Rolling into July at a pretty good clip and I hope all the 4th of July celebrations went off without a hitch and all fingers intact. This was my first 4th at the new digs; although I signed the lease in June I didn't spend my first night here until later in July. The fireworks I saw were a treat, a couple of hours of colorful orbs across the horizon with a continuous popping sound. It looked like the fireworks were coming from any place that had a parking lot or park, and most were probably not official or legally approved. Just a bunch of local yokels having fun and making noise, no doubt spending a fortune on real fireworks and not cheesy bottle rockets and M80s. There is speculation that these shows were courtesy of off duty police and firemen, burning up contraband that has been confiscated over the past year. Who knows? It makes a good story.
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With all the weirdness going on lately it's nice to relay a little good news. Joseph Kromelis, AKA The Walking Dude, has been upgraded to fair condition. You'll recall that he was set afire more than a month ago but he's hanging in there with slow improvements. I don't care how much walking I do but I'll never be as tough as that old bird.
Not much news on the guy who did the deed but at least they caught him. No motive was ever given but I thought of something that may be possible. Newspaper photos of the guy showed what looked to me like a facial tattoo, not your usual fashion statement and more like a gang thing. I'm wondering if setting a guy on fire was part of a gang initiation rite, or maybe just go out and kill a random stranger. I've heard that gangbangers do stuff like that, or maybe it's just some nonsense that I've read somewhere.
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So far it's looking like a delightful summer, no crazy-hot days, yet. I was at the local garden center lately picking up a little potting soil and I saw some beautiful blueberry plants, many with nearly ripe berries ready to pick. I immediately thought of the acidic soil of Beaglesonia and how well blueberries would thrive. Has Mr. Beagles ever considered such a thing? I wouldn't plant them for human consumption, just to see what kind of critters would show up. Which means far away from any housing but close enough to see any critters, or maybe in among the trees with that dandy trail camera. This is just a goofy thought, I know I have more time on my hands than the steward of Beaglesonia.
Which is why I needed the potting soil. Last summer I bought some houseplants, and they're all still alive so I must be doing something right. This past winter I added a little coffee plant that I bought at Trader Joe's, the color of the deep green leaves was something I couldn't pass up. These plants are all a little fussy but I don't mind caring for them, making sure they're healthy and happy.
But I could use more, I think. As I was munching on some dates (a good snack and they keep you regular) I was was wondering if I could get the pit to sprout and give me a date palm tree. A fine project, I'm thinking, and it will only take about ten years or so to yield any fruit. With the guidance of YouTube I got a couple of pits to germinate and sprout and hence the need for the potting soil. Two green sprouts, less than 2 inches tall now but you just wait! Someday I'll be picking fresh dates off of my trees.
Now I'm thinking, why stop at date palms when all kinds of seeds are available, for free from the supermarket? The plan is to enjoy a healthy diet with fresh fruit and see what I can grow from the seeds and pits. I have no idea where this will end up but it is a pleasant diversion and I think a small potted palm tree would make a fine gift, don't you think?
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