I am at my next pet and house sitting gig, this time at my sister’s place in Citrus Heights looking after her dog, Bozer. He is a sweet lunk of a dog who is freaked out by loud noises -the fact that people have been setting off their Fourth of July firecrackers early has not been fun for him. But as long as he can sleep near me, he seems to be OK.
It’s been warm, but not too hot, actually very pleasant here in the high 80s. I’ve been enjoying sitting outside in the mornings to journal. My sister is an avid gardener, so I have been busy watering plants inside and out. It is a huge job! She has a large front yard with some very well established bushes and potted plants and then a backyard with various flower gardens, fruit trees and lots of potted plants and herbs. It took me well over an hour to give everything a good soak, at least I hope it was a good soak! She lives in the Sacramento area where summer temperatures can be over 100° for days or even weeks at a time. Right now I’m lucky since the temps are just in the 80s I only have to water every couple of days, but there are times that she has to water every day, sometimes more than once a day for potted plants that will wilt under the heat. It’s actually been more meditative than I expected it to be. While I love all her beautiful flowers and her creativity – she has a garden “bed“ of an old bed frame that her brother-in-law made filled with all kinds of bright flowers – I don’t have the patience to take care of the kind of garden that she has. I do well if there are established plants that need only very occasional watering and pruning, I’m very good at deadheading roses. But to know that I would have to spend more than an hour every day or every other day or even more often than once a week taking care of a garden would drive me crazy. I need to be able to get out and explore and if I’m at home, I would prefer to spend my time crafting or reading. So I think in a way I just don’t want to be ‘planted’, at least not at this point in my life. I want to have as few regular commitments so I can get out and go explore in my own time. Maybe I’m more like cut wildflowers? Scraggly and wild, all different kinds thrown together in a jam jar that look beautiful for a week or two, and then get tossed onto the compost pile and it’s time for something new. So I appreciate being able to come and enjoy this beautiful space that my sister has created.
On Sunday, I went to see Kieran and Kourtney at their place in Marysville, a much shorter drive from Citrus Heights than it is from Mill Valley! We went out to the Oroville Dam and did a lovely five mile loop hike around one area where there had been a fire the year before. Everything is very dry now because of the heat, but there were still beautiful views across the dam and the other side where the trees were green. We saw some cool floating campsites and talked about the idea of staying at them sometime, which could be really cool and different (I just need to confirm they have a toilet!). It was a little freaky driving on the top of the dam. It is very, very high up. In fact, I found out that it’s the tallest dam in the U.S. Kieran said that his employer did a lot of the reconstruction of the spillways after the damage and subsequent erosion in 2017. There is now A LOT of concrete in the emergency spillway. After our hike, we went out to lunch at a waffle place they recently discovered and love. I think it was one of the best waffles I’ve ever had! Afterwards I spent time throwing the ball to Bentley, their dog, and stuffed wedding invitations – just over 3 months till the big day!
On Monday I took a trip to Midtown Sacramento to check out some of the many murals on the sides of buildings. I love walking in that neighborhood because all of the huge trees make it shady and there are so many beautiful old houses and brick buildings. I am so impressed with the incredible art that people can make on such a scale. I spent the rest of the day working with Bozer by my side.
In the evenings I have been catching up on season two of Poker Face. It has been so cool to see all the different people who pop up on the show. I’m so impressed with Cynthia Erivo’s playing quadruplets, John Mulaney cracked me up in his role as an FBI agent, and the many, many others who have popped up. I recognized Melanie Lynskey but wasn’t sure what I had seen her in. Turns out she’s had supporting roles in a few movies I have seen, but what surprised me most was that she starred opposite Kate Winslet in Heavenly Creatures! I never would have recognized her, it’s been 30 years since I’ve seen that movie. I remember what a hit it was in New Zealand – I think it was Peter Jackson’s first big international movie (and much more my style then his earlier horror/comedy movies!) and helped put Kate Winslet on the map.
This morning I went for a walk through the green belt near my sister’s place and found goats hard at work, finishing up the last section of the open space. I’m so glad I was able to see them because if I had waited until tomorrow, I probably would’ve missed them. There was also a cool tire swing hanging on one of the old trees. It is a beautiful spot – nice and shady on a warm day. I don’t think I’ve spent much time here in the spring, but I’ll bet it’s beautiful then when everything is green. I passed a sign for a garage sale that had taken place last weekend where they were selling homemade slime. Oh boy, did that bring back memories from when my kids were in preschool!
Today I also attended an online information session with an organization called Lift Economy about a program I’m interested in called The Next Economy MBA. It’s more of an introduction to the concepts covered in MBA programs, but looking at it in a very different way, focusing on how to redesign businesses to benefit all life – all people, the Earth, animals, etc. – so that they are more thoughtful, beneficial and sustainable for everyone. I am thinking about signing up for their next cohort in the fall. It definitely aligns with my values and I think what I would learn from it could be really helpful in any future positions I take on. I’m sure I’d meet some really fascinating people as well.