I can't believe it's June!

The only thing that is really interesting is that everything that I mentioned in the last installment has come to pass, and then some.

Our together time grows more enthralling and comforting, rolled into one.

Last Sunday, we completed our garden planting plus we added a major quail deterrent -- plastic netting. I had to build a simple structure for that, and it may become a PITA as we try to weed and thin. It will come off just as soon as the little seedlings have grown into something more mature. The netting allows for sunlight, oxygen and water but not for winged beasts.

Actually, "beast" is not really an appropriate description of quail because they are so ridiculously cute. BUT, they do monstrous damage to any and all green leafy things that sprout from the ground, be they flora, fauna or fennel. I'm certain their beedy little eyes see a fresh "salad bar" from great heights.

But they are not getting my beet greens and leaf lettuce THIS year.

We also planted potatoes, radishes, yellow wax and green beans, Romaine and cucumbers. Locals tell us never to plant before Memorial Day, and we have experienced two major snows since our initial planting so we'll have to wait and see.

Most of our annuals and perennials are showing wake-up sins as well, making our yard a festive place once again. And Donna is planning a back-yard party in mid-July, so hopefully, all will be mutually beneficial -- that is the flowers and the people.

Of course, "party" means clean-up my crap piles ASAP, of which there are several. Actually, that is underway already, things I should have taken care of months (years?) ago; non-worthwhile projects and nonessential wood piles among them. No matter the reasons, these clean-ups are good for the property and I receive really beaming smiles from Donna besides.

I'm trying to sell a few things, both large and small, too. We don't need this much stuff anyway. It'll be good to rid ourselves of so much extra clutter, and be able to turn around in and outside of our little home.

Enough drivel for this time.

March, what will you bring us?

I spoke too soon about February... whew!

We had three major snow storms in less than ten days and the white stuff is just barely melting now. Actually, we barely missed another layer of white last night -- it left about a foot at Lake Tahoe, but rained here. That has just added to the drippiness.

The never-know weather department says we'll have 60 degrees within a couple days, and tho' Donna already has a plant-me-now gaze in her beautiful eyes, my skepticism suggests that winter hasn't finished up with us yet.

Planting is not at the very top of my honey-do list at this time. In fact, the project pile is overwhelming me and I'm not really sure just when that will clear itself. Once, it was just the stuff that I wanted to get done. Now, Donna has her priorities as well. Then there is church, where things continue to be asked of us. We are working up a comical musical number for the talent show in one week, which I will emcee (that is a lot of prep work too). Then I have another sermon to write/prepare/deliver in a month. There is Donna's 40th reunion from AA to attend, and her niece's wedding. We "want" to make another trip or two as well. Then there are all the around home projects, mostly improving things (we hope), from painting to construction to organizing. It never seems to end! Oh, there are taxes to do too.

I guess I have joined the masses now, for this is all considered "fairly normal," a term with which I'm not really familiar. Sigh.

Weather Pattern

This winter here in Carson City has been somewhat weird, especially when comparing it to the winter being experiences elsewhere. While the midwest, east and even the southeast have been hammered by extreme snowfall, our world has been mildly cold and mostly filled with sunshine. Oh sure, there have been snowfalls, some wind and bitterly cold moments, but certainly those in the hard-hit eastern portions would gladly trade us.

It has been so nice that never (rarely) have Donna and I even had to second guess a plan for an outdoor venture.

It makes me wonder if Spring and Summer have craziness planned.

Almost ten...

Just one-day shy of our 10 month-iversary, Donna and I can finally say that we went on our honeymoon! It was shorter than we'd wished, and I had just caught a cold before we left, but we saw and shared some of the most breathtaking scenery and had beautiful weather to boot!

We chose Carmel-Monterey area, ate in some sweet little restaurants, saw monarch butterflies in Pacific Grove, lots of sea lions, some gorgeous sunsets and thousands of waves. What a perfect setting!

On the way home, we dog-legged through San Francisco, saw more sights (quickly) and late-lunched with my nephew Reed, the young Dr. Harvey. BTW, the hills in SF were/are a stick-shift challenge, but that would be common sense, right?

All this in 3-1/2 days and 809 miles roundtrip. The feeling of tired not helped at all by the cold.

Recently, Donna and I took in the movie, "King's Speech." We would both recommend it highly.

Almost two months...

I began posting a couple months ago, fully meaning to add things as the days and weeks went by. The time has never come to sit, relax and create. Sigh.

Nonetheless, my intentions have been good, even admirable.

First, there was our wedding, the fruition of love left unrequited four decades. Many came from near and far to join us in our happiness -- it was a momentous, extremely memorable occasion. I continue to smile about daily.

When asked about our honeymoon, I respond to well wishers that every day is a honeymoon, and leave it at that. We continue to plan something -- family, get-together, national park (Yosemite? Yellowstone?) or something else all-together. Eventually, we will do just that.

In the meantime, there have been thank-you notes, an illness, construction projects, home maintenance, planting a garden, painting and hoped completion of a major re-organization (and clean-up!). Call it merging two households, Spring cleaning or something else altogether -- it all has to be done.

But no matter the project theme or goal, how trivial or tedious the work is, togetherness makes for a much lighter load.

We are nearly to our two month anniversary -- we were married April 10. We have surpassed six months of living together -- we climbed in a rented truck December 18. My dumbass habits haven't sent Donna scurrying. Our hugs and kisses are more special now then they were a few months ago.

And while I know she'll be there when I get home each day, I will never take it for granted that she has to be... I continue to believe this to be the very best thing that has ever happened to me, that the scale of happiness I'm experiencing will actually extend my life, and am grateful for every moment.

To describe what I might post here would be rather tedious -- there are too many things that cross my mind. So, whoever ventures here might be forced to read the rantings of a dragrace analyst, a review of a movie, my humble opinions on the meaning of life, or references to some bit of minutia so obscure as to topple the very pedestal on which you think you deserve to be standing. Hang on, it may be a bumpy ride.

Getting started... in more ways than one

I want to blog. Well, sometimes I want to blog.

As a longtime motorsports writer, I feel I need to write something. So, I'll begin a blog. After all, two nieces, one nephew and one of my close friends have blogs, so why not me?

Today, it is but 25 days until my marriage to the woman of my dreams, once the girl of my dreams. There is yet so much to do. Even though it is not the first marriage for either of us, and therefore should not be any big deal, planning continues to feel complicated. We both want perfection and to join in splendiferous fashion. It would certainly have been our plan 40 years ago and we want to rock our attendees, making this occasion memorable. So, some of the planning contains broken protocol and rules -- we're making it up as we go.

Donna is such a free spirit, fun loving and intensely true to her beliefs. Too, she hates to make waves with those detractors who think her most recent decisions are suspect.

Wish us luck. We've already got the love.