I recently ran across some birding friends at the Fill, who knew that I had retired, and one of them asked, "So, how's it going? Do you miss work yet?"
I burst out laughing so hard, it took me a good minute or two to stop. My birder friend took that to mean "Nope."
And one of the reasons I'm enjoying it so much is the fact that I go outside and do stuff when the sun is shining, rather than being stuck inside an office building all day. Yesterday, for example, we had sunny skies and temperatures in the upper 50s, and today it is supposed to hit 60. The rest of the week AND weekend has rain in the forecast. Hah! (Sorry, people who are still working. Your day will come!)
So on a warm and sunny Monday, naturally I went to find some birds.
I decided to venture farther afield -- I visited a birding spot I only get to around once or twice a year, Juanita Bay Park in Kirkland. The drive takes about half an hour. It's a small park that is mostly boardwalks and a promenade bordering Lake Washington, plus a grassy picnic area.
These Green-winged Teal looked splendid in the sunshine:
Truman refused to walk, of course.
Look how warm and sunny it was -- turtle!
When I did manage to get Truman out of his stroller, he objected to the weird surface on the viewing platforms.
After looking at birds, I settled down in the picnic area for a mid-morning snack and some sketching.
On the road back, we stopped at Saint Edward State Park in Kenmore, where Truman refused to walk again.
I'd never been there before, and was delighted to discover it contained a defunct Catholic seminary -- a perfect sketching opportunity.
I ate lunch and tried to draw the building -- there was no way to fit it all on one page. So it got severely truncated:
Definitely worth a return visit.
Today there will be more sketching for sure, though Truman will be at daycare and thus spared the horror of having to go for a walk!
I hear that it was another gorgeous day in your neck of the woods. Lucky you! Cassie said it was 72 in Waldport yesterday. Wow.
ReplyDeleteIt was 63 and sunny but not until afternoon due to heavy fog all morning, so I didn't do as much. Did get some gardening done in the lovely afternoon sun, though.
DeleteIt was 63 and sunny but not until afternoon due to heavy fog all morning, so I didn't do as much. Did get some gardening done in the lovely afternoon sun, though.
DeleteThe workers of Seattle have had *three* days off. As you note in your later posts, it rained every damned one of them. I broke the toaster this afternoon, so cranky was I after having three days to enjoy cold, wet drizzle. Which is to say, "I am so happy you are enjoying your retirement, but gosh, it's great to be a working stiff."
ReplyDelete