Talavera Pot with Petunias.

I always thought petunias were a bit boring, but this is no longer true...there are not only many 'supertunias' available but they are still very hardy and capable of weathering the extremely hot sun on our front porch. I tend to favor plants which spill over the sides of pots, but hate to cover up this colorful one. I noticed when looking at post fire pictures the other day that another of our Talavera pots survived the worst of the fire unscathed, though whatever was planted in it did not.

John had a squamous cell carcinoma removed from his thigh this afternoon and assured me that he would be fine on his own. He was fine when he came home but couldn't remember who did his procedure, thought it might have been the doctor who disappeared on medical leave after our first appointment, but decided he wasn't able to figure out who did do it. He has another squamous cell on his leg which is to be removed in a month. He was told that it would be a Mohs* procedure but didn't ask why. These are the reasons why I think I should have gone with him, but I guess it really isn't my problem...Maybe it is a Mohs procedure because he has to wait another month before having it done....

Blake arrived at 6:45 this morning to spend the weekend with us as Dana, Jim and Peter are in Santa Barbara. It is exactly a year since I went down with them for Peter's graduation, and it sounds like they had the same terrible traffic as we experienced. It is graduation weekend for both UC Santa Barbara and Cal Poly which must be the reason. Blake and John are up on the top terrace watering the veggies as I write this.

* a procedure designed to remove minimal amounts of tissue sending the victim patient into a dismal waiting room with a bunch of bandage covered people awaiting the results of pathology done on the spot to determine if more tissue needs to be removed. Sometimes it can involve multiple trips between the procedure room and the waiting room and involve hours of waiting. It is quite a circus, as all these procedures are done by one doctor, and not exactly a fun one. (the experience, not the doctor)I thought it was usually reserved for the face so I have no idea why it is being done on John's calf.