We are heading north today to visit daughters again!
Andrew (grandson 5) graduates from High School tomorrow.
We are taking the teardrop trailer, first time out this spring. Usually we sleep in it about 30 nights a year, much of that at daughters places.
Camping season starts this month!
Promise.

Happy Birthday

Today is the birthday of my youngest daughter.

A long time ago she came into our lives and no one has been the same since.

She bought herself a new car this week, partly as a birthday gift I should hope.

I am exceedingly proud of her and am so glad to be her father.

Happy Birthday Lia.

Nor does much of anything else!

I have family members who are doing very decent photography. One does it for her business and her boss, others photograph just for the fun of it. They are all amazing and I am impressed.

decency

One of my friends sent me an email recently.

It was a statement and promise that if I were to spend time with the last president, I would find him charming and decent. The piece was a challenge to agree.

I did agree, without hesitation.

It seems to me that the further up any organization you go the nicer the people are (usually!). Most don’t get to the top by being jerks.

I am not sure what we might talk about, but I agreed that there are very few politicians that I would not find likable and charming.

But, after my friend challenged me to agree the last man was a good man I challenged him to do the same with the present man. No response.

There was a one armed man who was a senator. He lost his other limbs while serving in the Military. He received numerous awards for his service. But when he was seeking re-election he was accused (by a man who not served) of being unpatriotic.

The one armed man may not have deserved reelection, but because he was not patriotic, after loosing two legs and an arm in combat?

Someone once said that there was a lot of bad in the best of us and a lot of good in the worst. I agree and suggest that there we might push the idea a bit further.

It is not a sign of greatness when we have to demonize people we do not agree with. Our leaders may not always act as we would prefer (money talks and you and I are not big contributors!), but they are decent people who are really trying to make the world a better place.

A couple of years ago, at a campaign stop, a woman accused the opposition candidate of being unfit for office and evil somehow. “No,” was the reply, “He is a decent family man, I just disagree with his views.”

We need to hear that a LOT more on all sides.

Ok ok, I will.

garden

I drip my garden.

That is, a long while ago I converted overhead watering to drip irrigation. I have regressed from time to time, but I come back to the drip system. I guess it takes one to know one.

My neighbor put in an irrigation pump a couple years ago (his electricity, but on my property!). I tried that for a year and it worked OK, the next year it did not work and I went back to my old favorite.

This winter was hard on the piping that supports the system. I had the pipes buried quite deep decades ago and when they leak, it is a real chore to find the leaks.

So I abandoned the whole thing and am running all new waterlines, buried just a few inches below the surface. If there is a leak, I can see it easily and get it fixed easily, or that is the plan.

And, of course I want to make improvements on the system while I am at it. Not all improvements actually improve, but I am going to take a risk with that one.

Tomorrow I should get the pipes all installed and by weekend at east some of the drip lines.

We did pour the concrete for the new greenhouse foundation today, so there was real progress. The foundation work is beyond my base skill set, but the rest is pretty straightforward, I think!

I am ready!
There are several really promising photographers in my family. They have good eyes and are doing good work and I am blown away by their prowess.

mom's day

Yesterday was a good day for Miriam.

She had trouble remembering why her daughters, and a granddaughter, all kept calling her, but it was good. She chatted with them asking the same question several times, of course.

It was a rainy day and I was in my studio working on a gift project. Late morning she came over, eyes big and insisted that I go with her. I had been given a heads up, so I was pretty sure what was going on and i was right.

Daughter 3 had sent a lovely bouquet of flowers. Really nice ones. Miriam was over joyed, and puzzled by it all. Once I reminded her of the significance of the day she enjoyed the flowers. They will grace our dining table (also our breakfast table) for as long as possible.

I should have taken her out to a fancy restaurant, I think that is what you are supposed to do, but I usually resist doing whatever is expected of me. It is a perverse thing, but it is.

Instead I made her dinner of Pasta with fresh Asparagus, a green salad and fresh olive/herb bread. We even had a couple small scoops of ice cream for desert.

It was a good meal and right on budget!

Even though she did not remember what the day was it was good for her to talk to her daughters. They are good women and I am proud to be their father.