Raining Again

Thursday, 6/20/13 - To finish yesterday, after going to the gym, I drove down to Coeur d'Alene and went to Macy's for a few things.  Then met Zack at Meltz for half a Simpleton.

 From there I went to Costco for gas and groceries.  I was on my way to Northland Nursery when I called Gretchen to see if she'd like to come along.  She recommended I go to Lowe's in Spokane Valley to pick out some plants (lower prices), so that's what I did.

So, now I  have bout 20 holes to dig!  Since we put in the new lawn, TurfCare expanded my gardens, too, which is kind of the bad part about getting the new lawn.  I'm really not a gardener.  So anyway, now I have to fill up all the new spaces.  They also circled our trees with edging, so we are going to fill three of those with river rock, and the other two I'll plant some of the plants I got yesterday.  Got some vinca for under the one that is the driest and gets the most sun.  The other one is in the shade all day, so got some shade plants for there, and a couple of those tallish barberry bushes.

However, due to the heavy rain and wind, I won't be planting this morning.  It's supposed to lighten up a bit  this afternoon, so I might be able to dig my holes then.  I'd like to at least get started.

The other thing I need to get started on is my IDLA class.  I've put it off for four days...  Time to stop procrastinating, which I will do, right after I go to the gym.  :)

I've seen the Eurasian Collared Doves in our backyard these past two days, under the Cedar tree!

Napping, a goal?

Wednesday, June 19 - Unless I do this every day, I'm going to be backtracking every day.  We'll see.  I did consider getting on last night, but I had just spent three hours going through photos from our California trip, and I didn't feel like being on the computer any more.  I had never gone through them since as soon as I got back I had so much going on (online endorsement portfolio, journalism class revision, two online classes, and regular 7-4 job at SMS).  Anyway, there were 1100 pictures in one of the folders, since we went to three NWRs that day.  I've got them down to about 750 pics.  I like to edit them down and crop before uploading them to the web with Picasa.

Going back to Monday, I did go to the gym, then read my book for awhile to try to finish it for book club that night.  The Deep Dark, about the Sunshine Mine disaster in 1972.  I think that would be a good book for my class to read, since it is right here in North Idaho.

 Very well-written, I thought, interesting and of local significance. I went to the grocery store to get hamburger buns for Book Club (got a few other things, too). I didn't finish it before book club that night. After reading for an hour or so, I took an hour nap, and then read for another hour before heading out.

The Baker Bus picked up Joann at 4:50PM, then zoomed over to Amanda's house for a 5:00PM pick up, and then stopped at the corner of Sagle Road and Hwy 95 to pick up Teddy.  Then another 1/2 hour to get to Mary's cabin on the lake.  It was an adventure!  I think the last time I drove down there I used the truck, and probably should have this time.  Very narrow track.  A good book club night.

Yesterday, June 18, 2013, was not such a successful day. I did not go to the gym.  Monday I had thought to go down to CDA on Tuesday, but didn't get out for that either.  I did accomplish taking another nap yesterday.  Apparently napping is an activity I can always work in.  I did a lot of laundry yesterday, and watched some of the French Open tennis match I had recorded a couple weekends ago.  I also got on ebird and added another list from last year.  When Don got home, I was working on that, and I think we completed the Kern NWR list from our California trip.  The trip home, Jan. 5 or 6.  We also stopped at Colusa and Sacramento NWRs.  Those were the images I was going through last night.  I need Don's help to finish those lists.

So, today I am going to the gym, and might go down to CDA, to Costco, and maybe clothes shopping.  It's raining, and is supposed to keep raining all day.

Summer Journal

I decided that I don't want summer to disappear without me knowing what I did.  So I am going to keep a little journal of what I do.  It's a sad then when you get ready to go back to teaching in the end of August without being able to say what happened all summer.

Of course, "the big trip" will be a highlight (Norway in July), but I want to enjoy every day, and remember every day.  Summer is too short to forget.

So, last day of school: Monday, June 10.  Last day of school.  That day I got off a little early, but I don't remember what else I did.  See?!?  Bummer.  Maybe I'll remember later.  Well, I looked at my photo folders, so it turns out Don and I went on a bike ride to Chuck Sough (Half way to Dover Bay) that evening.

Tuesday, June 11 - First day off school, with no responsibilities.  I know I went to the gym, and spent some time updating my Quicken, which I hadn't done since I did my taxes in April. I cleaned out the bird baths, and took pictures of the starlings having their communal bath.

Wednesday, June 12 - IDLA Summer Conference in Coeur d'Alene.  Went by Northland Nursery on my way home, talked to a lady who said I should just use stone around the new Autumn Blaze Clumps.  We also decided I will bring down some photos next time to get her advice with what to plant.

Thursday, June 13 - LPOSD Schoology training at the SHS Library.  Informative.  Learned a lot.  Will need a refresher course when I get back to school.\

Friday, June 14 - LPOSD Common Core Writing Strategies at Kootenai Elementary.  Some helpful information.  Mostly really boring.  Stopped by the nursery in Ponderay on my way home.  Nothing too interesting that wasn't too expensive.

Saturday, June 15 - Kootenai NWR with Don.  Got bit up by misquitos really bad.  Got a great picture of a Virginia Rail that Don called out with his Audubon App. Saw their babies, too (little black balls). Also saw baby coots (orange-red heads) and baby pied-billed grebes (really stripy), both really cute!  (Photos didn't some out so well on those, too far away and behind tall grasses).   Saw a mystery bird. Lots of kingbirds, yellow-headed blackbirds, great grey herons.

Sunday, June 16 - Went to Little Spokane River Natural Area for the first time. Identified one new species for us, Willow Flycatcher.  Lots of families on the trail and floating the river.  Great for families, not so great for birding, but fun new place.  Definitely someplace we want to come back to again.  Lots of yellow warblers.  Also saw a downy woodpecker feeding her babies in a hole in a tree!  That was cool.  We saw a northern flicker feeding babies last weekend.  Love that!

Monday, June 17 - Today!  So far, watered the lawn (trying to keep new grass for new lawn damp), called ladies to arrange rides to book club tonight,  uploaded a few folders with Picasa to Google+, uploaded the photos from yesterday onto my computer and looked at some.  It's 9:07 AM.  I've been up since 5:30AM with Don.  Played a few games of Scramble with Friends.  Now I need to change and go to the gym!  I'd like to do that every day this summer.  I've had that resolve many summers, and it usually dissolves in a week or so...  Maybe this summer will be different.  :)