Thunderstorms and Gomphrena

It rained hard here last night. Thunder sounded like bombs going off near the house. Water dripped in through the AC vents in the roof, towels thrown down in the middle of the night. Rivers of pine needles are everywhere, and this morning is hot and wet.

The plants and the people here needed the rain badly. I could hear an irritation in the voices of friends and co-workers, anxious for the final arrival of the monsoon after weeks of teaser showers.

There are two summers here. A hot, dry one, and a hot, wet one. Hot and dry goes from May to June, hot and wet goes from July to August.

Finding annual plants that can take the heat is a challenge. Vincas are a great standby, they are waxy and tough, and almost seem to enjoy the heat. I interplanted them with the tomatoes, which I typically wouldn't do -- so disorganized!!! ;) -- and they look fantastic together, spreading on the ground amidst the tomato sprouts.

I also tried planting Gomphrena this year, also known as Globe Amaranth or Bachelor Button. It's been an outstanding performer, and I love the purple color of the cultivar I chose.

I've also started learning about welding. Here's a welder I found on Amazon, people seem to be raving about it. It says it's a MIG welder, but I suppose you need to purchase a separate tank for the gas. Perhaps getting started with self-shielded flux core (no gas required) is the way to go, especially if it's better for working outdoors.

Sparks

Seems to me like the best blogs have a few characteristics:

1) They're VISUAL. They have lots of interesting and beautiful pictures.
2) They have a POINT OF VIEW. They're inspired by beauty, or wonder, or love. They have passion.
3) They're INTERESTING. They find elements - home remodeling, space, art - that are of particular interest, but with their observations, ...
4) They're BRIEF. They get to the point, and aren't too self-serving.
5) They have an ATTITUDE. (Not all of them, but some of the ones I like!)

I'm going to yoga in about an hour...

One of the rules for this blog is that it's okay to be HONEST here. This is a space where it's okay to be afraid, frustrated, angry, overjoyed. Maybe some of the things society doesn't expect us to ever be. Maybe even BOLD.

I've been thinking about making art lately. We're redoing the cabinets in the laundry room, and I cut a piece of metal bracket with my angle grinder. I loved the sparks and the smell of the metal being worked. I'd like to learn how to weld, make some welded art pieces for the wall. BOLD ones, of course... ;)

Reflections on Big Sur

We spent three days total in Big Sur, staying at the Big Sur Getaway. Really nice hosts, beautiful view. Would recommend it for sure.

Enjoyed our time relaxing on the beaches of Big Sur, enjoying the food, beer and people watching at the Maiden Publick House.

One thing we took away from Big Sur was a bottle of Pepper Plant pepper sauce. We haven't been able to stop eating it. I found some available for order on Amazon. Ooooh, it's so good on eggs. Someone else recommended it on steak. It's just the right balance of tanginess and heat.

I'd like to talk a little bit about Blogging in general. Why do we do it? What's the point? What are the best Blogs, and why? What are the worst Blogs, and why? What purpose do they serve? Are they just lonely egos yelling out into the cybervoid? Hoping someone will hear them, and listen, and follow, and validate them? I'm going to look at a blog of note and think about this...