In the meantime

While I'm parsing out vacation reports, here's what's up in A-town: -- Solarization project seems to have been a success! I pulled up all the plastic last week and it looks like over 90% of the bermuda is dead. Hopefully, dead way down deep. I got estimates on having it dug out and removed, but sadly, I can't afford it. Looks like I'll have to go with faith and do as much as I can, then start building the new beds and pathways. -- We are overrun with cool caterpillars! The potted lime tree is just covered with bird poop caterpillars, which apparently grow up to be the beautiful swallowtails we've seen hanging around all summer. And the bronze fennel boasted two groovy green-and-yellow caterpillars, which grow up to be another kind of swallowtail. Amazing! We made everybody who came over go look at them. -- Because, all those people came over for a reason: it was my birthday Saturday! Yay me! Tributes and/or large Humvees of money can be posted in comments, in case you didn't know... ;-)