Simple Pleasures

Just getting back to sleeping at home in our own bed last night. We were away for 3 weeks.

Going through stuff that has not been touched in years and tossing/donating most or all of it.

Thanksgiving turkey in the oven and watching a deer in the backyard while washing a few dishes!

A long drive along country roads checking out the colorful leaves - complete with breakfast in a small town restaurant.

SP: That red-shouldered hawk just caught one of those effing squirrels.

Watched it all happen though my window- about 20' away from me. It was awesome. The hawk looks pretty proud of himself. Or herself, not sure which, I just now a red-shouldered hawk's gonna eat today.

SP: A red-shouldered hawk perched on a tree branch just outside my window. About 10 feet away from me. Cool as hell...

I hope he comes around more often, maybe he'll keep the squirrels out of here. The damn squirrels tear up my lawn burying and then digging up the walnuts they take from my neighbor's walnut tree. Problem is, they forget where they bury them, so they dig about 20 holes to find one walnut.

Wish they'd just bury them in the yard they steal them from to begin with.

After a full, seven days of being constantly on the go, today's down time at home, in air conditioning, is a welcome thing.

@TD, Congratulations with best wished to both parents and child :-)

Congrats, TD! Lucky you!

Spending time in the marsh hustling fish shrimp and crabs. Always have a clear peaceful mind when able to get away and do that.

Mickey

Congrats TD!!!

Well today it was slicing a big homegrown tomato and having a tomato sandwich! YUM!

Congrats TD. We got to see and hold our latest addition in person yesterday afternoon. Luckily that's only about 40 mins away from us.

Congratulations and safe travels!

We are first time Grandparents to a bouncing baby boy. We are on I-95 southbound to Florida. We get to meet our child with new grandchild tomorrow night.

In the last week or so and in spite of the snow, we been seeing a lot of new birds by our feeders, including a small flock of bluebirds, which we don't see often by us, and some very nice bright cardinals, which we do see on occasion. Also seeing a pair of morning doves. Kind of startled me as they flushed from under the porch one time when I stepped out to shovel some snow.

We of course see the regulars too, which are sparrows, nuthatches, chickadees, dark eyed juncos, wrens, titmouses, and a couple of different types of wood peckers

Redbud trees are blooming!

In some places the sides of the road into town just glowed pink.

The weather was perfect today so we rode our bikes through the neighborhood to an open-air art market, then on into the Quarter where we found a small festival in a park with music, food and vendors. Enjoyed that for a while before riding along the river, all the way to the cruise line port and back home.

Simple pleasure:

Finding out your new phone can play YouTube videos on top of other things in the background! The phone I just retired in November was new in 2017. It was a dumb smartphone compared to the smart smartphone I have now! Yay! :-D

Just chatted with a friend that lives on the other side of the state. He is dealing with some tough times and did not know how to explain things other than feeling no emotion whatsoever. I sent him a link explaining the term 'anhedonia.' Mike thanked me for giving him the term for what he's going through.

The simple pleasure for me is, helping a friend who is in the shoes I was five years ago.

Finished decorating for Christmas!

Handknit stockings hung on the mantel and a skinny tree full of collectible porcelain angels and wrapped in sheer gold ribbon.

Yay for being called in to work on your day off... It is what it is. But, it is extra holiday dough!

"Off to see the wizard; the wonderful Wizard of Oz!"

When you've had off for a couple of days, were a bum around the house and then get a shower... Everyone is entitled to take a couple of days to veg out at the house every now and then. Everyone needs down time.

The Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade.

Having my wife walk through the front door after days of dealing with Bolsonaro protesters and getting split up in São Paulo.