(re-run) I’ve lived in my little house for nine years and two months (this happened two years ago) The neighborhood is about 48 years old, and the trees that are here are huge. My pie-shaped lot is wide and shallow in the back. Las Trampas Ridge is due west, beyond the freeway, but I could… Continue reading Be Careful What You Wish For
Category: garden
Doc and Lillian
When I was just out of college and teaching in a small town in Nebraska, I rented a refurbished farmhouse from the superintendent. His dad was Doc. Doc’s wife was Lillian. They became my surrogate Nebraska grandparents. Doc used to be a dentist, and one day he presented me with a mood ring. Remember those?… Continue reading Doc and Lillian
Sheltering in Place, Alone
It is so weird to live in a house with no other humans, when you have to stay at home. True, the fighting is kept to a minimum, and I always get my way, but the days can be long. So I trick myself by breaking up the day into segments and filling up the… Continue reading Sheltering in Place, Alone
Don’t Judge a Book
Of all the pick-up lines I’ve ever heard, the best one came yesterday at the Walnut Creek Octoberfest. “Now those are some sensible shoes.” Yes, I had on one-inch black boots because I was dressed as a German beer garden maid, and they were the best shoes with white knee socks. “They’re good for dancing,”… Continue reading Don’t Judge a Book
Be Careful What You Wish For
(re-run) I’ve lived in my little house for seven years and four months. The neighborhood is about 48 years old, and the trees that are here are huge. My pie-shaped lot is wide and shallow in the back. Las Trampas Ridge is due west, beyond the freeway, but I could not see it because of… Continue reading Be Careful What You Wish For
Two Birdbaths, One Fountain
I love my yard. When I first bought my fixer house on a fixer third acre, the yard was full of rocks and rose bushes. Now it has trees, plants, roses, wisteria, a privet hedge, flag stone, one fountain and two bird baths. The fountain is an advertisement to creatures near and far to come… Continue reading Two Birdbaths, One Fountain
Don’t Judge a Book
Of all the pick-up lines I’ve ever heard, the best one came yesterday at the Walnut Creek Octoberfest. “Now those are some sensible shoes.” Yes, I had on one-inch black boots because I was dressed as a German beer garden maid, and they were the best shoes with white knee socks. “They’re good for dancing,”… Continue reading Don’t Judge a Book
Be Careful What You Wish For
I’ve lived in my little house for seven years and four months. The neighborhood is about 48 years old, and the trees that are here are huge. My pie-shaped lot is wide and shallow in the back. Las Trampas Ridge is due west, beyond the freeway, but I could not see it because of the… Continue reading Be Careful What You Wish For
Two Birdbaths, One Fountain
I love my yard. When I first bought my fixer house on a fixer third acre, the yard was full of rocks and rose bushes. Now it has trees, plants, roses, wisteria, a privet hedge, flag stone, one fountain and two bird baths. The fountain is an advertisement to creatures near and far to come… Continue reading Two Birdbaths, One Fountain
Best Tomato-planting Advice Ever
One morning, at a local garage sale, I stumbled upon the Alamo Garden Club selling plants in one of the member’s driveways. I picked up five tomato plants since the price was right. “Do you know how to plant them?” the man seated next to the cashier asked. “Yes,” I said. “I grow them every… Continue reading Best Tomato-planting Advice Ever
