small gardens & small government

Just to prove my ignorance turns out the crew doing my roof are Salvadorans (except the Jefe who's Mexican) and they like easy listening 80's rock.  Go figure!  Looks like the Gooseberries are going to take a bit of a beating.  We'll see.  Doug A.

Hi all, I've started the music off with Nina Simone https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CkDtrheq6A0 . I seem to see her music showing up in TV and movies with pretty sociopath government hitwomen listening.  Apparently nothing to wind one down after a hard day of killing like a little Nina!?    I'm anticipating the roofers will be starting in the next hour. Like most of the neighborhood the hailstorm got our roof, thus the sound of the summer has been the tat tat tat of nailguns.  That and some Ranchero music as all of the roofing crews are Mexican.  (and oddly all of the adjusters and salesmen were Texans?!)   Like my Sister in law Bennie I've found I like the 'life' of most of the Mexican music.  I should point out that while Benilde is Venezuelan by birth, Venezuelan music ain't Mexican.  Homeland security might get by with a box to check "OTM" (other than Mexican) but music has all sorts of delineations.  Kinda like assuming I like Brittan...

  I've got to start things off today with Israel Kamakawiwoole or Iz.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XwkNSnkDRzE This particular video wasn't my introduction to his music but I'll admit I just want to be the old guy in the white hat in the video so...   At some point in waiting at the hospital while my Father was being admitted for a minor stroke my Mother and I had a bit of a discussion about people you see who are incredibly overweight.  Izzy died 20 years ago this coming Monday the 26th.  Both he and his brother, seen in some of the earlier videos, died of complications from their weight. It is an odd reality that people can possess talent that requires practice and perseverance and thus clearly have strength of character but have such obvious failings in life.  My mother and I had to empathize at a most basic level while admitting our own complete lack of will in passing by a bowl of peanut M&Ms. (My Mother's Day gift this year to her was a 2 lb...

I'm torn about what to write about today as I've just had occasion to watch a clip from the movie The Big Short.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0k5aVLi_yhM If you haven't seen the movie, well you just should.  It still has the ability to weirdly move me, just from a clip. Perhaps the common thread could be places and houses.   I'm just back from another short trip to the cabin with Cooper our youngest dog. I've decide Cooper would like his name to be changed (at least while at the cabin) to Chief Wild Turkey. Deb and I have always said part of the enjoyment of the property is watching the dogs enjoy it.  On our last visit Callie (the old one) found some fairly recent turkey bones and a pile of feathers.  Callie of course was looking for a meal.  Cooper grabbed one of the big tail feathers and jump and generally carried it around looking like a kid playing cowboys and Indians. It was on this visit the first place he snuck off to and came back with a coup...

So I was talking with Shawn my guerilla gardening friend.  He told me the City had started mowing the area we were surreptitiously seeding with wild flowers.  Sure 20 years they don't mow it but we start throwing seeds and boom suddenly it's priority one!  Shawn was taking it in stride and suggested we try to talk the Elementary school across the street into starting a community garden on some land next to the adjacent Ag ditch.  Did I mention the Walsh ditch is running.  The ditch is a transfer ditch and if it's running it's a pretty sure sign that it's a good year for water.  I notice it mainly because the dogs like to cool down on our walks by hopping in. Callie takes a little bath by doing a four legged squat and Cooper tries to keep it to knees deep but will go deeper if there are ducks to chase.  Don't worry ducks always have up, sorry Coop!   By the way it's Mamas and the Papas https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1NJayW1kOeM   on the ste...

Friday was the Jefferson County Friends of the Library "Whale of a Book Sale" I was planning to head down to the cabin early to beat the heat of the drive (the little pick-up doesn't have AC) and try to get some prep work done on the cabin's floor.  With the book sale starting at 9:00 am there was a choice to be made, but it wasn't a tough one.  The book sale is physically huge and draws a large crowd of book resellers and bibliophile-hoarders.  It also sells CDs for a buck!  When they find me, long after my death, buried under a pile of CDs make sure someone holds these enablers to account.  Sure their public face is all nicey nice but these so called "Friends" take advantage of us of weak will and Scottish upbringing.   Like a salesman trying to get a couple of extra bucks out of the suckers the "Friends" had an extra something up their sleeve.  $10 early admission starting at 8:00.  Now I'm competitive enough that in years past I've...