Ready to Plant

Today is a day to spend cleaning up the side patio – aka “The Dog-Free Zone” or DFZ – getting rid of dead, dried stems, old planting soil, digging up bulbs to replant and share. The usual gardening stuff. And, to plant some peppers: Mirasol chilis.

There is something that got my eye with these chilis. The plant is tall and upright, and the peppers stick upright, like fingers, from the far end of the stalk. The flavor is good, too.

So, into some coconut planting containers to see if, in SoCal, I can get these seeds to germinate in our mild weather. I plan to date the planting containers and move through them over a course of several weeks to see if they will pop up. No idea if they are self-fertilizing, so we will see what we will see.

Nothing like spring cleaning before spring planting!

Pause for 24 Hrs.

Sometimes you have to step off the treadmill – road – pathway – of your daily life.  All sorts of things can require this:  health, family, work, emergency.  And then you have to get back into the daily rut.

I’ve done this from Sunday until yesterday.  On top of everything, I came down with a 100.3+ F temperature, which is high for me.  Misery compounded!

Today, do-nothing-I-don’t-need-to-do day!  Slept in.  Coffee. Shopping for tonight’s dinner (Roasted Mushroom Steak Soup with Baby Spinach and Kale).  Nap.  Coffee.  Chocolate.  Wash wool.

It’s working.  Fever is gone and feeling like my old self.

And in a bit I may go outdoors and enjoy the brisk spring winds.  Or do something else.

Simple things in life are the best!

 

Quntessential

Nothing says Spring like the heady scent of narcissus. While I don’t have any in my own garden (why not??), the botanical garden has them placed in various areas throughout. It’s an annual hunt . . . some bloom earlier, some later, depending on location.

Nikon and Ortho Plus 80.

I ♥ The U.S. Postal Service

I have no idea why people complain about poor service from the U.S. Post Office. I love it! The idea it could be privatized by our resident He Who Shall Not Be Named irritates the hell out of me – I expect it would destroy it completely.

The U.S. Post Office provides one of the best services available to the consumer. As with all things, costs increase as prices increase. But let’s think about it – I can send a letter 3000 miles for about 50¢. UPS and DHL and FedEx don’t do that. Here are current USPS rates for a variety of things, as shown at stamps.com:

Many times government, whether local, state, or federal, can do a better job than private enterprise. And vice versa. What works depends on the service. Roads should not be privatized, nor police or fire services. Private companies can compete with the government sectors. Not all government sectors work efficiently, nor do private entities.

Personally, I cannot fault the Post Office – it is dependable 99.9% of the time. My mail is delivered. I can track letters and packages. I can get service on Saturday, and even Sundays depending on what it is. I buy stamps so I can mail bills. If email were not so prevalent, I would write letters more frequently.

Kudos to the USPS!