4th of July, garden slugs and life in general

Today we celebrate America's independence. I'm seriously considering (if I can get past the thought of using the gas!) driving the 22 miles to Farm Sanctuary in Watkins Glen for their 4th of July Pignic. Free tours on the hour, 11 AM to 3 PM, and free vegan snacks. If I pack a lunch, gotta remember not to include meat. (As you can see from the photo above, I did choose to go to the "Pignic". Great fun.

Plant and pet sitting for my daughter's family while they're vacationing in Florida. I used to housesit quite regularly, staying 24/7 in people's houses and caring for plants, dogs, mail, etc. The only pets at Sam's are the garden slugs which I've been dispatching with regularity -- actually, by plucking them off plants and the ground and throwing them onto the street; plus, today I set them up with a beer bath, and goldfish. A large, fat goldfish named Dorothy, a tiny, unnamed goldfish, and one of those scum suckers that help clean the aquarium. Dorothy is a girl fish, my grandson says, because her name is Dorothy. I've put Dorothy and her buddies on a diet. They were being fed twice daily and seemed quite sluggish. I only go over once a day and they're enthusiasm is evident when I show up!

Having my daughter's car for three weeks is good. I prefer not to own a car, but enjoy the change that comes with temporarily having one. I worry I'll get lazy and fat, of course! Wegmans Supermarket is just across the river and I walk there all the time. But, now I drive to Sam's, tend the critters, and stop at Wegmans on the way back home. However, I park at the farthest end of the lot from the entrance. My daughter tells me that there is a special parking place in the southeast corner, signage included, for those who prefer to walk the longer distance.