A slightly poisonous toadstool, with some halucinogenic qualities, just growing along the pathway.  I've been digging up baby spruce trees where these mushrooms grow and transplanting them to the pathway behind our house.  There used to be five columnar poplars growing there but they were cut down by the county because the trees were dying.  And now, five years later, still no replacement trees, so I though I would take matters into my own hands.  The spruce are very tiny, maybe three inches tall, but they'll get bigger, eventually.  I also picked some rosehips from the wild roses and planted those as well.  While I'm at it, I think I'll try planting some dogwood berries there as well.  

A few years ago I tried growing oak trees from the acorns, with limited success, but I did give some of those trees away to a colleague who lives on an acreage, and those trees are still alive.  As I've been walking on the paths, and through the woods, behind our house, I've noticed probably half a dozen oak trees trying to grow.  One was doing very well, and was probably four feet tall.  The others look only a year old and I'm sure were a result of a forgetful squirrel.  I hope they survive the winter.

Life continues on, the days are shorter, the nights are longer and cooler.  The leaves have started to change colour and summer is ending.  Jack starts school on Thursday, and he's excited about that.  I'm planting trees and I'm excited about that.

I couldn't figure out who this photo belonged to but it definitely makes a point.  I'll try to start answering comments again, but I lack energy right now.  Sorry.

I don't have much right now, feeling down and tired.  We saw the lawyer this morning and back to court next week.  I haven't even felt like going through my photos and processing them.  Here's a few.

 

Flowers on top of Mount Revestoke.

 Creamer, Creamy or Creamsicle.

 

I made it to my brother's and I'm having a lovely visit.  We had a long talk last night and it was good.

I stopped at Mount Revelstoke on the way here to stop and take photos of the Meadows in the Sky.  The flowers weren't as prolific as they were ten years ago but still a good little hike.  It was quiet up there.

I'm relaxing.  My brother and I took their dog for a nice long walk this morning.  The dog ended up in the lake so he could cool off. He's a very sweet dog.

I'm a fan of tansy, even though it means that summer is passing.  Soon the wild asters will bloom, if they haven't already, and it will mean that summer is coming to an end soon.

I'm leaving for a visit with my brother tomorrow.  I'll stop in Revelstoke to take photos and hopefully get some good ones.  Jack will be with his grandma and the dogs and hubby are staying home.  I'm looking forward to visiting with my brother.

I hope.

We have a squirrel who has discovered our birdfeeder and who likes to mock the dogs.  Even after it knew it had been seen by both us and the dogs, it continued to eat, calm as can be.  Charlie obviously didn't see the squirel but Heidi was sitting with us on the deck and definitely saw the squirrel.

Rudbeckia, I am a fan.

I worked yesterday and was exhausted after work, as usual.  I slept like the dead last night.  I'm so thankful I retired and when my coworkers asked how retirement was, I told them I gave it two thumbs up.

I was in the interventional suite yesterday morning and I was busy flushing the port before the doc needed it but out of the corner of my eye, I could see the doc standing with his hand out.  I turned around and said, "What do you need sweetie?".  OMG.  I spend a lot of time with a five year old obviously and call him sweetie.  This is the same doc we all had so much trouble with for years but who has made a 180 degree turn and is now so nice to work with.  At the end of the case he gave me a high five.  The nurse and the tech in the next case called him sweetie as well, it was a thing all day.  When I saw him at the end of the day he was still chuckling when he saw me in the hall.  

The fire in Jasper National Park continues to grow.  Last night it grew by 24%, or 95,000 acres.  The town is mostly safe now but not liveable at present.  It continues to be hot here, although rain has been forecast for most of next week which should help.

Retirement is slowly taking shape.  I walk the dogs for an hour each morning and then do what I want.  I always thought that I don't clean the bathrooms more often because I didn't have time.  Turns out that was a lie.  My bathrooms don't get cleaned anymore than they did when I was working.  

I picked up an old linen chest at a thrift store a couple of weeks ago and I've been working on it.  It had some damage, not much, and mostly just needed a good clean and some sanding.  It's looking nice and I'll use it in the basement bedroom for linen storage and someplace for visitors to leave their suitcase, so the suitcase isn't on the floor.

I've been putzing in the garden and taking Jack out of daycare at least once a week to spend time at the spray park, something he loves.  I take a camp chair and a book and he has a great time playing in the water.  I have quilts to work on this winter which should keep me busy enough, plus an elipitcal trainer to use when it's too cold to walk outside.

Suppers are not rushed and I've lost that stress that I always had, do I have what I need to make suppers and lunches?  Is the laundry caught up?  When can I fit in Katie's appointments, as well as mine and Jack's?  I have time for this now and it's a nice feeling.  Plus I'm not exhausted at the end of the day, I don't feel like garbage.

So far, retirement=two thumbs up.