A Dry Spell; Then Blessed Relief

I’ve been in Dallas for a week, nursing a daughter after surgery.  It’s what mom’s do.  It’s been great being here seeing family I don’t see often enough and bonding with my grand-dogs and cats.  But the lack of humidity is driving me crazy.
I can’t believe I once lived in this arid desert for years [...]

Not Just Snail Mail: We’ve Got Manatee, Dolphin, Marlin, and Flamingo Mail Too

People all over the Bay area like to indulge their creativity when it comes to mailboxes, but near the water, receptacles for the daily post reach a whole new level of crazy.
I doubt that the Postmaster General approved all the boxes Allie and I have seen in the neighborhood, but the mail-people don’t seem to [...]

This is the view I see out my window in the morning.
As much as I love sunsets, especially the over-the-water-kind with the green-flash bonus, sunrises are just the best.
I’ll never forget the one morning when I was eight, my dad woke me up at 4:00 am. It was cold, [...]

Pigments of Imagination: Houses Near the Beach Come in All Colors

Apparently if you live near the water, you run the risk of your spirit becoming a little bit too free. Either that or the beach attracts a lot of people who are absolutely color blind. Houses near the beach tend to not be the mundane “ticky-tacky” of inland suburbia.
This place doesn’t need [...]

Weirdness at the Beach

Been away from the blog for a while because of other blogging commitments,
plus it’s just been too doggone cold< to do anything!

I keep seeing “jogging guy” – the one who wears only candy-striped Bermuda shorts, flip-flops, and a large straw hat no matter how cold it is – but haven’t approached him, because
a) he [...]

To Err is Human: To Aarrh is Pirate

My old subdivision had very strict rules about what residents could put in their yards. Not only did it detail what kind of grass, flowers, bushes and trees were allowed, it absolutely forbid what the documents referred to as “garden kitsch.” Woe be to the resident who stuck so much as a gnome [...]

Bordering on the Absurd: Fences Don’t Have to Offend

When you walk, you notice things. Things people in cars don’t pay much attention to. And they start to bug you.
In my neighborhood, lots of folks have fences in their front yards. In most cases, they are meant to be decorative, hey are meant to keep people out or pets [...]

Is There A Sadder Day Than December 26th?

Drawing courtesy sketchpot.blogspot.com

The months of build up, the frenzied decorating, shopping, gift-wrapping, eating, and drinking have all come to a screeching halt. You contemplate the sea of torn paper, the ravaged carcass of the roast beast, and in the profound stillness that has replaced incessant caroling and cries of Happy Holidays!” you can actually [...]

The Ghost of Christmas Past Lives Here

The tree is up! I dread that chore more each year, it seems, but once done, I am exceedingly glad I put forth the effort. I sit back and just gaze upon the wonder of it.
Every household it seems, has their own version of the Christmas tree. Some opt for aluminum, some like plastic, while [...]

Consciousness: that annoying time between naps

The kittehs are sooo tired today. They stayed up all night batting Christmas ornaments around, and barfing on the floor.
I give them hairball-revention food, brush them, and still they throw up – everywhere. I think they do it just to spite me.