Buddy is such an incredibly good looking (and talented) creature, 

And Kilo looks good too. 

Nice Day

An interesting storm is moving in from the West. About 30 minutes ago it dropped golf ball sized hail and a tornado a few miles East of Carlsbad. It's moving East-North East at about 20 MPH, so that part should be here in about 3-4 hours. I love these Spring storms but am sort of worried about what golf ball sized hail might do. Last year it busted out my skylights, and pillaged all of my new plants. I replaced the skylights, replanted, and since I'm not used to living in the same way for two years in a row, promptly forgot the incident, until tonight. Sometimes I find that investing in long term responsibility (gardens, pets, ponds) is taxing. It was much easier to celebrate the violent forces of nature when I had no possessions or hobbies. This is a new type of life for me, so I haven't accumulated that many responsibilities, but I start worrying about them as soon as it gets cloudy.

Front edge of a new storm 

Almost Spring Again

A simple "fix the house" project has almost been too mean for me during the recent wet weather. I have gotten more tired every day and was barely able to move this morning (It's now 9:19PM but that hasn't really cleared up yet). Then this afternoon Bill mentioned that I am old, which brought everything into perspective. I'm just another old person, and apparently, getting tired is what we do.

I'm going to need a brush hog by the time I have time to mow the pond.

She only sat up for the photo 

Because it was there 

Wednesday for Sure

The pond looks ragged but I am too tired when I finish working for the day to do much with it. I walked around it for a while before the sun set and the little birds were being characters. Just noticed that what I have been grouping as sparrows are several species of birds. They all have a main brownish color, but very different sizes, markings, other coloration, and sounds. The crane-like birds are still here, but I have only gotten close to them one time.

I have been working on Camron's house and he sometimes helps. Today when we had finished and were walking to his Grandfather's, he was carrying his coat and turned and said "this coat was made from a living animal"(it's a black leather motorcycle jacket). I didn't encourage a conversation because visions of a PETA infatuated teacher flared in my head and my own confused position started surfacing. He already knows that although all of us eat fish, none of us have ever eaten any from the pond. It would be like eating a pet, and those very words have probably been spoken in front of him. At the same time he knows that some of the people who catch the fish are going to eat them, and that we don't regard those people as cannibals. Has he noticed the potential ethical dilemma in the fact that although we would never eat one of our pets, we apparently don't mind if our friends do? This could seriously damage role model credibility.

Nice afternoon 

After many, many years, the steps are starting to look old 

Another view of the herbs 

Lavender, Rosemary, Thyme, Sage, Lemon Balm, and other things 

The clouds cleared out by 2PM 

I Think that it might be Tuesday

Wet and cool so far today. I worked outside for several hours and the moisture is sort of a dense mist. The aeration system has been working for almost two weeks now and the pond is starting to clear. It could also be that the algae bloom is finished and the water would clear anyway.

These roses have an incredible fragrance  

Flower garden 

Vegetable garden 

Something different blooms nearly every day 

Filling in 

Cool and wet today 

A Touch of Winter

It was overcast and drizzly all day and the high was 42 degrees. This might shock the plants, but it shouldn't kill them. I keep wanting to note how strange this weather is but also realize that it might be the new norm - rain, snow, and seasons.

The usual 

The dead stick is sprouting leaves 

After only a couple of days these are perking up 

Nicer every day 

Overcast afternoon 

Hey Ron 

My new favorite game 

My new favorite toy 

Why I Never Wanted Children or Pets

It probably doesn't seem like so much, but walking on my own sidewalk can be quite an adventure when Buddy is visiting. Sometimes he will let me get far enough into the yard that escape is out of the question, and the games begin. Some of his games are painful (the ankle game, the ram you with my bullet proof head game), and some are not quiet as bloody (the shoelace game, and the shred your shoes game), but all make movement difficult. The more I gasp for air, squirt blood, and lose interest in living, the more fun he thinks we are having. I've noticed that children behave pretty much the same way.

Passing through?