Well.

Lots of folks have asked me what I've been up to over the summer; and since pictures are far better than lots and lots of words, here y'all go. But you know me: I still have to blab some. Just a little.

What I looked like going in to the clinic for lab draws during my neutropenia house arrest.

So my whites are back into normal range, and I am a free bird once again! This makes me very happy. Dr. Young Guy and I are embarking on a grand experiment to get more information that will give us a clue as to the cause of my neutrophil drop: I am not currently taking any immunosuppressants. We assumed the drop was drug related, but if I drop out again, this time without these meds on board, I will need a work up with a hematologist to evaluate further. We'll see how long this absence of treatment can go before all of my Sjogren's Syndrome symptoms rear their ugly heads.

My arch enemy. 

After all of my protective restrictions were lifted, I could resume my quest to eliminate these nasty Canadian thistles from every inch of our property. Just when I'm certain that I've conquered them, I find more. But I will persist and WIN this battle. So there.

We are starting to see some rewards for all of our outdoor efforts.

Back in June, we had some real excitement around here when a swarm of honey bees decided to land in one of our Douglas fir trees. I called our local honey bee club (who knew we even had one?) and a member brought out an empty hive in the hopes that they would move in. After a couple of days of buzzing and hanging around the tree about thirty feet up, they DID. Amazing. When it got dark, that night John and I wrapped the hive in a tarp, PUT IT IN OUR SUV AND DROVE IT 45 MILES TO ITS NEW HOME.

I still can't believe we were brave enough to do that.

Here they are climbing up into their new home. Crazy cool. 

Yes. John drove, and I sat in the back seat with the bees. Didn't see one escape the hive during the whole trip. All those little buzzers were sleeping for the night.

We also discovered this footage from our game camera in June. More than once, so we're guessing this guy lives in our back yard. I've named him Yogi. I think his ears are so furry and cute.

Most importantly, this cutie pie has learned to walk.

Tell Gramma EVERYTHING.

What fun. Sigh. It's good to look back at all the good times that far outweigh the less than good ones.

So. What have y'all been up to?