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(to me) park a few towns over. I wasn't particularly impressed at first...it's in a remote part of the town and the entrance is a single lane with two gravel tracks and grass growing between them. I actually turned in, then had to back out to let another car exit the park. There's a small parking lot (again, more gravel) and then only two walking trails: a trek further up the gravel road to a pretty pond and a loop through the forest that's very meandering and sometimes almost too narrow to walk on (though if you step off the path, you're just stepping on forest floor, maybe some ferns) but fortunately very well marked. However, I grew to appreciate how quiet and peaceful the place was and how there were just enough people around that I felt confident I could ask for help if something happened. At one point on the wooded path, I almost literally stumbled over a hiker. At first, I thought he was down because of illness or injury...turns out he just decided the middle of the (narrow) path was the best place to stop and read a book. I can't entirely fault him...there weren't many benches or even fallen trees to perch upon and reading in a forest is pretty awesome.

Afterwards, I rewarded myself with a couple scoops at a charming local ice cream parlor 🍨

Yesterday, we got a sort of surprise visit from Bro's entire family. I say "sort of" a surprise because they often come over on Father's Day...they just usually text me first. I would've tidied up the bathroom and living room had I known they'd be coming over when they did. But I appreciate that they still visit Dad on Father's Day and I really appreciate that they stay just long enough to be social and catch us up on everything that's going on but not so long that Dad starts to get tired of their company <g>.

And today is Sis' 70th birthday. I'm having a LOT of trouble wrapping my mind around the fact that Sis is 70, and TBH, kind of an "old" 70 at that. She's definitely slowed way down over the last few years. Her kids are throwing her a surprise party tonight (shhh...don't tell Sis <g>); Dad and I were invited but it was a very last minute decision and I'd *just* been down there for my nephew's graduation. I really, really wish I could've made the trip this time too but the finances just couldn't cover the trip (well, they COULD...but I prefer to use that money for bills and other necessities right now). I did send Sis a gift; we normally don't do birthday gifts but exceptions are made for milestone birthdays. I assembled an explosion box and decorated it, then filled it with mostly silly stuff I had lying around the house. I also finally got some bead caps that would work with the glass beads I made last year and this year, and I finally found a chain I could slip smaller beads on (I had to remove a jump ring to do so and then add it back on), so I made Sis a necklace. She was really thrilled with her gift...but she didn't even notice the box I shipped it in. Call it fate, call it a miracle...I didn't have any boxes in the house that were the right size to ship the explosion box in so I was about to go up to our town's recycle bin, where they have a very handy "box shack" where people can put their flattened boxes in slots based on size and other people can take the boxes as needed. I went upstairs for some bubble wrap...right next to where the bubble wrap was, I found the *perfect* size box. AND it was one Mom used to use to store Christmas decorations in, so it had her handwriting all over it. There was even a line mentioning something my sister's daughter had made Mom when she was a tot, so my niece's name even appeared on the box, in Mom's handwriting. When I took the box up to the post office, "Bubbles" was behind the counter. No, that's not her given name but she insisted it be on her name tag...anyways, I worked with Bubbles at the bindery for a while, so we're friendly. I asked Bubbles if she could put the shipping label on the box in such a way that Mom's handwriting wouldn't be covered up and she looked almost affronted as she said she could put that sucker anywhere. And...Sis didn't even notice <g>.