It has rained nearly every day since we returned from California so the sunny break today was most pleasant. After I cut the grass, I noticed the afternoon sun on our newest maple tree in the area we call Shady Lane.  It’s there to some day provide the shade that we lost when we removed the oversized firs a while back.  This guy is starting to spread nicely and the fall leaves are spectacular.

After our trips we always seem to find new appreciation of where we live. There are so many beautiful places but this little corner of the world is pretty nice too.  Here’s a view of late afternoon yesterday and sunrise this morning.

Trisha has quite a collection of day lilies. This small yellow one just caught some of the rays of the setting sun to show off before night fall.

It took about five weeks of demolition, weeding, prep work and construction but the garage is finally finished.

The maple veneer looks fantastic and we have tons of adjustable shelving to make the most efficient use of the space. No I have room to practice putting in the garage with moving either of the cars outside.

I always think the flowers look so beautiful when they are being watered.  The morning sun and the sparkling droplets of water are a perfect highlight to the plants’ amazing colors.  Here’s a clump of Trisha’s echinaceas taking in a morning sprinkling:

We’ve been working with a trainer for over a year now. It has definitely made our workouts more effective.  We began working with Kelly Mast about four months ago and have enjoyed her guidance very much.  Here we are with Kelly and her daughter, Stella.