I Get By With A Little Help From My Friends

I dreaded going to work today after the last two days that I had this week. I had too much to do today and thought that I would never get it done. Today really came together though and I couldn't have done it without the support system that I have. I called my boss first thing this morning after I finished the paperwork. Already knowing the answer, I asked her if there were any extra vehicles laying around her park. They really don't have any to spare, but she was willing to give up her truck for the day so that I could run all of my errands. Before I headed that way, I asked my co-worker to come to Adams Tract with me to have a second go at taking the mower blades off. Armed with a better wrench and his strength and determination, the blades came off of the mower in no time flat. Unfortunately, the blades were not in good enough shape to just sharpen as I had thought after a first glance, but I was planning on buying new ones today as well. I drove my truck to the mechanic and my boss picked me up and gave me her truck. I was already half-way to where I needed to buy the mower blades so that trip seemed nice and short. I bought blades for the Adams Tract mower as well as the Troy mower and headed back to the park. When I arrived, I talked with two groups of visitors who were very pleasant to be around. It was nice to take a break from the hectic running around that I was doing.
After lunch, my co-worker and I headed to Adams Tract to install the new blades and check that job off of the list. It feels great when things just fall into place! When we got back to Troy, we tackled the blades on our mower without a hitch... well, he changed the blades and I handing things to him. I was still a little nervous to be hands-on with the equipment after the week that I had. Once the mowers were taken care of, I called the dealership where the John Deere Gator was being repaired and was thrilled to hear that they had just finished it up and were preparing the ticket. I hooked up the trailer and headed up there. They were ready for me when I got there. I paid them (the total was even lower than expected), loaded the Gator, and headed back to the park. It was such a good feeling to DRIVE the Gator back into its parking spot and see it where it belongs.
I was still in such amazement that the day had gone so smoothly that I volunteered to carefully tiptoe my way over rocks and slippery clay to recover a dirty diaper that someone had discarded on the side of the spring. I'm glad I did because it was the only time all day that I could stop and enjoy the nature around me... after the diaper was gone. On the walk back up to the office, I saw a beautiful vine that I haven't noticed before. It had the most tiny, delicate yellow flowers and seed pods or fruit that looked like grapes or large peas. My evening relief was walking with me and she spotted the butterfly in the next photo. It was so gracious to stay still while I snuck a photo through the leaves. It is a Red Admiral. Next, my eyes carried me over to a teeny-tiny orb weaving spider, I am not certain of the specific type. I had initially thought that it was a Garden Orb-Weaver, but I can't be sure. The stabilimentum or the squiggly part in the web is not the right pattern to be a Garden Orb-Weaver, but I don't know if the little guy just doesn't have it down yet or if its a different type all together. I will have to consult my spider book when I return to work. Thankfully, that won't be for another couple of days!