NorcalGma2

NorcalGma2, 13 hours ago to animals

Summer needed a distraction so she could get a break from pining away for her pal, who won't be home until this evening.
After our housework was done, we skipped off to the refuge.
Today is extra warm for our neck of the woods, so Summer headed right for the water.
I threw the stick, and she worked on improving her diving score.
I gave her a 10 every time, but I'm biased.
#Summer #DogsOfMastodon

Golden Labrador retriever mid dive to fetch a stick in the cool water.

NorcalGma2, 21 hours ago to Dog

We got my husband off to the hospital at 4:15 this morning. Because he has skin cancer on his face that has stubbornly recurred after three removal efforts, today they are trying a different strategy. Hopefully, the mohs surgery is successful.
Summer decided to spend the rest of her very early morning in his chair. She has one of his sweatshirts to cuddle while she misses him.
Hope you got more sleep than we did.
Good morning, Mastodon.
#Summer #Dog

Golden Labrador retriever laying in a brown recliner with her head resting on the arm of the chair. She is looking at the camera.

NorcalGma2, 1 day ago to Flowers

Our apple tree is looking pretty happy this year.
The neighbors say they are installing some kind of netting to keep the birds out of their fruit trees.
I mentioned that to my husband, and we remembered that we had an abundance of apples last year. We had boxes for us, and we gave away buckets full as well as feeding lots of hummingbirds.
So far, the tree looks like it will be fruitful again, so hopefully, we will all get our share from this tree again.
Even the birds.
#Flowers

NorcalGma2, 1 day ago to random

Today is my go in to town, really early, to get a haircut day.
I stopped at the park for a quick walk in the redwoods before heading to the grocery store and home.
Good morning, Mastodon.
#Redwoods

Redwood trees with a little blue sky.
Grove of redwood trees.

NorcalGma2, 2 days ago to random

It is a pretty calm evening. A chilly breeze lingering at the end of a windy day.
Summer's pal wanted to be the one to feed the ducks and close the door on their pen.
I am keeping Summer in the house because I worry that she will rile up the ducks and things could get complicated.
So she patiently watches him go from one end of the yard to the other through the openings on the deck. As soon as he passed by, she moved her vigil to the back door. I could hear her sigh of relief when he came back into the house.
She is a funny, totally faithful dog.
#Summer

NorcalGma2, 2 days ago to Bloomscrolling

Another rose bush started blooming in our garden today.
I love it.
#BloomScrolling

NorcalGma2, 2 days ago to random

Summer used her advanced flower pot wrangling skills to help me plant four more dahlias today. Whew!
#Summer

Golden Labrador retriever is fetching resin pots for planting. She is standing in green grass next to a green hose. There are two 5 gallon white buckets of soil behind her.
Golden Labrador retriever is fetching resin pots for planting. She is standing in green grass next to a green hose. There are two 5 gallon white buckets of soil behind her.

NorcalGma2, 2 days ago to Cats

I also found cats in my daughter's garden. These are happy cats running and playing.
Makes it hard to get a photo.
Byron and Jasper are pure joy.
#Cats

Jasper is a tabby cat hiding in the grass.
Byron is a tabby cat walking on a pot between raised garden beds.

NorcalGma2, 2 days ago to Bloomscrolling

After dropping off the soup to my friend,
I ran our compost to my daughter's house.
Her garden is a mosaic of color.
There are so many flowers to choose from.
She also surprised me with an early Mother's Day gift of a hard to find dahlia called KA's Chiffon. She even included a new oak half barrel.
I feel spoiled, and it isn't even Sunday yet.
#BloomScrolling

Yellow gold flower.
Magenta gladiolus.

NorcalGma2, 2 days ago to random

Lots of good things are happening today.
I took homemade soup to my former coworker, who doesn't like to cook for one. She was thrilled.
She also surprised me with the gift of earrings she crafted herself.
So kind of her. I hardly wear earrings anymore but will have to find an occasion.
I asked about her garden, which is usually planted by now, but she can't get it going with new knees that don't bend well.
I called the grandkids, and we will be weeding and planting her garden on Sunday.
They asked what I wanted for Mother's Day, and that's what I wanted.
It will be fun.

NorcalGma2, 3 days ago to random

It is easy to communicate using photos.
Words, however, are more complicated.
Sometimes, I struggle with expressing myself in writing.
Social media platforms like Facebook have never held any appeal for me. Maybe it was because I wasn't willing to put myself out there or make an effort. Either way, I think I was right to stay away.
From the first post here, I have felt welcome.
It just took me a minute to figure out how to stay in the space where I'm comfortable. The space I'm in now.
I never toot happenings that are happy or sad or in-between without someone reacting in a positive supportive way. It feels like a miracle.
Mastodon is a comforting distraction from hard realities as well as a fitting place to share the joy Summer brings to our house.
So to all our Mastodon friends, thank you.
You make my day every day.
Summer's, too.

NorcalGma2, 3 days ago to random

I stopped to get a quick shot of Humboldt Bay from the top of Table Bluff on the drive home. It is beautiful today if you have shelter from the wind.
#Humboldt

NorcalGma2, 3 days ago to animals

We all needed some exercise, and it was sunny outside, so we packed it up and moved it out.
The wind was cold, but we had our jackets and tried to keep moving to stay warm.
Summer really loves this trail, and it is a joy to watch her play.
After we got her pal settled on a bench, the stick started flying with her close behind.
I'm not sure it's possible to wear her out playing fetch.
We all felt excercised and ready for lunch by the time we got home.
#Summer #DogsOfMastodon

Golden Labrador retriever laying next to the water ready to swim after the stick again.
Golden Labrador retriever standing on the gravel trail through the marsh.

NorcalGma2, 3 days ago to gardening

Summer and I moved our vegetable garden starts into the sun this morning. It looks good so far.
The next two days are supposed to be nice and warm. Seeds love nice and warm, and so does grandma.
Good morning, Mastodon.
#Seedlings ##Gardening

NorcalGma2, 4 days ago to animals

I'm trying to figure out what Summer wants.
Any ideas?
#Summer #DogsOfMastodon

NorcalGma2, 4 days ago to animals

Summer was so excited to see the sun. There is a cold wind this morning, too, but that didn't phase her a bit.
We threw the ball a few times before breakfast, but mostly Summer wanted to bask in the light.
Good morning, Mastodon.
#Summer #DogsOfMastodon

NorcalGma2, 5 days ago to random

Summer and I enjoyed our sunset time. She listened to me lament how many chores on my list still need to be done. I was like, there isn't enough time in the day.
She gave me the look.
You know the look.
My kids always teased each other about getting said look from me when they were teens.
I asked why?
She says lists hold just us back. If we plan the whole day, we might miss opportunities for fun.
Can't have that.
She says we should ditch the list and just do the best we can, to do what's most important, and be happy about it.
I said, I like it, good idea.
#Sunset

NorcalGma2, 5 days ago to random

On our last field trip with Summer, her pal hooked her leash, to her collar, on the wrong ring. Somehow, her name tag and license fell off.
We looked and looked and found the ring and the license but not the name tag.
Engraved on the tag is her name, our address, and my cell number.
This morning, I got a call, and a stranger was at our gate with her tag. It was so kind of them to return it. Summer came out to say thank you herself, and later, I sent a photo of her since I have a few, and said thank you again.
They messaged back that she is beautiful and she made their day.
I love a reminder that there are still some nice people out there.
#Summer

NorcalGma2, 6 days ago to random

Byron is a big fluff ball.
I hear he keeps my daughter warm by sleeping in her lap while she works.
Efficient in chair heating system.
#Caturday

NorcalGma2, 6 days ago to random

In 1977, I was 19 years old and a mom.
Money was really tight, and I rarely splurged to see a movie.
But since I had been a Star Trek and even Lost in Space fan, the first Star Wars movie seemed like something I might like.
The rare movie I splurged for would almost have had a star too talented to make a bad movie. Star Wars didn't fit that bill, at least not yet.
I remember talking my older sister into babysitting for free and then standing in line for a really long time for a ticket.
The movie did not disappoint.
Over the years, a love of all things Star Wars facilitated many family get-togethers with now three generations of fans.
Today, I brought dinner and dessert to my grandkids to celebrate Star Wars day and remind them I have been a fan since the very beginning of the very first movie.
They are dutifully impressed.
I can still remember how much fun I had that evening.
May the 4th be with you.

NorcalGma2, 6 days ago to Bloomscrolling

It stopped raining for a few minutes, so Summer and I raced outside.
The garden is loving the rain.
This is our third rose for this season. The rose looks like fine silk and has a delightful fragrance.
The other flowers are from the apple tree promising another bountiful early crop of tasty apples. I have no idea what kind of apples they are, but they are tasty, so that's what I call them.
#Rose #BloomScrolling

Apple tree gearing up to bust out in flowers. Right now, they are pink buds.

NorcalGma2, 7 days ago to random

I am supposed to get in thirty minutes of heart-pounding exercise three days a week. I still needed one more day, so I ran down to the wildlife refuge, and since the trail was flat, I walked as fast as I could in the loose gravel. Maybe it wasn't quite heart-pounding, but it was a couple of miles.
We will call it good enough.
I left Summer in charge of things at home.
A few photos from my walk.
#Marsh #WildlifeRefuge #Humboldt

Gold and deep red flowers on a large bush.
A large marsh pond with a hen duck and duckling and an egret in flight.