December 31, 2005
drying out
Now that the fans are running in the basement to dry out last night's floodwaters I can get a little sleep before the new year's eve revelries. Meanwhile, the storm has taken a little break, and I happened to notice out the bedroom window one of the backyard squirrels spreadeagled on the garage roof--trying to dry himself out in the brief sunshine.
monsoons
you might think that living in California entails stockpiling sunscreen and pool chemicals. In fact, on this, the last day of 2005, it is 3am and I am periodically running downstairs to start up the pump to drain the basement. The rain refuses to stop. The monsoons are upon us. As a gardener I rejoice. Otherwise, I curse.
December 21, 2005
solstice greetings
Went to Grand Lake Hardware garden store and found a little noble fir wreathe to put on my front door. It was gone the next morning, red bow and all. This time I made my own from the garden leavings....grape vine and shriveled grapes, and a few rose hips that the squirrels hadn't eaten yet. I left the thorns on the canes.
And instead of a christmas tree, that old hack, I chose a pair of scarlet amarylis to put on the mantle with a plain fir wreathe. The little twinkle lights are like stars. And the ever reliable cymbidium, always blooming by mid-December, gets a red satin bow on its old chipped terra cotta pot and lights up the hearth in a way that a fire cannot.
