Up-to-the-Minute’s blog

When I saw this photo, I thought there was a resemblance to a container of chocolate brownie muffins. Don't be fooled, they are really seed starters.

There is an end in site on the wall rebuild. Since my vegetable garden has been on hold while the work was being completed, I have nothing growing. I decided over the weekend to get ready with these great little seed starters. Once the seed germinates and starts to grow, you simply drop these into the prepared soil.

The mission had a gardening event on Saturday.  All the flowers were in full bloom and looked beautiful.

The Mission in San Juan Capistrano, 2008

So I thought I had made progress with the landscape remodel? Not so fast; let's see what happens with the forty foot long wall doesn't perform.

Here is the new foundation for my perimeter wall. The structure is massive long. First the crew had to excavate to five feet by 18 to 24 inches and then build this rebar cage. The city inspector came today and noted the whole rebar cage which was constructed has to be three inches from soil on all sides. The entire rebar cage will have to be lifted and placed three inches off the soil on blocks called adobes. Additionally, not all of the sides have three inch clearance, so more excavation to be completed.

Here is just a glimpse of the disarray in the garden.

For those wondering why the first wall failed it is because the property below the wall is sloped. That means a condition called soil creep can compromise the integrity of the wall. Therefore, if someone tells you they can build a simple wall without footings on your property, but your neighbor's property is sloped, beware.

CafePress is excited to announce the imminent
launch of CafePress LoveMatch™!

Our new dating service will bring you love the same way
we've brought you T-shirts - customized and on-demand!

This is the headline of an email sent to me by a company I use to create and sell t-shirts.  Odd, I thought.  Seems a little bit of a reach as a line extension.  As I kept reading the email, after the six testimonials by beta users of the service, I located the "gotchya."

Stay tuned for the exciting launch of CafePress LoveMatch™ - true love might be just an "Add to Cart" away!

A trip to Cincinnati over the weekend and we had to visit the conservatory. One section was definitely ready for spring. I really liked the way the garden incorporated "buttercrunch" lettuce as a plant material. The lilies seemed to trumpet, "It's spring!"

Daffodils from my garden, February 2008

I wandered lonely as a cloud
That floats on
high o’er vales and hills,
When all at once I saw a crowd,
A host, of golden daffodils;
Beside the lake, beneath the trees,
Fluttering and dancing
in the breeze.…

Ten thousand saw I at a glance,
Tossing their heads
in sprightly dance.
William Wordsworth

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Official Dog Runner

I was reading an article on the NYT web site yesterday about big dogs and the practice in NYC for people to hire dog runners to make sure they get adequate exercise.  As I read the article, I realised there was an immediate and demanding need for a new t-shirt design...the Official Dog Runner T-shirt!  Quickly I opened my Photoshop program and began designing.  Here is the result of my efforts.

Dog owners, remember that you should make sure your dog is healthy and is a breed which should go on long runs before you subject your dog to running as a form of exercise.