Cold and Shiver

Not many people tuck their trees in at night. I'm one of those people.
I have three citrus trees no taller than I am and I cover them up at night. I clip sheets, (that I keep for utility purposes) together and drape them over the branches before dark. The lemon tree is loaded with fruit right now and will bloom in the next few weeks.
It has not been this cold in ten years! 22' F this week, let's wish for clouds!
I can deal with replacing flowers and little bushes, but fruit trees are expensive and take years to produce so I want to protect them.
Nighty night!

Scraping, Filling, Painting

One of the bedrooms at my home is currently not in use. I took this opportunity to update the space. There was still the 70's look with the "cottage cheese" textured ceiling which I had to remove, apply a very light texture, prime and paint. The ceiling looks higher now. Walls also needed primer and paint after I'd filled in even the smallest holes and nicks. In itself it's not such a huge job, but it involved a fair amount of time consuming attention to detail. The electrician had to rewire the ceiling fan/light. I took out the extension phone wire as phone extensions now only need power to work, which gave me more holes to fill. I didn't want to overpower the air with paint fumes on any given day. All that's left to do now is to finish the trim painting around the door and the door itself. I already bought a new lock set, mind you, the old one was a bear to get off. Next month I'll decide on new floor covering.
So, that's what I've been doing.

More About B.

Although I'd planned to download some images, that was delayed for the moment.
Most every week I take Brighton to the youngster's gym hour. There are a number of kids waiting for their own class to begin or their sibling's to end. One girl especially and B have taken to each other. The girl pets and mushes B's face, ears and body and B. is loving it. On Friday they sat side by side on the bench watching the activities for a long time.
Norman Rockwell would have used this interlude for inspiration.

Therapy Dog

Brighton will be getting her "Therapy Dog" tag any day now. I'm very excited about that.
At this time I take her any place I can. She was quite the charmer at the Ford dealership this morning. First we did a bit of training amongst the cars and then we joined the other waitees.
Later I took her to the elementary school at dismissal time. She sits and lets herself be adored and it gives me an opportunity to instruct the kids about approaching a dog.
She spent the last three hours in the yard with the big girls. And, yes, she's sleeping now.
Next I want to coordinate with a place for her to visit the folks in a care facility.

Hot Summer

I've been keeping a secret. I don't enjoy the summers here as much as I used to. There I said it!

I just don't know what to do about it. Clearly, I can't change the temperature, only how I live with it and my activities during the hot days.

I've cut back on my yard plans, and upkeep. I've cut back on water use as that's expensive now that it's metered. I also have a much better idea of how much I need to use to keep my plants healthy, not just surviving.

Perhaps my poor attitude has to do with the fact that we've been in the 90s and 100s for a bit now.
During the hot days I am inside the house or car which reminds me of winter when it's too cold to be out.

Deja Vue

While Mosker was here we took a drive into the Sierra foothills to visit my friend. Mosker had not been to the house in twenty-three years, and that had been during a cold and wet time. (This time I was able to give Mosker a tour during the pretty time of year.) My friend was getting ready to leave town for a few days. As it turned out her timing was excellent.

On the drive we had noticed several areas where the chaparral had burned - perhaps backfires - so the hillsides are very dry.

Next day a red hawk flew into a power line and sparked a fire that is still burning, growing in fact. Many residents are without power. So, once again, we, here in the valley, are dealing with smoke filled skies. Of course that's nothing compared to what the folks that are in the middle of it are putting up with.

Who knows what the landscape will look like when the fire is out.

Deja vue.

Cheese

I am hooked on cheese!
I really enjoy eating fine cheese. I'm not speaking of Kraft slices for toasted sandwiches, but rather the specialty cheese that are such fun to find.
This is Friday evening, I'm going to Marysville to visit the Farmers Market. There is local produce and fruit, flowers, honey.
Tucked among them with a little table and a large cooler is the cheese lady. Usually she features three or four different cheeses and has samples to taste. Generally she has hardened (aged) cheeses as well as new. I have become very fond of the goat cheeses.
We had some on hand this week for the big adoption party along with the standards. Mosker took half of what was left with her. (I was not thinking clearly, she should have taken it all.)
The market will end next month and I will need to find out where I can get her product after that time. When Ray comes to visit he'll want some also.
Meanwhile let me get a load of money out and head to town. This stuff is not cheap.