Today has been both a long day, and a quiet one. This weekend was emotionally taxing - good! but still, that much of a charge leaves you feeling drained - and physically. I welcomed spring with a trip to the Fort Worth Botanical Garden in the company of friends. We saw the butterfly exhibit, which was oddly morbid with so many dead butterflies everywhere, and walked about three and a half miles through the garden from one end to the other and back again. I got my first sunburn of the season. Yes, yes, I have already put hats in both vehicles, did that as soon as the First Reader looked at me and asked if I knew I'd gotten burned (no, I didn't. I don't feel it at first). I will be good! I just forgot it was a thing, because winter was just yesterday, it feels like. Between that, and walking my usual mile at my lunch break, I'm dragging tail tonight.
The First Reader journeyed up to the Tiny Town House and accompanied the professional inspector for four hours of that process. He reported back that the inspector was very thorough, and he was much better than the fellow we'd hired in Ohio who missed so many things. The final report comes tomorrow, but... We talked on the phone before The First Reader headed for home, and there is nothing major wrong with the house. First hurdle cleared! Onward to getting the financing finalized and closing!
The First Reader also whiled away some of the time texting photos to the Little Man of the workshop space and the vast area where the boat was parked, and if the Little Man really does want to be retro and fix up his first car from a junker, that's where he could do it. In one of the photos the inspector, a very good sport, is standing with his arms outstretched to give scale.
The Little Man and I were looking at my sketch of the house plan, talking about woodworking projects he's dreaming of, and enjoying a rare moment together, when there was a knock at the door. Amazon packages... two? I expected one? One's heavy! It's full of books on gardening in Texas. Mom! Thank you!
The kid was as interested as I in what she sent - Neil Sperry, who is considered the authority on Texas gardening, Landscaping with Edible Plants in Texas, Texas Fruit and Vegetable Gardening, and a field guide to Texas Trees. Yay! These will give us more ideas than we have space to execute them in.
The other package, the one I expected, was adapters for charging my Apple Pencil, since I've lost my original and it was cracking anyway. So I'll be able to make art for AstroLizards tonight before bedtime. I think today's art involves purple smoke and a set of surprised eyes glimpsed through it... Well. It'll be in black and white so you can add the purple when you color it. I'm looking forward to releasing this book. The last bit of the Sapper Lizards will occupy me this week, then I segue into the Major Gecko, and I should be done with this book around the... time we close on the house.
It's going to be a gloriously busy spring this year. Just like last year, funny that.