Hummingbirds enjoying the feeder we’ve contributed to the family backyard.

Warm sunshine in the middle of the day.  50’s at night.

Watching the planes on approach to Portland International Airport, some 20 miles away.

Five minutes that way to Safeway.  Ten minutes that way to Home Depot.  Mt. Hood 45 minutes that way.  I’m grateful not to be in the countryside anymore where it was a 30 mile round trip for everything, where sometimes it isn’t safe to walk out to get the mail because my life might be foolishly lost. There is a time for everything.  Living in subzero, life-threatening temperatures, which ticks and mosquitoes (somehow) survive,  is a time that, for us, is past.  We’re grateful for those days and hours, those skies, those sunsets, those flowers.

Now every street is so treelined that there is rarely a view involving multiple houses that line those streets.  We’re thankful for these days and hours, these skies, these sunsets, these flowers.

Mt. Hood glistens on the near-distant eastern horizon.  (The snow line is still very high considering we’re approaching the end of August)

The big black family dog has two new playmates and perceives of them as being different since they are (based on her expectations and reactions) available for endless ball games every time they appear in her line of sight through the deck door.

The small goofy family dog appreciates having two new backscratchers, but is careful not to abuse the relationship.  Kind of shy about it, actually.

Very tall grandson (18 years old) willing to participate in building a human tepee, leaning shoulder to shoulder with Grandma at about a 17% angle.

The fifteen year old granddaughter is grand.  So is her stupendously long, thick and beautiful hair.

Oregon drivers are quick, accurate, skillful about lane changes and gracious to out of state plates (in our experience).  All the boulevards are curvy and going up and down all around the hills and mountainettes, so the standard speed is about 45 mph which is comfortable for getting-acquainted purposes.

Got a new printer/scanner yesterday that is still sitting in its box.  Part of the purpose for its selection among all others on the shelf is to update the MBOB archives with actual family photos. It needs to get out of its box.  DH has started the process.  I see a software learning curve ahead.

A couple more issues need to be broken out, unpacked, arranged and re-introduced to daylight before I will be ready to pursue the ongoing construction of the Mailboxes and Old Barns of our families’ lives of the last 150 years.  That will be good.