Comings and Goings

What day is this, anyway? It's hard to keep track. - Tuesday we went to the zoo. While I can take or leave the zoo myself, I did enjoy spending the day with the family, walking around in the pleasant weather, having a picnic lunch on the lawn, being entertained by the kids. Jake was able to join us, and that made it even better. We enjoyed the flamingos, typically standing on one leg and hiding their heads, and this goose who thought he was one of them.

We saw animals both real and artistically rendered.

The statues are fun to pose with.

I find zoos frustrating. In order to give the animals a semblance of a natural habitat, they have large, vegetative habitats. That's better for the animals. But it makes it almost impossible to see them. Hm-m-m.

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After we got home I went up to the school for a retirement reception for a former colleague, and then we took the kids out to Red Robin while Jill went out to dinner with a high school friend. You earn your Grandparent merit badge when you take a six year old and a four year old out to a restaurant without either of their parents. As Irene was squirming under the table, I informed Tom that I was merely containing her, not controlling her.

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Wednesday we were up early to watch the tree demolition. The wonderful cherry trees along the drive that we have loved for 30 years had become so diseased that they were barely leafing out this year. The blooms faded on the trees almost before blooming. We knew that it was time to have them removed.

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We called Little Joe's Tree Service. They sent a big crew and had the job done in an hour!

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With long reach chain saws and a tree size chipper, they made those trees disappear like magic, without a trace. It does pay to hire a company that has the tools and skills to do the job right.

We do mourn the loss of the trees. It seems so bare without them and I know the neighbors will miss them. But it needed to be done.

Since that job was done by 9:00AM, we had the day to play. Jill went out to lunch with an old friend and we entertained the kids with a grand luncheon and high tea down on the deck.

It is very quiet here now. Tom and I were up early to take care of an annual garden chore before it got warm. Jill and the kids left for Whidbey Island where they will join Aunt Jan and Jake. Jan is Tom's sister and a very devoted aunt who needs some time with the kids without the competition of Grandma being present. They will have beach time and canoeing in the lagoon and campfires in the back yard and sleeping in bunk beds. We'll check in with them briefly on Saturday when we go to Whidbey Isalnd to tour some gardens. Other than that, we are not invited.

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And that's OK. I just enjoyed a two hour lunch while sitting on the patio, reading the newspaper. When I'm through blogging I plan to catch up in the news magazines and then start a book. We are ready for some down time.

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They'll be back on Monday for another busy week.