A broad margin of leisure is as beautiful in a man's life as in a book.
               ----Thoreau

The Honors House at Gonzaga

Rich is certainly keeping busy. Yesterday he donated blood and took in the recycling ($85 worth of aluminum. The scrounging pays off.) He's been walking the dog and bringing home stuff, like a softball and SEVEN golf balls, including two orange winter ones. Today he had his teeth cleaned.

Monday was a day for the dog. We drove to Walnut Creek, to Shell Ridge, an open space where dogs are allowed to run on voice control. Sailor ran and ran and ran. Then he'd hear a ground squirrel (he only saw a couple) and run some more. Uphill, downhill, through the grass, through the trees. Rich and I went 2.3 miles, and Sailor probably went 8 to 10.

From there we went to see Dixie the Dinosaur in Benicia. She's in a nice place with lots of flowers. While there, we thought we'd see the rest of Benicia, and we toured the third state capital, which was that for a year, 1852-1853. It was originally built as a city hall, but when Vallejo flooded, the State Capitol was moved. They've done a beautiful restoration job. I especially liked the men's hats on each of the desks. After this we ate, then drove down to the fishing pier. There were rumors of people having caught salmon, but no one we saw had anything. Finally, on the way home we stopped at the Jelly Belly factory, and Rich had his first tour. He agrees, it's interesting. We picked up our Belly Flops to give away. The tour guide, the best I've had, told about the shelf life, but my sister says a 2-pound bag lasts about a morning in her office.

Monday night we went with the SoleMates on the moonwalk. We walk along the River, then return to Fair Oaks Bridge in time to see the full moon rise. Some people come out to the bridge and make it a block party and sing "moon songs". (Shine On Harvest Moon, By the Light of the Silvery Moon, etc.) This drove my walking total for the day to 5 miles, not counting the walk around the factory.

Wednesday I took my time in the new grocery store and had fun seeing all the things they have. The clerks still don't know where things are. I was able to find a familiar face to check out with, too. Then I went to the pet supply store looking for a new leash that clips together, but no luck. I did discover a roll-up dog bowl, which seemed like a good idea. This morning we walked 4.7 miles over to a park, and I tried out the bowl at the water fountain. It works fine, though it doesn't stay rolled up as Sailor carries it, so I've added a rubberband.

In the afternoon we went looking for a laptop for me, and found some possible antique Compaqs, currently without their battery packs. I told the clerk to call if anything positive happened with these. Then we went to the new Gateway display store. Neat, all cow-spots and milktanks, but some marvellous computers. Rich is starting to think of his system now. He wants to put it back in the computer room, oh woe. I say oh, woe, because this means I have to FIND the computer desk and the rest of the room, buried under papers and books for years. He was going to order on-line, but it appears that if you order there, you get a box with a mug, pen, and beanie cow. And it's no more expensive. This probably happens next week. We also stopped to pick up some cabbage and bok choy to plant.

Then in the evening we stopped to pick up some film and I got the "you're 9!" card for my favorite soon-to-be-9 year old. (My nephew is 10). I already got his present at the Seybold Conference, a "Robin Hood" book with "Patrick" wherever "Robin" is. Then I went to the funeral of a Jesuit coach's wife while Rich went to a Boy Scout meeting. I didn't know the woman who died (52, lung cancer) but was going mostly as a Vince-representative. It was a big turnout. When her daughter, who has two deaf little girls, signed "Wind Beneath my Wings" I thought of my own mother, who was that for me, and cried right along with the daughter. Rich came and picked me up at the end.

What with one thing and another, Rich is keeping up with the garden, but not a single "honeydo" has been tackled. Busy, busy, busy!