A walk in a different park 07-21/22-09

Oh dear, I'm not doing very well this week. I prepared this post for the 21st, but somehow failed to post it! Sorry. So, it will do for two days.

Corky was here Saturday/Sunday this past weekend. On Sunday we walked in the morning because it was very hot. Actually, it was almost too hot even in the morning. But we trotted down to the corner, turned left, walked another 200 feet or so and turned into the park. This is Parque Arroyo Verde, the one that is long and skinny and extends all the way to the back of our house. It is used in the mornings by people with children who have lots of energy and by people with dogs in the early evening. There are also the sunbathers and the teenagers who come to neck in the dark. (is it still called 'necking'?). Just as Corky and I were walking to the exit this family came in - papa, mama, two little boys and two white dogs. The dogs were interested in Corky, but they were a little too rambunctious for a nose to nose (or elsewhere) meeting. In the picture the smaller boy is just above the white dog under the jungle gym (or whatever it is called these days). I seem to be very aware of what things were called and what they are called now. How about pedal pushers? Cutoffs, maybe? Christine Thresh is designing a block-a-day - all of them four inch paper pieced blocks and she provides the pattern to download. Among the cute everyday things she has come up with is one depicting pedal pushers - just like in the good old days. Check out her blog at www.winnowings.blogspot.com

I was trying to line up these two pictures to make a whole tree, but couldn't make it work. I'll try again some other time. Many different kinds of trees in the park, some half dead for lack of water. I had a notice that starting the first of August the water company that services this area will start stage 2 of water rationing. There is a long list of do's and don't's; in addition there will be a 6% cut in the water we can use without going into a new (higher) pricing tier. Since I am very frugal with the water I use the 6% cut will be difficult. Unfortunately, there is a law here against using grey water, although I know that some of my neighbors do. It wouldn't do for me to save rinse water from laundry to use on outside plants, because I have a water softener and the salt content would kill the plants.

Quilt Festival -Long Beach will start with the preview this Thursday evening. I will be staying with Corky at his house in LBeach until Sunday. So, perhaps I will be able to post some images from the Festival. On Saturday morning from 9:30 to 11:30 I will be at the SAQA table answering questions and passing out SAQA information. Stop and say hello - I'll be the lady in the hat!