Rapid City – Marked Up

First Strawberry

Of course it’s the first blossom, not the first strawberry. It’s still mid-April. That’s one that escaped the original bed. I hope to have this bed filled with them by fall, but for now it’s mostly peas.

Predator in the Garden

It’s not my first rodeo. The plastic containers on the left don’t have anything planted in them. They are there to give the cat something to knock over. The rightmost two columns are both peppers (Thai Hot and Poblano). I’m hoping they just have a longer germination time. The seed is quite old (at leastContinue reading “Predator in the Garden”

Garden Started

I planted seeds, yesterday/Sunday. Inside, of course. It’s 20 degrees with snow on the ground, outside. Adventure Cat refuses to go out. I’m surprised at how little I start inside. Peppers, tomatoes, brussel sprouts, and broccoli are pretty much it. Everything else (squash, melons, cucumbers, corn, peas, and beans) starts outside. I have herbs growingContinue reading “Garden Started”

When 70 Degrees is Not

Last winter, I complained that 70 degrees inside was not the same as 70 degrees outside because it can be 70 degrees inside and my butter is hard while when it is 70 degrees outside, the butter is soft. I even bought a thermometer to prove it. Well, today is a great day for theContinue reading “When 70 Degrees is Not”

Speaking of Trust Issues

The Rapid City Post is a new newspaper, of all things. I’m pretty sure the HomeSlice Group owns it. They’re a radio (at least) conglomerate that’s based here. They seem fine. They published an opinion piece with the very long title/headline of Opinion: Choosing Facts Over Fear Ahead of the 2026 Legislative Session. It’s dreadful,Continue reading “Speaking of Trust Issues”

“No” on Trust Issues

Rapid City is having a special election today to vote on Tax Increment Financing district. To drastically oversimplify: A developer wants the TIF as collateral for a loan. The concept is simple: The taxing authority locks in the current assessment. As property values increase, the tax difference between the locked-in assessment and the actual assessmentContinue reading ““No” on Trust Issues”

Hang It or Throw It Away

We planned to leave Denver about 18 months before we decided where we were going. For that time, “frame it or throw it away” became a mantra. We had so much stuff in boxes (or art tubes) that we decided that if it were not important enough to be framed in Denver, it was notContinue reading “Hang It or Throw It Away”

The Cactus of Theseus

The picture is of the Christmas Cactus that was abandoned here when we bought the house. It’s obviously doing well. One could say “in the pink of health” even, if one were Dad-Joke inclined. That’s the Cactus of Theseus. It’s a clone of a Christmas Cactus that goes back at least to my grandmother, ifContinue reading “The Cactus of Theseus”

Booth Babe

I’d never done that before. Another notch in the belt. The Laird had his first booth at a craft fair on Saturday. I dressed in his clothing and stood around looking pretty. “Was it successful?” is a difficult question to answer because it depends mightily upon how one defines “success”. Was it profitable? No. ItContinue reading “Booth Babe”

Whither Lilac?

Sunday we heard plaintive meowing coming from the lilac hedge. We ignored it for a while, but that tone is “designed” to be unignorable, so we investigated. There was a more-than-kitten, less-than-cat hiding in the hedge. It did not want to be approached. We put some food and water in the hedge for it. WhileContinue reading “Whither Lilac?”