Shea took this footage of a squirrel stealing the Spanish Moss I put on old CD racks outside. I staged the moss in this mostly shaded part of the backyard here so I could take it back to my garden in the house under renovation. This moss was gifted by Wendell and Manny on Mare Island, but this SELFISH squirrel wants it for his nest! What is this neighborhood coming to?!?!?
All posts by jah
April 2025 VGN at Maus Haus
The Vallejo Gay Network event was held yesterday at Maus Haus!
Roberto’s 60th Birthday party
Roberto celebrated his 60th birthday yesterday with his “Still Sexy at Sixty” shirt! Auguri amico bello.
Mare Island Views
I took some shots with two classic ships moored at Mare Island for several years while the docks in San Francisco are being repaired. I love looking at these, and I’m in awe that both of these are from the 19th century! Shea and I were in the area for a meeting he had, so I ventured out in the light rain to take in the view. We also did a pit stop near the Quarters Cafe and Godfather’s Winery.
Calvin and Hobbes are now Neo and Elliott
This teacher in Oakley on the left, adopted these two littermates. She’s here with her friend, Erin. Shea and I had the pleasure of fostering these two brother chihuahua mixes for four months.
I know they will be well-loved, and we are so thrilled that they are being adopted together! That was part of the challenge, but this woman has a great yard and patio for them to enjoy as their new home. I know they will be great company for her and continue to be company for each other the rest of their lives!
Weed Whacker Progress
I didn’t realize how enervating it would be, but I managed to cut all the tall grass, fennel, and other bothersome field plants with a weed trimmer I just got in the rental house’s front yard. I still have progress to be made in the back of the house and will have some use for this new tool at my permanent house to a smaller extent, but at least the chop and drop look is better than what we had to pass by when walking around here before I tackled this. Before and after pictures are below.
Zia Carla’s Jade
I was a little concerned that in the chaos after the fire that I would not be able to find the specific jade plant that I got as a clipping from my godmother’s house, thanks to my lovely god-sister-in-law, but yesterday I found it. I remember putting Zia Carla’s jade into this metal bucket so I would distinguish it from the other jade I had. It’s thriving! I’ve been so very lucky at almost everything in my garden thriving despite the long periods of no access and damage from the fire and construction collateral damage.
Last Full Day with Fosters Calvin and Hobbes
We stopped by Glen Cove Waterfront Park last full day with Calvin and Hobbes to have some beach time with Snoopy and Bonnie. It was a gorgeous day, and I’m glad they got to feel the sand in their toes!
I took a picture of this ship passing by because I c
Italian Citizenship
I think my mom would be very proud that my daughter and I have started the ball rolling to pursue our Italian citizenship. By extension, that also means European Union citizenship. I was inspired by friends and family who have pursued this themselves. I probably should have started the process long ago. I did have a couple of false starts with the Italian Consulate in San Francisco, which wasn’t very communicative. The momentum is here now as I’ve signed a contract with a reputable organization that can make this dream come true. Many people don’t know that I grew up in Italy and Spain in part, even though I was born here in California, as my father was. My mom was from Italy herself, and my first language was Italian when I was growing up in Sardinia, where my little brother was born. I’ve owned property in Italy for years now in Calabria, where most of my family continues to live. I do plan to continue living in my home in Vallejo indefinitely (the one that I’m waiting to move back in after it’s renovated). Backward American politics certainly has something to do with this decision, but there are several pragmatic reasons also. My mother had acquired dual citizenship herself long before she died.
Real Home and Garden Updates
My contractor had suggested leveling this cemented corner area and also creating defensive space where this old rose bush is on my house under renovation (after the fire). I reluctantly said yes to the cement since I knew it would make the house safer, and that is my number one criteria for all decisions after the trauma of what I lost, of course. Today I was surprised, after seeing the rose bush had been cut back to almost nothing by someone who was probably doing construction around that area, that it bounced back with plenty of buds. Even more good news was that recently the contractor clarified that he had no intention of killing the rosebush, but simply moving it to a different location, so to the front yard I believe it will go!
I had been wondering if the clippings I got from Monique were still alive. Well, these gorgeous, long-stem pink flowers that I forgot the name of are back, so I got my answer. These bring me such joy!
I’m so pleased that the cover to my beloved hot tub gazebo is now back in the backyard and not on my front yard where it had been sitting for a few weeks even after the chain fence had been removed. This kind of progress is heartening!
I had to insist that the frosted window in the main bathroom be replaced with clear windows. These windows are opposite the mirror above a double-vanity and I have plenty of privacy in that bathroom, which is going to be redesigned to have a separate water closet anyway, which is through another door. It will take several weeks, but these windows will be replaced with what I had before.
I keep bringing outdoor decor and gardening supplies back to my house under renovation regularly. I now have the gates reinforced. This way I don’t have to move numerous extra carloads when it gets closer to my move-in date, and I can start to rearrange my garden decor and plants as I go, so I have less work to do when I move home. I’m careful to keep all the fragile items in a place that will not be moved by the contractors and the less fragile items which they have up against the fence I am not concerned about falling off shelves when I’m not around.
I moved more crates of supplies today, which also helps to declutter the backyard in the rental. I’m always making tweaks to my home garden when I stop by, and today I brought my dogs and the two fosters. I pruned some branches and cleared the grounds of the lookout by moving branches into the bamboo “forest” so that the birds will hopefully pick up those branches and make nests, but most importantly I’m adhering to the chop and drop method, so that organic material is not constantly leaving my garden, but replenishing the soil and hopefully fostering the right plants to grow. I’ll still pull weeds, even if I let the nitrogen fixers linger.
Speaking of birds making nests, my favorite dove couple (I believe they’re the same one for years) made an appearance again today. At least one of them did, as you can see, resting on the fence with no fear of the dogs below. These doves are very special to me, as I’ve documented over the years. I have many pictures and videos of interactions with the dogs, but most importantly, they nested one year (obviously before the fire) in a wreath on my front porch. I intend to replace the wreath on the side wall of my entranceway with an even stronger one so that they will always have a place to raise their chicks without fear.
