Cat Stuff...and Coffee

Here's my very handsome and charming roommate, as seen on one of his favorite new promontories...the bathroom sink. As you can see, the bathroom is still pink, but that is the next painting project on the docket once I finish up the living room this week. Small dinner event at work this evening, so there will probably be no painting when I get home. We'll see if I am motivated to mask the woodwork and such before heading in to the office this morning.

Badum and I were very pleased to get an email from Mom and Dad last night, and learn that Dewey Cat had returned, apparently no worse for wear, from his walkabout experience after escaping into his new Connecticut neighborhood.

During his absence, I'd remained positive. After all, he's a smart "little" kitty, who knows where all his catnip toys and treats and people are...and while he was surely interested to explore his new surroundings, I'm sure he was as happy to return home as Mom and Dad were to see him in the driveway.

Meanwhile, I spent the customary fifteen minutes or so in bed this morning, trying to cajole my gray buddy into getting up and hitting the button that would turn on the coffee maker in the kitchen. I should've bought one with a timer...

It's not easy, nor is there much interest, in getting out from under the covers when there's a warm kitty nestled against your legs, purring his head off. Of course, since he has no need of caffeine and was at least as comfy as me, I had no luck getting him to turn the coffee on.

I wonder, if I set up a network of eyehooks and string...it could run up the bedroom wall, across the ceiling, through the dining room, into the kitchen and then...hmmm, I'd have adapt something to actually flip the switch on the coffee maker...and I AM hesitant to drive a bunch of eye hooks into those newly-painted walls. Thank goodness I have those monkey slippers to slide my feet into as I finally drag myself out from beneath the covers and trudge toward the kitchen.

Here we are, re-snuggling after getting up to turn on the necessary appliances, but returned to bed to await the brewed coffee and listen to the latest bad news as gently presented by NPR. As you can see, my little gray pal was a little suspicious of the appearance of a camera, but I had the flash turned off...and once I'd snapped the picture, it was all about the belly rubbing, at least until that coffee was ready.

Monday Meanderings

Here's a picture of Crystal Lake, a lovely little bit of water half-visible through the trees along Route 28 in South Orleans. Since it's alongside one of my possible commutes to and from work, I've admired it any number of times since the move, but options for pulling over thereabouts are slim and not really prudent with the traffic flow.

Not a fan of the highway, I generally opt for one of the other two, slower and more scenic routes to and from work, when time allows.

Last night, I was cleaning my new glasses (we've been together about two weeks...a big tongue-in-cheek welcome back the bifocals, which I'd not missed these past twenty years) and the bridge broke clean away from the frame of the right lens. Augh...

Anyway, I had to drop them off at the eye doctors on the way to work, so the route past Crystal Lake was the best option for getting to that side of town...and I'd forgotten there'd be delays, due to some spring roadwork along that stretch. The upside of all this, and the point (if there's one at all) is that the flagman stopped me in the perfect place, and for long enough, to roll down the passenger window and fire off the shot above. Enjoy.

Our theme of gray continues, weather-wise, as you can see. Hardly rainy enough to call it so, but enough to mostly keep the car's wipers on delayed setting. Mom and Dad will be visiting next week, and as they'll be emerging from the tall white remains of an Adirondack winter, I guess I don't mind if we save some really fun and sunny weather for while they are here. But I wouldn't mind a day or two of "practice" sunshine before they arrive...you know, just to be sure we get it right and all.

The bulk of the day was unremarkable, excepting a minor headache from having switched back to the old glasses' prescription and the old frames don't exactly sit properly on my face, requiring regular adjustments. And of course, there are the usual concerns about how far the dollar doesn't go lately, which seem to get us all lately.


Lately, I've often been selecting the commute through Brewster, what with spring coming on and all. I figure I can count on a town that has an annual festival called Brewster in Bloom (first weekend in May!) to entertain me (and hopefully you)on the way home with some nice floral vistas. Here's the first fruits of that way of thinking.

Not only is this whole hillside planted with daffodils, but there was a ribbon at least two feet wide of daffodils which ran over camera to the right and sort of rings the whole property and the small cottage/business in the center of it. It was starting to rain, then, so I'm afraid I stopped only long enough to enjoy the daffs and not to note the name of the place.

Before arriving home, I made a visit to the local Stop N Shop for a few needful things (forgot a couple, as is my custom...). While I was there, tho, I stopped at the Starbucks franchise and asked if they participated in the Grounds program (see Saturday's post) and indeed they do!

The grounds are all done up in a handy (and informational) little coffee pouch( which alleviated some of my concerns about the grounds and how fresh they would be--mold can be a problem if you don't act fast with them) and ready for sprinkling in the garden, which I'll try to fit into tomorrow morning's routine, weather allowing.

Is Your Garden Dolce Venti?

Hey, gang!

My regularly scheduled posts will be coming along shortly, but I wanted to share an important exchange with a fellow blogger, for all your benefit. Kimbathewhite, who's discovered the Midnight Garden through Blog Catalog (see link in the right column), recently wrote:

"Loved the bird post - I can see that you passionately enjoy the out-of-doors, as do I. I have a question: Do you know whether coffee grounds mixed in with the soil will actually help flower and/or veggie plants? I had heard this and am considering trying it this year. I hear Starbucks gives theirs away for free. But I'm wondering if you've ever actually TRIED this and noticed a difference in the quality and/or quantity of your plants?"

I wrote back to Kimba that I do regularly add some coffee grounds to my garden soil, usually just scratching a little in as top dressing or with an addition of fresh soil or compost in the springtime. I've been doing this for years, but never really knew why, exactly. I'd heard years ago that the coffee was attractive to earthworms, who are never unwelcome in my garden...and it sort of made good sense in a simplistic kind of way: since coffee helps me to be more productive in my workday, why wouldn't it do the same for them?

I've had noticeably increased bloom counts from roses and azaleas (and pretty much any acid soil loving plant)side dressed with grounds. I've added grounds to compost with good results, as well, but I never knew why, or thought to ask. It just worked.

So, I decided to do a little research (as little as possible, since I'm at work, to be honest) and discovered this page from Starbucks, which confirms they do indeed offer their grounds to gardeners gratis, and also lists the composition of the grounds, and why it is they work so well in the garden.

Anyway...turns out we may have just found the best justification for there to be a Starbucks on every corner! Don't forget to go grab some grounds--your garden will thank you!

Thanks Kimba, for bringing this important bit to our attention!

Happy gardening, all!!

The thing about being a gardener is that there's almost always a bug in your coffee...and you drink it, anyway.