The Middle of January

January is a month when I don't say "already", as in it's the middle of January already. January is the month that can go as fast as it wants to, usually.

However today and yesterday were so beautiful, with temps in the low 60's and blue sky, that these were days we would have liked to have linger. 

Sunday had us urban trekking. But Monday is house keeping and laundry day, and that's how we spent our morning. It was also ML King day, a day off for many, but when you are retired, every day is a day off. 

I didn't participate in any ML King commemorations, but I did read three very good editorials in the Seattle Times that spoke of the need to continue to work to achieve true equality, and given the racist nature of our president, that does seem evident. We still have far to go. 

After the work was done, I went outside to pick a new winter bouquet for the bathroom. 

 All shrubs from the yard,  there is gold splashed acuba, nandina, euonymus, shiny lunaria, fragrant sarcococca, and pink tipped sprigs of abelia, with some golden blooms of winter jasmine. 

After my leisurely lunch hour, I went for a walk in the neighborhood and the little nearby park. I had to shed my fleece vest once I worked up some body heat. I saw someone mowing their lawn, a family out washing their car, kids playing, and people walking and dogs playing in the park.

 As I was getting ready to return home I saw the clouds moving in. Tomorrow we will be back to the 40s and on and off rain. But it certainly could be worse!

 Tom didn't walk with me today because he was busy in the garden. While I was walking he got the raspberry bed spaded. He has been shopping on line to decide what type of raspberry plants to buy to replace the old plants we took out two years ago. We hope to defeat the Asian fruit flies this time around. 

He said it felt great to get back out to working in the yard.