The Green Grass of Summer

Warm weather awakens the dormant lawn again. I've been mowing lawns for over thirty years now as this season approaches. Although there is satisfaction in maintaining your own yard, I've come to the realization that narrowly avoiding heat stroke, breathing dust, and having my arms shredded by various thorned plants has dampened my enthusiasm for yard maintenance.

Three weeks ago I ran into Felipe at the dumpster in the alley as I dumped branches from a particularly nasty desert tree. Felipe maintains two of the yards in our cul de sac. I asked if he was interested in taking on another yard. He said yes and would start Friday. Friday came and went and no Felipe. So, a prunin' and a mowin' I went. It was Easter weekend so maybe he took it off. He didn't show the following Friday either. Once more I donned my sweatband, straw hat, gloves, earplugs, and safety glasses for a bout with nature. I saw him across the street yesterday and asked him if he plans to do my yard. He said he couldn't today and that his mower was broken last week. He promised he would start next Friday though.

That was a close one!

Goldie bears the scars of her recent avian predator attack. (see 3/19/06 post). Healing is slow as she ponders just how close she came to being lunch.

April Fools Baby

Steve turned 28 this year. Once again he failed to extinguish all his candles. I think of all the lost birthday wishes across the years; all the things that might have been. I guess trick candles are a burden you bear when you're an April Fools baby.

You Look Like What?

Yes, you heard it right. "Happy birthday to you, you belong in a zoo, you look like a monkey and you smell like one too". Just go along with it. I have for years.

Cat in a Sunbeam

Radiation from stellar thermonuclear reactions a hundred million miles away streams across the solar system to warm an old cat's bones