12 Oakdale

A short trip to the west coast which I delayed a day so we could take an “eco-buggy” tour through the Lake Apopka water management area area that we non-water district personnel can only visit by bike or walking, which Grant and I are unlikely to do. This was a thank you from the district and Orange Audubon Society for being ambassadors on the wildlife drive. Five snail kites at one time were topped by a female vermillion flycatcher who kindly posed for all the pictures the photographers could want. Eagles, young and old, flew around. The day was wet and cold, but our tram kept us warm and dry. For once the airport was fairly empty so we flew through TSA. I thought about lying when the agent asked if we were both over 75, but I’d worn my sandals so I might as well take off my shoes.  Grant had made tuna fish sandwiches for our dinner since there isn’t any food service unless one flies first class. I certainly have become a cranky old fart, reminiscing about the good old days of fly...

And just like that, the pandemic is over. Yesterday, the head of the Centers for Disease Control announced that fully vaccinated Americans could do anything they want, close in and unmasked, indoors and out. Except at places that still require them, like airports, planes, and hospitals. Of course, since only about 40% of American adults are vaccinated, and those that refuse to be are the most adamant about not wearing masks, I wonder how this will all play out. The mutants are among us. I am in San Diego for a few days to get a quick visit before the summer. No gardening or lifting grandchildren to give my shoulder a rest. Even with physical therapy, ice, and ibuprofen, it still hurts like the bejeezus. I continue with the exercises, graduating from 1# to 2# weights soon. Would that the CDC could declare my aches over too.  Bella and Doug In the mean time, I sit and watch hummingbirds bathe in Mary’s fountain and lesser goldfinch eat niger from the bag she hung right outside her fr...

We dyed eggs and made Rice Krispie treats with spring pastel colored sprinkles. Grant grilled butterflied lamb and served it with asparagus and smashed potatoes. Bella and I had rolled out and cut cookie dough that Mary mixed up. We were going to frost and decorate the bunny, chick and egg-shaped cookies, but we ate them before that happened. Best of all, I didn’t have to help the Easter Bunny hide eggs, never a parental duty I particularly enjoyed. In Fort Lauderdale, we hid 100+ eggs for the kids to find.  Nowadays, the eggs are all plastic, but when I was a child, my mother started about a month early and blew eggs which we dyed for decorations, in addition to a couple of dozen hard boiled eggs. These were hidden throughout the house along with some individually wrapped marshmallow eggs. Inevitably, an egg or two wouldn’t be found in the mad hunt Sunday morning. Eventually, our dog Bootsie would find and eat the missed ones, including shells or wrappers.  When our children ...