Inspiration

Mosker has been busy in her yard, and although she's working with snow on the ground, I feel inspired to get out and spruce up. So I've raked, weeded, mulched. As always, I'm formulating the annual "plan" for projects. Nothing pricey, just some changes that need to be made.

But I've been busy inside as well. Freshening one of the bathrooms with primer and paint. Scraping water deposits (thanks Shel) and caulking. At the original installation caulking must has been rationed as they really skimped.
My break is over, so back to the paint brush with me!

Product Endorsment

I needed new windshield wipers and had them replaced at the last lube service at Jiffy Lube. I choose the most expensive assuming those would do the best job on my very slanted windshield.
By the next time I needed to use them, those wipers left a huge unwiped area. So back to Jiffy Lube. While they were searching for the proper style one technician came and wiped my glass with Rain-X. He said it would have the rain just bead off.
Sure, pigs fly.
OK, I stand corrected. Rain beads off. I bought the product at Walmart, did my car's back window, Ray's car windows, my neighbors car, the mirror in my bathroom, shower doors. Then the front room window, inside and out. After the last rain I noticed that the dining room window, which was left untreated, has dried dirty raindrops on it. The front room window is spotless.
I usually don't get excited about new product, but this stuff makes my happy.

What The ...#3

How can people have a good sized piece of property and then fill it with this stuff? Clearly it's been there for years. No doubt a breeding ground for vermin and mosquitoes.
Yuck!

Pacific Flyway

Millions of migratory birds come through our area every year. This is just a few of them gleaning a field a couple of miles away from my house.

The Mighty One has Fallen

I was sorry to see that this huge Eucalyptus tree has fallen. It had been an oasis of deep shade in the summer.
Many of the branches can't be seen because it fell into the creek. Good thing those had been southern winds.

Saturday's Production

Allspice flavored Easter braid. (Nice texture, taste is unimpressive).
Olive bread. (Nice texture, wonderful taste, I'll make this again )
Simple baguette in round form. (Baked a bit too long, otherwise OK)

The Curative Effect of Sunshine

I feel like I've been let out of a cave.
It's daytime.
It's not raining.
There is no wind.
The sun is shining.
It's warmer than 50'.

Most of the ground is still soaked, so the backyard is no fun. I spent an hour cleaning up a flower bed by the house, sweeping the patios.
Refilling the bird feeders was a relaxing chore today. Hummingbirds are back. In two weeks the first of the fruit trees will be in bloom.

Last night I acted like an ostrich. I pretended there was no wind, no rain, the table and chairs outside were not being shoved about. This morning we had to pick up toters, move the furniture back into place and pick up the neighbors shingles from our driveway.

Seems the wild month of of January is over.