We kept ourselves busy over Memorial Day weekend with yard work. Taking advantage of the cooler weather, we plucked Bermuda grass, pruned maple trees, trimmed back lavender, and dug out stubborn oak plants. I also tried to shape our weeping blue cedar and train my ficus bonsai. Several plants like our azalea and winter creeper needed replacements, which we found at Green Acres Nursery. They didn’t have the ukigomo “floating clouds” Japanese maple that we wanted, but I still set up a new Kichler spot light to mark the future location. Despite working mostly from home, I remain busy with several grant deadlines this month. Fortunately, the BrightFocus Foundation finally came through to fund my research, although COVID cut the actual amount, and several projects remain on hold amidst the pandemic. At home, I took up learning Spanish again with Duolingo. I appreciate the game-like format which pushes me to practice each day, but the educational value remains unclear. I also got Westley a new aquatic-themed Lego set to complement the Hot Wheels that we’re using to bribe his way to staying dry at night. I lost this past weekend to troubleshooting my home network, which was intermittently dropping connections. I finally found our TV soundbar to be the culprit, but not before tracking every MAC address and having to disconnect and reconnect each smart device. I did manage to put together a backyard camping trip last night, with a Coleman instant cabin and sleeping bags for all three of us. A sterno in a planting pot with river stones was perfect for roasting marshmallows for s’mores, while Turkish tea lights, USB string lights, and glow-sticks provided the mood lighting. Hearing the sounds from our water fountain gave us the illusion of camping near a mountain stream as we slept under the stars. Although the whole family awoke with mosquito bites having neglected bug protection, we all enjoyed the experience and hope to do it again.