12 Oakdale

I find it takes me at least a day to recover (somewhat) from a trip. I had paid for upgrades to first class, $221 each, for our red eye home. Although it was nice to have dinner, I wasn’t impressed. Perhaps there was a footrest I could figure out, but I have slept better in the narrower seats in premium. Meh. We slept most of the morning, had lunch, then napped. By the next day, I was somewhat myself. Not quite on East Coast time, but getting there. Now it’s catch up time. Yard: I must take down the lychee and get the bananas planted across the canal-side in its place. They are starting to work on the opposite lot, and I want my privacy plants up and tall. I’ll plant more elderberry at the water’s edge, and clear out around the swamp maples and cypress, which are natives. But first, bananas. I harvested my onions: Texas Sweets, Red Creole, and Texas Early Whites. I’m pleased with the crop. Next year, I hope to do it a little earlier, so I can braid the tops. Since I hadn’t dug up all t...

Time for our annual get together: 6 high school girlfriends for a long weekend at Kathy’s house in Swanee, Georgia. I bought my airline ticket months ago. The week before kickoff, Mickie let the rest of know that she had thought about cancelling the reunion since she’d likely broken her foot while visiting Japan (Sue already knew of the accident since she was along on that trip.) She was using a knee scooter (again) and would soldier on. Then Thursday morning, right before she was to drive from Elijah, GA, Mary Bird texted that she had decided not to come so she could have “me” time. What? Is she okay? No one knows. On the home front, Monday Grant gouged a quarter-sized hole in his shin on a stick from a freeze-killed coffee plant that I had asked my yard person CC to cut to the ground. She had interpreted that to mean, “Please leave dead 12”-18” spikes sticking out off the ground when you cut back a plant.” Little swords just waiting for action. I had warned Grant to be careful when h...

I am having so much fun with the trail cam Grant gave me a couple of years ago for my birthday. Or was it Christmas? Neither of us require presents, but we are pleased when we find one that is just perfect to give or receive.  The first thing I saw was our neighbors walking through our yard looking for their dog. After that, it seemed the plants waving in the wind were about all. I sort of abandoned it. I moved it to the front yard. Meh. But then it dawned on me to put one of the motion activated solar path lights near it for more night pictures. I attached it low on a papaya tree next to the vegetable beds. Lots of pictures of my knees. During the day, a juvenile little blue heron makes its rounds as does an adult one. Then the night pictures starting happening. Bunnies galore. Early morning and evening, it was bunnies. A black cat with a collar that I’ve never seen before. The rear end of Cooper, a dog from down the street whose owner doesn’t seem to understand lea...

Obsessing, rather than tackling the projects and decisions I must make has not helped with my tiredness. I decided to ignore the yard for a couple of days and work with my mind. First up was the plaques I must give out for the Town of Windermere Centennial Trees. Saturday morning, I downloaded the spreadsheet Vicki sent listing all the recipients. I added the others our Public Works director sent. I spent the next hour or so texting/emailing the 30 families, letting them know when I was available next week to present their plaque and take their picture. By the end of the day, I’d scheduled 9 families on Sunday, 2 more on Wednesday, heard from 2 people who had not received their trees (one lady thought a tree was being delivered!), learned 1 woman who moved and was selling her house, and arranged for several others who are now traveling to contact me when they get back.  Getting that process started is 1 thing off my mind. It will just keep rolling, although I am skeptical we will h...

3 1/4” was the final tally on the rain yesterday. Tuesday, we got 1 1/4”. The yard and frogs are happy. Of the later, I saw a little thumbnail sized one this morning when I went outside to check the rain gauge. Yesterday, when I did my daily early morning inspection walk around the pool, Grace was watching what I would call a garden toad jump in the same place against the pool screen, over and over and over. It was still fruitlessly hopping there when I came back with a plastic box to capture it for its ride to the outside and freedom. Gracie wandered off. I have been working like crazy to get the yard as ready as I can for the 6 weeks we will neglect it while we are in New Zealand. I’m having CC come every Tuesday to help me. I’m trying to figure out what I can have her do while I’m gone. She loves to deadhead salvias. I want torpedo grass dug out. A management problem. Grant has been assigned to Roundup the edge of all the beds every Friday. That is making it easier for us to spend t...

Pride does indeed goeth before a fall. I was very proud that I’d gotten all of our tax information together to send to our preparer Dennis. After mailing it at the Gotha post office, and cleverly buying both regular and international stamps so I’ll have them when needed, I somehow stepped wrong as I was leaving and managed, somewhat gracefully, to end up sitting on the ground, right next to the curb. I must have folded my right foot under me because the top of my foot and end of my pinkie toe were scraped. I hoisted myself up to sit on the curb, retrieved my purse, and assessed my condition. Nothing seemed hurt other than my pride. I said as much to the kind man who yelled over from the mailbox to ask if I were okay. Second tumble because I wasn’t paying attention.  Last Saturday was the Art Room’s Adult Student Show, in which I showed two pieces, the holly leaves and the little boy’s bust. I’d had Denise at Windermere Art and Framing mat and mount them in frames I’d bought at a ne...

I woke up this morning and realized I have nothing hanging over my head. I could work in the yard, get caught up on financial paperwork, or bake bread, but nothing is overdue. Just the steady drumbeat of life. Last week I was crazed with shower preparations, and even though I had a schedule and was really on top of it, I woke up a couple of nights obsessing about all the different tasks. It all got done.  People seemed to enjoy the party, and Spaulding and Molly were pleased. We did run low on bbq and have tons of potato salad and cole slaw left, but that might be just because the guests included lots of young men. * My orange cake was a hit, and my mini cupcakes were delicious. I also made cookie gun almond cookies. I was pleased with the results. This week, I had a Toastmasters speech to prepare for my Presentation Mastery pathway. and one last survey to complete to finish my Engaging Humor pathway. I had been putting the latter off for almost 3 months. Tuesday morning, I got up,...

As Stephanie quoted from the internet, I would like to cancel my subscription to the hurricane of the month club. This time is was Tropical Storm Nicole, which came ashore at Daytona Beach, headed across the state, and dumped 6” of rain at our house. The yard is all soggy again. We mostly just lost more palm fronds. The wild lime and yaupon holly which we’d staked up after Hurricane Ian are now leaning the other direction. I told them they are on their own now. Our biggest mess is the arch on the north side which collapsed. I had already decided to remove it when I trimmed back the skyblue clustervine ( Jacquemontia pentanthos)  after it finished bloom this fall. We’re just going to stand it up as best we can for the nonce While  resetting the trellis, I realized with our arch removed and my neighbor's yellow tababua gone (a loss to the previous storm), we could consider putting in a tree on the northwest corner of the yard. Perhaps even a good sized oak. It’s time to have our...

I looked it up: the last movie we’d seen in a theater was Knives Out  on December 1, 2019 at Sunset Cinema when we lived on Key Biscayne. 31 months ago! (We’d spent the $30 gift card Patten gave us a few Christmas before that I found when I was packing for our move from 14th Court. Serendipitous.) This time, we saw the new Top Gun  at West Orange Cinema, just up Maguire Road. Amazingly, ticket prices were about the same. We indulged with draft Highstepping IPAs from Crooked Can Brewery and a small popcorn, light butter. I’d gotten spoiled with reclining loungers at our old movie houses, but the chairs were comfortable, and the sound level great. We may get Covid yet, but we’re willing to take the chance. BTW, Top Gun  has to be the best Navy recruiting film ever. Of course, not enough women’s roles, but to be expected in an action film.  Even though we’re back home 11 days, I’ve only worked in the yard one morning. The weeds are ecstatic. Over the weekend, we drove t...