Boo!

Some of us dressed up a bit for Halloween at Central - many as tastefully as I. (M says he's going to write a poem for me à la Dr. Seuss.) Most wore some version of black-and-white with headgear, necklace, pin, or shoes indicating the holiday. No dressed-up kids, though, except for the babies that attended the toddler-time program this morning.

L is with her friends in Kelseyville for the weekend - they're planning a bonfire, if it doesn't rain. so tonight is the first halloween in 21 years that I have not had a trick-or-treater in the family, and the second that I have not had to go walking around in the dark and cold following one. I think we're giving away apples this year, instead of candy.

Our rainy season has begun - it rained pretty good last night, and more is expected tomorrow and Sunday. We typically get no rain at all between March and October, so everyone is happy right now. I hope we get ample rain this year, because the last couple of years have been drier than normal, and the reservoirs are depleted. We depend on the snow-melt to keep us in liquid assets during the summer.

Feeding the Fish

Discovered our local Nugget Market's recycle area this afternoon - art, fun and green all rolled into one package! The blue bins are inside, and the top of the case is labeled for paper, plastic, and can recyclables just in front of each fish. Seriously fun!

Internet Librarian 2008

No, it's not an award I earned. Internet Librarian is an annual conference held in Monterey, CA every October. I first attended many years ago, and decided it is the ONLY library conference that speaks to the work I do on a daily basis. I am blogging the conference for the folks back at the library, so if you're interested, ... please click. There are also photos there.

Monterey weather is warmer than I remembered - highs in the 70s and lows in the 50s. I almost didn't need to bring a jacket. The Travelodge is still very low-end, despite the "upgrades" it's made in the last two years. Our front door lets daylight in along the jambs; there is mold on the shower curtain, there is no fan in the bathroom, so a strong odor of cleaning-products permeates the entire unit when we return in the afternoon. However, it is quiet, even though we have a first-floor room, and the beds are heavenly, with new pillow-top mattresses! I selected it both for the price and for the half-mile walk it forces me to make to and from the conference center. Nice foil for days of sitting in conference sessions, but I don't think I'll stay here again. Casa Robles, across the street seems to be a popular lodging - maybe I'll try them next time.

My "arthritic" hip seems to be no better or worse for the walking, though I am taking tylenol at breakfast and lunch, just in case.

Sweet Awapuhi

This is my little bit of Hawaii in Sacramento. The ti plant in the background is growing out of its pot and needs to be re-set. The white ginger in the foreground finally bloomed this year, after two years of nurture. Okay, so the leaves are a little chewed up - but I can't tell you how nice it feels to look out the patio doors and see all that green! The plumeria is also thriving, but declined to bloom this summer. Nothing here likes to eat plumeria.

One of Pocket Curves' employees is from Tonga, so we share stories about the plants we have from "home". I showed her this photo of the ginger, and she just melted! Guess which one she is in the staff photo.

Farmers market

Spent the morning at the Central Friends of the Library sale table at the farmers market in Cesar Chavez Park yesterday. It was atmospheric, and I actually sold a few books.

The weekly farmers market ends in two weeks at this location. I bought some luscious peaches ...