The day we left, our sadness poured down from the heavens

poured down upon us as we left

the rain poured down

upon us.

Because we cannot bring our houseplants to Canada, we bring them to Chloe’s house.

We had such a good time at Clark Reservation yesterday, we went back again.

Then we went home.

Uncle Dan makes for a large horse, so Iris has to help Akiva up.

Plop! Up on top.

And they’re off!

Akiva checks to see if Uncle Dan is prickly. He says he plans on being hairy and prickly when he grows up.

Mom’s vision for her yard is to make a miniature replica of Clark Reservation on her quarter-acre plot in the suburbs.

Over the past 40 years, she’s transformed it from a slope of grass to a miniature wildlife preserve and national historic treasure.

The good thing about having a miniature wildlife preserve in one’s own back yard is that one does not have to go very far to visit it.

When she is not gardening, plastering, wiring, insulating, cooking, sewing, repairing machines, reading, or sleeping (the last of which she does very little of, as far as I can tell), Mom likes lounging on the lawn. She keeps a small amount of lawn just for lounging. If she did not like occasionally lounging on the lawn, I’m certain there would be something more interesting than grass growing in this spot.

Lounging in good company is much more fun than lounging alone.

This is what Mom looks like when she is happy.