20 Seconds of Zen

Today, a first hike of the season for Charles. At the top, as promised, a beautiful little oasis.

Not Dead Yet

Above, our new apple tree. It's a semi-dwarf Fuji, and as you can see it has already been espaliered. It's not much older than our "stick" (the bare-root that never was), but much farther along the path I hope it will follow for us. Fingers crossed, please.

Underplanting the apple and pear trees are a pair of tiny miniature gingkoes. They're doing well, producing those characteristic gingko leaves and adding an interesting leaf shape to the garden.

This is the new pear. It's a big improvement over the stick, don't you think? Yeah. It's a Hosui, the same type, but obviously older, healthier, and even:

Bearing fruit. I have no idea whether the fruit on it this year will mature (transplant shock and all), but I'm hoping. There are maybe 20 pears on the tree, and given its size we hope to be able to eat from it next year at the latest.

I chose to take pictures at absolutely the wrong time of day, but what you're seeing here is the backyard from the southern vantage, looking west. On the left out of the frame is the Blue Weeping Atlas Cedar. Eight feet to the north, the Fuji apple, then the Hosui pear, and in the corner our little bamboo.

It still struggles, and I really don't know if the bamboo will survive. But at this point I'm hoping that the warmth of the sun and the ample water we provide (drainage is goooood here) help everyone to settle in.

If, and this is a big if, they all make it we'll have established the basic framework of our Japanese garden. After that it's underplanting with conifers and grasses, creating the rock border, and deciding where to place a fountain and a seating area.

More Photos by Iain

Suddenly, it's HOT. As in 93 degrees. And SUNNY, as in all day long. Whew! We turned on the swamp cooler, broke out the tank tops, and I don't know if I'll wear socks again until September.

The garden moves forward, changing from spring crops to summer ones. I've pulled out most of the lettuce because it went bitter. And note to self: that oak leaf lettuce is just nasty. Nasty. Next year we will not be growing any of that.

The new fruit trees went in the ground early this week (photos soon), and the bamboo and bare-root roses are settling in. I suspect those roses may not make it, but time will tell. They came too late, they took a long time in shipping...meh. I dunno. Some things live and some die and I honestly can't tell which will do which.

But the tomatoes are in bloom, the raspberries are on their stalks (ripening, ripening) and I could go pick a few snow peas right now. The herb garden's simply amazing. So hurray for the raised beds!

Garbeldy Garbeldy Garbeldy

What happens when you give Iain the camera.

Anna, It is kind of the innocence and wanted need to call and ask you if you want with those he'dabout yard selling someone I didn't see anything that on Saturday We're gonna try and get everythingset up. 30 around 7 and then and you know go from 8 until 12:30. Anyway, let us know. I hope yourmom took me a call. It sounds like you're gonna be by divert some good sleep. 4. Volunteeringanyway. Hope you're doing well. Talk to you Later. Bye Bye.

This is a voice mail received earlier today. Yep.

I love Google Voice because I can skim the voice mail for things like: hospital, emergency, call me, help, etc.

But the premise that one can actually understand the message? Not so much.

Lazarus

Arggh! My Nano!

Sooooo....yeah. A few months ago Charles surprised me with a wee gift. Very wee. Tiny, in fact. And blue. It was a Nano, Apple's weeny, teensy music and video player. For me - walking to school, working out, listening to history books while I surf - it was perfect.

Until last week. Here's the mental conversation:

Me: "Don't forget to take that Nano out of your pocket before you wash those shorts!"

Me: "Yep! Will do."

Five minutes later:

Me: "Egads! Must hike with Lawrence tomorrow morning - need clean shorts."

[congratulates self on quickly running a load of laundry.]

[pulls laundry out of washer. Notes, in transfer to dryer, a telltale white cord. Oh noes.]

Me: "You are truly stupid."

Me: "Yep!"

But Charles swooped to the rescue yet again. "Submerge it in rice for 72 hours."

??

Yes. So I sank it into our large tub of basmati (long-grain is the way to go, don't you think?) and waited. When the Nano emerged, it seemed completely dead. No little apple screen, no response to plugging it in. Time for a little, tiny funeral.

I researched new Ipods tonight. The shuffle? Not enough functionality. The new Nano? Apparently not very well engineered (here's a hint: brand new 6th gen sells for 134. The one I had? 5th Generation? $250! That should be a sign to someone.). The Touch? Way more than I wanted, but perhaps I should just do it. I was hovering over the button when Charles called out from downstairs.

Like Lazarus, my Nano rose from its grave to play Rihanna again. And the Man of LaMancha soundtrack, too. Yea, even the Simon Schama has returned to the land of the living. Verily, a miracle in rice.

I'm so, so happy. There will be no need to mock me.

Busytown

Gotta put my gear in the back before we can take off, honey. But once I'm done: we ride!

It's been crazytown hereabouts. Yesterday I took Iain to camp, flew down the hill to drop off my computer and print out a Groupon, then back out to use that Groupon, then back to school to get my laptop, then up to Red Butte Gardens to hold our place in line, then back down the hill to pack up two boxes of berries (red and black grapes, strawberries, raspberries and blueberries) with a bottle of wine for...the Buddy Guy/Mavis Staples concert.

But. Then I got to sit and listen to Mavis Staples and Buddy Guy. All worth it. Except maybe for the painful sunburn on my forearms. Note to self: if you're sitting on the line, bring an umbrella and wear sunscreen. Srsly.

'Kay, let's fly.

Today we celebrated Charles' birthday. First, Iain and I presented him with two first editions (a Heinlein and a Ballard). Then we had a little potty training crisis. Two showers, one bath and a full-surface bleach wipedown of the bathroom later, we gave Iain a haircut. He was not pleased. After that it was lunch, errands and a visit to Grandma, then naptime.

And now we're watching Dora the Explorer, relaxing with ice water and teh interwebs. Tomorrow, Professor Culver returns for more fun and we begin to dig the holes for our two new fruit trees. Oh, and the high tomorrow is forecast to be 59 degrees F. Ha! Summer, indeed.

First Hike of the Year

The hillsides at Red Butte Garden are alive! In fact, they're so overgrown that volunteers scurry around cutting back all the vegetation. At times you have to blaze the trail anew.

But check out those flowers! And the sunshine. And the cool breeze. And the 70 degree temps. Ah, Utah.

Dr. Culver dropped in last night for a brief visit, so this morning we trekked up the hills above the Garden. He's off to Logan, then back again at the end of the weekend for more fun (read: sushi).