Don't Deadhead Zinnias

 

I learned why today.  It seems male Goldfinches find zinnia seeds irresistible.  It was fun to watch them try to balance their weight on the frail flower stems and still be able to pick out seeds to eat.  At one time there were three birds dining on various aging flowers.  Cool.

Just in the nick of time I picked these two tomatoes.  The one closest to the camera had a quarter-sized hole eaten out of it so over the fence it went.  Damned chipmunks. The other, riper, perfect one went over to Durwood at his new digs along with a couple of toasted slices of Rosen's rye, a shaker of salt, and a jar of Kraft Mayo.


The move went well.  I stopped this morning to deliver Durwood's clean laundry to the new place.  Went to the old place to pick up the rest of his belongings, including the remaining gin and empty bottles, that I then took over to the new place.  Then I took my able assistant (who was a champ on such a tough, emotional day for Meemaw) home for lunch and a snooze.  Around 2:30 we were back to visit Baba in his new home, make a list of the things that need to be found or bought, and spend a couple hours just hanging out.  I think it'll take Durwood a week or so to get used to being out from under the watchful eye of the RNs and CNAs at the skilled nursing facility but I've asked him to consider going down to the dining area for one meal a day just to get out of his room--and his head.  On Friday the Direct TV guy comes to get him set up so he'll be able to watch the TV that he likes and hopefully will have a better remote than the one that came with the TV.  Also a $6 phone isn't a great phone so I'll be buying a better phone or two for Friday installation.  I foresee this being a "work in progress" for a while but I already saw a hint of change in his outlook.  Whew.

August 1--Chinese 19th Century, Qing Dynasty, Jifu, China, Formal Court Robe.  It was a good day to wear the orange robe with the gold dragons embroidered on it.  Li knew that everyone else at court would be dressed in dark colors, respectful colors.  He wanted to stand out.  There was just enough black at the neck and cuffs and under the fasteners so he wouldn't appear disrespectful but the emperor would notice him.  If he wanted to be at court he needed to be noticed.  If one of the emperor's daughters noticed him, so much the better.

We just had a nice little rain.  No thunder, though.  If it's going to rain at night I'd like a little thunder and maybe some lightning.  We need the rain.  I'm bushed.  I told Durwood that I'm taking tomorrow off, not doing anything, not visiting, nothing.  Let's see if I can hold to it.  Adios.
--Barbara