Sequestered in Seattle, Day 403

Sunday began with our morning workout. We had postponed it from Saturday due to the long hike on Friday. Eric was very upset leaving the house and in the car, but he settled down once I carried him down to the Queen Anne Bowl (we parked on the east side, unusually, due to construction at our usual entrance). I kicked the soccer ball with him while Nicole and the girls ran. Colin played a little soccer, too, but also spent much of the time lying on the astroturf. Rachel joined the hangout. We picked up pastries from nearby Byen Bakery afterwards. Back at home, I watered the yard during the call and pulled out a couple weeds.

Next it was on to closet trimming for Nicole and me. That went about as well as could be expected. One piece of trim didn't even need its width adjusted. The most frustrating thing was finding where I'd left the coping saw. (I can't cope without it.) Nicole had to go back to the hardware store for more caulk, and also spent some of the afternoon painting.

I spent a good chunk of the afternoon sitting in a camp chair in the shady front yard reading my David Mitchell novel. I looked up and wrote down the kanji for some of its Japanese vocabulary. One or more crows visited the neighbors' railing, and two noisy hummingbirds squabbled briefly in the Viburnum. The sound of Colin's piano practice came out through the walls. Otherwise it was pretty peaceful.

Shortly before dinner I went back outside with Eric to play baseball. Nicole had found his plastic ball, so we played using his old plastic bat. We haven't replaced the bigger one yet. Colin took a few swings as well, but quit in disgust when I hit him with a pitch. Eric bats left-handed, so I got used to missing to the right, which doesn't work as well for Colin.

We had a scheduled game night with the Horners in Ohio, but Christy got her second vaccine dose this morning, I think, and wasn't feeling well, so it's been postponed. That left us with free time after dinner. I did more reading, followed by family reading upstairs. Over Sea, Under Stone continues to develop. We learned of yet another character working for the dark side.

I identified a few more plants from recent hikes today. First, I saw one of my unknowns in someone else's post in one of the Facebook groups I follow: Pacific waterleaf. Then, I used my Seattle plants book plus the Burke Herbarium website to id another as fringecups, one of the natives we've recently planted. This evening, I got suggestions from iNaturalist that helped me identify three more: Scouler's fumewort, wall lettuce (non-native), and goat's beard. I think the last one I photographed is a European mountain ash, but it's small and my photo probably won't be definitive.

Tomorrow will be back to work and school. Rachel will be starting her new schedule. It has been a warm, sunny, active spring break. I'm looking forward to cooler temperatures this week, since I'll be spending more of it inside.