Well, they are gone.... and summer vacation is started. How I feel like hoarding these precious days off. Honestly, I don't know how people who teach during summer school manage it. By the last day of school, I am so dead tired, it takes about 2 weeks to become human again.And usually, the start of summer vacation signals that I will come down with a major cold. This year was no exception. Now that this too has passed it's on to more interesting, non-teaching activities. And the thorough housecleaning that gets pushed aside as the demands of the school year become more and more intense.So far I've already completed a couple of landscaping projects: I needed a new spot for our charcoal grill, so I built this mini crushed stone area. Also finished weeding the pool area, the side patio, and repainted a bistro table.  It takes me a while to get used to just sitting :-)