Oh my, what a lovely weekend it turned out to be.

Left work early Friday to drive to WV. Had car problems and had to turn back, spending almost 4 hours at the mechanic's waiting for those good but very busy people to work me in, since no rentals were available on late notice. They were able to get the car running well enough to get me home and back to them on Monday, but not to anything else. Saturday I was able to sit on the ground and weed a long, thin, flowerbed before the heavy rain hit. I was sore this morning but a couple of ibruprofen got me moving again.

We got about 1 1/2 inches of much needed rain over a 5-6 hour period yesterday evening. It was cloudy and humid early today, but cleared off mid-afternoon. Highs in the mid 70's F. Son got most of the yard mowed and I was able to not only do some of the finer mowing on the even ground level parts, but was also able to use the weed eater and do some much needed trimming. That was after moving everything from my lower kitchen cabinets, so Annie could begin prep work, and painting interior window framing that desparately needs it. The kitchen is still all-to-pieces and unusable and will be for another week or two, but this painting the cabinets is a major first step into a long process of making this place a home. In the meantime, we are eating as best we can doing microwave and take-out, and paper plates and plastic silverware.

Annie is so awesome.

The birds, rabbits and squirrels are a joy to watch right now. Babies and fledgings everywhere. Since I am able to be out in the yard again, am seeing more species of birds and generally appreciating what a wonderful habitat for small wild life I am again creating.

Annie had brought me some stones from her leftovers to make a stone path from the shed to the main yard to get our feet out of the mud, and until I can rent a rototiller to use to loosen the soil to dig out for the path, the stones are stacked in an approximation of a dry-stack edging around a garden bed, and the look makes me salivate regarding the possibilities if funds, the spine, and time ever permit.

And tonight, after yesterday's heavy and long rain, the tree frogs are in full chorus. The rain last night kept the fabulous moon hidden. I'm headed out as soon as I hit "send" to see if I can catch it tonight, and then to bed.

It is so good to be regaining more use of my leg and body, to have my sister here and her energy to spark some of my own, and even if it was spent fretting and shifting in an uncomfortable chair in the waiting area of my mechanic's shop, to have had that little extra time away from work. The unexpected time to spend on the yard and garden was an absolute elixir.

Sweet dreams to all of you.