My DnD character. A young halfling. I enjoy thinking about him playing his ocarina while resting against a tree in the forest; being brave and quick on his feet, darting into battle - snick, snick.

Today we meet Kathy's friend Priscilla for lunch. Another meal at the Thai Palace. I finished the puzzle I was working on (Johnny helped me) and last night Kathy and I started a new one.

I've discovered shampoo bars and am excited for another way to stop making so much plastic waste. The first one I tried is from earthling company - Chloe recommended - very expensive, but very good. I've found another couple brands I want to try that are more affordable. I hate it every time I get done with a plastic bottle. Even though they go in the recycling it seems wasteful. I've started using detergent pods that come in bags for clothes washing and feel good about that. Now if I could just find scoopable cat litter in bags I wouldn't have all those plastic jugs to dispose of. Correction! Just checked Amazon and they have it!

Morning Coffee. Another morning up early, before dawn. I didn't want to run the coffee machine because Kathy was sleeping in her chair near the kitchen so I waited and made the background for this picture while I waited. I didn't know at the time what the picture would be about. Then I got to thinking how much the color of the background was like my coffee cup. So here's another dumb little picture illustrating my life. I love sitting outside in the morning. The only problem is the no-see-ums. How can such a tiny, almost invisible bug carry so much poison? My legs are covered with itchy bites.

We never did play DND or go swimming yesterday. Instead we watched Toy Story 3 (I cried of course) and then went over to visit Tracy and her family. Maria is big into anime and showed us her collections. For dinner we had a sushi party (put together and roll your own sushi from ingredients on the table). Smoked mullet, avocado, cucumber, strawberries, wasabi, pickled ginger, and in my case sweet and sour sauce. In the evening we went out and watched the sunset. Maybe today we'll succeed with making the time to play DND. I'm looking forward to playing a Halfling Rogue and Kathy will be a Half-elf Wizard.

After Dark.

Johnny and I swam in the pool today. Felt good. In the afternoon Kathy's daughters and their families came for dinner.

Kathy is soldering stained glass butterflies for her gallery's Xmas show. I love all the beautiful glass.

Feeling very discouraged with the new onslaughts to our freedom of speech. It's like maga is a huge boulder set into motion that will eventually crush us into submission. I wish I didn't feel so helpless and hopeless. Kathy is as appalled as I am so at least we have each other. It was hard this morning to get going, to move. My body feels weak. Though I thought I had so much pent up anxiety that maybe it'd be good to walk outside, and so I did. About a mile in the neighborhood, in the sun, was all I could do.

One bright thing. Johnny is arriving today. He'll be here till Tuesday. We'll probably go out to Anna Marie Island and explore the docks and beach. Lots of places that we'd like to visit.

Swimming. I didn't get to swim in Kathy's pool yet today. I don't know if I will. It's been raining. A thunderstorm rumbled through this afternoon and we enjoyed just sitting on the back porch watching.


Kathy had gathered up palm flower stalks earlier and we opened one. This was what was inside, crinkly strands that had super tiny flowers all along them in groups of 5, 6 or 7.


Here it is all opened up.


Closeup of the little flower buds. They look like caterpillars to me.

It's been a stay at home day today. Lazy.

Pennies From Heaven.

We went to downtown Bradenton this morning so Kathy could go to a meeting at the library. I walked the River Walk. A city park that runs beside the Manatee River with a paved pathway that goes a couple miles. A beautiful warm morning, breezy, not hot, though it did get hot later today.

Sitting in the backyard at the moment. A cicada in the live oak tree above me  just now started. This is the first one I have heard here. Incredible! The volume of sound. I think there are 2 but they blend together. And maybe another has now joined in. They seem louder here than anything I've ever experienced up north.

Jules and I were walking down by the gravel pit of the lake this afternoon and he saw this weird bone. I thought it was a skull of some kind. Came home and looked it up and it's a cormorant synsacrum (pelvis).


Reminds me of a dragon skull.

While on a walk down back last week Dave picked up this tiny feather and gave it to me. So I made a little bird with air dry clay and put the feather in the head so I could save it. I finished painting the little bird this morning. Here's another picture of it.


I'm going to give it back to Dave as a present later today.

I've been very lax about writing here. I last wrote something on Sunday. Having a picture of something to share is usually what brings me here and I haven't taken any pictures this week.

Thinking a lot of my upcoming trip to FL to visit Kathy. Getting stuff ready. 14 sheets of 5 x 7 watercolor paper and a little watercolor set. I want to do a daily painting/drawing while there - just something to remember each day. My clothes needed washed and organized. I needed to make sure the finances were in order and any checks sent that needed sent. Last week I got a desire to learn how to play ocarina. I ordered one and had it sent down to Kathy's house so it'll be there when I get there. I didn't want to have it here for fear I'd loll away all my time with it and not get other stuff done. I still have 2 1/2 mirrors to finish gluing stained glass on. Must finish that before tomorrow. Tomorrow I want to dedicate the day to cleaning house so it'll be clean for Dave while I'm gone - at least it will start clean. And I'll be packing tomorrow. I'm a very light packer so it won't be that hard. I leave super early on Sunday.