Sort of uneventful

Today was a relatively uneventful day. Though I will say that yesterday evening and again this evening, Ellen's and my stroll took us into new territory. Not radically new, but yesterday we went up our usual way to the top of the hill that overlooks Paul's house (from which vantage I have taken many photos posted on this blog) but instead of retracing our steps as we usually do (because the road dead ends at the top) we followed a foot trail a ways to a road we had not ventured on before, followed it down to the main highway, and then walked along the highway back to the house. Tonight we went directly across the highway and walked into a development we had never explored before -  one that had sat forlorn with huge, empty "spec" houses during the housing collapse, but now is at least  partially occupied. That took us past some very nice ponds that seem to have been created by the developer, but are now surrounded by willows which are full of birds, and we enjoyed their singing. Eventually we came to the Rocking M Camp, a cluster of rental log cabins, where several of us stayed 10 years ago for Paul and Jenny's wedding. They are located close to the Salt River, and we explored that a bit and then returned by the main road. It was almost dark by the time we got back - about 9:30p.m.

During the day today, Max was at Laura's, a day care provider in nearby Etna. So Ellen and I pursued our interests. Ellen did read aloud to Max this morning and this evening, then read on her own and did some shopping and cooking while he was away. I slept very late, and then after breakfast,  I worked on a project that has been on the back burner for some time but which I have just this week moved to the front burner  -  finishing my introduction to the Frederick Tolles MS. You may recall that last year, Ellen and I traveled to Austin, TX, to the Alfred A Knopf archive at the Harry Ransome Center. Well, I never got the chance to incorporate what we learned there into my introduction to the MS (which you may recall is an unfinished history of colonial history, written by Ellen's father, that was to be published by Knopf). So that's what I'm working on. That and getting my TIAA-CREF beneficiaries in order. So there's the day. Forgot to take the iPhone on both walks, so - no photos. Sorry!