I shoulda.

In years past I have always taken Blues Fest Monday off, to recuperate, and as a present to myself as part of my bday weekend. This year, I really need the money, so I didn't.
Man am I drained.
I had an off night of sleep after 3 long days of work, walking and dancing, not to mention some of the regular weekend chores.

Today I refrained from calling in so I could sleep in til 8 or 830a and went to work at the usual time. Needless to say I was so tired all day, except for the 3 times I went outside to drink in some sun and just get away from the tedium/boredom of the office. This always rejuvenates.

I had a really great weekend, better than I had expected I would.
Good times working with my daughter, some co-workers and another friend, as well as seeing others and spending time with my friend when time/circumstances allowed, and going out for dinner with my children. I received heaps of bday hugs and wishes and a couple of kisses as well making it the best in a very long time. The bands I watched were excellent and on Sat & Sun the headliners both played later than usual making for some of the times ever, in spite of the bad weather on Fri and Sat. Sunday was gorgeous, so was most of today.

From 5:30-7:10p I walked home (1.5 miles) from the 7th & 4th stop after a nice ride after work, then mowed the lawns and picked the 3-day neglected raspberries yielding a large bowl full. I hope to try to make some raspberry jam on the weekend when I have more time for such a production. The rain held off during my walk and mowing - but the air became very heavy and I was sweating, my hair totally soaked and soaking my t-shirt. I did get rained on as I picked the berries after mowing, but I was so sweaty by then that it was welcomed and cooling.

On my walk home I noticed some tall dark reddish flowers against one of the garages in the alley behind the church on the corner and there were SO many Hummingbirds on and around them. I should have dug into my bags and found my camera and photographed them, but I was tired from my walk and really had to get home for other reasons. There had to be at least seven or eight if not more, flitting about soaring high into the air and then chasing back down and into the brightly coloured blooms. I had only ever seen one or two here in my yard when my tall lavender Phlox bloom, never this many at once and so playful. It's too dark out now to go back and now that I've had my dinner I am immobile.

I am so ready to just veg as I write this, then maybe head to bed soon. I don't want to go too early and then wake up at like 1a and be an insomniac for hours again like last night, so I am fighting sleep as best I can.
Maybe a bath.

Pics tomorrow.
Adios Amigos

**Update**
An attempt to photograph the ONE Hummingbird the following day.
Again on my walk home I stopped at the garage with the flowers from the previous day.
This time, there were NO Hummingbirds, but I pulled my camera out of my bag in hopes one/some would appear. I didn't have to wait long as this one did. It seemed to be mocking me though flitting about, first to the flowers, then up into another bush, then to the phone lines to sit and chirp at me. At one point it flew round the back of the garage and as I was watching the flowers on the side of the garage, I didn't notice it immediately, but instead sensed something out of my periferal vision and good thing as just as I looked over, it flew to within approximately 4 feet of me and just hovered, as if to mock me more, then darted a bit closer (makeing me, then as I tried to change the camera's settings, it darted off around me and back up to the lines. I did manage to snap one shot blurred as it is: Grrr. No others appeared and after 20 minutes of this one playing games with me, I continued on home. I need to play with/better learn my settings as well.