Yep, it's old...even the one we're renting right now makes you realize how much more we expect of life now in our upscale world...a house built in the 50's has the tiniest bath, a kitchen sink the size of a dishpan and closets that hold about 3 shirts...

If we get this one we will be gutting it pretty much anyway.

Sherry, actually that's my favorite thing - old houses that have been renovated, but still have the character.

Calsurf, when I was in college, I spent a summer in Europe. Took my hair dryer (& they weren't small in those days) for my curly, frizzy hair & was soooo embrassed when I blew the fuse for the house where I was staying (fried my hair dryer in the process)!

Zuzu, I passed a toubichina on my lunch time walk today - it was BIG & FRIED & located right by the street - further supporting the theory that putting them near a wall, fence, etc. seems to help... Calsurf, I'm surprised they freeze down south!

Absolute only thing blooming here...and this is it....



If we ended up buying this place, I'm afraid it would have to go...now, if it were white or a pale soft pink, I would keep it...but this is gaudy....ordinarily I try not to take anything out, but.....

I bet more things come on the market as spring approaches, winter traditionally is a slow time.
Yes, that is gaudy!

There are lots of places on the market, but we look for something in bad shape to remodel.....you know, usually if it's already 'remodeled', you need to go in and tear everything out anyway....lol..and on retirement, we don't have the big bucks anyway.

I know about that "remodeling," Sherry. I've had to pull new wall-to-wall carpeting out of three of the houses I've bought. What do people have against beautiful hardwood floors?

Oh lord...the house we're renting has the old mottled gold / brown sculpted carpeting...Jer asked if we could pull it out....lol..I've just overlaid it with my other rugs....the sheetrock is splatter textured and painted semi-gloss...I could go on and on...lol..but what's funny is that we like the neighborhood, it's so quiet and unpretentious...I go to the store and stop and watch the ocean for awhile and I just have nothing in the world to be depressed about, annoyed with or angry at....lol..I keep saying that it must be all the negative ions...I kid you not....even though I don't like the electric stove, I've quit complaining about it.

Weather report.....









A local character we call Angus, as in "Are ye thirsty, Angus?' I won't be so intrusive as to ask if I may take a front shot, but yes, he does have a long curved briar pipe also....

Sorry...I meant for this to go into 'Chat' thread, but planted myself in 'blooming'


also, I find myself wondering if Angus plays the pipes.....years ago, living in Laguna, there used to be a man who would play the pipes around midnight on the bluff behind Victor Hugo's....I would surely like to know if Angus is out there at midnight with his pipes....lol...

Sherry, are you thinking about buying the house you're renting? Has the landlord mentioned that he/she would be open to that?

We would possibly buy it, like the quiet neighborhood and we'd tear it apart....haven't asked. Went and looked at a place this afternoon that we like a whole lot, huge shop, 1/2 acre, old, old house, but on a busy road out of town.....can't quite get around the noisy road. In another month or shortly thereafter, the lists will come up of back tax properties ....hmmmm.

The only thing I have flkowering is that one ugly camellia .......and it is just COVERED!

Edited to remove post originally meant for Chat Thread.

Thanks...love that. I'd just been showing Jer some ideas for cat wall shelves and a ceiling level 'track' for the 3 who have to live in my bedroom for now. They're used to being inside and the idea of this street out in front worries me....I worry enough about all of the cats out there who arent' even 'mine'. Then we have monster cat who fights with everyone, he's used to being outside in the daytime, but we have a neighborhood full of cats who get along and I hate tho throw him out there into the mix and have everyone, not to mention their cats, all upset. he gets the run of the house, though he's not happy about it.

I actually just moved that post to the Chat thread because it wasn't something blooming in December.

Well, I noticed, but since I'm always sticking things in the wrong place, thought that I was not the one to mention it.....chuckle.

Swan song bloom from my jovivarba:


Not yet fully out, but it is nice to know this Paperwhite is attempting to bloom, unfazed by the recent rains

Dahlias in Duncan Mills. Daughter went for brunch today and brought one home for me. In planters around the communtity, most had flooded and the blooms were housing baby snails.

River must be up, huh? We were looking at property there years ago..house sat up on stilts, asked the realtor if it flooded, he said no then we asked him where all that silt under the house came from....lol..

Hi @Hollyhawk, from your neighbor down the road!

Oncidium Sharry Baby is starting to bloom!


Tiny blooms from Barbosella australis..endured the rains quite well


Pinguicula is quite extra active this time around..more buds forming: