Matilija Poppy

Otherwise known as 'fried egg' poppy. Some of the flowers are as big as my hand. I wish I could have captured them fluttering in the breeze as they are quite delicate with paper thin petals.

 When I woke up this morning I was reminded of a story my father was fond of telling about taking his car into the shop. He took it in with some kind of problem. I've forgotten what it was, but after he picked the car up and was driving home, the problem was still there, only worse. He took it back to the shop and registered his complaint, to which the mechanic responded..."Shows we worked on it."  After my first physical therapy 'assessment' appointment,  I slept poorly and got up with pain in my back which didn't resolve as it usually does when I walked around. Shows they worked on it....

It's been a drizzly day today. Not enough precipitation to counter the drought conditions, so we're told, but enough to make going out unappealing. We did gather ourselves to go out for our usual Friday morning coffee group at TrailHouse. A delicious coffee with a heart on it didn't do much to  to improve my back, but it certainly improved my mood. We talked about weddings, jake turkeys and bummer lambs. Spike behaved himself, graciously accepted his special cup of milk foam and didn't have to be banned to the car. 

A woman came in with a baby on her shoulder that couldn't have been more than a week old. I realized that it's been awhile since I've seen such a wee one. She came in with a friend and her three year old daughter who we've seen there before. The little girl always has cute shoes. This morning she wore lemon yellow sneakers.The older man with a little dog who walks by the front windows every time we're there walked by twice, as did the fit young man with the three pomeranians and the grim expression. 

It's nice to have surprises once in awhile, but on a daily basis, the routine and predictable can be quite comforting.

We can't take Spike on his off-leash walk anymore because the grasses are getting dry and deadly. I gave him a haircut but there's not much we can do to prevent him from sniffing a deadly foxtail, so I decided he would have to get his exercise today chasing his Kong. He wasn't so keen with all the grinding and beeping next door. It's hard to say whether he's afraid of all the noise or if he just can't hear where the Kong lands when I throw it.     Thank goodness they usually quit early on Friday....

Now I'm looking forward to a nice glass of wine (the best analgesic I know) and a quiet evening in front of the fire....