Rose Parade–Santa Rosa style

Last Saturday was the annual Rose Parade in Santa Rosa, a tradition which started in 1894. It almost didn't happen this year because of city budget short falls. A 10 year old girl named Zoe heard about this and took it upon herself to open a lemonade stand and give the money to the parade organization in hopes of continuing it this year. Word got out, the community responded, and a good time was had by all.

This is one of the joys of living in a smaller community, no pretenses, everyone could join in having FUN and be in the parade. It was very touching to see all the people celebrating life this way. Peggy and I are working on ideas for next year!

– Ted

p.s. You can click on the slide show above and launch a larger version in Picasa

Mostly Python

"On second thought, let's not go to Camelot. It is a silly place." — Monty Python

One Friday night, lookin' for somethin' to do, we found The Toad In The Hole Pub on Fifth Street near Railroad Square. We sat at the bar, ordered a pint of IPA and a pear cider and were worm-holed back to a pub in England we'd been to a trillion years ago. Although no fights broke out here like back in Jolly Ol' England, Toad In The Hole was the real deal — families having supper, loud-talking Brits who'd had a pint too many, dart board games, really good pub food (pasties, shepherd's pie, fish n' chips, etc.) and a bar tender (Paul I think his name is) who's only slightly Americanized English accent completed the British hologram to a tee (tea?).

"Paul" got to chatting with us and told us about an event the Pub does every year in May and of course, we just had to see it for ourselves. "Mostly Python" is a celebration honoring the Python era, or is perhaps just another excuse (if anyone needed one) to guzzle more "barley pops" than humanly possible. Yes the beer flowed while Python-costumed Pythonophiles recreated skits from vintage Phyton episodes, proving once and for all that if not for "every little sacred sperm" ("Every little sperm is sacred, Every little sperm is great! If a little sperm is wasted, God gets quite irate." —Monty Python), none of us would be here to enjoy this!






Above: "Paul" the bartender.
Below: Python-mania at its silliest ...



Ted captured the Python "hotties" on this hot day in May ... oh those summer dresses!




Above T-shirt wisdom:
Left: "The mouth of a perfectly contented man is filled with beer." — Egyptian proverb.
Right: "What have the Romans ever done for us?" — Monty Python's Life of Brian

'Nuff said.

Tomato Time

It's the beginning of May and gardeners of all sizes are coming out of hibernation. Nurseries are full of 'em ... backyard farmers wondering what kind of tomatoes they should grow this year. Last year's crop was disappointing for even experienced tenders, but this year holds high hopes for full-flavored red fruit. (Botanically, a tomato is the ovary, together with its seeds, of a flowering plant. Therefore it is a fruit or, more precisely, a berry. More than you wanted to know?)



Harmony Nursery in Sebastopol offers a long row of starter tomato varieties. How can we single out the best ones for our small potted garden, when one-of-each would be the natural (indulgent) choice?!


Hmmmmmmmm. Spending all that time with all those tomatoes ... a new variety is born ... the Pegmato!