What the Succulent? Today we are at the end of January, which means that in a few days I will have completed a full year of California residency, spending the vast majority of my days on this hilltop, with clear views to the ocean and mountains alike. As I sit in the living room I see verdant gardens to my left and dry hillside chaparral to my right. The sun is streaming in and we…
Necessita Casita We live on 2.5 acres of boulder-strewn hillside. We are on top of the hill, perfectly situated for views in all directions and the boulders create a lovely landscape to create nice spaces in various area of the lot, The Patio is nestled amongst boulders. The hot tub is perfectly sited in between and shielded for privacy by several large boulders. The newer Cecil Garden is framed by the boulders which form the…
Drafting The word draft is one of those English words with not only multiple meanings, but the word takes the form of a verb, an adverb, an adjective and a whole array of nouns all at once . You can draft a draft of a proposal to draft a drafting specialist by sending him a draft as a down payment to help correct flaws of a drafty room before he or she gets conscripted in…
The Elves of Nature This Monday morning I am sitting in my office wondering about how to begin my week. It is another clear-sky morning here in San Diego with an anticipated high of 71 degrees. I see my weather app predicts twelve more days of sun, 70ish weather with 0% chance of rain. So, there is nothing to worry about weather-wise and I can get no guidance from the forecast since I am free…
Lining Up for Slaughter Yesterday I received a message from my healthcare provider, UCSD Health, explaining to me the prioritization queuing for vaccinations. It basically explained where I sit in the line formed for receiving the Coronavirus vaccination. It didn’t give me a timeframe, but said that the system was still working on the first cohort of first responder and assisted living resident vaccinations and when done with that would move on to 75+ and…
Consensus Construction I have gotten myself into a funny place…again. That funny place has to do with my deck renovation project. This is unlike any other project I have undertaken before. The fundamental reason is that I probably have too much time on my hands. Precisely speaking, I have both the time and am home-bound by COVID like we all are. That is proving to be a very expensive combination. I write 1,200 – 1,400…
Every Day is Special Yesterday was apparently Cyber Monday. Last Friday was Black Friday, whatever that is. Whatever it is, the marketplace seems to feel its necessary to advertise it excessively for two weeks before and a week after. Its like those old signs on the highway that said, “You just passed X, so turn around and drive back to find X”. And today is Giving Tuesday, which I imagine we are supposed to feel…
Dashing Through The Snow There is only one Thanksgiving song I think of when the season is upon us and it provides a great start to the holiday season. That is none other than that ubiquitous Jingle Bells that ranks up there with Happy Birthday as one of the best-known American songs in the world. It is supposed to be about going over the river and through the woods to Grandmother’s house we go. It…
Electrical Connections From the youngest age we are trained to be wary of electricity, and yet it is truly ubiquitous, surrounding us in our homes and cars. You cannot go very far without encountering electricity. As naturally beautiful as my hilltop out here may be, if I stop to think about it, I am dependent on electricity in every corner of my new world. Out in the Cecil Garden I have an electric fountain that…
Indian Autumn When I think of Indian Summer I think of the days in mid-October when the weather goes all the way up to the 60’s or 70’s for a few days and we all remember the warmth of summer to carry us through the impending long dreary days of winter that lay before us. Those rare sunny days have a combination of falling leaves and warmth that certainly confuse the local flora and make…