IN Carmel

 I like days like today.  Busy with stuff meeting deadlines...sort of.   The day started with another 6 am wake up.  I ate my egg and sour cream with some onions added.  Yes...I would say weird, but it works.  Then seeing the condition of the cauliflower told me that it was time to do something with it.  So cauliflower with celery and potatoes with some chicken flavoring became the soup of the day.   Then by 8 am we were on our way to I U North to see my CPap doctor.  Doug dropped me off and went to park and read his Scientific Americas until I was finished with the doc.  I spent a little time looking for him since communication could have been a hair better.                       Then it was off to 38th Street and Meridian Street.  The home of North U M Church. We arrived at our 9:30 appointment with my church friends getting the sanctuary ready for Pentecost.  I'll admit once again that it's my favorite Sunday of the year.  It's the BIRTHDAY of the church.  The color for

  The suet feeder was empty.  Black birds have been numerous.  After Mr. P discovered that he went right to the peanuts and finished them off.  The last pack of suet is in the feeder so I suspect a trip to Wild Birds will be coming pretty soon.   Only one bad decision made today.  I think that's a pretty good for this old brain I'm carrying around.                            What at one time was our gourd arbor now holds beautiful wisteria in full bloom.  Today was more rain lasting till noon.  So, I would say 24 hours of rain was a good drenching.  The flower beds were mini lakes.  There were 6 milk jugs sitting in the tub and the zinnias that were up were gasping for air and trying to learn the dog paddle stroke.  I set the jugs on the picnic table and the jugs drained.  That is all but one which I had messed up with no holes in the bottom for drainage.  So I fixed that and tonight I think they are looking pretty good since their CPR experience.   Ms. Daisy got a trip to the

                                 Complements of Eric Russell years ago.  This bird has been many colors.                                                                                              Back to pink again matching the flowers.  Another slow day for good reasons. But as it usually starts, there was a walk in the garden spotting some seeds breaking through.  Not many but I'll take the start.  Some seeds take a long time.  Others seem to jump out of the ground.                                                                        The Weigelia bush is loaded.   I planted 5 more zinnias.  These happen to be from seed I saved from last year's flowers.  They are slow growing finally big enough to plant.  Last year I bought two flats and ended up loosing 1 1/2 flats.  Not so good I would say.  So I would say the cost per flower plant is slightly improving.  These were free.  I think I can deduct the loss of at least 1/2 flat at this point.                                 

 It was sort of a slow day starting with finding the hotel room occupied.  Meaning we caught another chipmunk.  We've caught close to 10 already and the traps continue to be filling on a regular basis.   There was another trip to the park with our friends.  Ace hardware came next buying pink spray paint for the flamingos and another Lantana to fill a needy space.  Then it was off to church to pick up two bags that were forgotten yesterday.  I left the gourd bird house for Darren and brought home some donated white felt.  By then it was noon.                                                                         One never has enough Lantana. I watered and fertilized where needed with the hope there will be rain tonight or maybe early tomorrow morning.   The flamingos got a refreshing spray job.  They will look good with the collection of flamingos that Kat has displayed at her door.                                 Two handsome birds standing on the picnic table that almost matches

Church morning and arriving at church early today was very important.  We wanted front seats in Fellowship Hall for the annual children's musical.  It's a mother's day event since 1971.  Covid took out a few years but not many.  So off to church and sitting on the front row was a reality once again.  The kids were awesome under the direction of Denise and Rosie with music and script well in hand.  Denise has written these musicals for many years.   My friend Logan is a first  grade student and my very good church buddy.  We look for each other every Sunday. Logan is standing in the middle of his group of friends with the gray shirt.   The 11 o'clock service followed as usual and then we made a point of leaving church with not much after church visiting.  We were invited to the neighbors for a cookout lunch.  Won. The corn on the cob was wonderful.  It was interesting to eat someone else's cooking.  Bill is a spicer and there was plenty of that to go around.  My mout

 They are back.  Where did they go and what brought them back.  I would say way to many questions.  The good news is just that they are back.  Pictures if you haven't caught on.                            A  little herb garden just outside the door.  More parsley was planted yesterday. Today was the second Saturday of the month and that rings the Bread and Bowl bell.  So Ms. Daisy got a ride to church.  Old habits die hard if they ever die and the habit that got stuck in cement was the arriving early habit. I like to arrive at least 30 minutes before anyone else just to get the lay of the land and work through the beginnings of the day.  Heidi and James arrive around 9 and then it's all go from there on. It was a busy morning with a great crew of workers who prepared 60 take out meals and served 45 plates of food to those wanting to eat in the community room.  Some folks have seconds and we've even seen thirds.   Ms. Daisy got a pick up at 12:20 with a ride back to the nort

 Up early with a pretty good night of sleep.  Thanks, body!  I had breakfast and walked the garden looking for things and finding some things new.  Seeds are sprouting.  The zinnias got another shot of dust.  I hope one more will do it.  Little bugs like little tender things to eat.   Midway through the morning it was time to take action if there was going to be some concerning all that was available for the church plant swap on the 19th.  It's always good to work ahead a bit giving the plants a chance to get comfortable in their little pots days or sometimes weeks before the swap.  The morning and part of the afternoon was spent digging and watering.  There should be 10 small contributions. I've located two more bigger plants that will go in the icecream 2 gal containers.  I'm done with that job for 2024.   Tomorrow is Bread and Bowl work day.  I needed to get the bags for takeout food ready.  That job is such a slow one trying to open plastic bags that don't want to o

 Jinks!  Awake from 2 to 4 something AM.  I'm getting used to it.  Then I slept till 6:45. Not too bad I would say.  The day was dark and dreary, cool and rainy., slow and steady.  It was a good change in routine. I checked things out in the garden and brought the paper in for Doug.  He reads EVERYTHING.  I just give it a quick scan some days.  I chose to watch a little news with not much more on the agenda.  The library books got a good going through and that will happen again in the days to come. I love pictures.  Since we haven't used our Webber grill that might become a flower/veg. planter!  Do you think? I read the on line portal message from the nurse about Monjaro and her solution to continue on 2.5 strength until 5.0 becomes available is the new plan.  No one knows how long that will be.  A new prescription was sent to Walgreens.  A phone call said they did not have any 2.5 or 5.0.  I chose to make a visit finding out what other drugstore had 2.5.  We went to Nora and n

Stunning and another iris from the church plant swap a few years ago complements via Nicci and Paul.  I remember seeing the garbage trucks this morning...it is Wednesday.  And it is lawn mowing day.  That's another sign that it's Wednesday.  Retired folks need those markers.                                                    So many textures and shapes and colors.  I see yellow                                                                            Yellow false indigo, DC Another great night of sleeping.  I'm holding my breath that I didn't jinks tonight by saying that.  This morning was the blue bell morning.  I thought long and hard about pushing my luck by making space for the snapdragons.  So, it was a go in my mind for some of the bluebells to go to their happy hunting ground.  Not all but some.  And now the five snapdragons have their feet in the ground.                                                          So tiny now but will be beautiful by mid July. Visi

 And yes...so happy to wake up with a goal in mind along with a few other rinky dinky things to fill in the day. .                                 This just happened at my back door.  What a pretty welcoming combination. So after breakfast I moved outside to check on the dahlia's.  My mind was fighting with two ways to plant them and the solution was to choose one.  So I did. Sometimes one can spend way to much time making something unnecessarily hard that could have been easy.  I started digging holes.  I needed four big ones which was enough for me.  How many holes for Kathy?  Not sure but  I knew it was many, many more than four. Each hole got a lid full of fertilizer that should hold them through the summer.  I was going to add compost but the dirt they were planted in was impressive and the healthy roots showed great care was given to get these beauties moving.   The picture you saw yesterday of a flower bed yet to come ended up looking like this at the end of today.  There ar