esrosedotblog

ABNORMALLY COLD

I wrongly tagged the current cold 'snap' here as normal the other day.

It has turned out to be anything but normal.

It is not a 'snap'.

We have suffered considerable frost on many plants and trees; none irreplaceable.

They just don't look nice; burnt, wilted, curled up on themselves as though they are trying to get warm.

Last night we had the fourth night in a row that the 'freeze protection' circuit on the pool and spa pumps flicked itself on.

I think it happens when it hits 38 or something like that.

I sort of forgot to keep purging the water lines during the night so there is a sludgy blockage on two lines. I am hoping that, improbably, they do not burst. (We once had our pipes burst in Boston, at the Warren Avenue house, and I have a sort of built in worrier that it never happen to me again—what a nightmare and the plumber, who was good, took us for a ride on the money).

Of course, it is not unknown to freeze in Southern and Mid California. I think that they said we had it in 1999. We were here for that. I remember that roofers (of a sort, the kind who 'paint' your troubles away—another scam) couldn't work on our house early in the morning because of the ice.

Of course we do not have it bad at all.

Out there, on the other side of the mountain, 3/4 of the oranges are frozen. Avacados gone.

Mostly, the things that have frozen here were not meant to be in the desert in the first place (the bananas) or, while they look bad, have their own rehabilitation mechanisms built into them (the bougainvillea and the ficus). Our citrus seems to have survived beautifully; lemons, grapefruit and tangerines.

You will also might remember that I am also a casualty. (Shit, I hope so. It happened yesterday!)

My leg is better today from where I fell when my bike slipped out from under me. I am a bit of a gimp but it is better today and not worse. A very good sign.

The various small injuries are articulating themselves.

It is all in the upper leg; a big bruise on the side, a mild sprain of the upper muscles/ligaments.

The cane helps a lot and I am learning why people leave themselves in a bathrobe. It is hell to dress.

I go out for hot dips in the big spa every so often. I sit in the jet pump surge of the various levels of nozzles.

More naps are called for. I can sleep OK. That is the good news out of it.

And the aspirin is holding the discomfort and occasional pain.

I will not predict when full recovery will occur for my leg or the frosted trees but I bet my leg beats all the plants.

I hope!