Notices by Norcal Gma 2 (norcalgma2@sfba.social), page 4

It has been weeks since we've seen a decent sunset. We've seen plenty of smoke and fog, but the usually reliable sunset sky hasn't been.
This evening was different.
Thank goodness.
I was starting to wonder what I've done wrong enough to cause such a calamity.
Summer and I look forward to the sunset all day long. The sunset means it's break time, chores are done, and we get a minute to relax.
It is nice to see a sunset pretty enough to ride off into. Even if we don't ride very far. Maybe we don't even ride, but you get the idea.
#Sunset

Summer says that we all need to chill.
It has been a struggle to keep her pal's blood pressure under control.
Excitement, whether good or bad, definitely impacts his vitals.
Tomorrow, I pick up the newfangled blood pressure cuff that sends the results to his cardiology team in San Francisco. He gets to ditch the heart monitor tomorrow, too.
Summer agreed to be the recreation and entertainment advisor for today. Less television and more fresh air today, she says. We have comfortable chairs outside in the shade.
I am pretty sure a peach pie and some cookies will happen too while she is keeping her pal busy outside by recreating and entertaining.
Good morning, Mastodon.
#Summer #DogsOfMastodon

Today, I was in town really early to pick up the window screens I ordered earlier this week.
Not having air conditioning has been difficult when the weather is warm. Like everyone else, we are getting what used to be unseasonably warm days.
Keeping my husband cool is a priority, so I decided to put screens on all of the windows, even the ones that have never had them to take advantage of the ocean breeze.
Well.
First, they made the screens without tabs, so I had to drive them back to town. Installation time was next, and they didn't fit.
So I got out my rubber mallet to try to force the issue. Now, only two screens don't fit.
It's time for a deep breath, and some outside check out the flowers time with Summer.
I haven't given up yet. I'm just taking a break.
Happy Friday, Mastodon friends.
#Summer

Today, I got the biggest surprise of my life.
My phone rang, and I almost didn't answer, thinking it was the millionth call to try and sell me a Medicare Advantage plan. Because I get calls for my husband from the VA, I answered.
The person asked if I was the person who wrote to President Biden at the White House about my husband's disability battle with the VA.
I was shocked.
Yesterday, I got what I thought was a routine response from the White House that my letter had been forwarded to the appropriate person to help me resolve our issues. I thought that was the end of that.
Instead, this person called me personally to inform us that the VA had approved my husband for permanent and total disability. I immediately started crying. We have been trying to get to this place since 2016.
This is life changing.
I told my husband, who started crying too.
Summer was the only one with dry eyes.

Every time one of our dahlias blooms for the first time, I take a picture to send to my daughter. Not that she doesn't have a dahlia garden 50 times more beautiful than mine.
I just want to share the joy we experience every time we successfully grow a dead looking root that lived in our garage all winter. It feels like a miracle with each blossom.
I was new to dahlias last year, and now I think I'm hooked. It has been handy having a daughter whose professional life is all about dahlias.
She humors me with tons of positive feedback.
I love it.
#Dahlias

Byron knows how to relax.
Probably because he doesn't read the news.
#Caturday

Today is supposed to be the hot day.
I got out a neck fan for my husband, and Summer put her head through it, so I had to get out another one.
Now they are twins.
Tomorrow should be cooler.
We are looking forward to the fog.
Good morning, Mastodon.
#Summer

Summer takes over one of the recliners every chance she gets, but it is ok today. I don't have time to sit down anyway.
Filling out disability parking forms in between taking calls from medical providers.
My husband only has one in person test today, so we are getting ready.
I don't know what I would do without Summer's help. I am a little slow on less than 5 hours of sleep.
She is enthusiastic and willing to help me keep moving today.
Sometimes, that gental nose bump is all I need.
Good morning, Mastodon.
#Summer

Can't forget the redwoods we saw on the way to the river.
#Redwoods #Humboldt

We all needed to get out of the house.
My husband especially.
Now that he is feeling a little better, we agreed to take a quick field trip to the redwoods and to let Summer play in the river.
No hiking today, but we soaked up some nature and had a blast watching Summer have a blast.
We didn't stay long, but it was enough to get us to the tired but happy part of our day.
#Summer #DogsOfMastodon

#SilentSunday

Two fresh out of the oven homemade apple pies. So hot they are still sizzling.
My husband has a weakness for apple pies.
So do all of our grandkids.
Should be enough for everyone.
#Baking #Pies

Rose toot for today.
There was drizzle this morning. All of the flowers were covered in dew. The sun looks like it is staying hidden behind the gray overcast.
#Roses #BloomScrolling

Summer and I tiptoed outside to the garden while my husband napped in his recliner.
I wanted to clean up the roses and revel in the new growth and buds. We seem to be doing something right this year. Summer deserves most of the credit for keeping the deer at bay.
My husband especially loves sitting among the roses. Yesterday, he counted the blossoms on our peach color climbing rose and was excited to report there were thirteen in perfect full bloom.
Every time I deadhead his roses, he suspects I might be doing harm, but I explain that I have been caring for roses the same way for over 50 years. Not that the number of years means I'm doing it right. But I pointed out that they look happy and that under many of the browning blossoms is a new bud waiting for it's turn in the sun.
My bucket of petals, on the way to our green waste pile, is almost too pretty to let go.
Good morning, Mastodon.
#Gardening

#SilentSunday

Today turned out to be a good day.
Summer was back to her old self, and the sun was shining. Can't beat that.
It was a good day to get some fresh air in the house.
Everybody got showered and will sleep tonight in nice clean sheets dried outside on this breezy but sunny afternoon. Nothing smells better than linens dried outside
The sunset only lasted a minute but was worth the wait.
Summer and I danced around on the deck just enough to give the neighbors something to talk about.
#Sunset

The fog burned off and gave way to a sunny afternoon.
Summer wanted to play.
Well, Summer always wants to play.
After we finished a lively game of fetch, the garden got watered, and we rested.
#Summer #DogsOfMastodon

Today, I joined my daughter and grandkids for some beach exercise. We went to a place where I hadn't been in 30 years.
It just so happened that I had an empty garbage bag in my car, so that insiped an impromptu beach cleanup and away we went.
The sand was soft, so the walking and jogging was tiring, but we filled the garbage bag and gathered up a handful of sand dollars to bring home.
Summer stayed home with the other grandson and her pal.
It was nice to get outside.
#Beach

My daughter's family adopted two kittens Byron and Jasper several months ago.
They also have a rescue cat who is very old. I don't think they really know how old. She is so old she is about half the size she used to be.
Her name is Jones, and it warms my heart that they take such good care of her.
They are all good kids.
Our middle grandson sent me these #Caturday photos this afternoon.
The kids named her Jones after Indiana Jones because he was cool.

We love where we live.
Our river adventure took us down the Avenue of the Giants. It was a nice drive down memory lane for my husband, who spent every summer of his childhood on the Avenue and river at his family's summer home.
#Redwoods