Smorgasbord

Just a few bits and pieces for you:

Alas, I have found graffiti on the grounds of my domicile. This was very disheartening to me. I was holding out hope that this one particular aspect of ghetto (or as Andy has said, "barrio") life would not rear its ugly head. Still, it's just one little eensy weensy bit. And it appears someone has tried to erase it.

I must have looked funny pulling my car sideways into a parking area and jumping out in order to take this picture. Can't you just hear the neighbors? "She's taking pictures of....our mailbox?"

Here it is: the end of the season. Wouldn't you know it? My rose bush is healthier now than it has been all summer long!

This was my first real attempt at a rose. She did a fine job for me, don't you think? I got several very sweet looking (and smelling) blooms. We battled the dreaded black spot together and emerged victoriously. Okay, so there's an ant trap. The ants did not appear to harm the rose at all, but it still bothered me to see a line of the little suckers going up and out of the pot. Or up and into the pot, depending on the direction they were headed.

There are three possible blooms. Will they make it into full fruition before Jack Frost kills them off?

Andy raced his first autocross last Sunday. We had a good time! He did well, all things considered. My Mom showed up and stayed quite awhile. Pat and Julie came, too. Pat said he wants to give autocross a try. Hey! I feel much better about autocross than I do motocross!

I felt awful for the lady in the green Mini Cooper, though. She came into the finish area way too hot & wrapped her car around a tree. I don't think she was very badly hurt, but her car was. Still, it was a lot of fun and I look forward to the next time. Maybe then I'll get better pictures.