Springtime in the Tropics



Things are starting to pop-get lush



"Slight chance of showers" became 2 inches of rain.

 The kids brought filets and trimmings from the Fresh Market Friday and we broke bread here, Mighty fine food. The occasion was part of Lori's long goodbye as she prepared to depart for Amarillo/Pampa, TX. She revels in being with her family and they have an ambitious social calendar this year. She departed today and got stopped in Dallas. They had tornadoes there and made everybody disembark and hide behind a brick wall. The storms also had hail and some 250 airplanes have to be inspected: they said leaving on Thursday was probable but chancy. Jason got on the web here and found a Southwest flight  to Amarillo that will get in at 10 p.m. tonight but it was departing from a town 30 miles away. So Lori took a cab!

As evidenced above, I took the weather forecast as gospel Saturday and spent half a day watering shrubs and trees. Then in the afternoon it rained buckets. We got our walks in after one false start. We are ranging farther and wider- pretty much 2 miles a day.  We go at a good clip but of course have rest stops.

I enjoyed the NCAA championships. Some great basketball and athletes.  The CMA's are not my first love but I enjoyed them too- Good music is good music. The PBS stations down here are having pledge drives and I really enjoy those music shows too- O.F. nostalgia time.

Somehow I developed a carbuncle on my shoulder blade. A carbuncle is a cluster of boils. Not being able to see it and thinking it was a common zit, I gave it a squeeze. Big mistake. As my doctor is celebrating Passover in Israel I went digging in the old medicine cabinet because I was feeling crummy, and had aches wherever my poor body had experienced an insult over the past 60 years. I have kept complications at bay but I am going on ten days and my shoulder is still sore-other places not so much. That is probably too much information!

Apparently son Matt received the "Top Student " Award at his month-long stint at Oregon State Law Enforcement Academy.One of his classmates congratulated him on Facebook. Otherwise I would still be in the dark. He tends to "hide his light under a bushel." I do check his Facebook page often because he is either thought provoking or hilarious.  His friends are half-witty too.

I am also enjoying the birds-evidently water and feeder say "Welcome."  Buddy gets annoyed at the blackbirds and chases them away. The Mourning and Ringneck Doves are unmolested and fat-walking around eating spillage from the feeder. I was thrilled to see a Cardinal.  My resident birds include two pairs of Mockingbirds who sing often and are very territorial. I was wondering if somebody were poisoning the squirrels because they haven't been teasing the dogs. Then I saw a Mockingbird dive-bombing a poor squirrel. The squirrel was makin' tracks.