I have lived here for 13 years and I remember winters with a lot more snow, but not one with as much precipitation, an unofficial eight inches and more so far. I know that's not much, compared to the rest of the country, but for our desert mountains in Southern California, it's a lot.
Much as I get tired of the constant sunshine during the summer months, much as I love rain and snow, I have my limits and was so happy to see blue skies and warm sunshine toward the end of last week.
People who lived here before us, created this rock pile with a bathtub, filled with soil, in the middle. They planted flowers in it and for several years the annuals kept coming back. Then the dry years came and I gave up on all gardening. You had to. When your water comes from a well and you have no idea of its status, if it's going to run dry, you just can't garden any more. So there it sat, then Christina suggested filling it up with rocks.
This is a work in progress. Joyce has permission to collect rocks from a friend's place and I have gone with her a couple of times. There is an astonishing collection of rocks just sitting there. Our friend passed away and I assume the house will be sold in the future. The larger rocks are here, the smaller all over my house. Remembering our friend who died and adding to my own modest collection: One rock from my great-grandfather's dry stone wall; one from the island of Sandhamn, where the Royal Yacht Club is located and the sailing regattas took off in the summers of my youth; and several that Errol collected for me when he remodeled a beach house for a client.
Joyce and I went to an estate sale on Saturday. I didn't find anything there, but it was fun to look and we ran into Mary and another friend. Then we went and collected some more rocks. So much fun with the sun shining and the weather warming up.
Then Bob and Mary came over on Sunday. Bob has several horses and years of knowledge and experience, so Joyce asked him to take a look at her horses. She needs someone to work with them so that she eventually will be able to ride them.
It was decided that Bob will come and help training the horses. On Monday, I heard, panels were moved around to create a circular training ring, so things will happen soon. I'm looking forward to seeing how it's done.
The skies turned blue, the sun came out, and I'm feeling so much better again.
Tammy: Did you get my age right? I was 73 in 2013, when I met the old men, so a lot older now. And not all that energetic.
