Rainbow Dragon's Lair

[Laura Rainbow Dragon]

Hi @PetiteSheWolf !

I have only read the first book in the series thus far. I read about half of it in French, referring also to the English translation for help with the vocabulary. There were a lot of words I'm unfamiliar with, however. I am also unfamiliar with the characters in the story, and I kept having to look up who was who. (It doesn't help any that, being royals, several of them are named after one another!)

My French isn't good enough to tell if the French text is written the same way, but the English translation I read uses a fair amount of "forsooth speak". (I don't know if forsooth speak is used in the common parlance, or if that's just a colloquialism amongst people I know. We use the term to apply to the practice of SCAdians, thespians, and others who pepper what is otherwise their modern language with archaic words in an effort to sound period.) The forsooth speak was thick enough in the English translation it made even reading that a bit slow-going for me.

All in all, trying to read the French made the process so slow it was difficult for me to really get into the story. So I read the second half in English only. And even then kept getting tripped up by the forsooth speak and the confusing names. The story is definitely interesting. But I think I should like to learn the actual history first, before tackling any more of the novels. That way I'll know what is part of the factual accounts of the period and what is made up for dramatic purpose. (And hopefully learn the names of the players well enough that I won't keep getting tripped up by them.)

Shelby says thank you for the cuddles. She (and we!) had a bit of a rough time earlier this week. But she is good now.

 

[Laura Rainbow Dragon]

Last week was not as productive as I had hoped. This week started out a bit slowly too. (I got stuff done. It was just stuff more in the list of general, regular chores, rather than any work on my priority projects.) Then, mid-week, we had a bit of a scare.

When we got home from our walk on Tuesday, Shelby was rubbing her head a lot. When I finally got her to let me look at it, I discovered a big lump on her forehead. Pretty much exactly in the same spot my sweet Trudy's tumor had first shown up. Of course I was worried. But Trudy hadn't been aware of her tumor that early on. And we had just gotten home from a walk when Shelby started to be irritated. So I hoped against hope she'd just been bitten by an insect or stung by a bee or some such.

Tuesday evening we got to bed at an okay time. But Shelby was up at 4AM, needing to go out. This is very unusual for her. Shelby usually holds her drink very well. Even if we miss going out in the evening before bed, she won't need to go out again until the next morning after breakfast. But Wednesday she definitely needed to go out at 4 and again at 5 and again at 6. And she was restless and pacing in between. And she climbed onto the bed in the guest room a couple of times--something she does not usually do--and scratched up the blanket on that bed into a big mess--another thing she does not do.

Anyhow... after having breakfast, and our 3rd walk--all before 7AM!--Shelby was finally calm and went back to sleep. So did I! When we awoke again, Shelby's digestive issues had resolved themselves. And so had the lump on her head. Never before have I been so happy for someone to have been stung by a bee!

Now we are into the back end of another week. And I have a writing project I need to get finished this week! So that is my only priority now for the rest of this week. I will have a new breakdown of goals for next week starting on Monday.

 

[Mamatigerj]

So glad that Miss Shelby is alright! Hugs to you both.

 

[NightWolf714]

Good to hear that Shelby was alright. And y'all got some rest after all that.

 

[NancyTree]

I understand you were worried, luckily it turned out okay!

 

[PetiteSheWolf]

Relieved for Shelby, and thank you for the comments on the cursed kings, yes, even in French there is a good deal of old-fashioned language.

 

[graoumia]

Hello my little dragon, how are you? how is Shelby? I can see you connected from time to time I hope you have some time for you.

 

[Laura Rainbow Dragon]

Thank you @Mamatigerj @NightWolf714 @NancyTree @PetiteSheWolf @graoumia for checking in and thank you also to everyone else still dropping by my much-neglected-of-late thread.

I got my writing project finished--at the very last minute! Had to mercilessly cut it very quickly to get it down to size. Which resulted in not my best work, I think. But it was good to get my head back in the game at least.

After that, we got walloped with a protracted heat wave. I stayed up all night right before it started, doing food prep, because I knew I would not be able to cook at all during the heat wave. Many days I even avoided turning my computer on, because even that heats up the apartment. I think I will need to return to writing longhand during the summer months, and then typing everything up quickly in the evenings. I am not well-adapted to the heat at all, and we haven't got AC where we live now.

What else has happened?

Shelby went to see her new vet. (For her annual exam and vaccines. No issues.) She impressed everyone there with how awesome she is. Unfortunately, they also impressed her with how awesome their treat jars are. The clinic is on some of our regular hiking routes, and now Shelby tries to go inside to visit the vets every time we walk past!

A friend of mine invited me to check out his Aikido club. He joined this club while I was living in the BM, and is a black belt now. At the time, Aikido had not been on my radar at all. I knew my friend did it and enjoyed it. But I'd not been looking to try Aikido or take up any kind of martial arts. (These things are expensive w.r.t. my current budget, and the shenanigans initiated south of Canada's border make that situation even scarier.) But my friend was (for some reason) talking about me to a friend of his in the club, and his club friend suggested he bring me out to try a class. So my friend invited me, and I said yes, and off we went.

I discovered I enjoy the practice of Aikido well enough, both as physical exercise (which, other than hiking, I've not been doing enough of lately) and as a learning experience (it's good for brain health to learn new things). But mostly, I really enjoy the people.

My social network eroded (a lot) while I was living in the BM. The BM was not a good fit for me socio-politically. I really put myself out there while I was living there: talked to my neighbours, got involved in sporting and arts and political groups, hosted social events (at least prior to the pandemic). After 16 years of that, Shelby and I left behind one friend (well, one human friend) when we left. One.

Meanwhile, people in my London network were moving on with their lives. Several moved away from the city. Two died. By the time I got back here I had all of 5 friends left in the city. They're all retired now. Four of them are retired jet-setters who spend more time away than home. The fifth also travels quite a bit these days, although more locally. Re-building community here is a top priority for me. So when I was given the opportunity to join a great group of people doing a fun activity, it was a no-brainer to say yes. I am an Aikidoka now!

Today's mission is to replace the busted brake cable on my bicycle, so I can attend more Aikido classes. I also want to get out for a good hike with Shelby, because it is actually cool here right now, but will be hot and humid and possibly stormy by the afternoon.

 

[PetiteSheWolf]

Laughed at Shelby wanting to go inside the vet clinic for treats, now that should make one doggie at least not fearful of the "let's go to the vet." phrase!

Have fun with aikido, and finding yourself a community. And beware of the storm, last one (Wednesday night) in Paris did some impressive damages.

 

[Laura Rainbow Dragon]

Laughed at Shelby wanting to go inside the vet clinic for treats, now that should make one doggie at least not fearful of the "let's go to the vet." phrase!

All of my dogs have loved going to the vet's. They get praise, massages, and treats there. What's not to love? The only difference was, in the BM, the vet's was in an out-of-the-way location we never walked to unless we were going specifically to the vet's. The dogs knew good and early where they were going, and they were happy about it. But I never had to walk them past the vet's. (There were a couple of times Trudy tried to get me to take her there when we didn't have appointments though.)

The new vet's is on a regular hiking route. And their front office is literally right beside the sidewalk, with windows that look out onto the sidewalk. The front desk staff laugh at me trying to drag Shelby past.

And beware of the storm, last one (Wednesday night) in Paris did some impressive damages.

Stay safe out there, Wolfie! (And everyone!)

I'm grateful our storms the past couple of months didn't get too wild, as the street in front of our home has been torn up for weeks.

A sinkhole opened up in the street in front of my next door neighbours' house--in the same spot where one had occurred at least twice before. So the city is now trying to get to the bottom (literally) of the problem.

They dug up a big hole, 10' x 10' x 10' deep, draped a heavy duty landscaping cloth over the whole thing. The cloth was meant to allow water to seep through it but hold the soil in place. Then they re-paved half the street.

The next day it rained, and the sinkhole opened right back up again.

So they dug up the street again. A bigger and deeper hole this time. For a couple of weeks a truck with a crane arm attachment was parked on my next-but-one neighbours' front lawn to hold up the hydro pole, whose root had been exposed because they dug up so much of the street. (Hence why I have been grateful we didn't have strong winds while that situation was in effect!)

They put a metal "box" into the hole to allow them to dig even deeper and had a vacuum truck here sucking up even more dirt for a couple of days. Then they completely filled that hole back in.

A couple of days later they dug the street up again, this time in front of our house and the laneway we share with the house next door. The metal boxes went into the new hole, and they dug and sucked deep into it as well. Then, yesterday, they refilled that hole.

Currently the street is filled in but not yet repaved, and they actually removed the excavator from our street, although not yet the metal boxes (which just sit out on the road when they're not in a hole).

I've no idea what they plan to do next. (I'm not sure they even know. When the crews are here, they spend a lot of time standing around, looking into the hole.)

My neighbour for the past couple of months:

Crane truck:

Why the truck is necessary:

The "boxes":

Boxes in the hole:

It's a good thing no one on our block is trying to sell their house this summer. Because the curb appeal has just been stellar:

 

[Damer]

Quite a lot of work going on, there!

 

[Laura Rainbow Dragon]

Quite a lot of work going on, there!

Yes. It's become a major project for a tiny little sink hole. Interesting to watch, in spite of the inconvenience.

 

[Sólveig]

Sink holes are scary though.

 

[Damer]

Sink holes are scary though.

Yep. Basically the stability of the supportive, sub-surface bedrock is compromised and voids form where bedrock once stood. Getting that stability back is a major undertaking because we essentially use our understanding of ground sheer forces and the warp-latency of man-made materials to substitute for what the ground once did naturally. It's an understatement to say that in most cases this develops into a fluid situation where small instabilities cause greater ones so acting quickly is key. I am fascinated by the equipment being used. I have never seen anything like this in action and @Laura Rainbow Dragon's generous sharing of the pictures was mind-blowing for me.

 

[PetiteSheWolf]

Impressive work, hope you get both a safe and a quieter / more appealing street sooner rather than later! There's a lot of work on Paris's gaz and local heating system these past years and that can create such scenes in a street for a good long year.

 

[Sólveig]

@Damer I'm actually more fascinated that your knowledge also extends to sink holes.

 

[Damer]

@Damer I'm actually more fascinated that your knowledge also extends to sink holes.

It's more I understand soil physics. Seeing the action on the ground was awesome. This forum sometimes blows my mind.

 

[Laura Rainbow Dragon]

Impressive work, hope you get both a safe and a quieter / more appealing street sooner rather than later! There's a lot of work on Paris's gaz and local heating system these past years and that can create such scenes in a street for a good long year.

It's actually not been too noisy, thankfully. On the photograph of the tall box above you can also see the front windows of my apartment. (The ones on the ground floor, with the Canada flag lawn signs in two of the windows.) My computer is literally right behind the "Canada Strong" sign.

I do close my front windows when the work crew is here. (This time of year I usually have them closed during the daytime anyhow. I open everything up at night to cool the apartment off, then shut the blinds and the windows in the morning to keep the sun out and the cool air in.) But I can work in that front room, no problem. And Shelby is not bothered by the road work at all. (Unless she sees the people. Then she expects them all to pet her.)

When they are using the stomper foot* to pack the dirt down when they refill the hole, that actually causes my apartment to shake. So far nothing has fallen off a shelf or smashed.

* No idea what it's really called. But the claw bucket on the excavator can be removed and replaced with this thing:

which they then use the power of the excavator to press onto the ground, to pack the dirt down.

Thankfully that part of the operation doesn't go on for too long.

 

[Laura Rainbow Dragon]

Yep. Basically the stability of the supportive, sub-surface bedrock is compromised and voids form where bedrock once stood. Getting that stability back is a major undertaking because we essentially use our understanding of ground sheer forces and the warp-latency of man-made materials to substitute for what the ground once did naturally. It's an understatement to say that in most cases this develops into a fluid situation where small instabilities cause greater ones so acting quickly is key. I am fascinated by the equipment being used. I have never seen anything like this in action and @Laura Rainbow Dragon's generous sharing of the pictures was mind-blowing for me.

I live in an old neighbourhood. (Well, old by Canadian standards.) We believe there is an older sewer network beneath the modern sewers on our street. Their are also natural aquifers, buried streams, and defunct cisterns and wells. It's likely a right mess down there!

 

[PetiteSheWolf]

Stomping foot, stomping tool, stomping thingy... Seems appropriate for the contraption, LOL!

 

[Laura Rainbow Dragon]

 

[Laura Rainbow Dragon]

Happy Canada Day to all Canadian Bees!
Bonne fête du Canada à toutes les abeilles canadiennes !

​

 

[graoumia]

I read this morning it was ufo day, i was not aware of Canada day

Happy Canada Day

 

[JCU]

Happy Canada Day!

 

[Damer]

Happy Canada Day!

 

[Fremen]

Happy Canada Day

 

[Louve Rose]

Happy Canada Day !

 

[Obsinosterous]

Happy Canada Day!

 

[Anek]

Happy Canada Day!!

 

[NightWolf714]

Happy Canada Day! I'll see if I can stop by the new Tim Horton's to celebrate for you. XD

 

[PetiteSheWolf]

Happy Canada day!

 

[Syrius]

Happy belated Canada Day

 

[Laura Rainbow Dragon]

Thank you @graoumia @JCU @Damer @Fremen @Louve Rose @Obsinosterous @Anek @NightWolf714 @PetiteSheWolf @Syrius .


LOL @graoumia

@NightWolf714 I don't normally frequent Tim's. (Or, at least, I try not to. For health and financial reasons.) But I ended up getting a sandwich there on Canada Day as I was on the road with some friends and wanted to avoid being a passenger in a moving vehicle with low blood sugar.

We were travelling to the home of other friends in another city for a Canada Day barbecue, which was lovely. The food was typical barbecue fare: hot dogs and potato chips, but also some quite tasty salads and homemade falafels, and for dessert: strawberry shortcake. (A common Canada Day dessert due to the red and white colours.)

The town in which I grew up used to have a community-wide Canada Day celebration, to which one of the local farms always brought a massive strawberry shortcake, decorated on top with our flag, with the red parts done with fresh strawberries. I'm not a huge fan of vanilla cake. But I used to attend that celebration every year and enjoy a piece of cake. At the time, I was likely mostly motivated by that fact that I had high metabolism as a child and was always hungry. (Plus: I do like strawberries!) But my nostalgia for those times now is more for the celebration of the whole community coming together.

Those celebrations, I expect, would be considered quaint by modern standards: free cake and whatever powdered vaguely-fruit-flavoured beverages we used to drink back in the day, performances by local children's dance troupes, and people hanging out together in a park, chatting with their neighbours. If I recall correctly, there was also free swimming. (The party was in the same park that housed our town's outdoor swimming pool. July 1 would have been the first day the pool was open for the summer, and I think it was a free admission day.) I didn't appreciate it at the time, but I think our community was stronger for having those parties.

The party I attended this year was a much smaller, private affair, with people from different geographic communities (although many of us used to be neighbours, and some are the new neighbours of the party hosts). It was good to catch up with some folks I had not seen in a long while, and a good time overall. And the shortcake was homemade individual mini cakes (which I think had been cooked on the barbecue!--they were a bit caramelized on the outside and quite delicious!) which we dressed ourselves with fresh, whole strawberries, and whipped "cream" (both the real thing, but also a vegan substitute, which I quite enjoyed--I'm not vegan, I just don't especially like real whipped cream). Plus it was a rare not-too-hot day, and the hosts' backyard is quite shady. So overall a lovely experience. (The only sad part was not being able to bring Shelby, since the party was out-of-town, and my ride is allergic to her. We didn't stay too long though, so I was back home with Shelby for the evening.)

After that, July has been pretty much one long slog of unrelenting heat. I fixed my bike brake cable. But have only made it to one Aikido class a week most weeks, because it's just been too hot to cycle across town to get there most of the time. Most days Shelby and I walk at 6AM and then not again until after midnight. Which means our sleep schedule is mighty messed up. Which hardly matters. It's been too hot to do anything inside the apartment during the day anyhow. And when we do get a break from the unrelenting heat, it's never for long enough to get all of the things done I've been neglecting because I couldn't do them during the extreme heat.

One of the things that gets neglected in the heat, sadly, is Shelby. She and I haven't exactly been getting out for nature hikes when the humidex hits 40C! There were a few days this past month with at least reasonable mornings, however, and we made the best of them. I'll try to get you some photos soon.

I know my area isn't the only one suffering from extreme heat events this summer. Hugs to all of you who are also suffering--especially if, like me, you don't have air conditioning! Stay safe out there! And please share your tips, if you have any, for surviving the heat.

It is now past 3:30 AM here. I must sleep.
Will write more soon.

 

[Laura Rainbow Dragon]

August 1 Shelby and I were able to hike while the sun was up! Here are a few photos from our excursion.

Double-crested Cormorant:

Eastern Cottontail:

Monarch on a thistle:

Eastern Amberwing:

One of our skippers (not sure of the species) on a thistle:

Juvenile American Robin:

Great Gold Digger Wasp on Swamp Milkweed (This wasp is feeding itself. Remind me to show you the photos I got last week of one "bringing home the bacon" for its children):

A friend for Mortimer -- American Toad:

Swamp Rose Mallow:

 

[aku-chan]

Great pictures! That bunny is extremely cute.

 

[JCU]

Stunning pictures!

 

[Anek]

Very nice!

 

[CODawn]

Awesome!

 

[Laura Rainbow Dragon]

Thank you @aku-chan @JCU @Anek @CODawn


I debated about whether or not to do the 30 x 30 Nature Challenge this month. I haven't done it every year because, frankly, spending 30 minutes a day in nature isn't that big of a challenge for me. I have a dog who I almost always walk for more than 30 minutes a day. And I have pretty easy access to nature where I live. I think it's still good to do the challenge now and then to have a focused month of being more mindful of and intentional about my time in nature. The first year I did it, I challenged myself to do something different each day for the 30 days, which was fun. And this year I am living in a new place. (A city, although I do still have easy access to nature here.)

The argument against doing the challenge this month is that there have been days this summer when I have not spent 30 minutes in nature, and this was largely due to factors beyond my control. There have been a LOT of days when it was just too hot to be outside during the day. Shelby and I walked after dark and before dawn on those days, and stayed within our subdivision. There have also been days when our time outdoors has been limited by thunder storms. And days when it's been limited by smoky air.

That last factor is the worst. I can go outside in nature in the dark. Thunder storms don't last all day, and I can and will go outside in the rain if there is no thunder. (I also have a covered front porch and can enjoy a storm from an outside but safe location.) But there's just no way to make being outside during a wildfire smoke event healthy. I can and do wear an N95-equivalent mask when the air quality is really bad. But I still limit my time outdoors on those days to necessary errands. I don't have a mask that fits Shelby. So she is limited to doing her business in the yard and coming right back inside on those days. And a breathing mask doesn't prevent my eyes from stinging.

In general, however, I think obstacles that make a Challenge challenging are reasons to do it, not reasons to shy away from it. So I'm in! I'm not going to set myself any special extra goals for the challenge. Any days when we have nice weather, and Shelby and I are able to get out to our local conservation area during the day time, we'll likely just do that. If there are days when it's too hot to hike during the day, we will either spend some time outside in our yard (it's pretty shady--so if there's a breeze we can tolerate hotter temperatures back there than we could anyplace there's pavement and direct sunlight), or I'll work on being more mindful of the ways in which I can still experience nature after dark. And if we get more days during which we really need to remain inside due to air pollution, I'll get creative about what qualifies as "time in nature" on those days. Like maybe doing a meditation to recorded sounds of rainfall. Or even spending time looking at my photographs of nature taken on other days. (I'm still far behind in posting my stuff to iNaturalist. Days when we're trapped inside would be good times to do some catching up.)

August 2 we again had nice weather here. Shelby and went out for our hike early in the morning, hoping to catch sight of some of our neighbourhood's crepuscular denizens (or the nocturnal ones on the tail end of their hunting efforts). Alas, there was not an owl nor a raccoon, not a night heron, deer, or coyote to be seen. We did however see a beautiful Red-Tailed Hawk as soon as we stepped outside our front door, hunting on the property right across the road from us! A reminder that sometimes one doesn't need to travel far at all to experience nature!

We were also treated to a quite close-up visit with a Belted Kingfisher. These birds are common in my area, but most often I spot them (or hear them) on the far side of the pond/river, and my photos (if I'm able to visually locate the bird at all) are hazy and unfocused. On this morning, however, the kingfisher was on our side of the pond, so I was able to get a some decent shots.

We didn't see the night herons, but we did find three Great Blue Herons.

For once, the white haze on this photo wasn't caused by my shattered camera lens:

We made it out to the Coves early enough that mist was still rising off the biggest pond:

It was lovely and cool out. (Cool enough that my hands were actually cold, trying to work my camera!) A very welcome change from the relentless heat of most of this summer!

A few more shots from this hike:

Mourning Dove

Eastern Cottontail

American Robin (juvenile)

 

[Laura Rainbow Dragon]

August 3: Today's time in nature was spent visiting an octogenarian friend who has allowed her yard to naturalize. We sit outside to talk, surrounded by bushes and trees and flowers, and all the critters that visit them. We had a monarch butterfly visit with us this day.

No new photos from this day. Instead I'll give you the Great Golden Digger Wasp I mentioned previously, bringing home a very unfortunate katydid. Adult Great Goldens feed on nectar and are beneficial to humans. (They are non-aggressive towards humans, aerate the soil in our gardens and help to pollinate our plants.) But they are bad news for Orthoptera (grasshoppers, crickets, katydids).

Spoiler: Description of the fate of the prey item shown in these photos.

The females inject their prey with a venom that paralyzes but does not kill it. Then they bring it back to their nest, lay an egg on top of it, and then seal up the nursery chamber. When the egg hatches, the young wasp eats the prey alive.

Bringing the prey into the nest involves quite a ritual, which I was able to observe in this encounter.

Bringing home the bacon:

Setting the table (the wasp prepares to receive dinner, ensuring there is a clear path to the nursery chamber):

The katydid awaits its fate:

Spoiler: The katydid's story is gruesome.

(It's still alive, but paralyzed.)

The wasp positions the katydid for ingress into the nest:

In a happier event, I had some fun this day doing the can-can to this song:

:

 

[PetiteSheWolf]

Wow, that was a fascinating photo op on that wasp! Thank you!
And love your birds pic always, easier on the eyes than the wasp story, LOL, but such is nature...

 

[Laura Rainbow Dragon]

easier on the eyes than the wasp story, LOL, but such is nature...

I know, right? I really hope insects don't experience pain and/or fear anything even close to what we do.
Nature is fascinating. But oh so violent!

 

[Laura Rainbow Dragon]

August 4: Wildfire smoke all day. (And all night and all night Sunday night too. Two nights in a row that were actually cool, and we couldn't go outside to enjoy it or open our windows to cool down the apartment. )

In lieu of spending time outside in nature, I took a bath in orange and hibiscus scented water. That was pleasant and relaxing and the best I could do under the circumstances.

Shelby did her business in our backyard this day. We did not go for a walk at all.
I did not go to Aikido, because I would have had to cycle across town and back in the smoke to do so.
And I did not do any kind of workout at home either.

Not good. I really need to get back to being more active. But it's so freaking hard in this heat.
I also need to get my diet back under control. Cooking 100% homemade is just not happening until the weather cools down. But I can do better than I have been doing.

I have decided on a Daily Minimum Workout that I should be able to do every day. Even when it's stupid hot. And even when I go to Aikido and/or do a long hike with Shelby. (Ideally, if Shelby and I aren't able to do a long hike, and I don't have Aikido, I would like to be doing something else in addition to the DMW. But for now I'm calling it a victory if I can at least do this.)

Note: DP = Dragon Protocol = 30 seconds/exercise/set

DMW - Day 1:
One set DP. Hip circles in place of the last exercise.

2 x DP
DP, each side where applicable
2 x DP

DMW - Day 2:
One set DP

2 x DP
DP, each side where applicable
2 x DP


On the food front, my plan is simply to go back to eating 3 meals per day, with no snacking in between. I need to retrain my brain to believe that, really, it's okay to feel a little bit hungry some of the time.

Today was Day 1 of 3 Meals/Day.

 

[Laura Rainbow Dragon]

August 5:

30 x 30: Still not great air quality this day, but an improvement over the previous day. Shelby and I walked in our subdivision and admired our neighbours' gardens and the pollinators they attract.

Daily Minimum Workout: - D1
including: Step-Up Challenge: - Day 1
3 Meals/Day:
Counting Victories Challenge: - Day 1 (I've decided to use this Challenge to keep track of my progress with my DMW and 3MPD. I realize the intent of the Challenge is to build awareness of the fact that we all actually have victories of some nature every day. But these are specific victories which I want to work on having every day, for at least a month, and Counting Victories seems to me an easy and appropriate way to track this.)

 

[Laura Rainbow Dragon]

August 6:

30 x 30: Short nature hike in our local conservation area.

Song Sparrow (likely a juvenile):

Juvenile Northern Cardinal:

Dad was nearby:

Rock Pigeon:

One of our skippers:

Common Green Darner:

Daily Minimum Workout: - D2
including: Step-Up Challenge: - Day 2
3 Meals/Day:
Counting Victories Challenge: - Day 2

 

[PetiteSheWolf]

The difference of color between cardinal son and dad is quite funny!

 

[Laura Rainbow Dragon]

The difference of color between cardinal son and dad is quite funny!

Dad needs to be pretty to impress the ladies.
Junior just needs to stay out of trouble!

 

[NightWolf714]

Dad needs to be pretty to impress the ladies.
Junior just needs to stay out of trouble!

Watch out lady birds~

 

[Laura Rainbow Dragon]

Watch out lady birds~

Some of the guys work pretty hard: https://www.birdsofparadiseproject.org/

 

[Laura Rainbow Dragon]

August 7:

30 x 30: Visiting our octogenarian friend in her yard.

Daily Minimum Workout: - D1
including: Step-Up Challenge: - Day 3
3 Meals/Day: (This is already getting easier.)
Counting Victories Challenge: - Day 3

The view from our friend's yard:

(The foggy marks are because my camera lens is shattered.)