Bennett Peak

The drama of cushions for the porch has reached a new stage. We inherited both the couches and the cushions for them from the previous owners. We like the couches, they fit perfectly and they are comfortable. But the cushions have holes, which look like cigarette burns in them, and they are off white. I should say they used to be off white, now they are, well, ash grey and they are not removable.

Every year I revisit the subject of replacing the cushions with something more practical, but, given the fact that they are almost as expensive as the couches themselves, I decide they'll be alright for another year. This year they were thrown on the ground away from the house during the fires and got  covered with ash and soot. It seemed to me that the we could claim the cost of replacement on our insurance, so today I ordered replacement cushions in a lovely color called peridot.(Hint: it's yellow green...what we used to call chartreuse, although I haven't heard that word used in years). It wasn't easy to figure out...I spent all morning scrolling around through tiny pictures of dozens of configurations of sectional outdoor furniture. But the deed has been done and the cost of the replacements is almost precisely the same amount as the deductible on our homeowner's insurance....

I went for a lovely hike with a friend today in a new regional park I didn't even know about. My picture today from the top of Sonoma Mountain is a view across Bennett Valley toward the Sonoma Valley where we live. For the first time I was able to see exactly how close to us the fire came. We were so lucky....