If ever I am fortunate enough to own a wine barrel this is what I will do with it. I saw this at The Edgefield where I was Valentining.

So Spring it seems, is doing its darndest to make an arrival. The trees are all pink on my street which indicates that 75 degree weather, bbqs, and camping are right around the corner. Actually they’re not but every year I get awfully excited at the end of February and go around making brash promises to myself. This summer I’m sleeping outdoors once a week even if it’s only in my own backyard. And by backyard, I mean my literal backyard full of chicken poop and old bathtubs, not Mt Hood which is sometimes cutesily referred to as being Portland’s “backyard". I’ve always hated that as obviously Gresham is Portland’s backyard. This summer I will also be making sure the Marvelous Plot of Awesomeness lives up to its name by spending a lot more time than none over there. If stuff gets real tall, it can be one of my outdoor boudoirs. The community garden gig comes with a lot of rules but not camping in yours isn’t one of them…yet.

I’m also going to grow a watermelon and a pumpkin both of which will be sited in a secret hidey hole area of the yard safe from thieves. I’m cutting down the goddamn apple tree which I hate and putting in a magical Asian Pear that will grow THREE different varieties on the SAME tree which nobody can convince me is not the work of elves or at the very least, some sort of Pagan Voodoo. Additionally, I will be going on way more walks like the one Stringer Bell and I did yesterday to the River and back, which Google Maps told me was 9 miles but I think it was 10 because we had to make a giant detour to get around the rail yard and also got pretty lost in Ladd’s Addition. Come to think of it, I’m adding another mile because we went down every single alley we found causing quite a lot of doubling back. So yes, more 11 mile walks, more sleeping outside, more Watermelon, and a magical Asian Pear tree. These are my promises which don’t seem brash at all. Brash is promising to blog more often but that just might happen too.