Weird day - flashing lights, insects, mud, and a bookmark

EARLY:

We started right - rising at 5:30 to walk dogs and get on with the day.

DH has found so many interesting things as he sorts and clears 25-35 years of his "stuff."* Among the "keepers" are these odd lights that must be for runners, hikers, and (just maybe) dog walkers! Paddy got the green one, Scruff the red. And we headed out for a walk in the dark.

I have no idea why the photo "took" like this.

Two dogs wrestle with a shrub.

Well, that must smell interesting.

DH holds tight to coffee mug.

I love how expressive Labby ears are. I think she is "hearing" a dog across the street.

We managed to navigate our way around the trash cans looming like monsters in the dark.

Running man arrived in the park to grab the attention of the pups.

The cold front was in and just cooling down things a bit. It was still a sweaty walk and we stopped for a "bag of water"** before heading home.

The cloud blanket kept us from enjoying the sunrise, but gave us a hope of rain later in the day.

Midday found one walker observing the beetles...

These beetles have the run of the barn in the summer. Some years they wander the floors in such numbers that it is impossible not to run over a few. I have also found them clogging the sinks - looking for water.

Today this guy just walked back and forth dragging a tiny dust bunny behind him.

I dragged nothing behind. It was a "set up" day - get paperwork completed, research, plan, spend a little time in the clay, clean up, and prepare for next week. Then I made a quick change into my old costume,*** brushed off the stray clay dust, and headed to the farewell reception for retirees.

There was a good turnout to say goodbye - laughter and tears, sighs of relief, handshakes and hugs.****

And the rain poured down.


NOTES:

* 25 years if you are counting the time we have lived in this house/35 years if you count the number of years we have been together. He is making huge progress. I am just starting.

** Years ago I would hunt around for a stray cup to cool the pups off on a long walk (when I forgot to bring a bottle of water. Now I just use a clean hundetoilette bag. They are perfect to provide a deep drink.

***Yeah, I have 7 pairs of black pants. So far I have kept enough for the occasional thing.

****And a plaque and engraved bookmark (the bookmark seems most appropriate). I started working (per my pay check) there in 1996. This plaque says I started in 2002. New math, right? But the magic is in the way the retirement calculators work. That is all that matters.

How did I retire so young? Well, thanks for asking - Four years with a city + four years with the state + 19 years (for retirement purposes) with the college = 27 years of service. 27+ my young age = 80 (actually more than a few years over 80). So I reached retirement age in my mid-50s.

Now they pay me for breathing and I pay them back tuition to play in the mud. Seems a good deal.

I have always laughed at these plaques - what do people do with them? The college has given me two 10 year plaques over the years (Why? I have no idea. I give them to a woodworker to recycle the wood. I will need to move this one along too).

But I have read quite a few books since retirement (yes, I have a list so I don't forget)...I will put that bookmark to good use.