A favorite part of my summery day: crossing the yard to the side of the house where the outdoor shower is, and going past the spearmint and the vinca vine in bloom and the ferns and geraniums and the rain garden I planted, and my bare feet in the soft grass. I can see the lawn from inside my hot shower. And today what I saw was this painted turtle laying her eggs in the grass! Digging into the earth with her rear feet. Usually we don’t see the egg layers until June––she’s a little early this year. The hot weather? I greeted her warmly and left her alone in the lovely area of the yard where there is very little traffic and I’ve made the space very sweet, quiet and pretty. I got my AWP Panel proposal sent in today on deadline. Fingers crossed. And I got one other project out for TLAN, teaching a Play Lab in October. Then I picked Wave up for his swim lesson, got to the club, and the teacher was a no-show! She forgot to put us in her schedule? It was sunny and hot by then, and I was irritated, because I had gone to so much trouble and Wave was all prepared. But the new play area is a water play area and he played happily there for awhile. He wasn’t upset. I was. But I’m trying to let it go. Tonight, I wish the eggs, tucked into their hole in the earth, are safe from the predators, including the ground hog who crosses that area of yard often.