Spot Of Sunshine

Babe found the morning rays coming through the
balcony window, hitting the cubby above the fireplace.

I love how cats always find a spot of sunshine.  They seem to bask in it and use it to warm their soul. 
We need to do as they do.

A spot of sunshine may actually be the warm rays of the sun, but it can also be the simplest of things, more importantly - any of many blessings.  It is good to let a “spot of sunshine” that has come our way, be the basis for gratefulness in our day.


Amidst all of the chaos in our world today, we each need a spot of sunshine.  But we need to be watching for it, or we might miss it.  I try to take time to count my blessings (each bringing a little sunshine to my life).  A loving husband, a chat with my children, my caring extended family, fantastic friends, four fuzzy kitties, my wonderful horse, our silly dog, a smile, a kind word, my favorite food, an encouraging text or email, a laugh, a song, a bible verse, the chance to help someone, sweet memories, and the sunshine as well as the rain... just to name a few.

Another important thing to remember, “Those who bring sunshine to the lives of others cannot keep it from themselves.” - James M. Barrie



Saturday 5/9 - I kind of slept in, so my first walk wasn't until 6am.  It was only 30° but at least the skies were blue.  I continue to thoroughly enjoy my mornings here in my sun room.  I know my feline enjoy this space also.









Joe and I went over to Patty's right after lunch, taking our long-handled saw and loppers, to help her trim some branches way up high.



Joe left with Maggie to go hiking.  Eventually I made it to the barn to test out my new girth and ride a little.  I decided to return the girth because it has a few flaws.  I found Zorro's old girth, which he out grew, and it looks as if it will work well.  (An unexpected spot of sunshine.)









When Patty got to the barn, she let Zorro graze for quite a bit, and then worked on another obstacle for our course.





I rode for a little while, with Jan and Polly.












It was colder than I expected, and almost 'feeding time' for my fur babies at home, so I quit earlier than the others.




While my four kitties were enjoying the sunshine, I took this (video) of Mama Styx and Babe grooming each other.



Mama Styx.




I had yard work I had hoped to accomplish, but time and energy were waning, and I knew 'tomorrow was another day.'

Joe and I watched Blue Bloods once I got all my daily household chores done, including covering all my outdoor plants for a second night because of the expected frost.

Sunday 5/10 - Mother's Day.  Joe got me a funny card, fedora and sunscreen to wear at the pool, and made me breakfast.  What a sweet heart and a ray of sunshine.








I am so grateful to be a Mom to these three wonderful children.  Since we are unable to physically visit each other, texting and video chats have had to suffice.  We included Mom and Jean, and Patty in our weekly group chat. 














Now that all my kiddies have left home, I'll have to be content to get hugs and kisses from my kitties.  Stevie is by far the most affectionate of the four.  She loves burying her head in the crook of my neck.





I watered grass seed after lunch and then went to the barn.  I forgot the 'n' when I texted my whereabouts in a message to Joe, and he wondered what bar I had gone to.  LOL

There were six of us total, out for a ride.  We started out in front, just horsing around.
This group photo was taken by Jan's husband Mike, at the end of our horsing around.  From left to right:
Emily on Tasha, me on Amiga, Polly on Rio, Patty on Zorro, Cheryl on Velvet, and Jan on Cash.



























Patty riding Zorro through the new obstacle.  After going forward and turning at the L, you then back them out the same pattern, without them stepping on the boards.  He did it like a champ.  Patty does great work with him.









Several of us then went over to the garden plots to ride around there.








Patty took this (video) of me cantering on Amiga.  This was our second pass when Amiga was wanting to catch up with the other horses, and got a little out of control by the end.
 

Our first pass had been so much slower, smoother and more controlled.  I took this photo of Patty and Cheryl from where I had been cantering Amiga.









We all then decided to go for a little trail ride.  Back at the BARn, Mike and Don were enjoying libations. 

I took many photos and (videos) of our fun little trail ride.

Is there a rule against texting and riding?
















The end of a wonderful ride on a perfect day. 

Joe grilled chicken for dinner and I cooked rice and corn.  It had been a nice Mother's Day, one to remember.





Monday 5/11 - What does one do when they wake up at 2am, unable to get back to sleep?  I went into the living room to read.  It was quite chilly, so I got a cup of hot tea, started the fire, and let the dog join the cats and I.  Two hours later, I took a 90 minute nap, and then started the day again with more tea and my usual computer time.

Babe was sitting above the fireplace, looking down at me as I was waking up.

I was here at my computer a lot longer than normal, because I was getting this blog started.  Babe had inspired me to come up with this week's title.


Late in the morning, the sun comes through the skylight and a spot of sunshine hits my computer screen, making it more difficult to see.  This is like a reminder that it is past time to shut down.








I heated up leftovers for lunch and went out on the deck to join Joe, who always takes advantage of sitting in the sun, even when it was only 53° outside.



Soon I got busy working out front, in preparation for the asphalt guys, who were coming in a day or two.  I weeded this bed along the edge of the drive and even recruited Joe to do the grass edging along this side of the drive.




I had spread the grass clippings, mowed up from the day before, out on the tarp to dry.



Here is a look at this nice neat edge, ready for new asphalt. 


The biggest, most time consuming project I did, was getting this section by the garage prepared.  Re-doing this 'flower' bed has been on my to-do list for years.


I had no idea if the rocks in the 'pit' were acting as drainage or not.  Very little water tends to run in that direction anyway.  Much of it runs off the drive, down the middle of the sidewalk and then goes in both directions, off the sidewalk.  The water washed the mulch I used in this bed, down past the big holly bush you see, and toward our heat pump.  That's why I put in the concrete landscape border.   




I hauled three wheelbarrow loads of large rocks to where I would use them down back.  Many of these were buried in the dirt.  I also took four buckets full of fist size rocks and put them along the edge of the creek.





I pulled up the two black plastic borders during the process of getting to the bottom of this 'hole.'



And look what I found under the dirt, rock, and landscape tarp.  A drain pipe.  I took off the green end-cap to check for debris in the pipe.  I put my hand way up inside it, and it was very clean.  Then I stuck the hose in it and checked to see if it was draining well.  I had also checked the drainage of the down spout.  Both were working and draining out the pipe down back where I had, just last week, finished improving the ditch it drained into.



Finally, I hauled off all the concrete edging blocks, removed some excess dirt and re-shaped the 'funnel' of ground leading to the pipe which I had put the green end-cap back on.

I made a salad (as usual) for a late dinner and watched two hours of Blue Bloods with Joe.

Tuesday 5/12 - By 8am, the asphalt guy had postponed because rain was in the forecast and our drive needs to be dry for the new asphalt to stick on top of the old.  This meant that I had the whole day to finish preparations for the new asphalt, unless rain were to hinder my ability to work.

It was cold and gray and I was in no hurry to go outside, so I worked around the house.  In this photo, Babe was preparing to steal the ball toy Monita was playing with.



I did a batch of hard boiled eggs, but ten minutes into the process, smelled an odd odor.  When I checked on them, I realized I had forgotten to add water to the pan.  For cryin' out loud!  I added water and then after five additional minutes of 'steaming' when I went to check to see if they were done, this one broke when I went to pick it up.  And obviously, the eggs needed more time to cook.


Knowing that cooking and housework are not my thing, I decided to take my chances with the weather, and went out to work along the driveway.  I weeded and edged this other bed on the mailbox side of the drive.






While I was working, the ducks came by for a visit, or to see what I was up to, or to beg for corn - I'm not sure which.  I wondered if Mrs. Duck had a nest somewhere, or was looking for a good spot to start her clutch.




They wandered around and eventually waddled off.

Once I got all of the edge finished on this bed, I started sweeping up gravel from the road.  I got two buckets full of loose gravel.  It washes down our drive, so I also swept the driveway.  The asphalt guy said he would add a hump, like a speed bump, at the end to keep water and gravel from washing down our drive from the street.  Our road is tar and gravel - rather a messy surface.





It's hard to tell from this last photo, where the gravel was, because it is all swept up.  You can see the loose gravel in front of our mailbox.  The road was kind of like that in front of our driveway.





I fed the ducks down back, and then went in to feed the cats and myself.

I watched the first two episodes of Tiger King because I have heard several references to it and wanted to know what it was about.  First off, I had thought it was a Disney movie spin off from Lion King.  Well now I know a little more.  I am not sure which is worse, being uninformed, or being big cat crazy like everyone in the documentary.

Wednesday 5/13 - I only got sprinkled on once the day before, but it was drizzling when I walked the dog and there were little episodes of rainfall throughout the morning and early afternoon.








I spent several hours cleaning the guest quarters upstairs and unpacking a box of large photos, including this gift Dan brought us from Afghanistan.

It is very unique.  It is wooden, and lays flat.  Then when you pull up on the handle, it becomes this ornamental bowl.

The cats enjoyed exploring new spaces and stuff while I worked.









I rescued this Canada warbler that hit the window.  I picked it up using a Kleenex and set it in a bowl in one of my potted plants out on the front porch.  It was cold and drizzling and I wanted to keep it warm.  Eventually it flew off.  

By 2:30, the coast was clear to go outside and work.  It was still chilly and overcast, but no more chance of rain.  The last thing I wanted to do to prep the drive, was get all the old tar out of the crack right in front of the garage, with the hopes the new asphalt would stick better to the rough (rather than smooth) surface. 












Before coming inside for the day, I wanted to get more grass seed sowed.  Then I watered the sod I had put down and all the grass seed.

Mr. Duck came begging for corn.  His mate was nowhere to be seen.  I figured she was sitting on a nest somewhere.









He has gotten so use to me, he went after the corn with my hand quite close.  I talk quietly to all the wildlife, and I think he is used to (familiar with) my voice.

Joe and I watched the three hour finale of Survivor.  I was so happy Tony won.  There was no re-union show, and Jeff Probst read the final votes on video from his garage.

Thursday 5/14 - It promised to be a pretty day, but started out fairly cold and still rather cloudy.  I have had troubles staying warm lately.  I think I just need to get moving, that or find a spot of sunshine.











It was warm enough to open up the doors and windows by noon.  The cats love going out on the porch.  I had just cut all their nails so Babe was still hiding (Behind the porch swing) from me.  Listen to the sounds of nature on this (video).



Mama Styx is the nicest, sweetest kitty.










I went out to water grass seed and sweep up all this new debris (tree seed stuff) that had blown onto the driveway over night.




I was at the barn from 2:30 - 5:30, and had a very enjoyable, nearly two hour ride.  The six miles Amiga and I covered included getting to and from the Glade, by way of the Holly Trail.







We went along some of the power lines and down several grassy roads.  Amiga did quite well, although a few times was being a bit willful and needed extra coaxing and patience on my part.

This big puddle of water we always ride through has been full of tiny little tadpoles (all the black specks).  If you enlarge it, you can see them better.

Once back to the barn, after I un-tacked and brushed Amiga and checked for ticks, I put her in her stall.  A little later when I peeked in on her, while she was eating her grain, she laid down and was biting at (scratching) both back legs just above the hoof (coronet and pastern).




So I pulled her back out, checked for ticks again, and put her in the pony pen for awhile so she could roll and have room to take care of any itches.  She had been kind of sweaty when we got done with the ride, which makes her itch and want to scratch or rub on things.






After dinner, I worked until dark (8pm) watering grass seed.  Joe had mowed the front yard and saved grass clippings, so I spread those over some of the seed first.  This photo shows the first section I seeded about ten days ago (on both sides of the path) greening up.

Friday 5/15 - I did some last minute cleaning and had Joe fill my car with gas as part of a deal that I would clean all the toilets.  The last time I gassed up my Prius was March 9th, so I went 9½ weeks on one tank of gas.  My car only holds 9 gallons of gas and gets an average of a little over 50 miles per gallon.  So I have only driven about 50 miles per week.  That's about four trips to and from the barn, per week, which is about the only driving I do.

Joe's friend Greg arrived at 9am.  They were both soon off to do some hiking and I got in 90 minutes more of computer time and then went to water the grass seed.  A chipmunk had excavated all this stuff out of this hole overnight.

Britney's Greenville College graduation photo from ten years ago.







While I was out watering my grass seed I got word from Britney that she had passed her thesis paper defense, which occurred from about 10 till noon.  She is now a Doctor of Peace and Conflict Studies.  This is not just a spot of sunshine for me, but a burst of radiant light in my life.  I am unbelievably excited and proud of Britney and hope this opens more doors for her in the future and enables her to impact the world in a positive way that she would like to do.

The asphalt man called and said he wasn't going to make it out, so the rest of my afternoon was spent at the barn.  I waited for Amiga to get a big drink of water before bringing her in to the barn to tack up.









I joined Cheryl, Patty, and Jan for a ride.  It was perfect weather and the trails were great, nice and dry, but not yet dusty.

You (horse, family, friends, and blue skies) are my sunshine.

When I got home, the boys were working at getting the kayaks in and on the SUV so they could get an early departure in the morning.










 I watered the grass seed again as the boys got a little bonfire going and started on libations. 



Soon after Patty arrived, I joined the three for dinner, drinks, and conversation.  We grilled hot dogs and I heated up the Skyline chili I had frozen from last week.  Everything was tasty and we all agreed, hotdogs are just better when cooked over an open fire.