again beautifully illuminated for raccoons, possums, and any neighbors wondering whyI’mm outside celebrating light bulbs.

Then it happened: Tina came to visit, and she brought a new friend.  We have a new family member!  Grace came to stay!  We went through her stuff with Tina (the previous owner’s housekeeper) and moved everything into the guest bedroom.  We thought it best to confine her to one room for a while until she gets used to the smells and sounds of the new quarters.

Mary fixed a wonderful dinner and, using my calorie counter, she made it a little more than 300 calories!   We watched TV until 7:00 pm, then headed to the pool for 90 minutes of luxuriating in the 90-plus-degree water.

It became 10:00 pm, and we crashed!

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Summer May Be Getting Here!

Posted on Tuesday, July 7, 2026 by Paul

We were up at O-Dark-Thirty because I had an appointment with the eye doctor for a six-month checkup.  We had our coffee, jumped in the shower, and then departed for Irvine at 7:15 am.  Thanks to Highway 241, we arrived at Dr. Kline’s office after about 20 minutes.

SR 241 is the highest highway in Orange County and offers scenic views of both the Santa Ana Mountains and the cities below, passing through 12 cities and regions along its length.

It’s hard to believe that we have open country so close to home!

We decided to have breakfast at The Original Pancake House on the way home which turned out to be perfect for us.  Theor omletes are gigantic so we shared a veggie omlete and ended up taking about 1/3rd of it home.

It was hot today so MAry stayed inside and worked around the house and I stayed in the garage and cleaned up the workb bench so I have some room to work!

We have solar lights in all of the pots in the backyard and severala we no longer working so I took them to the garage, replaced the batteries, cleaned off the solar cells, and briught them back to liofe!

 

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Monday Has Arrived And We Are Ready!

Posted on Monday, July 6, 2026 by Paul

I slept until 7:00 am this morning to make up for the hour I spent working on the Daily Diary, July 4th Edition, at 3:30 am.

We went to the gym and got the first of our weekly dose of pain and suffering.  I tore up the stationary bike, riding more than five miles up and down hills all the way!

We went home immediately as we had a meeting with our friend, the termite guy.  He inspected what we thought were termite problems, and he came downstairs with a smile.  What we saw were the remains of damage before he sprayed last year.  Termite poo stays in the wood, and when the house settles, it often falls out.  We dodged another bullet.

Decision One!!   Our dear friend and neighbor passed away recently, and he was also a HAM Radio operator, so I mentioned to his daughter that I would like to buy some of his equipment and perhaps set up a station upstairs in Mary’s Loft.

Below is a photo of me in the mid-1970s operating my equipment, consisting of three boat anchors, a National NC-303 receiver, a Gonset GSB-100 transmitter, and a Collins 75A4 receiver.  These guys all weighed in at 75+ pounds each!

I know, a handsome devil!!

I plan to buy Jeff’s old Icom IC-7300 transceiver, which weighs in at about 15 pounds and does everything and more than the old boat anchors could even dream about!

To get started, I plan to run an antenna from the second floor out to the garden OR run the dipole inside the attic.

The Icom IC-7300 is a popular, compact 100W HF/50 MHz amateur radio transceiver.  Revolutionizing the market as one of the first mainstream, mass-produced radios to use an RF direct sampling system, it includes a built-in auto-antenna tuner and an intuitive 4.3-inch color touchscreen with a real-time waterfall display.

The radio revolutionized entry- to mid-level amateur radio by replacing traditional, more complex superheterodyne receiver architectures with modern software-defined radio (SDR) architectures.

Here is a summary of its core features:

    • Core Features: RF Direct Sampling: Instead of passing through intermediate stages, RF signals are converted directly to digital data, reducing inherent noise and delivering excellentphase-noisee characteristics.
    • Real-Time Spectrum Scope: Features a high-resolution display that lets operators visually identify band activity and signals, along with a highly customizable waterfall.
    • Touchscreen Interface: The 4.3-inch color TFT touchscreen provides quick access to band selection, modes, digital filters, and menu adjustments without cluttering the front panel.
    • Built-in Antenna Tuner: Covers a wide tuning range, making it easy to match various antennas in the field or at home quickly.
    • Integrated Sound Card: Built-in USB connection enables seamless digital-mode operation (such as FT8, PSK31, and RTTY) without an external interface.

Decision Two!  We are no longer alone.

We have adopted a pooty-tat named Grace.  She will be delivered tomorrow!  Her previous mommy had to move to a care facility that, tragically, does not accept pets—apparently they have strict rules about admitting tiny furry dictators.

Being soft-headed—oops, soft-hearted—we volunteered to give Grace a new home, based on our prior knowledge that she is, in fact, a kitty of good character and excellent whiskers.

Grace is six years old and officially moved in today.  To help her adjust to her new kingdom, we have set her up in the guest bedroom with her toys, bed, food, and water.

In other words, she already has better accommodations than most hotel guests.

We will visit her periodically to pay our respects, offer snacks, and await approval.

Once she has completed her inspection of the guest suite and deemed us acceptable staff, we will open up the rest of the house to her.

At that point, it will no longer be our house.  It will be Grace’s house.

We will live here.

After dinner, we jumped in the pool and floated around for a while before watching TV.

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Time To Unlax!

Posted on Sunday, July 5, 2026 by Paul

We did nada today!  I really did NOT go to the sporting goods store!

We totally relaxed and didn’t even leave the house.  The party was a load of fun, and we sure appreciate Robin and Bob’s assistance getting everything ready and helping with the cleanup!

We thought about going out to dinner, but when we looked into the center of the fridge, a voice piped up, “Eat, please eat!!”  So we did, and we enjoyed two leftover burgers, some hot dogs with sour kraut, and an assortment of salads and fruit.

We hit the pool around 7:30 pm and soaked for an hour and a half, reliving yesterday!

We watched TB for a while, and at 11:00 pm we crashed, mostly rested!

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Time To Party! Happy Birthday America!!

Posted on Sunday, July 5, 2026 by Paul

We scampered around the house getting the last-minute things ready to go, including a trip to the market for ice.  This year there was no shortage of ice!

Robin and Bob came a little early to help us, and we do not know what we would do without them!  The party got underway around 1:00 pm, and then it was 6:00 pm as if by my magic.

Come and visit the details of the day!

Our group had a great time!

The corn man at work!

We decorated the strawberries

Technology moves on!

Which one is the shark??

Hello girls!

We captured Greg!

We keep falling more and more in love!

Someone is partying!

We had a visitor. Starving people surround the food!

The kids went to Disneyland after the party ended.

High up on the side of Mount Reity, we could see 100s of fireworks displays going on all over LA and OC.

The properly attired crew!!

After a visit with Dianne, we got home around 10:30 pm!  We were too pooped to pop so we crashed!

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T-1 And Our Country Will Be 250 Years Old!

Posted on Friday, July 3, 2026 by Paul

We are working together to get ready to CELEBRATE!

We were up early and visited with Robin, who had been up since 4:00 am; she is always on her daily work schedule.  Robin and Mary worked inside for a while, and I was relegated to the patio to open up the BBQ after being in lockdown for almost a year.

Run-a-dub-dub, here comes the scrub!  I brushed his teeth, removed plaque (grase and rust) from everywhere inside, and checked his gas level.  All is A-OK.  I fired him up and let it run on high until the inside temperature read 650 degrees!  One more toothbrush and all the nasty old grease was burnt up and left the building.  The old vegetable oil was applied to the grill, and it “almost” looked brand new.

Come clean!

With a fresh coating of vegetable oil, we are ready to go!

Spotless

We continued decorating most of the day, and the last item was the gazebo.   We had to clean the table and the chair (even though they had been under cover for the past several months).

The gazebo is now ready for tomorrow.

After a quick dinner of leftovers (we needed space in the fridge), we headed to the pool for a couple of hours of splishing and splashing.

Mary loves to keep busy, so she uses the net to get whatever might be floating.  Today, she did not have to work too hard.  If we are in the pool in the evening, the pool lights seem to attract some pesky critters.

The bug lady at work

While floating around, I noticed our artichokes went to flower!  We have to watch them better next year.

Here’s some artichoke trivia:

    • Artichokes are flower buds — if not harvested, they bloom into large purple thistle-like flowers.
    • The edible artichoke is a cultivated variety of thistle.
    • The part people call the “heart” is the tender base of the flower bud.
    • California produces most U.S. artichokes, especially around Castroville, which calls itself the “Artichoke Center of the World.”
    • Marilyn Monroe was crowned the first honorary “Artichoke Queen” of Castroville in 1948.
    • Ancient Greeks and Romans ate artichokes and considered them a delicacy.
    • Artichokes contain cynarin, a compound that can make water taste oddly sweet after eating them.
    • The name “artichoke” likely comes from Arabic via Italian: al-kharsh?f ? articiocco ? artichoke.
    • There’s also a plant called the Jerusalem artichoke, but it’s not an artichoke at all — it’s a type of sunflower tuber.
    • Artichokes are rich in fiber, antioxidants, folate, and vitamin C.

We let the artichokes go too long!

Around 8:00 pm, the Sun set to rest for the day, and Ol Sol left the sky in beautiful condition!

The Sun setting.

The darker it got, the more stars appeared.  Venus was the first light in the nighttime sky!

Venus is out again tonight.

All the lights came on, and that means time for us to climb out of the water and enjoy the fire pit!

9:00 pm, time to go inside!

We crashed almost instantly.  A day of work and then swimming for an hour or so pooped us out!

 

 

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