sun is shining....

i have tried to be patient and calm with the house being painted. sometimes i succeeded. it's over and done with though.

the smell of clean

we had the carpet cleaned the other day, and even though we didn't use ChemDry, the whole operation brought back a flood of memories from my carpet cleaning days. the sounds, the tools, and especially the smells really took me away for a little bit. my "weekend" has arrived again, and i'm looking forward to some peace and quiet. oh no......they've come to sandblast, and then to paint.

that's a shame

here we go

although it's a bit early in the season, the fires have returned. yesterday, we attempted to go for a hike in our favorite canyon, but it was not possible because of all the ash falling from the sky. the fires are still pretty far inland, but the winds are blowing the ash and smoke all the way out to sea. it was an eery sight. we ended up hiking in a canyon that was completely burned out last year, and we were able to explore the ruins of the destroyed homes. finally, we were sent packing by a park ranger because the winds were picking up again, and some huge trees were starting to fall in the park.
so we are banished from our own home for 5 days due to fumigation. we spent last night at a friend's house in Huntington Beach, and we'll be here tonight as well. Beth has an audition and a class today, so i've got time to explore the area solo, and fix up a quality meal for our hosts tonight.
i am so happy that my niece, Faith, has been officially adopted, and is now a Cash by name. congratulations to her and her family!

santa monica coyote

this morning i spotted a coyote snooping around our neighborhood about a block from our house. i have seen signs telling about his or her presence in the area, but this was my first encounter. it was a very pretty animal, and yes, it was a bit wily. Beth asked, "why are you taking your camera to do laundry?" here's why.

Nike Town

yesterday, we walked all the way to Nike Town, in Beverly Hills! probably about 16 miles round-trip. day off again today.

today

today is a really great day

hot

it has been very hot the last couple of days. we got a break today, and maybe even some rain. jackhammering outside of window this morning very early. trying to do a picture today.