Summer in San Mateo

A neighbor, across the street, recently staged their house for sale... The real estate stager set up chairs in front... On what might have been charitably been called a porch... But might have been better been called a entry walk...

They sold their house for what might be described as an obscene amount of money…

We have a similar entry space... With a bricked area in front of the house, near the driveway...  Mimicking the staged entry, we have added cheap resin adirondack chairs a table, a candle lamp and a few flower pots...  it might be staging, but it is also a nice place to sit with a glass of wine, to talk, or alternately to sit with a computer to pad... with music… tonight Brandi Carlie…

Our yard is granite paths and raised beds, with pots... Drought friendly... For we are in the grip of a great drought.... multi year... Limited water... The second great drought of my life... Such is a lifetime in the west. So the plants and pots are all the more special.

So now I sit outside, in the dark, in a plastic adirondack chair…

Tonight’s moon is full and bright, but late to rise… clouds make for a more dramatic sky…  It is warm, a bit humid by our dry heat standards… some clouds, some marine fog… 

Sitting outside with the dogs…  hiding from the new kitten… music on…Brandi...

There are fireworks tonight.   In theory they are illegal... Both the safe and sane and the explosive and aireal... The bombs bursting in air... but they continue, and will continue tomorrow…  It bothers Peaches, the young dog...  Ely, the old dog isn't bothered as much... She is sitting outside with me… for it is summer… a time of celebration and outdoor living…