Barely anything, but we'll take what we can get! It was so noteworthy, it deserved a photograph, after the entire month of April with barely a drop. Currently we are eight inches below normal rainfall!
We will take what we can get at this point. Then again, what choice do we have? Allegedly, we are meant to have rain overnight, so if that happens, I will be sure to let you know. All over town entire lawns have turned a nasty shade of brown, something you would never expect to see in Florida at most any time of the year, let alone Spring. Maybe if we have a hard freeze, rare, but it happens. Our yard is still green, but there were areas that were turning brown, so Mrs. Camera Crazy checked her sprinkler system during the daytime. Yup, the areas that were showing the stress of this dry spell were not getting enough water because the heads were leaking. Probably not to be unexpected due to age, but it was a revelation to the both of us. Thus we spent many hours on Saturday replacing quite a few of the heads. Perhaps I should clarify that...Bruce dug the holes and replaced the heads, while I kept walking back and forth, back and forth, to turn the system on and off, in order to check for leaks and the arc of the spray. Wouldn't it be wonderful if all of that were unnecessary, and it would begin to rain regularly?
Friday night we went on a date to Earls, because I both love it, and too wanted to spend some one on one time with Bruce before he left again today. It is so exciting to see the business pick up,
and win awards, as in Best Overall Restaurant from the Foodie Awards in the Sentinel and
now this. If only people knew the blood, sweat, and tears that it took to get it looking like this! I am SO proud of my husband for steering this ship to shore. Oh my! The kitchen is so big and beautiful too. And the people who work there are awesome!
One of the wonderful thing about Earl's is the ability for people to move up in the company. Kevin, one of the managers, well the lowest on the rung actually, interviewed for a higher position at the Legacy West property Bruce is in the midst of building, and he got it!
Amazingly, the president of Earls, Mo, began working for the company as a prep cook! That's really something, isn't it?
Just as we were getting up to leave, a man walked over to greet Bruce. Roy, one of Bruce's carpenter apprentices all those years ago is now the head building official for the City of Orlando. They chatted for a few moments while I met his date. While walking to the car I suggested to Bruce that I wanted to get a photo of he and Roy, so we turned around and walked back to their table. He was just so thrilled because as his date revealed to me during our chat, he really hoped we'd have a seat and chat. Introducing Bruce as his mentor, I, of course, was beaming with pride.
I am also,
somewhat, beaming with pride over my flowers....good grief these bargain ones from WalMart are growing like gangbusters, in spite of the HEAT and lack of rain.
I love to rescue the 1/2 price flowers and see what happens.
Sunday evening Irene had a dinner party and there are no words to describe how delicious everything was, beginning with these mini quiches. Well, if MINI is in the name, it has to be good, right?
Having moved here from Portland last summer, it has been a pretty big adjustment for her, probably because she is used to big cities, having lived for many years in New York city, and also she was accustomed to very little sunshine which we've had in spades this year. Metro Orlando may have a big population, but it is still a small city at heart. Everywhere you look in her new home there are amazing things to see from her extensive travels around the world.
Her baking skills are legendary, and this cake proved it once and for all. Well, pretty much everything she does is exceptional.
Please note the circle cut in the middle of the cake...apparently an Eastern European tradition. :)
Mr. Peck left early for Dallas, and Mrs. Peck decided to get up as well, and then she began quilting, and quilting, and quilting. 140 lines X 90 inches takes a long time to sew. I have no idea what prompted me to do this, but when I began the quilting last Friday, I started listening to episodes of This American Life, a radio program I love, but rarely take time to listen to. I listened to an episode about a car dealership in Levitt Town, NY trying to meet their monthly goals, a story about patents, and another truly amazing one called
Dr. Gilmer and Mr. Hyde, all of which were astonishing but that last one...yikes! From there I went on to listen to one about a New York state rest stop, and then today I listened to
this one, which led me to listen to about three episodes of
Beautiful Anonymous. I'd never heard of BA before, but wow, what a concept.
Finally, near the end of the episode where Chris Gethard talks to a couple about their
"swingers" lifestyle, I finished. It was 5:30 in the afternoon. So, yes, it takes a very long time to do this kind of quilting. Should you have time on your hands, I highly recommend listening to both programs.
And now, my friends, I am heading to bed with what seems to be a terrific novel,
Setting Free The Kites, described here as genial, and so far I cannot disagree. Having just finished,
Orphans of the Carnival, a fictionalized description of
Julia Pastrana's life, I needed this. If ever there were a link I insist you click on, the Julia one is it. Absolutely mind blowing! Writing this reminded me that I also listened to an TAL episode about amusement parks that was so good.
yours truly,
Gail
p.s. How did I neglect to post a bird photo? The Swallow Tail Kite was nowhere in sight this morning, however, I did see Mama Owl and her babies, who were once again, hard to photograph. There was a bit of a breeze at 7 this morning, and I did love how Mama's feathers were a bit ruffled.
I must admit I am approaching them with a wee bit more caution after that attack described in my
last post.
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