Shoes, Ships, and Sealing Wax

My new rodent friend

He's been in the yard all summer, but usually when I come and go, he flees. Today I guess the lure of the berries in the dogwood tree was just too great...it's getting cooler at night, and that winter fat won't put itself on...and he stuck around while I weeded.

I didn't have to work tonight (Monday nights I have a volunteer job, but we were closed this week) so I intended to go to the gym. Right up until the moment I left the office I had every intention of working out, then I hit sunshine and blue sky. I've been in a bad mood, sleeping poorly, and having headaches and nightmares, and it struck me that I really haven't been getting much sun and fresh air. The lake where I walk is still closed for construction (that sounds wrong, doesn't it?) and the gardens were in horrible shape, so this seemed a good compromise. I got eaten alive by tiny mosquitoes, and it was depressing untangling all the tomato vine and seeing how few tomatoes I got, compared to the horn worms and stink bugs, but at least I met my new friend. And while it isn't aerobic, at least gardening counts as activity.