Hidden legislation... unbelievable Administration!

Did you know there is clause in the new healthcare reform stating there will be new taxes on buying gold bullion?!

Administration hid this clause in the 3000+pg document... and it has NOTHING to do with the healthcare legislation.

amazing...

simply unbelievable...

In our backyard recently...

To start with, I will say that when I first peaked out my back window and saw this creature sitting on my fence... I was bewildered. What kind of bird is this? It has a different looking head and beak than I've ever seen before.

At first I thought it was a hawk...



But several friends tell me it's a Peregrine Falcon. I guess I'll have to take their word for it. I know nothing of hawks or falcons or most birds in general... but I'm learning now I've been graced with the Falcon's presence. I understand they are not all that common in this area.

Then I think I spooked it ... it quickly flew away through the branches of the neighbor's jacaranda tree.


Everyday since I've been wanting Beautiful Falcon to come back for another visit...


In the meantime, I've been busy. Ahem, rather... Gardener Johnny has been busy! (tee hee!) OK I helped a little... but only a little. Over the past few months I've been collecting some flora to be planted in the new garden bed.


Last week "we" got the herb/rose box done. Rosemary, basil, rose-scented geranium, euphorbia and my new medallion tea rose.






This week I helped Gardener Johnny work on placement of the mexican sage, 3 canna varieties, african iris (re-purposed from another friends' yard) and agapanthus.






I couldn't stop grinning from ear-ro-ear to finally see greenery in the large flower bed! I turned on the sprinklers and sat down with my book to enjoy the cool Southern California weather...



Life is good...

Stealing a glimpse...

From our driveway we can see the top half of the fireworks show from Downtown. We can also hear the Big Band ...





There might be power lines in this view... but we don't mind. We got to stay home in our pjs, we didn't have to fight traffic and we could go outside when the fireworks started instead of sit around and wait for them to start. Talk about spoiled...


And for some Independence day quotes to inspire...


This nation will remain the land of the free only so long as it is the home of the brave. ~Elmer Davis

Liberty is always dangerous, but it is the safest thing we have. ~Harry Emerson Fosdick

It is easy to take liberty for granted, when you have never had it taken from you. ~Author unknown, sometimes attributed to M. Grundler



Life is good...

Our UNpet, the one-eyed wonder...

Yesterday you were introduced to the "one-eyed wonder" (aka the possum missing the right eye) in the last post. Tonight we heard some strange clicking noises outside... and this is what I found when I looked outside the front door.

I think we've determined this is "mother possum". And did I mention yesterday I think she's rather old? Well, she's back...

And what was the clicking noise? I'm glad you asked! It was the mother making a clicking noise with her mouth. And then we heard a clicking noise on the other side of the chain link fence. Then more clicking from mom, carrying 3 babies on her back. Again she would click her mouth then we'd hear more clicking from the other side of the fence. Interesting...

Kinda gross... but still interesting.

I didn't stick around to see her figure out how to go over or under or through the chain link fence... but I did snap a few pictures.

Did you know possums only have a 13 day gestation period? Check out more info here: Possums (That is, only if you're interested.)

Some time in the yard yesterday... and a few surprises...

I'm going to start this post with a pretty picture... you'll thank me for it later!

Today I got to spend some time in my yard... which is unusual. I got out of work several hours early. Got home and did the "lovely chores", took a nice nap and then moved to the back yard with a book and my camera.

Our yard is currently under construction (and it's been that way for about 6 months). The grass is in (although it already has some brown spots - so we're working on that). Some herbs and a Medallion Tea Rose are in the ground. The inherited calla lilies from my Gramma's back yard are finally thriving. However the larger flower bed still isn't completed - we need to fix the sprinklers first. Then we'll put in 3 types of cannas, salvia leucantha, african iris, euphorbia, agapanthus, and some other pretty things whose names I've currently blanked on. These items are all currently in a safe spot of the yard awaiting their "new home".

If you've ever seen our yard in any one of it's renditions (there have been many over the past 10 years) or even in it's most REPEATED and COMMON rendition (4-foot high weeds) then you'll be as happy as I am when I say it's FINALLY getting done right!

Oh how happy it makes me to go outside and spend time in our little piece of GREEN (instead of brown, dying weeds) ... except when I round the corner and see this!





And yes, it scared the liver out of me!


Then I remembered I brought my camera outside with me (but I didn't want to turn my back on this thing). Man, it was ugly! He was moving slowly, hadn't bared his teeth at me yet and wasn't playing dead from fear of me scaring him. So we were ok, for now...

I snapped off a few pics and he started moving out of the yard... he crawled behind the shed, up a 3 foot wall (HOW do that do that?!) and sat down under my car.

And I got a few more shots... and while I was looking through the lens I noticed... is that ? Really? This thing only has one eye?!



Then I was literally grossed out... and happy he/she was leaving the yard.

If you were wondering, NOW is when you thank me for that beautiful rose picture! Here, let's look at it again!





OK - so back to the beauty of my half-done yard! (Oh, by the way - you're welcome!)



Once I was convinced he/she was long gone, I was finally able to relax. I kicked up my feet and read for awhile. This IS the life...





I loved looking at my freshly planted pot of herbs: flat-leaf italian parsley, greek oregano, lemon thyme and cilantro. Mmm... makes me think of dinner cooking in the crockpot!





While we're at it, let's get another good look at that beautiful rose bud! Like I said earlier this is a Medallion Tea Rose. I fell in love with the variegated apricot colors and the mellow scent. And to my surprise, this hybrid rose was officially registered in the year I was born! It was meant to be...

Then I heard a familiar sound... the wild parrots that come back to the Old Escondido area every summer! I hadn't yet caught a picture of these guys... but not for lack of trying! Every summer since I moved here (in 1999) they come for a visit. Almost every night (during the warm months) I hear them squaking as they fly over. I'm not sure where they go for the day (or night) - but it is rumored they take up residence in a tree just a few blocks away.

Ahh.... I caught them... well, on film at least. They were quick though - I almost didn't get them!

And now for their close-up...



It was a nice day... started off with 12 miles on the bike, followed by a short day at work, I enjoyed the best breakfast burrito in town (thank you, Nicos!), soaked up a much-needed nap, and enjoyed God's beauty in the yard-that-may-never-be-finished!

I'm one lucky girl!


Psalm 27:4
One thing I ask of the LORD,
this is what I seek:
that I may dwell in the house of the LORD
all the days of my life,
to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD
and to seek him in his temple.