Feb 22, Loomis

Home again, home again. We pulled in Saturday, just in time to get rained on. It's amazing how much longer it takes to unload Cleo than it does to get her ready for a road trip. I'm still fishing stuff for dinner out of her fridge instead of bringing everything in. But speed kills, you know, and it will get done eventually. We came home to things that need fixing, as usual for a long trip. A gate is down and Gerry's out digging holes to remount it. Tree roots broke an irrigation line and the yard guys were up to their hips in mud when we pulled in. The roof blew off the storage building down the hill, which is cause for quiet celebration. I've been trying to get that pulled down for almost 20 years. Finally!

There's a silver lining to everything, though. We also came home to a California February spring. There are only a few geese left in the pond and I suspect these are year-round inhabitants, the lazy ones who don't go farther north but just hang out here, raising their babies and living the good life. Some of them will nest here in the pond, and it's worth a dog's life to go wandering down there in another month unless it likes being chased by angry and fearless geese parents.


The valencia orange trees are ripening, so there's fresh-picked-off-the-tree orange juice for breakfast. Other things are blooming nicely. The almond trees are gorgeous, the camellias are flourishing and the early iris are coming out. The magnolia tree in the front is in bloom and we're lucky to be here for that. Usually it blooms and there's a wind storm, then blam, everthing falls off the tree and we just have large, waxy pink petals all over the ground. I take the same pictures of the blossoms every year. I just can't help myself.

For those of you in colder, snowier, rainier climes, take heart. There will be spring!