Sam's Busy Weekend - Part One

Sam was pretty busy this past weekend - which means I was pretty busy, as well. 

Saturday began with a ride down to the comic book store. The occasion was Free Comic Book Day (plus we needed to pick up the stack of comics they were holding for him from his pull list). As in previous years, the owners of the comic book store were combining F.C.B.D. with a food/ essentials drive for the local community center. Sam and I contributed two large boxes of diapers, which we bought on our weekly visit to the bulk food store. 

(An aside from the You Probably Had to Be There Department. When we went grocery shopping, Sam stood silently by as I loaded the two large boxes of diapers into our shopping cart. I could tell the gears were turning in his head, but he didn't say a word, he just  stared at the boxes. We continued on with our shopping, adding more stuff to the cart, all the while, Sam still didn't say a word. When we were nearly done, Sam came out with, "Say Dad, what's up with the diapers???!!!" ...As I said, you probably had to be there.)

Anyway, we dropped off the diapers and picked up his stack of comic books. Heading home, we ordered our Saturday lunchtime pizza on the way.

After lunch, it was off to a surprise party for one of his coworkers. 

This party was being held about a mile away from home so, in spite of the oppressive humidity, we decided to walk. 

It was worth it. 

The party was for one of Sam's two (very kind) supervisors. I won't go into a lot of detail about the party, other than to say it was largely filled with family members, people who, for the most part, were unknown to us. Sam's supervisor took it upon herself to introduce Sam to some of them, each time allowing Sam to speak for himself, prompting him when he got a little stuck and later, without making too big a deal about it, congratulating Sam on how well he did. (sob).

It was a lovely time, but we kept it a little brief, saving our already pathetic amount of energy for the mile-long, sweaty walk home.

(To avoid prosecution, I purposely chose a photo with the fewest amount of identifiable faces.)

Music for a Friday Night

Sarah Jarosz covers a Paul Simon song...

More Evidence

Yesterday I had a text from one of Sam's supervisors. Seems a helicopter had made a non-emergency-type landing to the helipad next to the school. This, I was told, was to stock up on supplies (from the nearby school cafeteria or the not-quite-as-nearby hospital, I'm not sure).

The supervisor wanted to share with me a couple of photos she took of Sam being brought over by his other supervisor, to get a closer look. 

Apparently, he and his other supervisor got to talking with the pilots and the pilots let Sam climb in and check things out "as long as he didn't touch anything". (Sam assured me that he kept his hands in his pocket the entire time, "just to be safe".)

Yet another example of how lucky he is (and how lucky I am) that he's working with such kind people.

This Week in History

Google Photos kindly reminds me that the family was on vacation thirteen years ago, this week. I miss those times but I'm SO glad I have the memories. Wouldn't trade them for the world...

Go... and Stop... and Go...

When Sam and I go on walks, our walks are usually peppered with frequent delays. These interruptions can be due to any number of things, ranging from: catching Pokemon while playing Pokemon Go!, to swatting away flies from our mouths and eyes, to stopping to try and breathe (mostly me), and stopping to catch Pokemon. We can now add using the iNaturalist app to our list of delays.

This app was recommended to us (meaning, to Sam) by one of my sisters. 

The idea is, with the app installed, you use your phone's camera to identify - and possibly photograph - different plants, birds or other wildlife (I'm assuming "bugs"qualify as "wildlife").

Once the app loads, which can be a while, you aim it at your subject and it will then work on narrowing down a classification - and hopefully, a specie - for whatever it is you're pointing it at. This specie identification can sometimes take awhile and frequently, it will end in only a classification before you finally give up.

When the app has trouble, it will suggest you try scanning your subject from different angles. Assuming you have the time to wait, this usually isn't a big deal... at least, it's not a big deal with things like flowers or plants or mushrooms. It's more of a problem when it comes to identifying things like birds or bugs or other wildlife - things that run or fly away. 

Often (meaning pretty much always), these creatures are unwilling to sit and wait while you and your app search for the right angle and they're long gone before the final identification is made. It can, at times, be frustrating.

But it can also be rewarding. For the times it does work, which is far more often than not, it's been fun. Sam keeps at it and he enjoys it. And this means I enjoy it, too.

She'll Be Relieved to Know

 My estimation of Jennifer Aniston has increased significantly.

Onward

Since fully one third of my readership (i.e.: one person) has suggested I continue posting, here are few photos from a walk Sam and I went on a couple of weeks ago.

For most of the summer, delays caused by rain followed by days of more rain kept us from walking through the nearby forest. When we finally had a sunny day, Sam and I took advantage of it and headed over for not-so-leisurely stroll through the woods. Big mistake.

The forest looked lovely, particularly with the late afternoon sunshine filtering through the trees. Added to that, pools of water filled the normally dry low areas and streams filled the normally dry ravines. All beautiful...

 

... until you add in the bugs. 

The place was swarming with flies and mosquitoes, and every other specie of annoying insect - all trying to fly into our eyes and ears and mouths. It was like we were trudging through a rain forest - which, in hindsight, I guess we were. 

It was so bad that even Sam decided to give up and head back. This never happens. Never. No matter how much I might diplomatically "suggest" that we not bother to continue (or sometimes, to even go in the first place), Sam's always gung ho. 

Not this time.

It's hard to capture in a photo, but Sam's arms were flailing all the way back to the car.

 Mine were too - otherwise, I would have taken more photos.