Chainsaw Lessons on the 4th of July

James asks to learn how to use a chainsaw. 

Erin has a half-dead tree in her yard. 

Perfect.

Yesterday afternoon, we had an impromptu landscaping party at Erin's house. I brought Nova. Bobby and James worked on the tree, Erin and I watched from the driveway in camp chairs. The dogs hung out, panting. It was a hot afternoon, but there was a nice breeze. 

Nova and Ruby "chillin'" in the car. I think Nova was telling me she was ready to go home.

This was the thickest limb.

Hauling, hauling, hauling.

Chucking a log onto the pile.

Matthew called me at some point asking where I was (did I forget to tell him??) and hung up once he heard we were all hanging out at Erin's house. 15 minutes later, I see him running up the sidewalk, barefoot, in pajamas. He ran the whole way over, half a mile, just to be part of the fun. He didn't do it out of anxiety. He wasn't the slightest bit anxious or stressed about making that trip on his own. He was thrilled, actually. His anxiety is like a light switch. When it's on, everything is bad. When it's off, nothing phases him. It's hard to address something so seemingly random.

That morning, I had gone with the Prairie Cycle Club on their annual 4th of July Perimeter Ride. It was the longest ride I'd done in months. 37 miles. It would have been a whole lot harder if I hadn't met K. She's a long-term club member and a seriously active 60-year-old. We have the exact same bike! She's a natural talker, thankfully, so she was using a lot of air to chat, which made it easier for me to keep up with her. I learned a lot about her and her passions. She gave me some research to look up on low-carb eating. I was fascinated by how much a change in diet improved her own health and the health of her family members suffering from similar chronic conditions. Just plain awesome. I've heard similar testimonials from friends who went vegan, dairy-free, or gluten-free for a variety of reasons. I am thoroughly convinced that one eating pattern does not fit all. 

We talked about food addiction, too. I'm pretty sure I'm in that boat. Gotta read up on that. 

I've got a lot to read up on, actually. This winter, I'm going with Rachel on a 4-day cruise to Mexico. She's an avid reader, and this cruise is something of a conference with several authors she enjoys. She sent me a reading list. I like what I've read so far! There's so much more to go. We will also be making a couple 50-mile rides on this trip ;) Rachel can be pretty darn efficient.