Look, Ma! Pineapples!

Mom's caregiver, Isy, started these little "pines" from the tops of pineaples purchased at the grocery store. They're about a year old, and the little fruits will be ready for harvesting soon, I think. Brother put them in the ground a couple of weeks ago, transplanting them from the glass mayo jars they had been living in up to now.
He also put some of the papaya seedlings up in gallon pots. (See, Alison? I'm planting mine when I get back.)

Arrived today to perfect weather - mid-80s with a little breeze, blue sky and white clouds, hills and vegetation still green, and CLEAN AIR! Anyone who lives in Sacramento knows about the bad air that comes with high temperatures and lack of a delta breeze. At this moment, I'm sitting on her lanai listening to crickets, watching geckos chase after bugs, and hearing the wind in the coconut trees and the waves at the beach a block away. Lots of flowers: plumeria, hibiscus and lots more in full bloom here.

Almost a Driver

Daughter had her third and final required Driver's Ed class today, and passed with flying colors. Unfortunately, her learner's permit expires in 4 days, and I'm going to be away. IF we can get to the safe box tomorrow for the required documents, and IF she can get a road test before the permit expires, we're going to have Helen Wheels this summer. She doesn't want to take the learner's permit test again, and is willing to wait till October, when she can just take the road test - but has to weigh that against not being able to drive all summer. Decisions. Not looking forward to informing the insurance company that we have a new young driver in the household.

Still Knitting

Next weekend will be the beginning of summer. Mother Nature is still shaking her featherbeds, I think, because the weather is still cool with clouds and occasional sprinkles of rain. I've been working on a shawl since last fall, and it's almost finished now. I usually work on it for about 40 minutes while watching the 10 o'clock news. I think I'm within a couple of days of finishing the shawl proper; just have to decide whether or not to add a fringe.

A shawl in summer? The truth is, when the delta breeze kicks up in the evening, it gets downright chilly, as in lower 60s. I get cold, sitting still in front of the open windows watching the news. Letting that shawl drape over my knees is just the thing! It's not supposed to be this cool, but I'm not complaining at all!

William B. Pond Park

This morning, Husband and I arranged to meet my friend "D" at the gate of William B. Pond Recreation Area for a walk along the American River. She said she used to run here with her husky several years ago, and that the walk was "wild" and scenic. She was right. Although there were many people in the area, most with dogs, the equestrian trail was unimproved and provided many beautiful vistas of the river, such as this one.

So, with the good company, we walked and talked for almost two hours before returning to our respective cars, which we had parked on the street outside the park. She showed us published photos of her son, who is a free solo climber, and while we were admiring them, Parking Control cruised by and warned that we were parked in a No Parking zone! We never even saw the signs! So lucky we got back to the cars when we did, and we escaped without tickets. This time. We'll sure look for better parking next time!

Mather Lake Regional Park

Last weekend, Marty and I went to Mather Lake in the Mather Rotary Regional Recreation Area, former site of Mather Air Force Base. The lake is formed by a dam across Morrison Creek, and is fed, during dry years, by water pumped from nearby businesses. Creation of the park is still underway, but it now includes fishing, picnicking and barbecue facilities, restrooms, and a play area for children. There are also benches and picnic tables set at intervals around the lake. The "hike" is nothing much - but the area is just right for a leisurely picnic. I can see a lounge chair, a good book, and a basket of food goodies.

The trail on the golf course side of the lake runs by a bed of cattails and tule reeds, and was teeming with blackbirds and other songbirds. The trail on the road side of the lake meandered by a section of woods near the vernal pools that was like a sound-tunnel of birdsong and crickets.

Paying the parking fee was self-service: take an envelope, write your license plate number on it, insert $5 and seal it, and then deposit into the locked box at the gate. Many cars just drove in and parked without paying.

Next week, we're going to explore a section of the American River with a friend.