pretty patio furniture

Back in autumn of 2006, Britt and I ripped out the east side of our front yard (where the grass never grew too well, as there's a juniper tree and it's quite shaded) and put in a few plant terraces and a tiny patio. (A few photos of the process are on Flickr under my landscaping tag.) I have always wanted to put a little bistro table and chair set there, but the round tuit was elusive - plus, I never found exactly what I wanted...until now!



Isn't it pretty? And how I got it is yet another one of my small-town stories: I was walking to the natural foods coop (I call it a "grocery hike" - it's not quite a mile, and I figure I get some good exercise, especially on the way back with my backpack full of food) and passed by a consignment shop, Reruns. During the warm months they often have outdoor furniture displayed on their lawn, and there it was. I went inside, asked the woman at the register if I could write a check right now, and come pick it up the next day since I was just walking.

"Where do you live?"

"Up on 13th Street, by Mason Park."

"Oh, that's on my way home. If you help me load it up in my car, I'll drop it off when I close up tonight."

So we loaded it into her minivan, and then I went on my way to finish my grocery shopping, and that evening she came by and we set it up on my patio! And not only did she not charge me for delivery, she took off $10, for no apparent reason. (Other than to totally cement my conviction that this is a place I will shop in the future!)

I had my evening beer on it last night! Yay!

wildflowers in Horse Gulch

The park where I've been doing most of my mountain biking lately is called Horse Gulch - it's a big hunk of city and private land on the southeast side of town. (Incidentally, this is also where I do my trail running - when I can run trails!) It's a very high desert-y climate, rocks and sand and scrub, but it's particularly nice in the spring because of the wildflowers.



I think this is bluebonnet, a kind of lupine. ( Phlox and paintbrush... )