Last spring and summer sitting out on my back porch with a good book and a cool carbonated beverage was one of my favorite ways to spend time.

It's going to be again this season as soon as the weather coordinates with my schedule a little better. We've had several days and evenings which would have been perfect for such (in)activities, but for whatever reason I have not yet been able to fully capitalize on these opportunities.

Tonight, though, I did get to spend a little time out there. When I got home Ruth wanted to show me some of the things budding, blossoming, and growing in our yard that she'd noticed this afternoon. She lead me on the grand tour of the grounds of our estate and there surely were many botanical signs that spring is definitely here. I attempted to take some pictures, but upon examination none of them came out satisfyingly so I'll try again soon to capture images of some of the growing things around here.

When I went back in to get my camera, Isaiah had woken up form his nap and he came outside with us. When we were done looking at and photographing the yard, the three of us spent about ½ an hour quite pleasantly on the back porch.

We spent the time laughing and talking about the day. Meaning Ruth and Isaiah's day, of course. My days don't usually bear extended discussion. I go to work, I edit some files, I model some buildings, I come home. Every day, though, I ask Isaiah what he did that day. He's at the age where I rarely get a straight answer and Ruth usually has to prompt him to remember all the stuff they did, but when he's old enough to write a webpage like this one, I want him to be ready. I tickled him a lot, too. I enjoy filling the neighborhood air with the sounds of his gleeful laughter.

When we came inside I put a video tape in the VCR for Isaiah to watch with us. I put it in tonight because it has to go back to the library tomorrow and Isaiah had been excited about it when we checked it out last week. The movie was The Neverending Story. I remember when it came out in the early middle 80s. I had never actually seen it before tonight because even back the 80s when fantasy and science fiction were almost all I read, I thought the movie looked pretty stupid.

As you might expect, I was correct. I suppose it might appeal to little kids (like Isaiah) but I was glad I had something else to hold my interest while it was on. I was putting together one of the robots Ruth and I had gotten Isaiah for his birthday, which was last Saturday, while he watched the movie and I waited for it to be over.

After our supper of the tasty pork chops Ruth had made during the movie, Isaiah and I sat/squirmed together in the recliner while we watched Cooking School Stories on Food Network. Actually, I watched the show while he squirreled around in my lap. That was fine with me, though. In fact, he kept getting up to go fool around and I kept grabbing him and dragging him back to hold and tickle him. I was hooked on the show in its first season. This 2nd season isn't quite as good, but it's still interesting to me.

After it was over I went back to work on Isaiah's robot. It was assembled, but now I was putting on the myriad of stickers that really make it look 100% better. He was providing a lot of "help" which mainly consisted of standing in my light and grabbing things just before I reached for them. We both had a good time doing it, though. I got to put something semi-complicated together (which I find rewarding to do whatever I am assembling) and he got a new toy robot and we spent the time hanging out together- a win/win situation.

I also have some bonus images today. The first one I actually took yesterday. For some reason the play of the light in this puddle I saw while I was getting gas appealed to me. The second and third ones I took on the way home today.