Rocks and Stones

If there's anything we can photograph, practically without stepping outside the house, it's rocks and stones. They are everywhere here and have been used creatively both for practical things like stone walls for terracing on our hill, for stairs as can be seen  glimpsed here,  and for decoration everywhere. 

This corner, at the bottom of some stairs up the hill was just about ground zero for where the fire entered our property, and there wasn't a shred fencing,  greenery or the arbor that shaded this corner left after the firefighters made their stand here.* We had gone to considerable expense to take the bamboo out just before the fire as it was overrunning the small space, but this rather well placed stand has grown back and we're happy to have it. The plants with the pink flowers are oleanders which I've never been terribly fond of. They were used as freeway plants back in the day when they actually planted plants next to freeways. I feel much more kindly toward them now as they provide a nice screen from our weird neighbor up the hill (who has now parked a camper truck in the field between his house and ours). We had our hands full just trying to put everything to rights and were quite happy to let this little area take care of itself.

The tree behind the fence is on Janet and Paul's property and was badly damaged. We all like the tree and are hoping to save it, so we're getting together with them on Sunday to see how far we get deciding which limbs to take off and whether what's left will look ok. The birds love it, and there is a good sized hole where a branch once was which is much favored by woodpeckers.

Our two main routes across town were heavily impacted by different maintenance projects today. This is the second place we have lived that is fairly close to a state highway and the state obviously doesn't talk to the city or the county when closures are planned. It took me almost twice as long as usual to get to Pilates this morning, and despite leaving early, I was still late getting there. We had a substitute teacher but she did a good job, and I enjoyed the class, despite spending half the time trying to figure out how I was going to get home.

I needn't have bothered because another neighbor who has just moved back into her newly rebuilt house takes the next class and we worked out the route together. It was a long way out of the way, and took just as long, but got me home without sitting in traffic.

John has just gotten back from his Wednesday afternoon beer with Dan at Trail House and I think I will reap the fruits of my coq au vin labors yesterday by making him eat it again for dinner tonight. It made enough for a dinner party!

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