Tres Gatos

The eldest of the threesome is Higbee, who gets around pretty well considering she is 21 years old. Her days are spent basking in the sun on the deck, not a bad life.

The "kittens", even though they are 8 years old, are named Ruby and Zorro, for obvious reasons. They are much more lively than Higbee and spend almost all of their time together. Here they are faux hunting the birds in the bird feeder outside.

Ruby is very dramatic. Here she is playing the role of Maggie in "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof".

What a cute pair! And I no longer have mice in my house.

Tres Gatos

Higbee, the eldest of the three, doesn't get around much anymore; but she does OK considering she is 21 years old. She spends her days basking in the sun on the deck, not a bad life.

The "kittens", as I call them even though they are 8 years old, are much more lively. Since they are brother and sister, they spend almost all of their time together. I named them Ruby and Zorro, for obvious reasons.

One of their favorite activities is to sit in the window and watch the birds feeding. That...and sleeping.

Happy Feet

I indulged myself and had a pedicure today, a treat I began when I was trudging around the classroom all day.
Even ugly feet deserve to be pampered, employed or not. They earned it!

10

Rylee celebrated her 10th birthday this weekend.

Of course, there were lots of presents. Since she celebrated her actual birthday at Clear Lake the day before, this was her second party. Good thing, as it turns out. Rylee wasn't the center of attention, as was her right, at the lake party because 1)Taylin got a black eye when she ran into a table, 2)Kate broke her right arm falling off the pool ladder, and 3)Nika fainted when she saw Kate's injury. Oh, yes! ER trips: reminders of past family celebrations, notably Jane getting hit by a swing causing two black eyes and Nika crashing headfirst into a clay pot while running with bound ankles. Where were the adults? Hmmm...right there.

Scott barbecued beef, which was delicious; we also had fruit salad and garlic bread, with vanilla ice cream cake for a high caloric birthday dessert. I had seconds of cake. Why?

Ye Gods! She's almost a teenager!

A Luther Burbank Attack

I love this time of year because so many colorful flowers are in bloom. This morning glory, which I started from seed, is brightly adorning my windowbox.

Also started from seed are lobelia and nasturtiums, two blooms I enjoy every season. In fact,I used to plant nasturtium seeds in my tiny garden plot in Portland, Oregon when I was in elementary school. That's a lot of years ago.

Perhaps the most wonderful plants I have in my garden are those I can eat, as well as enjoy looking at. These cherry tomatoes are perfect for picking and will be in my salad tonight.

I am out in the garden almost every day, clipping and puttering while Winnie and Cleo oversee my work. Yes, I seem to have a little Luther Burbank in my soul.

A Luther Burbank Attack

Say Cheese!

Since posing is not in the cards at this young age, getting a good photo of all three grandsons is quite a challenge. On yesterday's trip to visit Jane & Fam in Lincoln I tried, once again, for a memorable shot.

Not bad, but there's not much of Alex showing. Chris and John look OK, but it's not a great picture of them either. I've taken better. Next try. OK. There's more of Alex, but I wouldn't call this much of a winner. However, the visit, as usual, was a nice one. I read Goodnight, San Francisco to Chris (well part of it), explored John's new bug book with him, and swung Alex in his swing. Nate brought home delicious turkey sandwiches for lunch, and Jane and I had a nice visit.

So far, my only successful threesome photograph is this tub shot taken a few months ago when the boys and Jane visited my home, and it could be better. Nevermind, I'll keep trying. As Sally Bowles would say, "Maybe next time, I'll be lucky."

The Pugs at the Top of the Stairs

It's a tough job, but somebody's got to do it. So say my two watch pugs, who spend lots of time checking out the activity in the street, comfortably parked at the stair top. Occasionally a car or, better yet, a person walking a dog, will have the nerve to go by; and then all hell breaks loose in the form of major barking accompanied by frantic jumping around. Then, once again, the two sentries reposition themselves at the top of the stairs until the next danger threatening their home dares to pass by. This can go on for hours!

But sometimes it just gets to be too, too much...especially when you're old.

Healdsburg on a Saturday

Although it was a HOT day in Healdsburg, Marie, Dick and I had a fun outing. It begain with a stroll around the square and then a stop at Foppiano Vineyards for a beautiful buffet dinner. Wine tasting commenced and then appetizers, delicious cheeses and grilled vegetables, on the terrace facing the vineyards.

We listened to music while we enjoyed a fabulous dinner of grilled salmon fillets, Italian sausage, tortellini, fruit, and salad. Sooo good, especially the salmon, which was served with a pineapple salsa.We particularly enjoyed the friendly dog who traveled with the band and mingled nicely with all the guests. The building shown in the above picture was the birthplace of Mr. Foppiano, who sat at our table, now 100+ years old. There was cheesecake for dessert, but we decided to hit the road.

I'm ready to go back!

Excursion to Healdsburg

An Excursion to Healdsburg

A View from the Deck, Etc.

Deer seem to love my neighborhood, and they are abundant. I love looking at these beautiful animals but hate that they relish my carefully tended plants, especially flowers in the budding stage just ready to burst open. They especially love my geraniums. However, they were here first, so that's just the way it is.

Now the etc. I heard a great quote this morning: Bill Maher talking about Supreme Court nominee Sotomayor and ancient white politicians from the South during her confirmation hearings. "Reverse racists like her give regular racists like them a bad name." True. Those old farts need to retire. They are living in the 50s. I don't know why I even bothered to watch the hearings, subjecting myself to frustration. I should have gone out on the deck to commune with my deer.

Too Darn Hot

Yes, pug tongues are hanging out, and mine is almost there too. Today is the kind of day where I wish I had air conditioning. Winnie and Cleo do too. But thank goodness for ceiling fans and cooler evenings. Let's go back to the daytime 80s. That's my kind of summer weather.

Party Time

Finally, after trying for weeks, we were able to agree on a date to celebrate Dick's June birthday at Peter's home on Saturday night. He got lots of nice presents, and seemed to like them all.

Delicious appetizers and drinks were enjoyed by all.

The topics were varied, but much time was spent on theories about Michael Jackson and Sarah Palin. No arguments!

Ah, it's great to be 29.

Party Time

We finally, after weeks of trying to find a date that worked for all of us, celebrated Dick's

Lighten Up

This has been a frustrating day on the computer. I lost all of 2004's pictures...don't ask me how. And I can't get my blog on the web for whatever reason. "Help" says it must have been deleted, or I didn't accept the terms of agreement. What??? I tried to check this out, but I am now officially giving up. And I am pissed off. I am quitting and going outside to enjoy this beautiful day and my garden. I am SO done here!

Moving On

I guess it is time to put all the 4th of July junk back in storage. Sometimes I think it is more trouble than it is worth. Why do I do it? I am not sure, but every holiday I drag out all kinds of clutter and decorate. Obviously, I like doing this or I wouldn't do it.

Now I have a long wait for the next holiday - Halloween, though only a few months away. Get those pumpkins and witches ready in anticipation, but first I am going to continue to enjoy the summer.

Moving On

Pugmania!

Pugs are great at relaxing, and basking in the sun is one of the day's great pleasures. That along with sleeping, eating, and pretending to guard the house.

Lights, Camera, Action!

It has been said that pugs like to dress up for special occasions, and I have certainly found that to be the case with my two sweethearts. Here they are, celebrating the 4th of July in grand style. Too cute! You should see them on Halloween...

Lights, Camera, Action!

It has been said that pugs love to dress up in costumes, and I have found that to be true.

Lights, Camera, Action!