Parties at the beach were fun when I was a kid. Always had to watch out walking barefoot in case someone just threw sand over the fire to put it out. More than once I've gotten a burn. Now I live on a creek and I suppose if I didn't mind how closed in it is down there, a barbecue on the rocky beach would be possible. Around here people put chairs out in the driveway or open the garage door and sit inside in the shade. Rather than setting up a picnic the creek is the place to take a bucket and a pry bar for digging the fossils all around.

I'm happy with the shade tarps I put over my patio; they're attractive and effective. I have enjoyed sitting out there comfortably some afternoons and evenings.

Today I said good-bye to a 10-gallon nursery pot with three lantana plants that I transplanted out of the back yard lawn so my daughter can put them in pots at her house. The roots were so robust that it didn't take long before they revived from being dug up. She'll have flowers soon. They're popular here while they're invasive weeds in Australia. I've been mowing them for a while but they keep coming back.

The heavy-duty pain killers applied during surgery have worn off all around the knee and I'm keeping track of meds on a notebook page in the kitchen. And after four days the magnesium has kicked in - thank dog! I was warned, but still, when your guts grind to a halt for a few days it gets your attention.