mower

Tired of having issues with gas powered mowers, knowing this body needs a LOT of exercise, and a sale, made me buy this dandy push mower today. Its a reel, for real. Pheobe checked it out and pronounced it "ok"..just "ok" because she prefers things that roar. The gas powered mowers for instance. Or the electric leaf-blower. Or even the weed-whacker. The vacuum cleaner gets high points too but turn on the hair dryer and she's gone.

 

We'll have to work on her pushing technique.

 

Newly mowed weed patch. I feel so GREEN! Oh, I am green. Grass stains.

 

Helleborous orientalis

 

 

After nosing around looking at new shoes, a bathrobe, a purse,a tablecloth and rejecting them all as "things I don't really need", my resolve was rock solid ... which made me think I could just pop into Windmill Nursery and ONLY LOOK there too. WRONG. But golly gee whiz! How could anyone pass up this georgeous "black" Hellebore? It would have been more of a drain on my checkbook had I gotten shoes and a tablecloth and a bathrobe, etc...so that made the $24.49 price tag seem like a pittance. It could be my early birthday present to myself, right?

ANTS!

 

 

 

Oh my gosh! I've been "fighting" ants off and on all winter. They sneak into my kitchen from ... where? I've tried to follow their trails but they just dissappear. And then the ants reappear as if by magic. Lately they have been showing up in the corner kitchen window area. They appeared to be gone last night but this morning there was a clogged ant highway on part of the window sill. It looked like the L.A. freeway system at rush hour.On further inspection, the trail led to one of my potted orchids. There is an entire ant coloney in that orchid! I have been drowning ants ever since I got up this morning and still there are more! Now I'm geting angry because in my attempts to wash the ants off the orchid, the top spike broke. Yes, it had buds. Where's that anteater when I need it? I'd gladly put the orchid outside in the rain if the Flicker would swoop down to dine but the Flicker prefers to yelp at me from the top of a Liquid Amber. GRRRRRRRRRRRR!

The best thing about Sacramento

Spring has arrived! Amazing what two days of glorious sunshine inbetween rains storms can do!

water, water everwhere

 
Its raining. Its Pouring. Oh My God its boring.
I know we need the rain. But I need exercise and my "gym" is the garden/yard/orchard/
and I'm a no-mud-unless-the-air-is-at-least-in-the-80's kinda gal. Waaaaaaa.

also blooming

 
 


Forgot these two.

Bloom Day Feb 15th 2009

Since it is very windy out this morning I didn't spend much time attempting to "compose". Also, a few of the flowers are still in bud form..but with much promise! They only need a few moments of sunshine to burst forth in all their spring glory. (hey! At least I remembered that its "Bloom Day"!)

Duh

 

I have wanted to blog about this idiotic sign ever since it went up a few years ago. In case you can't make out the words it warns "CAUTION! TREES NEAR ROADWAY." Now then, just how dumb does a person have to be to NOT notice the trees without having to be told about them? And if they need a sign to warn them about the presence of the HUGE trees, should they be driving at all? And do we really think they are going to read the sign anyway? No, most are not. The sign went up on a very busy 4-lane Blvd. a few years back but still, when I mention the sign to people who are known to use that Blvd., they will often ask "What sign? What are you talking about?" There are two signs; one at either end of this half mile stretch. Not to mention that there are trees along pretty much all of the streets, avenues, boulevards and lanes in Sacramento County...or at least the Greater Sacramento Area...and yet, this is the only stretch of roadway that warns drivers of the trees. I've never felt the trees trying to suck my vehicle off the road.

STILL waiting for refurbished computer!

In honor of Abraham Lincoln's birthday;

"Those who deny freedom to others, deserve it not for themselves: and under a just God, can not long retain it. Abraham Lincoln

President Barack Obama

Isn't this just wonderful? I am SO very happy that he is in office. It isn't going to be a "quick fix" by any means but at least we are now on the right track and if we ALL work together I believe we can make the world a better place.

On another note; Whomsoever invents a self cleaning computer keyboard will be elevated to god or goddess status.

regular computer is still in the hospital

So everyone please keep your fingers crossed that Wizard Paul can fix the darn thing...or at the very least, make it give up all my photos and address books.

Meanwhile, out in the yard...Most delightful to be pruning and weeding on an almost 70* day with the scent of narcissi and the notes from the neighbor's violin wafting through the air. I know next to nothing about violins but I swear you can almost see the notes float out of the neighbors' upstairs "music room" and ride the air currents over the tops of the olive trees...like blown bubbles. Who needs to know more than that visual? Suspect that a lot of work will get done in the front yard this year. Several years ago I got a lot of work done in the back because the then high-school boy who lived back there would practice his guitar outside. Not rock n roll but classical. MMMMMMMMM!!! Such talent! (don't get me wrong, I like rock n roll..especially the "old" stuff, and disco makes me "work out" while I'm working...out...) But weeding is wonderful while listening to nouveau flamenco and pretending to be someplace more exotic than Carmichael, California.

The camellias are blooming. My brother's violets are too..not mine. But mine will smell nice and his just look purdy.

The gate got a fresh coat of red paint today. So did the tin hen. The two hideous Christmas themed tin stars got several coats of white primer and look so nice that they are now hanging on the fence. Who knows what color they will be..maybe they'll just remain white. They are almost classy without the crappy Santa mug and the dorky reindeer on them. They are hanging with the yellow star. (Yellow with purple splotches thanks to the birdies.)I see my nozzle finger is still red. As in paint. Probably should clean that off before I go to work tomorrow and freak some poor customer out.

Someday...photos!

Toodles~

no photos for awhile

My photos are all safely tucked away in the camera. Its the computer that is the issue. THIS computer does not have Picasa or those fun little programs that allow one to look at videos or attachments...yes, there are little pop up sorts of things that say "click here to install.." but nothing happens when I do that other than there's some sort of coded message in geekspeak, which I don't understand, and I'm so afraid of screwing this back-up computer up that I just won't explore. So call me a sissy. I don't care. The HP Slimline with VISTA (gag! ARghhh!) has decided that it won't turn back on. The sexy blue light at the on/off switch lights up but that little orange light that indicates all is well and working in the lower center of the machine is not glowing. (its probably full of pet hair and dust) And no, things are not backed up because the cute little slidy-out drawer thingie where one would place a CD? Yeah? Well, it has refused to open for about a year. And this computer does not have one of those teensy holes into which some folks stick the open end of a paper clip into and which then tickles the door/drawer into opening.
Do you think that if I place the dead computer under my pillow that the Computer Fairy will leave me a new one in its place? No? Well damn.That means I can either #1. Wait for my Handsome, Charming, Very Smart, Computer-wise Son to fix it in about a month or #2. I can attempt to unplug it from all the extra-terrestrial things its plugged into (keyboard,printer,monitor,speakers, power) and haul it to work tomorrow...to give to my boss...to give to her husband (SuperGeek) in the hopes HE can fix it. I'm just afraid that I'll inadvertently screw up this back-up computer in the process. (the two are joined by some sort of toggle switch and this one runs on something that reminds me of lions and elephants; Ubuntu. I don't speak that language either.
Why do I never, ever hear of MAC users having these problems? Arghhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!

Note to self; Win lottery. Buy a MAC.)

awwww

 

there's supposed to be a cute photo of Phoebe and Dawson here. I noticed there is a "new and improved" version of Picasa...that's probably why I am not seeing a photo. And you are probably not seeing a photo either. Have I mentioned lately that I WANT A MAC?

thinking, thinking, thinking...

This poor old shed desperately needs a makeover. The assortment of varments that call it home are perfectly happy, but the human owner is ready for a useful-for-her building. Something for tool storage and chickens and a larger place to do artsy-fartsy projects.....mmmmmmm!!! The little studio" at the far end could become a little greenhouse. It has windows on 3 sides.

The old lath-house has terminal dryrot too. It was very classy in the 60's.

And just look at what she got for Christmas! Stylish Sheds! and four new little signs to put in the new Stylish Shed!

It would be a task but kinda fun, I think, to dismantle this old building (circa 1937) and recycle what we can into a new building. It has a concrete floor and a rotting roof and lots of little furry critters. Masks will be needed. There is an awful lot of rodent feces in there.


So now I just need to win the lottery.

Christmas mystery

When my family members were leaving my house last night, a cute snowgardener and a huge stocking (filled to excess with goodies) were discovered by the door. I have no idea as to when they arrived nor have I been able to figure out who left them...YET!

Since the humor expressed in the note about the deer and on the Peace meeting plaque fits pretty much ALL my friends, its making it very difficult to figure this out. Has to be neighbors, that much is a given.

There are little gardening ornaments, no less than three bars of soap, a bag of Sugar Daddies (not exactly what I meant when I put that on my Xmas list!), bread mix, salad dressing mix, Udder Balm..which I hope was intended for my hands...hmmm?....lip balm, a fat candy cane, note cards and a pair of cute Santa socks....all crammed into a huge stocking with deer on it. And, there was yet another filled stocking inside the big stocking. Oh yes, and the egg beater!

Since gifts had already been exchanged with most of my Obama-loving, gardening-loving, hilariously funny neighbor-friends the list is narrowed down to D and E or maybe the sneaky T and C who had been by earlier with yummy treats......None of which really have the time to individually wrap each and every item in the stocking(s)..

The Great Christmas Stocking Mystery. Thank you, whoever you are. (whomever?) I will find you! I do not for a minute believe it was the "Carmichael Colony Deer" but the "and Friends". They're all so sneaky though!

Since it isn't raining at the moment and since poor Phoebe-dog has been stuck in the house for the past few days, it is time to go for a walk. Phoebs has been itching like a maddog but has no fleas...nor has her diet changed...so maybe its boredom. She doesn't stop to scratch if her mind is occupied on other things.

Besides, there are 9,354 calories that need to be burned out of my body. A lot of food will be going to work with me tomorrow and hopefully eaten by "the boys"....the girls too but those boys can really put away the food you know.

We'd best get going before the wet clouds reappear.

Merry Christmas everyone!

And now Mz Tree

Has matching candles! They won't be lit but they do GO, don't they!

teehee

Christmas tree

Okay...with or...

without the tinsel?






















the black blob in the bottom of the 2nd picture
is this elegant black and silver reindeer with black
feather boa.

Never in a million years did I think I'd ever want a pink Christmas tree.
I still wouldn't want a BIG pink tree but this one is fun. Even if the balls
are a mite large.

Brrrrrrrrrrrrr!

I know, I know. This ain't nothin' to those of you who are dealing with mega snow, major ice, no electricity..wait, if you have no electricity you can't be reading this...but I digress. It was cold enough this morning for the birds to don their ice skates and practice for the Avian Olympics....sorry

The temperature is all the way up to 63° here in the den but still a chilly 59° in the diningroom. Did it not get this cold when Dad built the house in the 1950's and that's why there is no insulation? The single pane windows are easy to explain; my folks were ever the recyclers. I don't ever remember being cold in here when I was a kid. But hey, that's what afgans and blankies and dogs and cats are for, right? (This weather keeps up and I may be forced to get another dog! Two would be warmer than one.)





My brother used to pull me in this little red wagon when I was a wee sprout and he a gangly teenager. I'd urge him to "go faster" He would, and then he'd turn the wagon around at great speed and dump me out on the gravel driveway. I'd scream. He'd get in trouble. And then we'd do it again. Probably a good thing the tires are shot on this late '40's wagon or we'd probably do it again. We both happen to be in better shape than the wagon.

The mind wanders here.......
"911. What is your emergency?"
"There's a 75 year old man laughing hysterically and a 63 year old woman with road rash..."

I just heard part of a 9-1-1 call on the scanner;
"...falling back and landing on her entertainment center...."
Do you think he was talking about a piece of furniture or part of her anatomy?

Cold as I am, my kids are colder. Leslie is in Bend, Oregon, working nights clearing snow from parking lots and private properties and Mark & Jennifer are in Portland, Oregon, hoping that they got all their pipes wrapped, their vents sealed, and their house bunnies in deep enough straw in the garage. My grandpuppy will will be warm as toast inside with them.




One more iced birdbath.

Now I'll hit "publish post" and find all the words jumbled up at the top. Oh well. I'm too cold to care. NEED...... MORE.... COFFEE!

bloom day

Its amazing that anything feels like flowering at all in this cold weather. Its not that cold of course, this being Sacramento and all, but it has been anything but balmy today. I didn't venture outside at all yesterday.

So. Blooming currently in the garden;

Princess bush
Salvia
Acidanthera bicolor? (it just appeared. I don't remember planting it.)
One of the trusty Christmas cacti.
And the Sasanqua camellia.

my Christmas tree

Since not everybody is "coming home" for Christmas this year
buying a tree just seemed silly.
However, we needed something
and this bamboo ladder has been
begging for a use for at least 2 years.
There were orange lights and purple
lights wanting to be used, and some
el cheapo pale green plastic ornaments
from The 99 Cent Store which needed
hanging..the ornaments not the 99 Cent Store..

The sun makes a perfect "angel" in my
biased opinion. The guppies can be heard
singing "Ohhh! Pretty! Sparkly!" (They are
actually chanting "She feeds us, don't worry.
She feeds us, don't worry")


It looks better than this at night.
Really! It does!