Tilted

Bruce is doing well.  He's got his own room (tiny, but it's got four walls!), really nice hospital staff keeping him in line and his iPad.  He's scheduled for surgery this afternoon at 4:00.  Fingers crossed.

They say that during trying times, it helps to stay focused on the moment.  I had lots of practice with this yesterday as I tried to find the correct freeway onramp so I could get out of Sacramento.  However, even with my very best focusing, I became hopelessly confused and had to finally pull over on a side street and do what I always do when stumped by life's little challenges.  I called Bruce.  From his hospital bed no less, he patiently (oooh -- a pun!) gave me the simple directions that got me pointed the right way and onto the freeway and out of the Big City.  Such a good Bear!

Once home, the sun was already sinking behind Gopher Ridge, but I did what I'd been needing to do all day: I finished digging the hole and planted the second olive tree.  We won't even go to the place where I talk about the guilt that Bruce was digging holes for trees all last weekend with a back ready to give out... Anyway, I needed to get out and do some work under the open sky of Frogpond.

I used a pick ax to break through the shale and got the little tree planted and watered in just before it was dark.  I went down this morning in my bathrobe to take a picture and was pleased to see that it was still upright.  It's the little things!

Manzanillo Olive

The neighbor's cows inspecting things from their side of the fence

As I study the picture, I'm just noticing that I set the tree in at a bit of a tilt.  I suppose that's what comes of planting in half-light.  Never mind -- a lot of us at Frogpond have varying degrees of tilt.  The tree fits right in.

I'm off to the hospital again in a little while.  I'm feeling a bit tilted myself, but (like the tree) doing well anyway.