Cindy’s Blog

I gave a presentation today, demoing how to convert web pages to the new template for external pages. It went well, thankfully. After it was over and I noticed that someone left a printout of CNN’s main page on the table in the back of the auditorium. It was altered to show a photo of me and a caption about me giving my web presentation. As though my demo was CNN-worthy. Too funny!

A yard of compost was delivered in our driveway last Saturday.

As he dumped the compost I snapped away and the driver kept repeating “You’re taking pictures!” Could he be worried that I would cause trouble once I realized how low quality this compost was? He would be right to worry. Last year the compost was very dark and smelled strongly like manure. Maybe the manure component wasn’t composted enough. But it was better than this years batch which had no manure smell, was much lighter and was loaded with sand! Who wants sand in their compost? What were they thinking? I haven’t called them yet, but I will.

Here it is in piles in our yard. It took twelve wheelbarrow trips all by myself. The garden muse was in Disneyland with the band. The cats wasted no time making themselves at home in the new sand/compost piles.

Even camera shy Jackie can’t resist.

Here’s a progress photo of the pumpkin patch.

I tried transfering some into newspaper pots for Michelle, but here’s the result.

The photo is blurry but I’m not re-taking a shot of dead pumpkins. Its no lie that they don’t like their roots disturbed.

Here’s the compost pile, bursting forth with pumpkins. The compost isn’t at all like compost sold in garden centers. I’m not sure what I did wrong. It might be that as the rabbits dug a hole into their palace, lots of horrible clay soil was shoveled into the compost. You’re not supposed to add soil to compost. I imagine adding horrible soil is even worse.

Since it’s so warm, we cut down and dug in a section of clover. It wasn’t easy, but this is the section of the yard where we didn’t amend the soil. This is Garrison’s experiment with growing pumpkins and melons in unamended clay soil.

I spent hours and hours digging up the rest of the yard too. I’m so sore today.

In the front yard we have our first calla lilly bloom. I thought they had completely died after the freeze. It was just an act.

We let Fred out to see if his time in prison had reformed him. It only hardened him. He wasted no time starting another reign of terror. Here he is guarding the bunny palace. He won’t let his brother Ed leave. But if Fred wants to eat he has to leave his post. Ed is then free to leave and Fred chases him around the yard. We have tried multiple times to capture Fred, but he’s on to us now. He’s too fast. Since Ed now refuses to fight and they aren’t seriously injuring themselves, we’re leaving them to work it out themselves for now.

Here’s a closeup of the backyard terrorist.

His mouth fur looks greenish. No doubt from engorging on the lettuce and clover that he’d like to keep his brother from eating.

The task of decorating our bulletin board at work is now a competition and is being rotated from group to group. My team was first up. Here’s our entry.

It’s very 3D. Look at it from the side. Who else has a bulletin board with a windowsill and curtains?

I wish I could say it was my idea, but all I contributed was the origami butterflies and bird which are almost not visible here.

Since we’re at work, here’s the rest of the tour. My cube…

And the view of my new building from across the street.

The tomatoes are growing faster now that the weather is warming up.

Here Ed and Lucy eat what they can reach of the crimson clover. Look how tall its getting.

Time to get diggy.

Documented above is the first turning of the ground for 2007. The soil is a thousand times easier to dig than last year. After a few more years of nurturing I expect it to be spectacularly rich.

Little did I know that as I turned the soil, a gardening muse was behind me.

I wondered last night whether I can use the appearance of pumpkin seedlings in the compost pile as an indicator that its warm enough to plant them. And what did I see today right next to the compost pile?

I can’t believe its warm enough yet. But… it’s so tempting to plant now.

A single cosmos seedling pops its little head out of the ground.

Its only a matter of time until the rabbits discover it and my lovely cosmos vanishes. For now its protected under plastic dome.

Fred peers out from his prison cell.

Finally, some progress. The front of the drop leaf sweater is done. Here it is before…

and after opening the traveling stitches.

Now I just need to calculate how to convert the 3/4 length sleeves into full length sleeves. I’ll never wear it otherwise.

Here’s my attempt to photograph tonight’s full moon.

I’m sure there are tricks to use to make it look better but I just photographed it straight up. This pic however was made psychedelic with Fireworks.

As I walked to the club to return to my sister of steel routine I heard what sounded like numerous frogs. I’m not sure I’ve ever heard that in my neighborhood before. So odd. I haven’t been to the club in two weeks. My cough has been hanging on and I didn’t want to make it worse. After just two weeks I’ve lost so much. I felt amazingly weak. I wonder how much the fact that I no longer get to climb six flights of stairs on the way to my desk affected my strength. I so miss that. My new office (as of a week ago) is on the first floor.

Here are the newbies…

One of the torpedo onions snuck into the picture. There are nine brandywines and two green zebras. None of the mortgage lifters germinated. I’m thinking of planting more brandywines in case anything happens to them. I can always give the extras away.

I’m still having trouble with mold on the outsides of the dixie cups. I keep wiping it off, but now the dixie cups are becoming more fragile. Next year I’ll start with newspaper pots. Or plastic.