I am grateful for Coop, who knew Farley was nervous about his first day of kindergarten without parents, and decided to propose matching shirts. He'd have preferred it if Farley hadn't also chosen orange shorts like his, but he was a good sport about it anyway.

I am grateful for time spent in the studio.

I am grateful that we can now walk both our kids to and from school.

I am grateful for Cooper's Cub night. He was excited to see all his buddies there from last year, and I enjoyed hanging out with them and seeing my Scouter colleagues, too.

I am grateful for a lazy Sunday morning

I am grateful for a high output afternoon of many errands.

I am grateful for some time at a park, and later in Sidney looking for beach glass with my lads.

I am grateful for a morning of working quietly in my quiet garagenous zone.

I am grateful for an afternoon of paddling in our newly painted canoe on the Gorge with Farley and my mother in law.

I am grateful for family fun night: Nana’s pick. We went out to Big Wheel Burger, then, after doing some math and realizing how late Nana would have to stay up if she was on the last ferry, we dropped Nana off at the ferry terminal, and carried on going for ice cream, and then bowling.

I am grateful for a visit from my pal Clint today. He came over from Vancouver, and it was as great to see him as it always is.

I am grateful for a fun time at the 149th annual Saanich Fair.

I am grateful for a game of sequence in the backyard this afternoon.

I grateful for dinner out with Clint, and a few beers, and a couple hours of adult conversation.

I am grateful for a fun day that didn't stop after Dropping off Clint at the ferry; I headed to meet Julie and the boys and a bunch of other fine folks at a backyard screening of The Princess Bride. Such a perfect night, movie, and group of fine people for it!

I am grateful for the store, Industrial Plastics. You can buy lots of cool stuff there that you can use to fix or build nearly anything you can conceive of.

I am grateful for time spent painting at the studio this morning. finished another one and brought it home today. w00t!

I am grateful for time spent preparing our canoe for a fresh coat of paint, and patching a few spots while I was at it.

I am grateful for a no-mercy water fight my family and a neighbour’s kid engaged in today. There were no dry spots on any participant. Everyone was a winner.

I am grateful to live a short stroll away from the Fifth Street Grill, where we decided to go for dinner tonight. I am also grateful to have kids that are now big enough that going to a restaurant doesn’t seem like a terrible idea that will almost certainly go sideways anymore.

I am grateful as all heck for our daycare, where Farley just had his last day. Between our 2 kids, we've been involved with it for 7 years. The woman who runs it is fantastic, and both my kids and my family are better off for knowing her. It's hard to imagine she and the other families there won't be part of our daily lives anymore, but I do plan to keep in touch.

I am grateful for Coop. Today it was just me and him. He was running low on books, so we took a trip to the library. With books, that kid is happy anywhere, and it turns out that includes the studio, where I got time in painting while he read like a fiend.

I am grateful for some time spent with Julie this morning getting some errands done.

I am grateful for some time in the garagenous zone for the
First time in a while, even though it was hotter than Hades in there today.

I am grateful for some time spent painting at the studio.

I am grateful for digital book loans from my public library.

I grateful for time with my boys tonight. They helped me build my Lego Saturn V rocket, while intermittently swinging in the swing and jumping in the trampoline. We're done the first two stages now.

I am grateful for time spent reading to Farley before bed.

I am grateful for time in the studio this morning.

I am grateful for Coop's help in painting the front steps. That kid does just fine with a roller. Nice to have that done before the rains start to fall.

I am grateful for IMAX movies the boys and I took in today. Know what I just can't get enough of? Steam locomotives in the Rocky Mountains. That's what.

I am grateful for time spent with those same kiddos at a playground. Felt like one of the last long hot days of summer

I am grateful for a trip to a u-pick farm this morning with friends. Kids romped around and sat on the grass, and we came home with squash, celery, broccoli, radishes, onions, lettuce, celeriac, beans, blackberries, raspberries, and a bunch of other stuff I am likely forgetting.

I am grateful for friends who came to eat all that and still more at an impromptu backyard BBQ tonight. If that kind of thing isn't nice, what is?

I am grateful for googly eye thumbtacks.