A Movie and Books

Kathy, Jim and I had a very nice dinner last night - roast chicken, fresh corn on the cob, a wild greens salad, and dessert was vanilla bean ice cream with fresh strawberries on top. We watched Julie & Julia, talked, and before we ate, I gave them a tour of the yard; after the movie, we took a house tour. It was almost 11, so they decided not to hop into the pool before going back home. Their friend Jane couldn't come, and when they first arrived, we went down the street and filled a trash can with fresh manure from the horse and pony at a neighbor's home. The film, Julie & Julia, was extremely fun to watch and was a great way to relax. I've been waiting for the tree service guys to call and let me know they are on their way, so I can unlock and open the gates to give them access to the back yard. It's after noon and the wind has picked up considerably - blowing about 30 mph out there now. I'll need to call and check to see if St. Vrain will spray in this wind - if not, I can relax and take a nap. I just finished the fourth book in Ann Ripley's mystery series, and have started on the fifth, which is set here, where I live. The last book was about murder during a garden tour, and I was excited and delighted to read an acknowledgement to someone I personally know - Catharine Long Gates, of Long's Gardens, in Boulder. She and her family have been iris specialists for three generations, but I know her from her work on the Silver Lake Irrigation Ditch. She is a super lady. I'm 3 chapters into the fifth gardening mystery, and have already been laughing up my sleeve about descriptions of people and places I know. This book will be a fun read.