tales of a saturday

the weather today was in the low 80s but with gusts of very strong wind.  it's not the temperature but the dry hot wind that makes one feel a murderous rage.  the wind is like what vincent van gogh called the wind when we lived in arles, the devil mistral.  that devil causes the synapses to misfire and the eyes see red.  working in the garden becomes a torturous chore.  because it is not only the hot wind that makes you feel like you need to shower but that devil is blowing pollen like it was confetti at a high prom.  ugh!!!

yesterday was much better.  the temperature hit the mid 70s and the wind was light.  i volunteered -- my second year to do so -- to be a docent for the east sac garden tour 2014.  east sac is our neighborhood and the garden tour is where seven houses open up the gardens for people to visit in order to raise money for the local elementary school.  nick's is a third grader at that school and i hear the students whose parents volunteer to work the garden tour get a break from homework.  last year nick didn't have homework for the last month of school.  this year he gets only a week's reprieve.  bummer. 

below is a pic of me and nick at the house where i had my assignment as docent.  the house and garden were gorgeous.  a restored 1913 craftsman bungalow with a fairly large backyard lot.  the owners painstakingly restored the house and grounds for over 10 years.  one of the owners, j., a retired mechanic for the state regaled me with stories on his and his wife's agonies and ecstasies of 10 years of house restoration and garden maintenance. a good man and an excellent storyteller.  the tour had the people coming and coming.  a very busy saturday.  sunday, today, was even busier because of mother's day.  i forgot about the crowds until i drove to home depot for our own garden needs.  a grand event for a good cause.