1. Morning walks. We saw an owl one morning, or rather heard it before we saw it. Because it was squawking rather that hooting, I though at first it was a hawk. We were searching the massive cottonwood where the sound was coming from and finally saw it way up at the top. Eric started to “hoo, hoo, hoo” at it and it barked back a few times. I joined in, and then Ringo made a sound somewhere between a howl and a soft yip, trying to mimic us. It was SO cute, especially considering usually when he sees an owl, he gets mad and barks at it.

2. Practice. Yoga at Red Sage that included one of the staff’s dogs, the sweet Mabel, who reminded me so much of Sam only smaller. Yoga where I wasn’t the teacher, a class at the gym that got taken over by a person who I get massages from sometimes and turns out is also a really good yoga teacher. I missed practicing in person in a class where someone else tells me what to do next. Writing with my Friday morning sangha, almost the whole group this week — people get busy over the summer so it can be hard to have a full set. It also worked out that Chloe’ could “stay after class” and we got to hang out for a bit after.

3. Cooking with Eric. I especially like it when there isn’t really a plan but rather some protein that needs cooked and a few veggies and such that need to get eaten, and we just come up with something. It usually ends up being so yummy.

4. Bears, oh my! There have been a record number of bears in town this year. I LOVE seeing them AND it’s sad because it’s due to the drought, the dry winter and hot summer combining and creating conditions where the bears have to roam further to find enough food. A friend down the road posted pictures of one in his front yard, playing in his sprinkler. There was even one on campus at Colorado State University on move in day. The spot where it was found is right outside the building where I worked for 20 years. Some of those students had just moved to Colorado and a bear on campus was not what they were expecting. Turns out it was a baby that had gotten separated from its mama so it wasn’t much of a threat, but they darted and moved it to keep it safe and to keep mama from coming to look for it.

5. My tiny family, small house, little life. Ringo and I are still adjusting to Eric being gone so much more now that he’s back at work fulltime. I sent Eric pictures around midday during one of his longer days, said, “Ringo and I are napping. How’s work?” and he just so happened to see it when he and his colleague where talking about how busy they were going to be this semester and that they didn’t know how most people worked all day long five days a week, so they got a good laugh from my message. I am making sure to really enjoy every walk, every nap, every moment with Ringo because at almost 13 our time together is naturally winding down. I’m just so happy he’s doing so well and that even though he was so much harder, more difficult than our other three dogs, I was able to give him a really good life too.

Bonus joy: a cranberry bagel with cream cheese, making everyone laugh in Pilates this morning, getting in the pool, using the hydromassage chair, sitting in the sauna with Eric, a good watermelon, peaches, fresh tomatoes and basil, clean sheets, a warm shower, kindness from the tech at my appointment with the dermatologist, air conditioning, finding Ringo sleeping in the bathroom or under my desk in the morning where he’s been waiting for me to get out of bed (he gets up with Eric an hour before I do and is sometimes content to just nap on the couch by Eric, but sometimes he wants to wait “close by” for me), feeling sore, feeling stronger, doing the things I know I want the benefit of even when I don’t feel like doing them, my morning writing practice, poetry, comedy, audiobooks (I find that memoirs can be especially good when read by the author), listening to podcasts, getting all the laundry done before lunch, down blankets and pillows, book club, pizza, ice cream, texting with my brother, reading in bed at night while Eric and Ringo sleep.

1. Morning walks. We finally figured out what the beavers had been working so hard on: a new dam. The mud had tiny beaver hand prints. It’s close enough to the trail that if it floods over, the rangers will most likely have to dismantle it. I realized one day how often we’ve been seeing the heron because Eric pointed one out and I didn’t even stop to take a picture. There’s been a real uptick in bear sightings but we haven’t run into any yet.

2. Rain. It’s storming right now and we’ve had the windows open and the whole house fan on for the past few hours instead of the a/c. We had a huge storm a few days ago that caused a lot of flooding because the rain came down so hard and fast. After such a dry, hot summer, rain seems like magic.

3. Bosco. Chloe’s little family got a new puppy and he’s adorable. He’s the same kind of dog as his big brother Pancho, who for his first three years was Ringo’s best friend. Once Pancho got too big, too grown up, Ringo decided they couldn’t be friends anymore and it was very sad for Chloe’ and I. Pancho weighs around 120+ pounds so Bosco is going to be a big boy too. Even though they are a lot of work and can bring a lot of chaos, there’s just something about a baby dog.

4. Yellow. The changing leaves and blooming rabbit brush as fall nears, the roses Eric bought me, the placemats at one of our favorite restaurants, peaches, and one of the colors in every kitchen counter love note Eric made me this week.

5. My tiny family, small house, little life. Eric had lots of meetings and such this week and classes start next week and with one extra commitment this semester on top of everything else I won’t get to see him as much. Ringo’s wonky belly seems to have cleared up finally and he’s doing really well otherwise for an old man almost 13. I sure wish my anxiety would calm down about him being old, especially considering having an old dog was something I wanted, worked and wished for. I feel very lucky to have this “problem” and the resources to make this effort, the luxury to be able to focus so much of my effort and energy on calming the f*#k down.

Bonus joy: getting in the pool, sitting in the sauna, getting the laundry done before it gets too hot, texting with Chloe’ and Chris, getting to see Chloe’ and the dogs, the blueberry jam Ralf made, a warm shower, naps, watching “easy” TV (it’s really all I can handle right now), listening to podcasts, peaches, cheeseburgers, lemonade, grapefruit Bubly, onion buns, pickled red onions, asian cucumber salad with peanuts, cooking with Eric, taking a new class at the gym and seeing two gym friends there, having the whole pool to myself, being able to text my neighbors about dumb stuff, watching Eric trying to snoop on the new neighbors moving in across the street, a big glass of cold clean water, sleeping in, cleaning up the house a bit, all the cards people sent about Mom, having saved voicemails so I can still hear her voice (“Hi Jill. It’s Mom.”), poetry, knowing that Ringo trusts me, ibuprofen (see “taking a new class at the gym”), the massage chair, scheduling a massage at the gym and finding out the person I see there when I can’t get in to see my person took over the Monday and Wednesday morning yoga class and committing to start going again, patchouli, blooper reels, down pillows and blankets, reading in bed while Eric and Ringo sleep (which I’m going to go do right now).