The Red Dot

I've been noticing this red dot on the bill of some Sea Gulls. After some research, here is what I've learned. The Western Gulls have the red dot on their bill. The other two are California Gulls and have the dark spot on their bill. There are many other kinds of gulls and to make it even more complicated their feather colors change over several years as they mature. All this makes it a little tricky to identify each kind.

It is interesting to note that the California Gull is the Utah state bird. The California Gull swooped down in1848 and ate hoards of crickets that were destroying the crops of the pioneers. The people of Utah showed their appreciation by naming the California Gull their state bird in 1955. How cool is that?

War on Weeds

So... I have this problem in the spring. Random plants sprout from the ground. I call them weeds but some of them are pretty. Stop and take a look. The Dandelion is a pretty little flower and yet I work hard to get rid of them.

And the Sour Grass, which is some sort of Oxalis, is considered a weed.

The California Poppies get to stay just where they are
.

And the Lupines too. These two are Wildflowers not weeds! Where is the justice in these decisions?

This year I am planted some Milkweed for the Monarch Butterflies. Now... that brings up a whole new problem. I'm now PLANTING weeds? This all brings so much conflict and makes me wonder.

I guess it all comes down to my sense of order. If they are where I don't want them to be, I call them weeds. If I let them be in their selected spot they are wildflowers, and if I plant them from seeds they have special status no matter what their name is! Problem solved... I hope.

Spring Forward

Today is the day to move the clocks forward one hour. I really wish they would just leave the time alone. Does it make that much difference? I would rather deal with real life and not try to make things seem what they are not!

The spring flowers do know what time it is... time for them to bloom. It makes us feel like doing outdoor things and work in the dirt. We have been repairing and painting the fence. Then we will add new "No-climb" Horse Fencing. It's a ton of work but needs to be done. I'll put some photos of that up soon.

The New Avila

The rebuilding of Avila has been happening and they have done a nice job. Several years ago the Union Oil company was required to tear down a lot of the buildings and remove all the contaminated sand in this little town. It was a mess and looked so sad. A couple of nice new hotels have been built and a beach side restaurant with outdoor dining is delightful.

Now things are looking much better and the sun seekers have returned in big numbers. They have improved parking and made a charming down town area. Every Friday afternoon they have a Farmer's Market in the plaza area right on the beach. The fresh produce and food is certainly worth the trip down on a sunny afternoon.

They have reopened the pier and put in a complete new playground for the little ones. AND they left the swings that are right on the sand.

 

Best of all... the oil smell is gone! It was a long, long time coming but they got it done! 

Chow Mein Heaven

We had lunch here today. Hubby discovered this place a while back and they have the most wonderful food. Chow Mein with pan fried noodles.

Their menu is unique and simple... not many decisions. But they have my favorites!

 

This is the old China Town district in downtown San Luis Obispo. Hopefully, one day soon this area will get the attention it deserves for it's historic value. They are slowly reviving it and doing the earthquake retrofitting it requires to be safe. What a wonderful little piece of history.

The Clean-Up Crew

We went to get hay from Farm Supply and brought home our four bales. That will last us about four months. You can always count on Johnny to clean up any scattered bits of hay. He has a "No hay stem left behind" policy. It's not as if he is going hungry... as you can tell!

Patsy's Delight

Patsy's days are numbered... she is old and blind. We love her dearly and so does our mail lady. Patsy can hear the mail truck coming and when we are out side she heads toward the mailbox. It's a slow process as she makes her way, bumping into trees and wondering off the path. If the mail lady sees her coming she will wait and give her a treat through the fence. If we aren't outside she always leaves a treat in the box.

We found this note the other day along with our mail. Isn't it sweet? I think all the animals on her route must help take the boredom out of her job. I know it is the highlight of Patsy's day!

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How cool is this!   Book art by Isaac Salazar.