California is Crazy

Someday when that 'grows up' (it's already taller than the zucchini plant), it's going to be a sunflower.

There are teeny tiny little birds ripping out holes in the leaves to feast on - which, bad for the sunflower, good for the pepper plants, because they're leaving them alone this year.

I'd have some cute pictures of the leaf thieves -  and the four adult quail and their baby that wander through the backyard - but it turns out birds are annoyingly camera shy and the iPhone camera sucks for "quick" and "furtrive".

The garden is all greens and yellows now. The splash of red from the tomatos and peppers probably won't happen until August.

Any bets on whether I'll have any FO's by then or more projects cast on? I do get to spend the day at the hospital with my Mom on Tuesday (just invasive tests that I plan on never needing to take but I'm game to go with.)

In the reading arena,  recently caught my eye. David Hockney's thesis in his Secret Knowledge: Rediscovering the Lost Techniques of the Old Masters argues that camera obscura was used much earlier than previously thought. (Don't ask me, my take on art tends to be "ooh, pretty!" and "what the -? What's that supposed to be?" The more it looks like a photograph, the more impressive I find it. Hate Monet. Although his work looks like a photograph too, if I take off my glasses.)

Can you name the paintings in this video? Recognize any?