I'm up and oddly restless in the middle of the night -maybe excited because Ruth and Chris arrived safe and sound and delightful. A highlight today was a kayak lesson from Joe. I actually paddled, with instruction, and did better than I expected to. It felt good to move along with my muscle power adding to our pace. I took frequent rests, but even managed one turn by myself, so I'm proud.

I also weeded under Heidi's grape arbors while she and Bob went to the airport to get Ruth and Chris. I, who have never even seen any grape growing up close other than wild muscadine, am oddly satisfied to be able to say "I weeded under the grape arbors." It feels exotic. After the weeding, as the sun set over the cove Joe and I lay on the soft grass under the arbors and talked while Latte (Their beautiful Golden Retriever, yellow lab mix, stretched out full length against my side and napped as we talked. There was something astonishingly sweet about the big, breathing, trusting presence of that sleeping dog. As I write on the computer tonight he sleeps at my feet, just barely touching one foot. He reminds me a little of Kiddo, Peggy, and loves to chase toys and play splash splash in the cove. I seem to be falling in love. Maybe I am a big dog person after all. I sure seem to be noticing dogs of all kinds lately and wondering which would be a match for my personal dog.

Right before supper Heidi and I carried buckets of water up the hill to water the two Italian plum trees she has planted on the hillside where she wants to eventually have a little orchard. She showed me the property all the way to the edge and WOW - the back part of their land really is temperate rain forest with ferns, big trees, and the deep shadows of these emerald woods. The more I see of this retreat of theirs, the more I am entranced.