Spring?

Whenever will spring come?

Still iffy with cool temperatures, lots of wind and rain, but the pink, red, white and yellow tree blossoms have been awesome for two months now and the grass is the greenest.

February was a busy month.

Sadly, we lost our beloved Uncle Art in Carmel California February 7th after a brief illness. We adored him, so this was a complete shock.

My birthday was two days later and we did have a lovely meal out and went to see troubadour Stephen Fearing who performed one of his best shows ever.

Tony was interviewed and given a great new job with Acacia Landscape. He is very happy there as General Manager of thirty employees and five foremen. He is doing a variety of things like hiring, driving a big truck occasionally, deliveries and pick ups and organizing and gathering.

The fellow he works for, Steve, is very happy with Tony and we had a lovely meal out with the boss's family at Victoria Golf Club. Really nice people.

We see Tim and Pat and Alex often. Tim and I go for walks around Esquimalt and on Dallas Road with Alex during the week when Pat is working.

Tim, Alex and I go swimming once a week to baby water lessons.

Tim and Pat take Alex swimming one other time a week aslo and Alex is really taking to the water. He loves to splash and is kicking and using his arms and going under water.

Alex adores Grampa Tony. Alex does big belly laughs whenever Tony is funning around with him.

Tim's birthday was March first, he turned 28. We went out to Pagliacci's for lunch and the next night, he had a party at their place and Leeroy Stagger gave him a birthday call from my friend Maureen's house party in Chicago where Leeroy and Matt Hopper were performing a house concert.

Alex loves the animals at Beacon Hill Petting Zoo. The little goats loved meeting Little Bear. Alex has a bear hat so we call him Little Bear because Gareth at Legends Comics came up with this great name!

Uncle Art's Memorial was March 14th in Pacific Grove and Carmel. Wish we were there. It went well. A sunset ceremony back at Gull Cottage was the final farewell to this wonderful man. We will miss you bigtime, Doctor Arthur Niles Hull.

Alex has had his first three rallies ... one for Tibet, one for World Water where he and Tim were on stage blessing water in a ceremony, and an Old Growth Tree Rally where we formed a giant tree with our bodies. His next event will be Earth, Peace and Justice Walk the end of this month. We love that annual event.

Tim and I saw Tommy Hooper sing songs and play acoustic guitar at a local bar. He is quite Beatlesque and we had such fun and met some new friends there.

Rheostatics had their farewell concert at Massey Hall in Toronto March 30th. Tim and I would have loved to have been there. Apparently it was a giant love-in and an amazing evening. Quite a few tears were no doubt shed. We love you forever, Dave, Martin and Tim and also Michael, Don and Dave.

Alexander got his first haircut in early April. The back had the longest curly tail and is now all gone. Aww! He was fidgety in the barber chair sitting on Tim's lap so the bangs have to be cut another time, perhaps when Alex is sleeping, as they are in his eyes especially at swimming.

Tony highlighted my hair really blonde, I look pretty cool.

Margy went on a week's Mexican cruise. The food and scenery was great. She kissed and swam with dolphins.

Lucy and Will have been busier than ever. Lu had an art gallery showing of a dazzling necklace she had made.

Dad and Nancy went to Conneticut on Nancy's annual crossword competition and on to New York City for a weekend of fun.

Tim's marimba band Chikoro made the local, Vancouver and national newspapers and radios ("marimba bands muted" and "marimba bands told to tone it down") as they are being cut back in their band numbers to five and times they are allowed to play in the streets of Victoria this summer. It seems Victoria does not want any fun here as it is cutting back fests, festivals and a lot of musical happenings this summer.

I wrote a letter to the editor at The Globe and Mail and it was printed right away. I mentioned that marimba bands add much JOY to the streets for tourists and locals and it should be encouraged.

Tim and I went to see Great Lake Swimmers last Friday night. The band was mellow and wonderful. Our friends Clay George and Great Aunt Ida opened. Our friends Carolyn and Reid were there, always fun to catch up with them again.

We are almost mid-April and this means Tony, Will and Dad have birthdays coming up next week as well as my dear friend Jain. Happy Birthday, everyone!

Peace & Love
Spring, you can come anytime now

Allie XO

February First

February is my birthday month and it is going to be great for music, friends and celebration.

It kicked off unofficially January 30th when Matt Mays brought his "When The Angels Make Contact" tour to town. The gig was amazing with a light show, a video show and one rocking music extravaganza.

Afterwards, Matt did an eight song encore and within it he did what seemed like a four minute dedication thank you to me for being there at his Guthries show seven years ago when he was twenty.

He then sang a song he had not done in seven years, Season To Leave and dedicated it also to two Guthries in his band tonight, Dale and Serge. Tim the drummer had also been with them that night at the Esquimalt Inn as well as integral to the making of "When The Angels Make Contact" sound.

Matt's other band is El Torpedo and the past seven years have been a mercurial rise to alt country stardom, including gigs with The Black Crowes and Blue Rodeo.

I have seen the band whenever they pass through town at first as openers and now as headliners. Hope El Torpedo comes back this year. I think a new album is in the works and I am certainly looking forward to it.

Meanwhile, "The Angels" definitely made contact with the rapt fans Tuesday night in Victoria.

Tim and I have amazing music Friday night in the full moon to attend. Three sensitive singer songwriters are bringing their magic to Lucky Bar. Leeroy Stagger and The Sinking Hearts, Matt Hopper from Alaska and Indio Saravanja.

This show promises to be a highlight of my musical year for sure.

On my birthday, Tony and I will be seeing troubadour Stephen Fearing. It will be beautiful.

The past two months of weather have been monumental.

Fierce winds and rain storms have compromised our trees and left a trail of devastation across British Columbia.

Two trees fell in our back yard, one toward our house in the middle of the night and the other a week later at suppertime into our neighbours' yard. Both miraculously did little damage and created a lot of yard work and a very large pile of firewood.

We had a two night one day power outage and enJOYed the living room by the fireplace "chillin' time." Used camping equipment for meals and tea and listened to battery music, nice.

We have had three sets of snow so far and may have more next week. This is some sort of record for Victoria who seldom sees the white stuff.

We are into a week of sunny blue skies, cool temperatures and clear nights. Great for walks up our back hill or along the water and observing the fulling moon.

This is a welcome reprieve after the wet winter.

The snowdrops are up. The pink and yellow blossoms on some trees were up on the trees during December's snow.

I think spring is just around the corner. Sunnier days lately are giving us hope.

Christmas was wonderful with Margy here and baby Alexander and Tim and Pat.

Alexander is eight months old February 4th. He is so lovely to be around and trying to grow some bottom teeth. They havent quite pushed through yet.

Life is good. Spring is coming and my birthday is near.

February is an awesome time of year.

Peace and Love
Allie XO

Rain, Wind & Snow

November has a reputation for much rain and record amounts did fall, whipped up with plenty of wind, stormy days and nights and finally a week of snow. Exciting month.

The snow started to fall on the island last weekend and Victoria got thirty centimetres Sunday.

A Snow Day was called for Monday, kids got to play in the snow as it was hazardous to try to drive anywheres. Libraries, universities, colleges and other public buildings were closed.

Walking around in falling snow is beautiful. The city and our town look kinder and gentler in the white blanket. But this heavy amount of snow wreaked havoc on trees and hydro lines.

We got to chat with our neighbours as we took to the streets to clean up, shovel and assess damage. Hydro workers, municipal employees and tree-scalers worked on fallen branches, trees and wires.

Transportation was frightening for a few days of snow, ice and black ice. The evening news was pretty and sometimes not so pretty.

The homeless had a tough time of it but more beds were offered indoors.

Tim, Tony and I had fun in snowy walks and Cal enJOYed some snow though he isnt really ready for big adventures in it due to his knee still recovering from surgery. Hot chocolate breaks never tasted so good. We were at Beacon Hill Park when the slopes were empty, Tim had some fun flying carpet rides. In Victoria, inventive sleds are the norm as we see snow seldom ... pieces of cardboard, innertubes, newspaper boxes and misscellenaeous plastic sheets are gathered for sledding. Sometimes folks bring real toboggans as well.

Baby Alexander saw his first snow. He is growing and smiling up a storm. He is experimenting with words and reaching out to us and his toys. He is ready to crawl and is rolling all over the place. Such a lovely little boy.

Christmas will be amazing with Alex, Tim, Pat, us and my sister Margy, cant wait. Maybe the weather gods will bless us with more snow for my Arizona sister.

November was a great month for music. Tim and I saw Raising The Fawn and Tony and I saw Blackie & The Rodeo Kings. Earlier, we saw Justin Rutledge and Jim Cuddy Band and The Mahones all in one night, two venues. I really liked the Bruce Cockburn concert.

December first already, where did this year go?

Hope everyone's December and New Year is best ever.

Love, Allie XO

Sweet September

Summer was spent seeing Baby Alexander whenever possible and watching him grow a bit every day. Now that he is four months old, he is rolling over, babbling, cooing and smiling up a storm. What a pleasure to watch his eyes light up and his flashing a big smile when he sees us.

This September was wonderful. Lucy and Will came cross-Canada driving and camping to see the baby and us. We had a lovely few days with them that included yummy suppers, lots of laughter and stories, Lucy & my seeing Hayes Carll in concert and us all seeing Chikoro Marimba, Tim and friends, downtown performing in the streets and we even saw killer whales at Witty's Lagoon while wading in the water there. Magical, this LotusLand.

Then, Dad and Nancy came here for a week's visit. We had fun picnicking & strolling Butcharts Gardens and a day trip to SaltSpring Island. Seeing Mount Erskine was a highlight of the latter and funny experience too. Beacon Hill Park and Emily Carr House was another fun outing.

We share an anniversary with Bill and Nancy so we all celebrated together at Il Terrazo, a lovely restaurant downtown Victoria. The food was delicious and the desserts were divine. Thanks, Dad and Nancy!

They loved some home-cooked meals here, too, thanks to Tony.

Dad and Nancy really enJOYed seeing Chikoro perform a couple times, once in the street on a Friday night and the next day at a street hockey festival. Tim and Pat even graced us with some gumboot dance! Alexander provided the smiles.

It was splendid to have family here and when Margy comes in December, that will be awesome also.

The last week of September and first week of October saw Tony, me and Cal heading down the coast to camp on Washington and Oregon beaches. The weather was amazing and we met really cool folks along the way. We ate well and I had as many coffee icecreams as possible as they don't taste as wonderful in Canada. Tony made us crab croissants one night at camp. We had lots of bbq.

We stayed in campsites close to the ocean most of the time and at night, the lullaby of the pounding waves made sleeping easy and carefree.

We took the Olympic Peninsula along its west coast and stopped first night in Kalaloch. The endless beach there is beautiful. Sunrise with all the seagulls taking flight is lovely as is first light on the morning waves.

We camped at Cape Disappointment two nights going and two nights returning, in Washington.
The beach has a lighthouse at one end, North Head, and a jetty on the mouth of the mighty Columbia River on the other. Cal and I enJOYed early mornings on the beach and Tony, Cal and I appreciated sunsets with all the birds flying southwards for some reason. Orange sunball, pretty.

The cape has volcanic sand and towards evening, it shines like diamonds in blackness. Some nights, the breezes blow and it resembles desert sand drifting.

I swam at Benson Beach the afternoon we arrived. Ofcourse I was the only one in the water and I loved it. Crashing waves and not too cold.

One morning I walked to the lighthouse cliff and the other morning I walked all the way to the jetty. We could see big ships heading into the Columbia all day, past the jetty.

Fog arrived and we would experience it mornings the rest of the holiday but it didn't dampen our spirits at all. Only made things more surreal and mystifying. Sunny afternoons always followed and warmth.

We stayed at Beverly State Park and the beach was beautiful and again, endless. We saw surfers on the green calm sea one day when we were standing on a cliff watching whales swim by and feed. I noticed a seal swimming among the surfers, i think he was seeking protection.

We love stopping in at funky Depoe Bay that features a sheltered back harbour under a bridge. This place gets whales practically on shore visiting in the front bay. Too foggy to see them the morning we were there, but the afternoon down the coast at Devil's Punch Bowl blessed us with these mighty mammals.

Visited Newport, a quirky sea town. At the wharf, many sea lions were barking, sunning and preening themselves and sleeping on eachother's backs, ten feet from us. Quite the spectacle.

Heading north again, we came to Cannon Beach that has the beautiful Haystack Rock almost on shore. Beside it are The Needles, smaller rock stacks. Different parts of the day, you see it at low and high tides and bathed in fog, crashing waves or clear with tidepools. Most photographed place around.

We camped nearby along Ecola Creek that leads to the beach. Cal and I enJOYed sunrises daily. Early birds and humans and their dogs catch the prettiest time of day, new beginnings and all that. The campsite featured many wild bunnies and Cal could not believe them nor has he ever seen any before.

Cal's favorite beach activities were eating crab, how esoteric, and trying to bury the odd seagull that has met his demise and lay forlornly on or in the sand. Otherwise, he was meeting other dogs and running away from the incoming waters or venturing into them to hunt for tiny fishes. Cal loves the beach.

Ventured into Seaside and walked The Promenade. Many folks on the beach here, touristy town.

Coming toward the Oregon Washington border, we stayed at Fort Stevens in a forest where a brazen mama and two grown baby raccoons tried to visit Cal repeatedly. He went nuts at the possibility. The beach contained miles and miles of shoreline ending at the Columbia River. We drove to South Jetty which was being reconstructed with massive boulders. Awesome to see the process. Fort Stevens has an onshore ship wreck, a few rusty remains of a ship that went down at the mouth of ther Columbia River. Eery. I wandered the people free beach for an hour or two with Cal. This season, offroad vehicles are allowed on it and I saw two jeeps.

Back in Washington state, we couldn't wait to get back to Cape Disappointment. Got our beach campsite back and wandered the beach for hours. Also, visited North Head Lighthouse. Beautiful on the cliff overlooking our beach, what we had been looking at from my first swim there. The port of Ilwaco is a nearby funky town we visited several times. It was there at Fisherman's Wharf that we bought the crab we would dine on that night.

Stopped into the town of Long Beach and walked part of its boardwalk promenade that streteches two miles in wood and another that is paved and goes eight miles for dog walkers, skaters and bicyclers. Kites on the beach, kites on all beaches, good winds some afternoons.

Two days later, we headed toward home, staying two nights in our beloved Port Townsend. Still busy despite tourist season really being over. We love this dynamic town and its beaches and its ambience.

Home to Victoria on the Coho ferry where we spotted several whales close to out boat and then the navy put on an air show for us! It so happened it was a naval weekend in town. Welcome home!

Tomorrow is Canadian Thanksgiving. It feels great to be home for it.

Thankful for our families and friends and happy to be celebrating with Tim, Pat and Alexander tomorrow afternoon and evening.

Peace & Love
Allison XO

Fabulous Folk Fest

Early July every year we celebrate our global village with Folk Fest, a feast for the eyes, ears, taste buds and much more.

The harbour is set up with a sea of white tents and booths offering crafts and foods from around the world. The main stage big white tent features bands, musicians and dancers from Ireland, Austria, Rwanda and everywheres inbetween. There is a floating barge beer garden that delivers night time alternative music like hip hop, dub, rock and pop.

Another Folk Fest site is a few blocks away in the square with a circus like theme, acts for familiies and children and nightly music for everyone. The food villages at both venues have everything from mo mos to langos to mango ice cream. We have eaten pakaris, spicy sauces, wraps, crepes, rice, veggies, pizza and sweet yummies. At the end of the night, Nepalese folks offer up "five bucks!" plates. Tim and I have been known to get them several times. "Five bucks!" We laugh as they entice us with the bargain shout out, but they do very well with it.

Our friends sell glow sticks and necklaces to the evening crowds at music events and around the Folk Fest village. As Tim and I listened to percussive music leaving the site last night, I bought a giant hoola hoop which I plan to twirl around my waist for exercise and fun this summer at home in my yard. Woo hoo! Tim and I tested it last night in the harbour as we listened to the buskers enroute home. We videod eachother, we have such silly fun sometimes.

These ten days, we have danced to a west coast celtic kitchen party with fifty folks on the stage at one time and African, bluegrass and gospel. The weather has been perfect. Kids are center stage for the acts, they jump around, socialize and have the grooviest time in all the ambience. Families, youth, we are all there.

Sam Roberts Band was wall to wall smiling faces for the rocker. Mighty Po Po had a dance and song troupe here from Rwanda who had not left their rainforest before let alone travelled for three days on an airplane. The ride didnt cause them any concern, only were perplexed as to what to do with the seatbelts. We had the pleasure of meeting the Rwandans and socializing with them a bit. Tim and I went to lunch with Po Po and them. Mighty Po Po's music was playing as we dined, that was pretty cool. It is awesome to have no language to share but smiles, hugs and the venue of a global village to hang around in together.

Mighty Po Po's family escaped the genocide in Rwanda and moved to Canada but all these people lost loved ones as did Po Po. "Genocide never again" is a wrist band Po Po wears all the time.

Jean-Claude was admiring a daisy chain green and white necklace I was wearing, so I looped it over his neck. I would later see him dancing up a storm on stage with the little necklace over his red beaded chest necklace. I am sure it will return to Rwanda with him. How cool is that? This performance group is called Urunana Rw'Abadatana and are indigenous pygmy people called the Batwa.

Performers we enJOYed at Folk Fest ... Outlaw Social our hometown bluegrass old tymey musicians, Chikoro Marima whose group includes Tim, Alpha Ya Ya Diallo from West Africa, Sonny Smith a San Franciscan with witty wordplay songs, Neko Case our Americana diva, The Grandmaster from Belize a dub poet, Ridley Bent, master beat funky storyteller, Greg Macpherson from Winnipeg on the barge, Grupo Fantasma doing Afro-latin-funk with a big band of hipsters, K'Naan a Somalian with hip hop urgency, sincerity and powerful peaceful words.

The kids and families were thrilled by a few days of legendary Fred Penner of "The Cat Came Back" fame, and also a wonderful puppeteer named The Puppet Guy who had Jimi Hendrix, Tina Turner and much more to engage us in wee musical fun moments.

On the main stage, John Boutte from New Orleans wowed us with a Sam Cooke-Otis Redding voice and soulful presentation. The kids were whooping it up running back and forth in front of the elevated stage but it didnt take away his powerful song punch. Wow!

One night on the barge, a Jamaican dub poet Ari Up joined forces with an Austrian Jamaican band Dubblestandart to incite dancing mania from the packed barge. We watched from the adjacent wharf the Queen of Punk-Reggae work her magic.

Today and tonight, we bid farewell to these ten days of entertainment, foods, crafts. The blue skies, the puffy white clouds, the warmth and amazing sunsets have framed the harbour event beautifully.

A band called Ozomatli from LA will present a rocking political and social message this evening and we will surely dance up a storm, bidding a fond farewell to Folk Fest.

It will be odd to see the harbour lose its brilliant white tents but we look forward to seeing them rise again next summer.

Next? Open Air concerts, camping and Alexander William Green time. How sweet it all is.

EnJOY your continuing summer. Hope your weather is a lovely as ours.

Allison XO

Groovy Grandparenting Mode

We got a call two Sundays ago that Tim and Pat were off to the hospital to welcome their new baby into the world. Exciting! It was a long wait for us that morning and afternoon, but finally the call came from Tim that Pat had just delivered a baby and we asked what is it and found out "It's a boy!" We immediately phoned family with the great news, Aunt Margy, Great Grampa Bill and Great Gramma Nancy, Aunt Lucy and Cousin Will, Great Uncle Art, Great Gramma Lois.

Tony and I made our way to the hospital and found Pat, Tim and baby and their friends Brian and Shawna still in the birthing room. Pat had had support all day from her mother Terry and Shawna and Tim. Pat's brother Jon had been there all day and moved to the waiting room to pace when the birthing time got close. Doctor Stubbs and Doctor Kevin were there. Two forty five in the afternoon, the baby arrived. Beautiful, calm, alert, a good weight and long fingers, arms and legs. It's a boy! Tim cut the umbilical cord. Baby bonded with his family.

We all were pretty amazed and blissed. Tony and I got a turn holding Baby Green. We took small videos and lots of pictures. June 4th 2006, what a brilliant day!

During the next couple days, we would return to hospital to see this wonderful little person. Pat was doing really well and Tim was happily sleeping on the floor on a mat Sunday, Monday and Tuesday nights. The three of them came home Wednesday and "Tim Bit" had a name now, Alexander Wiliam Green.

We want to hold the baby every day but we go over to the apartment every couple three days, we dont want to be too intrusive. Alexander's first outing was to the doctor last week where he was declared "perfect" with adorable cheeks. His first stroller outing was last Sunday to a Rick Hansen RUN where Chikoro Marimba was entertaining on the waterfront.

Alexander does lots of sleeping on road trips in the car, in the stroller walks to the water and in the Baby Bjorn when he goes for groceries and folks everywheres stop Pat and Tim to admire him.

Pat and Tim had a home nurse visit where she anwered all their questions and told Pat she was doing just fine with the feedings and everything else.

Everyone has been generous with gifts. Tim and Pat have just about everything they need for the baby. Our next door neighbours gave them a wonderful hiking backpack for carrying the baby and a portable playpen. The outfits and baby gear have been great. This baby is going to be "styling!"

Also, my sister Lucy did his charts and said he is going to be a musican, craftsman, artist, leader, communicator and world traveller. He is going to be busy!

We think he is beautiful, alert, a wonderful sleeper and has the most awesome big dark eyes that focus directly on you. A really cool litle dude. We look forward to everything. Two weeks old tomorrow on Father's Day. Happy Father's Day, Tim and Pat and Alexander.

Happy Father's Day to fathers everywhere, especially Grampa Tony, Great Grampa Bill and Great Uncle Art.

Love,
Gramma Allie

Moody Month of May

I am sitting here listening to the new Alejandro Escovedo album, "The Boxing Mirror," and blissing and at the same time reminiscing on the month that has been an up and down one for me. It has been kind of a transition time, highs and lows, laughs and a few weepy moments. That's very strange coming from me, Miss Smily Smile. Dont know quite what to pin it on, but will be glad when May turns into June, that's for sure. Who ever said May was merry?

Lots of cool things happened this past month. Tim is in a marimba band called Chikoro and the ensemble spent two weeks creating a new recording in a new studio in town. Matt James runs it and things went really well for them there.

I got to feel Pat's baby squirm in her belly. The baby comes in June and we can't wait. Impending grandparenthood fills us with JOY. Tim and Pat moved into a new larger apartment and the baby room is shaping up nicely. There have been a couple fun baby showers and the clothing, bedding and bath items have been wonderful.

Tim and I saw Joel Plaskett and Matt Barber one night, it was a great rock 'n' roll show. I got Bright Eyes tickets for early June and Tim and I lucked out with second row seats.

MySpace has given me a wealth of new friends and internet connections. I love the one-on-one stuff and it continues to flourish. I have received the kindest most supportive words from friends, especially this month, and it makes me very happy.

We have never seen a more lush spring. Everything is the greenest green and the flowers and blossoms have been amazing.

The street markets have returned and so have the harbour and Government Street buskers. We have pianists, accordianists, fiddlers, banjo-players, guitarists, hammered dulcimer, sax, marimba bands, steel drums, percussionists, didgeridoos, opera singers, jugglers, acts with flames, Yo Yo Man, unicyclists, painted people and mimes. The inner harbour walkway is full of native crafts and local art. The tourists are in abundance. The cruise ships are back. Victoria looks and feels thriving.

Business is booming. Buildings are rising, new businesses like Mountain Co-Op are opening. Downtown is exciting to visit anytime. Always lots going on.

I have been buying lots of music lately and it's all been wonderful. Neal Casal "No Wish To Reminisce," Ron Sexsmith "Time Being" and Rocky Votolato "Makers" are really cool.

Mother's Day was nice. I went to the annual Hatley Park Art Day with its beautiful gardens and also to Sunday Market downtown. The weather was warm, sunny and blue-skied. It couldn't have been any better.

Tim went up-island this week to Cowichan Bay to take part as an extra in a Kim Basinger movie. It is called "The Mermaid Chair" and Tim plays trumpet in the marching band who follow behind some monks. The film is about a married woman who falls in love with a Benedictine Monk. It airs in September on Lifetime Cable TV.

Swiftsure is on this weekend and our harbour looked awesome filled with over two hundred sailboats Friday. This morning, five different categories of races took off ten minutes apart, on Dallas Waterfront. The sailboats come back starting tonight and through tomorrow depending on the size of the vessel and length of their particular race.

These have been the highlights of this month.

Some of the lowlights were things like Tim's not being a member of his marimba band Mufaro anymore. That's a bummer.

The world watched an incredible webcam placed in a nest as two eagles on Hornby Island awaited their offspring, taking turns warming the two eggs. We watched several weeks. Eventually we learned the sixteen year old female was beyond her bearing years and the eggs were not going to hatch.

Some dog attacked Cal in the park the other day and I did a headspring while still hanging onto the dog's leash. He is fine but sore and I took a warm bath and pills because I felt pretty achey for a day or two.

The spring's lushness has given many of us our worst allergy season ever. I feel like I have a permanent cold, sore throat and weepy eyes. It has been wet then very dry and windy and the Cairn is brown-grassed already. The dangerous Spear Grass is ready to wreak havoc with our dogs early this year.

Downtown is seeing a lot of police action. Arrests, shakedowns, clean-ups. The bad, the poor and the homeless are being dealt with. At the same time, due to a lovely climate year round, more folks without homes are coming to live here every day. It's quite a problem.

May has been an inbetween time, a confusing time for me. I have had moments of disconnectedness and letting go and times of communing and new beginnings. Happy, sad, hopeful. Tony has had a tough month also, but his has been work-related.

June is coming. We will soon have a wonderful grandchild to hold. Sounds mighty fine to us.

EnJOY your June and summer.

Love, Allison