Midsummer

Rocket Boy is now scheduled to go back to St. Louis on Tuesday, June 30th, and he's even having doubts about that -- "Maybe I should stay until July 5th" -- but I think I'm going to encourage him to keep this reservation. July 5th is my birthday, my 60th birthday, and it would make me really depressed to have to say goodbye to him that day. Not to mention driving him to the airport! If he leaves on the 30th, that gives me several days to get over the letdown (having my book group here on July 2nd should help). I've decided my birthday will be a contemplative day. It can't really be anything else -- just me and the kids and I'll probably have to make dinner. (Maybe we'll get takeout. Maybe we'll get takeout on Saturday and have leftovers on my birthday. We'll see.)

This past week Rocket Boy still had to spend most of his time working, but we fit in some nice activities. Monday we went to the Denver Botanic Garden, first time since January. Due to social distancing, we had to reserve "tickets" in advance and arrive within a half hour window. We were almost late on account of traffic, but we made it. The conservatory is closed, and the science building, and our favorite cafe, and the cactus house, etc. But the cafe by the pond was open and you could sit on the deck to eat (it was also a chance to take off our masks). I had cucumber lemonade, which was refreshing.

It was very hot, around 90°, though of course not humid, so I took a leisurely approach to the visit. Kid A and Rocket Boy ran off together, saying they were going to hide, while Kid B and I walked slowly around the gardens. We saw a couple of rabbits, and there was a black-crowned night heron standing in one of the ponds that have koi. Eventually we found the hiders, and Kid B ran off with them while I sat in this nice little garden (which I don't remember seeing before) and contemplated its beauty. I wish we could have come here in April or May, to see the spring flowers, but it's lovely in every season.

Before Rocket Boy arrived, I made a long to-do list for him, and though we've done several of the things, there are a rather daunting number remaining on the list. One task was to find a couch for the living room (we had the old couch hauled off by Western Disposal last fall). We've been watching Craigslist for weeks and finally found something we liked. Last Tuesday the sellers drove the couch over to our house (we loaded it onto and unloaded it from their truck) and we set it up in our living room. I'm very happy with it. It's dark brown, very soft and comfy. Of course, the day after I took this photo, RB insisted on covering the couch with the ugly beige slipcover that we used to have on our old sofa, and now it looks like something we found in a dumpster. The kids and I have told him in no uncertain terms that we will be removing the slipcover as soon as he's on the airplane.

Rocket Boy is very unhappy about how much time the twins spend playing on iPads, computers, the TV, etc., and I can't blame him -- I'm unhappy about it too, but don't seem to have the energy to do anything about it. The boys are turning into electronic zombies and I'm just letting it happen. We've been doing home school summer school (reading) twice a week, but mostly skipping the field trips, after that remarkably unsuccessful tree walk. So yesterday (Saturday) RB decided it was time to make something happen. He put together a picnic, with almost no help from me, and around 2 pm we drove to Heil Valley Ranch for a late lunch and a hike.

We had such a nice time! The picnic itself was lovely: hard-boiled eggs, cheese sandwiches, sliced cantaloupe, avocado and tomato, chips and homemade dip, and lots of iced tea and water. After eating, however, Rocket Boy wanted to go for a hike and the twins refused to go. I felt so bad for him (and I know he blames me for this, probably deservedly). So I said I would go, and we'd leave the twins behind to watch the car and our stuff at the picnic site. But as RB and I neared the trailhead (and I realized I'd left my hat in the car and I was lugging my stuff in a stupid canvas bag because I'd forgotten to bring a pack), I said "I've got to go back. I can't leave them there. They're only 12 years old." So I went back and RB did the hike alone. At one point the twins changed their mind and went to try to find him on the trail, but they got scolded by an older couple for "going the wrong way" -- apparently the trails are all one-way now, to aid with social distancing -- and they gave up and came back. So all of that was unfortunate.

But here's the thing -- it was an absolutely gorgeous day. The twins and I sat at the picnic table or ran around and checked out the dry creek, and we were so happy! It was hot in the sun, but in the shade of the ponderosa pines it was the perfect temperature. We saw a Steller's jay and a robin, butterflies and dragonflies, and RB saw a deer on his hike. Then, after he'd gotten back and we were starting to pack up our stuff, we had the best sighting of the day -- a wild turkey! An almost tame wild turkey, all by itself, happily scratching the dirt for bugs. We followed it around the picnic area and it paid very little attention to us. So fun!

Back at home, our hummingbird has been spending less time on her nest, and at first I thought maybe it had failed, the eggs hadn't hatched, etc. But this weekend I realized that what looked like little sticks poking out of the nest were actually BEAKS -- she has two live babies! So she has to be gone a lot, because she's getting food for everybody. She always comes back when we have a thunderstorm (as we did today) and at night. Rocket Boy and I cleaned up the front porch today and I found my old hummingbird feeder, so I mixed up some sugar solution and hung it up for her. I don't know if she's found it yet.

So we have one more week together as a family and a lot of things to get done -- some will and some won't, of course. It's fine. What doesn't get done this week may get done on some other visit, or I'll do it alone, or it won't get done. Nothing seems as important as all the stuff going on in the world right now -- the Black Lives Matter marches, the continuing pandemic, Trump's stupid behavior (though two Supreme Court decisions against him this week were gratifying).

We got the sad news yesterday that Aunt Nonny's bulldog Lyla died unexpectedly -- this has really been the month for pet deaths in the family, as I also heard the very sad news that my cousin's young dog died too. Pie Bear's ashes are ready and I must go pick them up from the vet tomorrow. Poor Pie Bear -- it's as though he's already been forgotten. Chester now comes and sits on me in the morning, to wake me up -- this was previously Pie's responsibility. Chester weighs several pounds more than Pie did at the end, so I really feel it when he climbs on my chest. Also, he licks my face, which Pie didn't do. Little tiny licks, all over my face, with the same tongue he uses to clean his butt. Ahh, cats. I'm glad we still have one.