Dragonfly Ranch

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Betsy,s dream of a bridge has come true.

But this is just the actual day. Her birthday isn’t over yet. Just sayin’.

Buddy was rescued from roaming a trailer park for a year or so by Animal Compassion Team of Fresno in early July. He is 10 years old, billed as a lab mix but I’m not seeing it. I’d believe beagle/something mix maybe. He’s 47 pounds. Has tested positive for heartworm but we are treating with HeartGard and hoping later testing will eventually show negative. He is not contagious to our other pups since they are on heartworm prevention meds. It is my theory that our pups needed another brother and Phil and Arlin are good enough not to protest. So, with their permission I brought home another birthday present for myself.

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He’s the apple of their eyes. Or maybe it’s just the apple in his hand that had their attention, and they want their fair share?

Still don’t know what it is, even though we planted it. But it is finally blooming on Willie’s grave.

This was the view as I came home from my piano lesson in the Bay Area today. The photo was taken from a turnoff about half a mile west of our house. You’re looking a bit north of east. The fire is 15 miles away — not a danger to us, but too close for comfort.

The easterly wind in the late night and early morning brings the smoke right to us. We smell it when we wake up, and sometimes see it as a haze that starts a couple of hundred yards away. Then the wind changes, and by mid-morning the air is clear again.

We saw one of these fly right over us a couple of days ago. I thought it was a commercial jet at first, but it was much too low for that. I didn’t know that they’ve been using converted DC-10s as firefighting tankers for a few years now.

This sunflower stalk somehow got bent at a 90-degree angle about a month ago. We thought it was a goner, but it decided to send up four new blooms.

… in all his modesty

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Blooming in the cemetery

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