Friday five for the 10th of July

This morning my friend Cyndy posted a photo on Instagram of dew-edged strawberry leaves.  It reminded me that I had a similar photo in my files, taken years ago.  It seemed perfect for today.  And now, here are a few blessings from the week:

1.  A safe trip flying back from the West last Friday.  It took an entire day, but we're thankful for safety traveling thousands of miles.

2.  A wonderful vacation!  We did a week of tent camping and enjoyed Coral Pink Sand Dunes (a state park in Utah); Zion National Park; Grand Canyon; Cathedral Gorge (a state park in Nevada); and much more.  We also stayed at Willow Beach in the Lake Mead Recreation Area in Arizona, but I can't honestly say it was enjoyable.  It was a beautiful area but just too hot.  117º is just too much!

Following the camping trip, we spent another eight or nine days with family in Elko, Nevada.  The museum below was one place that we visited:

It all turned out to be a very refreshing time.  I do feel energized and more ready to tackle life again.  I hope that soon I can begin writing some posts about our trip.

3.  Being able to attend a traditional Fourth of July picnic at the home of friends.  We had originally been scheduled to travel on the 4th, so were especially thankful to get back on the 3rd and to have the energy to be part of this get-together.

4.  Lunch with our dear young friends Sam and Jennifer on Monday.  Always a joy to spend time with them.  Sam also kindly took us to and from Logan Airport for our vacation travels.  We would ordinarily have taken Concord Coach to the airport, but they've been closed since March.  Sure hope they reopen soon,  as they provide an irreplaceable service to travelers and commuters.  The sunrise photo below was taken from the bus station some years ago.

5. A fantastic surprise for Mr. T on Monday as we went to check on the cottage we're renovating.  Lots of work had been done by our daughter, son-in-law and their kids while we were away.  Old flooring removed and new flooring installed was a big part of the work they did, and will save us hours of labor.  Our son-in-law is a builder and his skills are so helpful!  (You can glimpse his work van outside the window in the photo below.)  Our daughter also painted the kitchen cabinets, walls and ceiling and the kids also did a lot of work on the various projects.

This little nook will be a bedroom area

This progress photo shows the paint job and the new floor and countertop in the kitchen.

And there's my Friday five!  A little more eventful than usual!  Have a great weekend, everyone.   And, if you haven't visited my Christmas blog, do head on over there for Christmas in July!