Ten Things of Thankful

It is a little hard to know where to start and to be honest, some of the things for which I am most grateful will only lightly be addressed in this post being linked to the Ten Things of Thankful blog hop hosted by Dyanne of Backsies Is What There Is Not.

To be visited by part of our family for a few days this week was delightful. I am still clinging to the memories they have left behind, the sounds of laughter, of discovering new uses for things in our home and areas of our home, and playing board games that were new to me, and yes, even getting in another game of Scrabble. Venturing off to one of the carousels and a park by a river, to a peony garden, and to visit an alpaca farm was so fun and especially since the rain for the most part waited until our family left.

A few days before they arrived I was able to go to the temple, and it just felt so good to be there once again.

1. Being able to get a sneak peek at the summer weather we think is on its way, even though an atmospheric river has been visiting parts of the state this weekend

A large patch of blue sky peeking through the 
clouds above the oak and fir trees

2. There were days when I was very busy getting a few things done

in preparation for having family come, but in spite of that, things seemed to go very smoothly and I didn't feel that I was spinning my wheels, unlike this cicada that hopped a ride on my clothes after I had worked outside a bit. I had not seen one up close, so while I was trying to learn more about cicadas, I put him on the counter and found out that his feet were not at all helpful in enabling him to walk quickly on such a slick surface. If those feet had been  wheels, they would have been spinning.

A cicada trying to walk on a 

slick counter 

3. After seeing quite a few wasp nests in the process of being built under the high eaves of the house, I was thankful that the pest exterminators were able to come a couple days later and get rid of the wasp nests.

4. Being able to see up close some of the details of the creations all around us is a blessing. I am thankful that my vision is good.

This light yellow peony blossom with pink tinges in
the center and its beautiful jewel-like anatomy 
is aptly named Garden Treasure

5. With all the rain that we have had, it seems that the robins are enjoying their surroundings more than ever, especially since so many worms have come to the surface making it easy pickings for them. This robin was singing from a branch in a tree in the peony gardens we went to see.

6. When we walked in a park earlier in the week, we were able to see the area where two rivers converged and became a much larger river. I guess I have taken the size of the river for granted over the years. 

A bridge over the expansive Calapooia-Willamette Confluence
in Albany, Oregon

7. The humor that comes from reading a fortune cookie, especially one that you are certain couldn't possibly be meant for you, and in fact was most likely intended for your spouse. When my fortune said, "If you go fishing, your catch will be plentiful," and you can count on one hand the number of times you have gone fishing, and that includes poking a broken branch towards a crawdad in the hopes he would latch on. To add even more humor to this scene, I was given an extra fortune cookie, and it was EMPTY! 😂

Fortune from fortune cookie

8. Rhododendrons grow wild in some of the forests in our state and there are nurseries who grow them as well. This is a very good year for the  rhododendrons. They add a beautiful splash of color! I am thankful for this one that has survived a lot of seasons on our property.

A fuchsia-colored rhododendron blossom

9. Just as people have different personalities and tendencies, so do alpacas. Although I have been to some alpaca farms in the past, I must have skipped the experience of feeding any. This time I joined in the fun and was somewhat amused by the behaviors of these alpacas. What caption would you give to this photo? (It is okay to have some fun with this.)

Alpaca (#1890) is apparently in a growth spurt and needs every
bit of those pellets in my hand.

10. The lewisia (bitterroot) is blooming! I may need to bring it inside so it doesn't drown in all these downpours.

Deep rose-colored blossoms on the lewisia (bitterroot)

I am grateful for Vic and and that we are able to look forward to another family visit this coming week and I am sure more laughter and fun.

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