1. Morning walks. This week the sunrise was extra special — and yet, it was because of smoke from wildfires, both just west of here and in Montana and Idaho — but the light. *swoon* Another special treat this week was the day we ran into Carol and Rizzo, our backyard neighbor and her dog, who Ringo loves. It’s so cute because with a fence between them, they do that thing where they bark like they want to kill each other, but when we run into them on a walk, it’s all good.

2. Books. I will never get to read all the ones I want to but I will die trying.

3. Crossing things off my to-do list. Usually the list is in my head but today I wrote some of it down just to have the satisfaction of crossing things off. It’s also nice to be able to write it, put it down and walk away, not have to carry it around with me. When I was still working at CSU, I’d add things to my list that I’d already finished that day just to get to make that line through, to feel a tiny sense of accomplishment.

4. Rain. During late spring and summer, Fort Collins typically has 30 days of 90-degree temperatures. This year so far, we’ve had at least 62 90-degree days. For this reason, the cooler temperature and rain of the past few days has been glorious.

5. My tiny family, tiny home, tiny life. How many times can I say it before you get bored of hearing it, kind and gentle reader? — I LOVE my little life, it’s everything I ever wanted and there’s no place I’d rather be.

Bonus joy: zucchini egg bake, having a washer and dryer in my house, electricity and clean water, the internet, prescription drugs and vaccines and masks, watching good TV and movies, listening to podcasts, the hydromassage chair, the pool, the sauna, training with Shelby and the gang, hanging out with Mikalina, texting with Chloe’ and Mom and Chris, the pictures of Jessamy’s kids, electric cars, a/c, my practice room, my office, our backyard, the slow fading of our front garden, good neighbors, other people’s dogs, babies, wombats, lemurs, elephants, honeybees, butterflies, hummingbirds, herons, oranges, limes, lemons, strawberries, grapes, down blankets and pillows, organizing a drawer or closet, mint, grapefruit bubbly water, bird feeders, all the ponds and the river and the Pacific ocean, chemotherapy and bone marrow transplants, veterinarians and techs who are willing to get down on the floor and go slow with Ringo, knowing that he trusts me which is his version of love, naps, sleeping in, reading in bed at night while Eric and Ringo sleep.