My birthday was last week.
I’ve been officially old for a while, so the only reason a birthday is relevant to me these days is counting down the months til I can apply for Social Security. I could apply now, but holding out ’til late spring will get me full benefits. I still plan to work at least a couple of more years beyond, but will be using the SS payments to knock down the credit cards and other bills.
G took me out for dinner for my birthday. I’m glad, because it was otherwise not a great day. I ended up calling out partway through my shift the next day, because I’d been sick for a few days and finally hit a brick wall. I slept several hours the day I called out, which allowed me to revert to my (mostly) human form since.
We had amazing weather over the weekend. T’was misty, cloudy, rainy: in short, perfect for us to play shutterbug. Those conditions don’t come around often in this part of the world, so we hit the road just after sunrise to take pictures.
We weren’t the only ones hitting the road, either.
If you’re unfamiliar, this is a roadrunner: the real McCoy, not the Loony Tunes version. Nary a “Meep-meep pffft” sound here. They’re also not known for standing still for photographers, so I’m tickled pink to get this capture at all. (Telephoto lens to the rescue!) He was in the shade, so his coloring is barely visible except for his eyebrow area. It’s too bad, because they have gorgeous iridescent streaks among their feathers.
Roadrunners can fly, at least for short distances. 99.9% of the time, though, you’ll spot them running across or alongside the road. One of his legs is tucked up, nearest I can tell. He was running just before and after this capture.
This guy (below) wasn’t technically hitting the road. He did a few loops over our heads, waving when he got close enough. G got some closeups.
It was late(ish) afternoon here so the light was decent, despite clearing skies.
At the last doctor’s visit a couple of weeks ago, all my labs came back in decent numbers AND I’d lost a couple of more pounds (no clue how since I mostly blew off the diet thanks to hellish working hours all summer.) Last week I had more than a few “cheat” days. (Partly because I truly was feeling too crummy to cook.) When G took me out for dinner, I had an omelet, which was low carb. I also had toast and hash browns — decidedly not low carb.
That was an exceptional carb overload, granted. Otherwise, while I’ve exceeded my carb ideals, I haven’t gone crazy.
I did fix hot chocolate midweek; real hot chocolate, made with whole milk, unsweetened cocoa powder, vanilla, and faux sugar. I even added a hefty dollop of real whipped cream to the blend (also sweetened with faux sugar). Cheapie packets of Swiss Miss can’t compare with the genuine article. And not whipped cream from a can: I dug out my mixer and whipped that stuff up like a boss.
Our baby tree hasn’t gained a lot in height but has really filled out. (At right in the planter above.) We’re going to have to throw a blanket over it shortly, though. Moringa trees will soldier through the hottest temps our summers can throw at then, but the second it dips below freezing it can take them out completely.
If we can nurse the two we’ve got now through the first winter, though, apparently they’ll be cold-hardy from that point on. Fingers crossed.
The one planted in our back yard struggled immediately after we transplanted it. It’s looking healthy now, though still too straggly to photograph well.
The photos were wonderful. I’m glad you are feeling better. Good luck with the plants wintering this season.
Thank you, Terri. I’m still tired. Just can’t get caught up on sleep these days. I gotta keep working a little longer, then — fingers crossed – I’d dearly love to retire.