I feel as though I am once again jacked into the world. Connected. Doing things.

I guess it’s true. Into each life a little rain must fall. Some fell into mine yesterday. Not the metaphorical sad kind. But the literal, real kind.

On most mornings I water the plants around my porch with moisture collected in my rainwater drums. I start in the front by the big oaks. Then I move to the new salvia at the end of the house and then on to the back.

No fireworks to speak of yesterday. Mostly I did the one thing I love to do. Read a book. Almost all day.

It’s the Fourth of July. We should be popping off fireworks, but the city did that on Saturday. They even had the Fourth of July parade on July 1. That all seems odd.

It’s late, for me. The sun is well up. Birds are chirping. The day is on. I slept late. Lounged in bed. Didn’t move except to change positions.

I’m on the road, staying in the home of friends, trying to move silently through the spaces of a strange place.

Yesterday evening in my pool, as I floated on my back, I was looking up into the clear blue Texas sky. The only things to see were a waxing gibbous moon, and a solitary buzzard floating on a thermal, wings extended.

Worked on my riding mower all day yesterday. Took it all apart. De-greased the engine, what a mess. Repaired a leaking valve cover. Replaced the air filter. Replaced the spark-plug. Changed the oil. Changed the oil filter. Started putting it back together again.

It is entirely possible to get caught in the trap of comparing what you have to what other’s have.

The party’s over. It was a success. But the afterglow is fading. I thought it might last longer. But there it goes becoming a thing of the past.

Here’s a cartoon trope. A character is chasing another character. Let’s say, Wile E. Coyote. At some point the chaser, Wile, will find himself suspended in mid-air having run off a cliff.

It’s gonna be a good day. It started out that way. I got Wordle in two. It happens less than five percent of the time.

Got my new tire and wheel yesterday for the big mower. Put it on. Saw that the tire was touching the frame. Thought to myself, they sold me the wrong sized tire. Took it off. Put it in my trunk to take it back.

It seems a simple thing. Thursday is trash day. It needs to be on the street by seven a.m. I missed it yesterday as I have missed it many days. My late wife never missed it. Never.

Bonus. I scored two thunderstorms yesterday. The first showed around 8 p.m. The second appeared in the morning at 1 a.m. Although as I write that I realize actually it was one yesterday and one today.

This will sound weird. But I do believe I’m going to try and work outside more days this summer.

Had a good day in the yard yesterday, despite the heat. It was actually invigorating if you count being drenched in sweat invigorating. But I had chores to do, and I wanted to do them, so I did.

Memory is a funny thing. I know, for instance, there is only one natural lake in Texas. Somehow, I came to believe that was Inks Lake.

Happy Father’s Day. I’m a father. I like it. But I don’t really think I need a day. Generally speaking, I feel celebrated all the time.