I cam up early from Oakland to help decorate the church sanctuary and the social hall. I hung the Advent banners with the long extension poles, and spent the rest of a pleasant afternoon lighting the tree and hanging ornaments. Bob and Faye provided their special tomato soup and bread for a meal with the crew.
What a difference being away ten days makes. I left in bright sunshine and cam back to overcast skies and heavy winds. Two storms blew through last week and more of the same is forecast for this week. The short days are becoming shorter, and the gray skies close the days more quickly. Sunset is officially at 4:45 but seems to come even earlier.
I planted a candy stripe salvia in the front yard in Oakland before I left, hoping to benefit from the coming rain. The East Bay Nursery also had a licorice plant. The silver gray foliage could be a nice contrast for one of the beds at the ranch. Drought tolerant and deer resistant because of the strange smell. I am beginning to think of plants for erosion control, and the licorice plant qualifies.
A Year at the Snake 