Feel Like Complaining

Father's Day weekend almost started with a bang and only got weirder. On Friday I had to stop at the grocery store to pick up some medication for my Mom. It was a quick trip in and out and as I was getting ready to pull forward, a big black SUV sped into the lot in front of me and almost hit a guy coming out of the store. I waited a minute then decided I better back up instead. A cop car raced in behind me and got out, gun drawn, and aimed at a vehicle 3 stalls down. I was trapped! There were 3 guns in all aimed at a guy in a truck and I cracked the window down enough to  hear "GET OUT, DOWN ON THE GROUND, HANDS ON YOUR HEAD." I was slumped down in my seat, messaging my daughter giving her a play by play of the action. I wasn't really scared, but it could have gone south real quick. It was over in about 5 minutes and I was able to go on my way. I never did hear what it was about, just another day in Spokane I guess. On Saturday we had been invited to a BBQ gra...

I came to a realization recently and am quite shocked that it took me this long to figure it out. So today I am coming out.....as an Introvert. There, I said it. I AM AN INTROVERT . When our daughter was young I would watch the ways she would scope out a situation before joining in with anything. Even as young as 2 or 3 she would wait until most of the kids had gone before she went in McDonald's playland, then she would choose her playmates carefully. As she got older I encouraged her to be more social by taking her to the Boys and Girls Club in the summer. She hated it. I had her play baseball, she hated it. It looked like she constantly struggled socially and didn't have a lot friends. She preferred just to hang out at home and only for a brief time had two close friends. I invited those two girls-who did not know each other-to The Kid's birthday party. I got a nice room in a motel with a pool. Both of them became instant friends and totally went off and left my daugh...

Yesterday was my Birthday. I didn't want to do anything fancy so we decided to take a short hike near Cheney, in the Turnbull National Wildlife Refuge. The channeled scablands were formed from volcanic activity and ice age floods. We were there several years ago but didn't realize there were so many walking trails. There are about 18,000 acres in all, we only walked 2 and-a-half miles of it. It was a cool morning, but definitely better than too hot. As soon as we got out of our car we could hear so many birds. All but a few we never get to hear in the city. We walked slowly around the bodies of water and took in the sights and sounds. Then we drove the 5.5 mile car tour before heading home. Every photographer needs a camera backpack It was a great walk and later in the evening we BBQ'd, had a gourmet cupcake and I opened my gifties. It was a great day and a perfect way to spend a birthday, with just a Party Of Three.

I love this time of year, when spring hasn't quite become the hot, stay-indoors summer. The flower beds are clear of weeds, garden is planted, and flowers are starting to bloom. A flower 'bed' I have a passion for solar lights. It started several years with a 2 1/2 ft tall lighthouse I asked my husband to get me for my birthday. Every birthday since, he has gotten me some type of light. Most are the staked kind with either round bulbs or hummingbirds that light up. Last week at our local Ace hardware store I saw some colored mason jar types with filaments in them that look like fireflies when it's dark. There were only 3 left; I bought one and my husband went back the next day and got the other two. I'm giving one to my Mom an early birthday gift. I also ordered a string of 100 mini lights to put somewhere in the back yard. I just love them! We have bought 3 more birdhouses since last summer. One is a hit, the other two are questionable. The hole is a...