Longevity

I just love summertime. Sunshine and a nice ocean breeze. Windows open. Relax on the deck for lunch and enjoy THE NEIGHBOR'S DOG BARKING CONTINUOUSLY FROM 8 O'CLOCK IN THE MORNING UNTIL I LEFT THE HOUSE AT 3 P.M.!!!! Now that I'm back home, the neighbor is as well, and the dog has either quit barking or developed laryngitis. You see, now that school is back in, no one is home to keep poor doggy company all day. This WILL get resolved.

On a funnier note...how long should milk stay fresh?
We, meaning Amanda and I, went grocery shopping yesterday. Amanda bought a quart of milk amongst other things. I reminded her that she had an unopened quart still in the refrigerator. This morning while we were walking down to the Whistlestop Mall to get the newspaper, Amanda started spouting off about how nasty the cereal was that she had bought just yesterday. "Smells like dog food," she said. "When we get home YOU smell it and you'll see what I mean!" It really annoyed her that she would be throwing away an entire, expensive box of cereal after only eating one mouthful.

So, we got back home and as I was sitting reading the newspaper, Amanda strolled in with the open box of Special K Cinnamon and Pecan. I grudgingly took a sniff. Ehhh, not too bad, I thought. Smelled a bit weak on the cinnamon. Then I had a thought.
"Which milk did you use?"
"I don't know, I'll go check," said Amanda.
She came back and remarked that she thought it was the milk that was bad, not the cereal. The milk smelled bad and she didn't want to be the one to have to pour it down the drain!
Off I went to investigate.
Sure was the milk.
Sell by date: JUNE 30, 2008!

YUCK.

And in conclusion, here's a picture of our ficus.This beautiful braided tree was sent to us, last summer when my Dad died, by my friends in Florida. But what does one do with such a gorgeous tree when winter approaches? This guy likes a temperate climate. They will survive indoors but they don't like the change from humid summer to dryness in a winter heated house. The 'best bet for survival' solution became to haul it down to the workshop in the cellar. The lowest temperature there through the winter is 52°F and it isn't as dry as upstairs. Not much natural light though, even with placing it just below the tiny windows high in the cellar wall. It wasn't very happy and by March we were dubious about it's survival. Mid-April it was still struggling along but looked very pathetic so I decided to risk the low outdoor temps in favor of moderate days and higher humidity. After two very cold nights, we thought it had succumbed. We waited, fertilized, and watered, and watched. It recovered. So despite poor living conditions, we still have the ficus. It's leaves are smaller than last year, though. I think seeing it through another winter might be a challenge!