The ‘British Section’

...at Oliver’s market is always a combination of nostalgia and amusement. I noticed that they no longer carry canned mushy peas. I wonder why?

I was taking a risk going there on a Saturday afternoon , but we wound up having two sets of neighbors here last evening and we drank up all the wine so needs must. I am getting quite a collection of complementary wine bottle bags because I keep forgetting to take one of the dozens we have in our wine cellar with me.

The neighbors who are rebuilding are both pilots and have their own little Cessna. Paul has offered to take us up in it (one at a time because it only seats two) . He was in the Air Force and then flew commercially for many years. I’m sure he is safe as houses but I haven’t quite gotten up the nerve to ask for a ride. One more glass of wine last night and I just might have done it!

I spent the morning scrambling around on on one of the many slopes around here pulling weeds. My designated area for clearing is getting smaller and smaller as I see the magnitude of the task. Because a drought emergency has been declared for Sonoma County we are suspending our planting program and just trying to stay ahead of the weeds which don’t seem at all phased by the lack of water.

We’re getting mixed messages about what to do with the mulch we had delivered. From the drought perspective, mulch is supposed to help conserve water in the soil and protect the plants that are already there, but from the fire standpoint mulch is undesirably flammable.

Our other set of neighbors who came last night are trying to decide whether to move to the east coast to be closer to family and to get away from the threat of fire. We spent a long time talking about it. No wonder we’re running out of wine. Too many thorny dilemmas!

John is starting to take tentative steps around the house without any crutches...that has to be progress, although he won’t have another x-ray for ten days.