Not an exciting roof update (yet!) , but does come with a cute Toby pic

We've been here a few weeks, established some habits + routines, and are starting to slip back into the mindset of - quick, let's get stuff done so that we can return to the moments of enjoying.  Thankfully, I am continually reminded to slow down and notice what's going on.  Like how excited the bees are to have a new free source of water in town, and how at least 3 of them will need careful rescue after getting a little overeager in their landing sequences every time I fill the washer.

Some days are more challenging than others.  Here, we witness the epic saga of a boy wanting to read outside, but not being able to see a bloody thing with 127,000 lumens entering his eyeballs at once. 

I'm not sure what size my perpetually barefoot boy's feet are, but that is an impressive bird print regardless.

I know Toby's sweet, pitiful face convinced the lot of you that I was meting out cruel + unusual punishment by withholding treats (or at least chastising the cat while still giving him all the treats) but when little stashes of cat kibble start popping up in toolboxes and hardware containers, it is a sign of dark times.  

Speaking of dark times, one occasionally wonders how there are any *light* times with electrical services such as this.  

Something tells me our griddle was not, in fact, made out of cast iron and should not have been put in a roaring fire to cleanse it of leftover fish.  I could be wrong.

Who can find knee deep mud on a desert hike?  My kid.

No, those aren't black socks he is sporting.  Do I even have to bother looking stern as I march him back to the ocean to wash off?  We both know he knows I am laughing + find the broken flip flops (his *only* shoes left) hysterical.

And while we are on the subject of LZ's legs. ;)

I am continually reminded that we asked for his glasses to be transitions + that they are decidedly not.

This is a throwback to living here in the mid90s. I thought of it after posting the photo of the plastic baby head at the gate last time.  This is because she (or one just like her) made driving this car possible.  A friend lent us this car in exchange for teaching his friend to drive.  I fondly remember lessons somehow involving Augustine, his wife, their daughter, me, Max, and our large dog, Shasta, all in the car at one time.  In any case, the hood latch was a bit worse for the wear allowing the hood to fly up and smack the windshield at odd times, which made the lessons even more exciting.  Maybe *too* exciting.  So in hopes of securing it down we found this chain and looped it around the front end.  But the fit was too loose and it would sometimes wriggle down + off.  One might have turned to bailing wire or rope or something at the point, but back in those days you used what you had on hand - which is where the baby head came in as A.) we had it on hand and B.) it fit perfectly (maybe a teeny-tiny bit smooshed) under the chain to hold it tight.  All our problems were solved.  (PS. In the photo I am gutting a sierra mackerel for dinner.)

After seeing that last pic, you don't even think to question why Max and I have left the boy at home and ventured off to explore this underground tunnel.  :)

I promise the next post will have some pretty fascinating palapa roof updates, but for now, here is where I leave you with Toby glowing in the first moments of light as we start the day together.  

And then hydrates before heading to bed for the day.