A Day in Benicia (Blip Rejects)

These are all the photos I didn't use on my Blip photo blog.  All photos were taken February 26, 2012 in and around Wellington in Benicia.

The top photo is the sedum The Hub planted along the top of the Century Stone wall in front.  It looks like three different plants when it's fully in bloom.

Above is one of the cacti in my kitchen window.  It's developing buds.  It's so cute when it blossoms.  I bought it the week we moved into Wellington.  It generally only blooms along the base, then forms babies.

These three palm trees grow outside the mobile home park near the water.  They're very well tended.  Pretend like you're in Hawaii.

Another view of the boats down at the harbor.

A young lady down by the harbor. The sculpture is a whimsical one of Jack London.  He used to hang around Benicia quite a bit. 

Some people out of focus, looking at the water.

Two kids playing near the wall while a boat goes past.

An interesting house on a pier.  Don't know the story behind this, but I like how it looks.  That's the city of Martinez across the water.

Looking up into a willow tree.

One of the boats at the harbor.  It was pretty far away, so this isn't a very good picture.  But I liked this boat.

Link to my photo blog.
You can see which photo I chose, not included in this blog, by clicking on February 26 on the calendar.

Garden Update and Blue Ivy

This is the peach tree.  It's completely in bloom and it's only February 11th.  That's California for you.  Last year it bloomed at the same time, according to The Blog.  And we got peaches (we were expecting nectarines), so it's okay.  They weren't exactly edible, but the tree was just a baby.  I have high hopes for edible fruit this year. 

The viburnum along the back wall is starting to bloom.    It's beautiful.

The arbutus marina (or strawberry tree) is blooming.  It has dangly "strawberries" on it, too.

This is the hibiscus that rooted all on its own when I had it inside in a vase.  So we shoved it in the ground!  It's just a baby.

The jade, which has been in a pot for about twelve years, is blooming for the first time.  I originally plucked a teeny piece of the jade in (shhh) Disneyland outside Sleeping Beauty's castle.  I kept it in a paper cup until we got home, put it in the ground and now it's three to four feet round and BLOOMING!

This is just a spider that was building a web.  He helps keep down the gnat population.

Here's Sybil.  She's a multi-fruit tree we got for FREE at Lowe's.  Look at all the buds!  I can't remember the three fruits on here, but I think there's a plum and maybe a nectarine.  Luckily it's labeled, but I'm too lazy to look right now.

Look how gorgeous the sky was yesterday evening.

This is the hardenbergia that is blooming along the back wall with the viburnum.

The weeping Japanese maple along the arbor walk is just setting its leaf buds.

As promised, I have included some pictures of our wonderful cat, Blue Ivy.  Her name used to be Hugo.  But recent events have motivated us to change her name to Blue Ivy.  Read about those events here.

We've also named our new olive tree Blue Ivy.  And we're encouraging the Little Boy to change the name of his little blue car to Blue Ivy.

Stay tuned for more garden updates and more pictures of Blue Ivy.

Real Esate Diversion: San Francisco Contemporary

The Dot is looking in earnest for a new place in San Francisco.  This isn't it.  And not because it's $3 million.  It's two and a half miles from work!  But isn't it cool?

This is the rooftop deck (it doesn't have a yard.)  Below is the little observatory so you can still see the incredible views during inclement weather.  Inclement weather is generally imminent when you live in the City by the Bay.  So this should come in handy.

This house is so open and bright, it just gives me a great feeling.

 

Love this kitchen with the industrial details.

A view over the rooftops towards the Golden Gate.

Here is the front with port hole and steel garage door.  So cool.  You can just glimpse a bit of the pink apartment building to the left.  I'd still take it.  But it's not quite right for The Dot. 

Wish List: Shed

You could hardly even call this a shed.  It's a tiny house.  Snagged from the Tiny House blog.  It's from the Tumbleweed kit.  I've been dreaming of a shed in my back yard for years and years.  Even before we moved to Wellington.  The Husband helped build a shed with his dad and brother about 30 years ago, and ever since I saw them do it I've been itching to help him build one myself. 

I'm sure it won't be this elaborate, but I'm planning on cute and quaint with a window and window box.  I was hoping for a chicken inside, but that's okay.  The Dot tells me her friend's chickens have taken over the whole yard.  I like my yard and have plenty of eggs.  And pets (one old cat, one fluffy guinea pig and two stoic turtles).  But I sure would like a shed perched at the back of my yard, looking down over the Arbor Walk.

Speaking of turtles, Angrite the angry male Russian Tortoise woke up today.  Last year he woke up before spring and put himself back to bed, so I wasn't surprised to see him.  His wife, Pica, is still snoozing away.  Maybe she's pregnant!  I'll keep you posted.

Morning!

How much do I love mornings?

Just all over the place.  I sit in my little office in Wellington, drinking a cup of tea and marveling at how lucky I am to live here.  To have this cute, cozy house.  To work in this great little library with my sweet little view out the front.  To have my comfy couch and my fig tree.  My (this close to) perfect husband who has been my best friend for 32 years.  My two kids who are happy and healthy and growing up into nice little people.  And my fluffy kitty cat who found us almost two years ago.

Come to think of it, she's the lucky one.  She was living on the street for years, and now she gets to live in Wellington as she relaxes into her old-lady-cat days.  With three and a half people at her beck and call.  All the kitty crunchies she can eat.  Occasional bits of tuna and three laps to choose from every evening.  Spoiled thing.

Benicia Bungalows

Here are a couple of bungalows I walked by recently.  They're both located on West K Street. 

Are they absolutely adorable?  Yes!  This is my favorite type of architecture right now.

I noticed this teeny little nest in someone's trellis.  It's empty now, but I bet it used to contain a black capped chickadee family.

Here is a house The Hub and I looked at when we were house-hunting.  I still think it's adorable.  I love the little separate house in the back.  And the basement you can't really see in this pic.  But it's on a busy street.  And the owners were selling the yard separately which sort of rubbed me the wrong way.  You couldn't just buy the house and let someone else own the yard.  That's just dumb.  We never even went inside.  But I still think it's a cute one.

We worked in the garden a bit today.  This is the time of year that I always wish was springier than it is.  We get a couple of warm days (64°) and I get all excited about gardening, but then it freezes up again, so don't be fooled!  I'm fooled every year.  That's okay.  It makes life interesting.

Photos on my Desktop

Like most people, I have all kinds of weird things lurking on my desktop.  The Little Boy, who is a tech guy, says I should clear it off now and then because it makes my computer run more slowly.  This evening I was going through the folders, creating shortcuts for important files and deleting things I didn't need.  Before I deleted these random photos, I thought I would shove them up her on the blog just for fun.

This first one is a local MLS photo I thought was funny.  I was planning to send it to my Mom so we could have a chuckle.  I never got around to it.

This is some Realtor's idea of an amenity.  I think a general rule of thumb is, don't take a photo of a toilet.  Sometimes a toilet sneaks into a photo, and that's fine.  Make sure the lid is down, and just try to ignore it.  But what is going on here?  Is that someone's purse?  And what amenity is this supposed to showcase?  Does this photo make you want to buy this house?  Me neither.

 Here is a photo I got off of some website I was looking at.  I can't remember which, or I would provide a link.  This photo just made me feel good, so I saved it.  I love that little pool house with its lower level.  I think it's some teeny little basement.  I don't know, but it tweaks my imagination, so I saved it and now I'm putting it here.

 Here is my cat.  She was sitting on my desk looking out the window, so I snapped a picture with my webcam and sent it to The Dot.

 Speaking of the kitty.  This morning it was cold, cold, COLD in Wellington.  I think it was about twenty something outside.  Inside it was 60 degrees!  That's cold for Northern California.  And it's cold for 17 year old kitties with old bones.  So once the heat came on, she decided she needed to cozy up to the heater.  Just for an hour or so.  Just to get the creaks out.

Interestingly I just realized these two photos are backwards.  Hmmm.

Here is another MLS photo for a local $3,000,000 house.  I just liked this little room.  It looks like a wedgey room you would find in some old house.  But this house was built in the early 2000s.  Cozy!  Much better marketing than a toilet w/purse.  Good job!

Okay, now I can delete these from my desktop.  When I need them again, I'll just come back here.  You can, too.