Summer is Like, Really Here!

Gladiola by the deck.

It has been a long winter season for us here in California. The weather has just not cooperated in it's normal fashion. Spring was late winter with lots of rain and cold windy days. The high pressure has settled off the coast now and we are finally getting the spring/summer days of June gone by. I am not complaining, mind you. We have had it easy compared to lots of folks suffering from floods, tornadoes and the like. They are talking about flooding from the snow pack in the foothills. But, and it's a large but... my little corner of the world some 40 miles inland from San Francisco is green and abundant with blooming flowers. I can't complain.

Capturing my Iris so it lives on beyond it's brief time

Volunteer Nasturtiums.

Some of my friends have asked now that I don't seem to have room for more flowers in my yard to come and do theirs. I really doubt if they are willing to put the 5 years into my services that it took me to get my yard where it is today. Every year I have added a plant here and there, some grass seed in this corner and that, a tree in a spot to replace one that was taken out and my little Zen garden in the corner made up of recycled materials. It has been a labor of love. I learned how to do this from my mom. She could take a telephone pole, plant it and make it grow back into a tree. She had the greenest thumb you have ever seen. God, I miss her! Her yard was always held a plethora of blooms from tree roses, bulbs, perennials, annuals and some stuff no one even heard of. The yard around our house was big to me then. I visited our old house when it was for sale and looked around. I was shocked at how small it all really was! It seemed like acres to me!

My sister, Theresa in front of a tree we
planted many moons ago

The strip between side yards with us 3 girls.
Yup, it was white then.

The side yard was our patio, a terraced garden and lawn. The back yard - really a strip between the neighbor's house and ours - was sidewalk to the basement bordered on both sides by flowers, and then more lawn to wrap around the other side of the house. Strange thing about that particular side yard, I always got bad vibes from it. When I had nightmares, they were usually located in that side yard involving burred body parts and Zombies. The tree roses lined the front side of the house in later years - we got one for Mom on each occasion - with a white picket fence to the driveway. That fence was a bitch to paint! Us kids did it one summer - for money I think - like probably 10 bucks which was a lot back then. You could not touch a hand painted job like that today for less than a hundred! What a pain in the butt it was! But it made the curb appeal very "Leave it to Beaver" or "Father Knows Best"... the suburbs of the 50's. I remember the house being yellow (my sister said it was white at one time) and my dad kept it painted and looking fresh. I can remember being on the roof with him doing it one year. We had an antenna for the TV reception (3 channels) that had to be turned by someone by climbing up a ladder onto the roof and moving it to point in the right direction. Then we got modern and had a little box with a "rotatory" on the antenna. Up Town!

Party time in the back yard.
That's my Uncle Tim in the hula hoop. 

Me and my dad and our new power lawn mower!
No more pushing the old reel mower! Poodle skirt, huh? 

My childhood - especially the summer - was filled with memories of playing ball in the street, walking to my cousin's or my grandparent's houses, lots of family dinners (the whole family) and even going to the school down the street where they had crafts in the afternoon. We made candle holders out of bottles (old wine bottles usually) wrapped with crepe paper that was twisted to look like raffia. Things made from Popsicle sticks adorned our TV next to the front door. There was a mailbox in the kitchen - a slot that originated on the porch that Floyd, the mailman dropped the mail through and landed on the floor in the kitchen. My sisters and I would wait every day to watch it fall though the slot. (Not a lot to do back then... watching paint dry was actually an event! LOL)

My two sisters in front of the house. If I remember right, my folks bought it new from the builder for $9000. Wow... that was a long time ago! Notice the tree and how fast it grew! Now the house is yellow in the picture. That's what I remember it being. By the way, the car was vintage then, too... I am not that old!

Wow, this was not where I was going with my blog today but heck, let it flow!

Updates:

• Calendar first printing is ready to pick up. I am going to the shop to get them tomorrow. Made a couple of changes but mostly it's as presented in the video.
• Don't know where or how to get my grade from class. I have to look into that today as well.
• Had my G-son's b'dayb'days? If not, this is a hell of an idea. I wished for one on Sunday as it was a Diego Theme party. Here's a shot of the "Rescue Team"

I made name badges for all the kids with their pictures and a  cartoon of Diego. I clipped them to lanyards and added a little flashlight. Then we hid little beanie baby animals for the kids to "rescue" that also had a clip to put on their lanyard. All in all, it was a great party.

• Our family garden is just producing our first zucchini. Tomatoes are finally fruiting as the weather has warmed up this week. Eggplant and Broccoli are strong and hearty and we have what looks to be a wonderful garden. It's win/win for me. Veggies on the table and a luscious garden to look at out my front step. So much better than tweeker garbage!
• Photos still coming albeit a bit slow as I am taking a breather from the computer. My migraines were getting out of control so I had to cut back on the screen work.

Well, that's about it for now friends. Enjoy this great weather and if yours is not the best where you are, I wish you mine! Happy Trails!