Plums are In!

It's a bumper crop for plums this year! Everyone has them! Share, share share! These, in the alley, are green gage or some variation thereof, we think. Lots of Santa Rosa, usually rather spare and unpredictable. Someone brought in shiro Japanese plums at work. Both the green-leaved and red-leaved tiny, tart "alley" plums have been plentiful. Even 3" nectarines (grown from a pit?) are juicy and ripe, again in the alley. That's my orchard, I guess. I've never seen so much fruit there. I'm trying to decide which tree I'll plant in my orchard. Maybe an avocado? No one has any of those, but we may be too close to the ocean.

There may be a housing problem in the rest of the country, but in our two block deep by six or seven block long neighborhood bordering the ocean, the hammering never stops. The gorgeous craftsman style home across the street from us is almost finished (we have the best view) and today the house on the other corner next to it bit the dust. That one is expected to be Mediterranean style. Whereas the craftsman is green, green, green, modeled on Green and Green, and uses salvaged materials all the way, the new one is a straight tear down and rip out.

A port-a-potty was delivered Friday. A giant flat bed trailer arrived this weekend and dropped off a bulldozer. We knew the end was near. I stopped by this morning on my way back from my walk, pulled up and took home some dormant bulbs which have lovely spring flowers I have enjoyed. The Artist went to see his mom and get her groceries this morning and when he returned, the house was gone! All piled in a big heap in the middle of the lot. I counted eight houses being worked on in sight of the walk along the cliff. Now mind you, I'm not nostolgic about this house, since all sorts of yuckos have lived there, so I understand, but two new houses in our vision while the rest of the country seems to be falling apart is a little much.

Even the "house on the point" is being ripped apart. It's been a vacant eyesore for seven or eight years and was involved in lawsuits regarding structure problems. Since it's within 200 feet of the ocean, it's subject to Coastal Commission rules, delaying new plans. Now it's being torn down! Hoorah!

P.S. We have had lucious strawberries from our self-seeded plants. The neighbor's figs are here, and so are the birds, sigh, but I've managed to snag a few.