Unveiling

I forgot to tell a story from my walk on the Heath on Saturday. I was walking on the Extension, past the field where Olga and her canine pals used to go with their dog-walker every day. A passing golden retriever ran up to me, gave my hand a sniff and then huddled against my legs, sitting on my feet, as I petted him/her. It seemed like a greeting from the dog kingdom, the greater dog consciousness. I traded smiles with the owner and went on my way but it gave me a boost.

I took a walk yesterday, too, but nowhere in particular -- just around the neighborhood, just to get my blood moving. The picture above wasn't taken yesterday, by the way. It was taken during our cold spell last week when we had those clear blue skies. We are blanketed with clouds now, which isn't so bad because it's keeping things warmer.

Which means...

...it's time to uncover the avocado!

I thought you might enjoy seeing the process in action. The music was Dave's suggestion. Those of you who know your '70s British humor will recognize it immediately.

As you can see, the avocado pulled through pretty well. There are a few frost-nipped leaves at the very top and a cluster of leaves at the tip of one branch broke off, but otherwise it appears unscathed.

Barb the banana, on the other hand, looks pretty rough. But the leaves die back every winter, so this is expected. In spring I'll trim them up so the stems are exposed and she'll grow from there. She's a tough gal.

Otherwise I spent yesterday reading -- I'm still working on Erik Larson's book about the Lusitania -- and we watched "One Battle After Another" on Amazon Prime. I enjoyed it, but I always like Paul Thomas Anderson's movies. I like their wry humor and loose, informal style. I loved "Licorice Pizza" and "Punch Drunk Love," and "Magnolia" remains one of my all-time favorites. I am now a fan of the name Perfidia Beverly Hills, who is one of the revolutionaries in "One Battle After Another." I'm sure some drag queen somewhere has already adopted it.