I just finished The Harsh Cry of the Heron by Lian Hearn which is the last book in the Tales of the Otori. The first three books were totally captivating and this one led to a bittersweet end. I was crying while reading the last few pages in which the story finishes, not as one hopes, but as life is. If you haven't read these I encourage you to do so. They are deliberate and beautiful and restrained while deeply emotional and violent as only their time was. I'm not going to say more to keep the illusion you may discover as your own feelings.

Another cold and wet day here. I was trying to dig a hole for my apple tree on Weds. and, aside from using some muscles that have been on holiday for a while, I discovered a pipe. It is only a plastic pipe that was installed as part of overflow mechanism from when we had a swimming pool but it will have to be removed and I ran out of light before I could do so. I am thinking of removing more of the pavers in that area and putting in a different surface. Decomposed granite or even woodchips. More places to fight couch in, but the large paved area in the back of the house heats up in the morning and then radiates heat back to the house all afternoon and evening. If I am going to stay here, I have no need of a large paved area outside the back of the house. If I could be assured of keeping them watered, I'd do more in containers. Not this year while I'll be away for the crux of the planting season, unless my house sitter will water things carefully. I could plant seeds of lettuce in the big terra cotta pot for table use and plant basil in it when I get home. If the basil goes into a pot the snails can't eat it, right?

I have spun 2 bobbins of while alpaca ready to ply to take to BFLB. It hardly made a dent in the white alpaca, but it seems very silky and soft.