Middle Of The Road

"Toto, we're not in Kansas (i.e., the city) anymore."

Hardly a day goes by without a sighting, either in person or posted on FB, of some creature or other in the roads in this area.  This morning it was a chicken up at Four Corners, no doubt trying to get to the other side.  I have seen an emu (they're pretty common, evidently seasoned escape artists), and the occasional sheep.  Pigs are frequent travelers, as well as cows and goats.  Horses, of course, and once in awhile an alpaca out for a stroll.  Vultures have enough sense to fly away.  Turkeys do not.  We're all accustomed to watch for deer, it's the others that spice up our country life.  It's another good reason to slow down and enjoy the scenery.

Keep your eyes open!

Stay safe.  Be well.

Full Moon Rising

(Not to be mistaken for 'Bad Moon Rising', Credence Clearwater Revival, 1969.)

The full moon was absolutely spectacular last night, huge and bright.  What never ceases to amaze me is the indication of its orbit.  From the vantage point of my chair, sometimes the moon comes up to the northeast, and at other times, like now, it comes up directly in the east.  The coyotes, those Children of the Night, have moved on or they'd have been howling last night in celebration.

Today is also a day for reflection and celebration.  It is Deb and Craig's (always said as one word) twentieth  anniversary.  Their wedding was held here in our backyard, and rarely to never has there been a happier couple.  The best part is that they are still best friends and share boundless love and respect.  They manage to keep their separate identities while becoming as one.  They're an inspiration and they make me proud.

Be sure to look at the moon tonight!

Stay safe.  Be well.

Moving On

What a difference a week makes.  The wisteria has even gone around the back side to come out blooming in the apricot tree.  Get a gander at that baby blue sky, most welcome after a day of overcast and drizzle.

The wild geese are migrating north, but nothing like the wave after wave we've seen in the past.  These birds trickle by in twos and threes.  Were it not for their honking, I'd never know they were traveling through.

It was a good day.

Stay safe.  Be well.

April Showers

(April Showers, song, Al Jolson, 1921)

Yesterday's light rain probably did nothing for what is purported to be another drought year, but it was welcome just the same.   In the lyrics of the song, April showers will bring May flowers.  One flower I am not looking forward to is that of the awful, awful weed that is proliferate in the spring here.  I've yet been able to find its name.  It comes up as a truly lovely, lacy, fernlike plant, and sometimes grows over two feet high.  It puts out many tiny white flowers, and then shows its true nature.  Each of those delicate flowers puts out bijillions of equally tiny dart seeds.  Those seeds get in your socks, in the dog's toes, and they're not only everywhere, they are difficult and painful to remove.  There seems to be a bumper crop this year and I'm putting out an emergency SOS to Helper Dude to come save me with his weed-whacker before the flowers come.

The flowers on the wisteria have doubled (quadrupled) in number and the light lavender has deepened to purple.  It's really spectacular.  The problem is that the vines and flowers are so heavy that they've nearly destroyed the square-wire fencing around the garden area.  Since I no longer grow a garden, that's not so bad, but it looks tacky.  The price of beauty.

Another flower I'm not happy to see are the little pink guys that come along with the Baby Blue Eyes.  The pinkies grow up to put out the whirligig seeds that screw their way into everything.  Gotta give it to Nature, she knows how to take care of her greenery.

Looks like it's going to be clear today.

Stay safe.  Be well.

Sh-Boom

"Sh-Boom, The Chords, 1954)

Back from The Hall, I started hearing this weird, repetitive sound, exactly like Sh-Boom.  It must be that season again when the tom turkeys face off and/or vie for female attention.  The 'Sh" is when they spread and ruffle their tail and "Boom" when they strike their wings on the ground before the big strut.  It's an amazing sight, no matter how many times you've seen it.  Michael and I decided that right then was not the time for an outing.

There was a minimal equipment failure at Vampire Hall so the visit took a little longer than usual, but no big deal.  The good thing is that this Hall is closer than the one in Cameron Park.  It was strange to be without Michael at a quick stop at WalMart.  It's strange for me to be anywhere without him now.

It was a good day.

Stay safe.  Be well.

Nice Ride

When one is the primary (sole) driver, it's very strange to be a passenger.  Helper Dude normally works alone, so it must have been equally strange to be the designated driver.  It worked out well for both of us on the trip to the hospital yesterday because it turned out he is a talker, a nice distraction.  We were at our destination well ahead of schedule.

Hospital gowns were designed for anything but modesty, not that I have anything left but wrinkles to hide.  The ER minions were doing their thing, and then everything came to a halt.  One of their tests called for a consultation.  "We need the doctor to take a look at this."  Hmmm.  My doctor is a bit of a character and showed up in Scottish regalia, kilt and  barracks cap included.  All that was missing was the sporran.  Ah, well.  He looked at the test and said, "Well, you did it on your own and you don't need us to do anything.  Have a good day!," and with a swirl, he left.  That was good news, but probably the most expensive EKG I'll ever have.  HD and I were back at the house by 8:30 a.m.

That wasn't the end to the saga, however.  I later got a call to schedule appointments for Vampire Hall, another doctor for a different situation.  It's been several years since I've had to have pints of blood removed.  If it ain't one thing, it's another.  I got permission to bring Michael along today, but I may rethink that.  It's a long wait for my friend.  He may be better off at home.

Having the day off, we spent a lot of it outside, sometimes sitting in the sun, sometimes in shade.  It was a good day.

Stay safe.  Be well.

Overnight Sensation

This is a favorite corner of the now-defunct garden that Michael likes to visit of a morning.  I swear there was not one blossom on the wildly overgrown wisteria the day before, and yesterday it was covered.  We don't hang around there now.  Michael hears one buzzing bee and yells, "I'm outta here!"  It's like he's channeling Steve, who was also stinging-insect phobic.

A lot of my day was taken up with the closing arguments for the Derek Chauvin trial.

Too nice a day to stay inside.  While hot (already!) down in the valley, it was one of those perfect warm spring days up here.  I got to talk with my Kid in Hawaii and Clay.  Okay, fine, I essentially called them...gimme a break.  I miss 'em.

Stay safe.  Be well.