Flower Friday : : Lantana

I was happy to see this butterfly in the lantana today, for I have seen very few butterflies of any kind this year, and their numbers have definitely been dwindling over years since we have been here. I wish I could show off my vast knowledge of Lepidoptera, but I don't know what kind of butterfly this one is. I can only say that is isn't a monarch, a painted lady or a swallowtail...

OilMan...he who puts only the tiniest dab of sunscreen on his face and seems to feel it is unmanly to put it anywhere else on his body despite the fact that he is out in the garden every chance he gets...is feeling very smug today because he made it out of the dermatologist's office with a clean bill of health. He is still waiting, however, to hear back from the second orthopedist who encouraged him to apply for an appointment via email. The first one gave him an appointment at thanksgiving...

Our neighbor, himself a doctor, though retired, said that for some reason Santa Rosa is still categorized as 'rural' and the doctors are paid accordingly. I don't know who decides these things, or why they think being rural means paying doctors less, but that's his theory. I think a lot of doctors have either left because their houses burned down, or retired. Mine did the former, and OilMan's did the latter.

We are looking forward to a quiet weekend, only slightly marred by the fact that a 'red flag fire warning' has been declared for tomorrow night for the North Bay hills. That would be us, although the weather conditions today have ranged from cold and calm this morning to warm and calm this afternoon. 

That means time for a glass of wine on the porch before the sun goes down....