No kidding!
I woke up this morning expecting a bright and cheery day, but to my surprise, the mountains had disappeared overnight, and the fog was incredibly heavy. After watching the local news, we confirmed that the LA basin was covered in fog. It was unexpected, especially since the forecast predicted a high of 90 degrees for the day.
Mary left for her gym class, and I started preparing the house for our guests. As I walked through the house, I realized quite a few things needed to be done. I kept myself busy for a good two hours and, in the process, got some exercise, too.
The rotary garden was looking pretty good!
A closer examination showed that there was heavy dew on the plants. This is beneficial because it helps cool off the plants and is a natural way to water the ground.
We water the rotaries every other day!
The purple plants sound beautiful! It’s always nice to have plants that thrive well in your garden. Mexican Bush Sage seems like a fascinating and unique plant, originating from central and eastern Mexico. And the fact that the flowers are usually white, emerging from colored bracts, is fascinating!
If you’re interested in growing Mexican bush sage, select a location with at least 6 to 8 hours of direct sunlight daily. The hotter, the better for this beautiful plant. A good spot for it would be near a hot asphalt driveway, a well-drained sunny border, or a patio pot since it is drought-tolerant and thrives in full sun.
Finally, we know what they are!
Continuing our walk, we observed the roses were doing exceptionally well at the end of this summer. These little guys will be invited inside to decorate our home. In the next few days. I told Mary, “Roses are red, violets are blue; my dog is my favorite, but you’re OK too.”
Amazing colors; ready to decorate our home.
Mary drove off to her gym class, and I got busy readying the house for our visitors. As I meandered through the house, I was surprised at the number of things that needed to be done. I kept busy for a solid two hours and got my exercise at the same time.
I was up and down the stairs five times carrying our luggage from the last trip. By the time I was done, the house looked spic and span, ready for inspection. Most of the efforts were things we do anyway, so it was no big deal.
We were excited to head to the Elks Lodge to meet up with Becky and Art, who had heard so much about our group from our daily diary. The lodge was beautifully decorated for Halloween, and we were eager to attend the upcoming 28th Halloween Ball. We wouldn’t dream of missing it because it’s always a fun event.
Beware of the ghosts.
Seeing new guests fitting in so well with the group is always excellent. Mary’s college roommate Becky and her husband Art were a perfect fit, and everyone was happy to have met them. And how lovely that Mary’s youngest daughter is named after her former roommate – that’s a special connection!
Becky had seen and read about the gang via our Daily Diary.
Becky was a great storyteller; we all enjoyed listening to her tales. She brought out some interesting stories from Dr. Mary, and we all agreed that we needed her back to share more war stories with us. It was a fun and memorable morning, and we all enjoyed each other’s company.
“Let me tell you a story about a girl named Mary!”
We were sorry to have missed Bob Z and Bob C and of course George but they are known by our guests already!
We enjoyed a delightful lunch and visit!
Becky and Art followed us home, where we toured Casa Valencia inside and out. They liked the garden even though it was the last of the season!
Friends since college days!
Becky and Art departed for the north to meet with their daughter> We dined and then decided to walk. Walking after a meal is a good thing so we will do that more and more.
You could almost hear the sun sizzle in the western ocean.
On our way up Cannon Street, Mary and I got an excellent eight-minute cardio workout as we walked into a massive spider web with an extra-large spider! It was quite an unexpected encounter, and we had to take a moment to brush off the spiderwebs before continuing our walk.
BOO!!
On our walk, we ran into a friendly neighbor who offered to go with us and chop down anything we wanted!
Have you met Mr. Spooky? He seems to have an axe to grind with anyone who passes by.
Continuing our walk, we noticed that the city had left their tools on a short, dead-end street, and to our surprise, they had left their blinkers on as well. It was a strange sight, but it added to the overall eerie feeling of the Halloween season. As we walked by, we couldn’t help but wonder if the equipment would come to life and start moving on its own, like something out of a horror movie.
Wow, that sounds cool! Halloween is such a fun holiday, and it’s always great to see people getting into the spirit of things. Even the street repair equipment is getting in on the action!
After a tiring day, we decided to unwind by watching an action-packed superhero film, Batman. The movie helped us forget the day’s stresses, and we soon fell asleep. The next day, Mary had to wake up early for school, while I had a lot of work around the house for the next day and a half. Despite the busy schedule, we were prepared to tackle whatever lay ahead.
