Grow!

February

May

The sun didn't make an appearance all weekend. We're back to typical Northwest spring weather, cool and wet.  There was no rain for the past two weeks, making us complacent as Californians about the fine weather (ho-hum, another sunny May morning.)  So it seemed especially grey and gloomy yesterday. The furnace even came on. 

I've been watering my new cypress trees every few days and willing them to grow.  Of course trees require more patience than geraniums, and mostly just put down roots for the first year. But when I looked back at the February planting pictures, it's not wishful thinking, they are starting to fill out in a pretty way and getting taller.  Before long they should top the fence, as Leylan Cypress is one of the fastest growing trees.  Eventually it will be nice to look at a wall of evergreens back there instead of apartment buildings and roofs.
 
The annual West Seattle Community Yard Sale was on Saturday.  I felt sorry for people sitting under their dripping awnings, especially after a work week of spectacular weather. Rain or shine I can't resist heading out for that big event. There are hundreds of sales within a few square miles of here, with neighbors you never get to meet selling everything under the sun.  Goodness, the things we accumulate and then try to get rid of for a few dollars. 

I think American babies (rather, their parents) are the world's greatest consumers.  There were mountains of outgrown plastic gear, fancy strollers, toys and barely worn clothes.  Speaking of that, I scored a big pile of nice summer clothes for Nova and Maya, for the price of a couple Target t-shirts.

I was proud of myself for being restrained. After all, the junk truck was just here a few months ago. But I could not resist a hand-carved wood lion head for $5.  When I got home, I put him up to guard the back door. Hopefully he scares the raccoons away.

When John reads the blog this morning at work, as he always does, he will feel silly because he walked right past his new lion head all weekend without even noticing.