I think week-ends can be a difficult time for many people. We thrive on routine and when this is removed from us we flounder a bit.

Hope the coming week brings good things for you.

Malign I can totally relate to the church thing. I've been having to take my mom since her foot is broke and everyone is the same. I have had more people come up and pinch my cheeks and hug me and say I haven't seen you since you were a teenager. If you postpone going out during the day just go out at night. It's much more peaceful and you see all different kinds of birds then you would see during the day. Also no worries about sunburn ;-)

Routine lets me get through without thinking, yes. ;-)

It's also a function of responsibility: I have to go to work, but I don't feel the same obligation to go have fun when I can. Perhaps my priorities are off, huh?

Mmm, you're right about nightbirds, Amanda. You can sometimes see bats (okay, not birds really) just before it gets completely dark. And I've seen nighthawks flying over a parking lot, harvesting the bugs just out of reach of the street lights. They're hard to see in the daytime, because they hide on the forest floor.

Perhaps you meant a different kind of night-bird entirely, though. I guess it depends on your neighborhood. ;-) I did like your leaf-collecting hobby, though. One of my prize possessions is a button someone made for me when I was a teenager. It's a tiny red maple leaf, partially turned. It's really pretty, and a great memento of the person, who was the naturalist at a park we used to spend a week at, every summer. I think my wife has it. (That also may give you a hint just how I feel about her, these days.)

well, same weekend problems for me, except...all week is like that a t the moment. Well, I like that your friend call ed just in time! that is so awesome. I love when it happens to me. that's fur sure.

can you get the button back... along with other prized possessions that are yours only? that would make sense... no?

Ah, well, "sense"! :-)

Not accustomed to that concept, from her.

I should be able to get it back (if it's still there). She did throw some other stuff of mine away, before, and sold other stuff at a yard sale, a long time ago. Since the divorce became a real option, she has been more careful, because she knows she can get in trouble. But there's still stuff of mine at the house ... So, okay, part of it is I'm too much of a wimp to demand it back. Trying to keep the peace, in the hopes that peace might be worth something.