Who'd Put A Plant Sale at a Helicopter Show?

So Alene and I drove to UC Davis on Saturday to see the UC Davis Arboretum Plant Sale.

Who knew they'd have a plant sale during a helicopter show? 

The plant sale is put on as a fund raiser for, I assume, the ag department.  Students work on the hybrids and such during the year, and the seedlings and young plants produced are sold in the spring.  Lots of neat plants for sale, and Alene loves her plants, and I like just being outdoors, so we we took off Saturday morning, picked up Liz at her apartment in Davis, and headed over to the campus. 

Imagine my surprise seeing a plant show

at a helicopter show!

Apparently the helicopter crew was practicing a horse rescue.  There was a dummy horse laying in the field, and they were practicing letting the line down by the horse in the field.  The lifted off and set down several times, completely distracting me from the purpose of our trip - plants - but the helicopter was noisier and shinier and can you really blame me? 

But after the helicopter crew left, we got back to the business at hand, the plant sale.  Actually, there was a lot on display, and Alene was able to find a few pretty cool plants for the yard.  Don't ask me their names - they are green, mostly. And one or two of them flower.  I think.  But the place DID smell very good.  

Alene and Liz seemed to have a good time. 

Afterward, with the plants safely put away in the car, we took a short walk through the arboretum nearby.  UC Davis actually has a really cool arboretum area that runs all along Putah Creek (I think that's the name) that runs through the campus.  The foliage along the creek is maintained by students as part of the ag courses, and is broken up into different regional themes, if you will.  On area is, say, redwood forest themed, and the next is Mediterranean themed, or grassland, or something like that.  I'm not sure exactly which themes you'd call them, but it's a nice place for a walk and a picnic.  Very pretty.  We took a short walk through the Gazebo area, which is set up as a summer garden, just beginning to bloom. 

Take a look at the legs on this bee.  He's just laden with pollen. 

Now to get the plants we bought into the ground!

Valentine's Day Vexation

I bought Alene a washing machine for Valentine's Day.

Nice, huh?

Seriously, guys, what do you get your gal for Valentine's Day?  Somthing she really wants, or something you think she wants?

I'd been asking Alene for a few weeks, "What do you want for Valentine's Day, sweety?", which, I know, is the wrong question to ask any woman, but I like to live dangerously, so I asked. 

She said she wanted something practical, which both pleased me, and frightened me.  Did she really mean practical, or was she just saying that so she didn't sound like she's pressuring me for something unpractical?  If I chose to take her at her word, and buy something practical, would she be disspointed?

What do women really want, anyway?

It seemed like a dilemna, and to be honest it was, for about, oh.... a minute.  One look in my girl's eyes and  knew my answer:

I should take her at her word.  She's serious.  Something practical.  Something usefull.  Something needed.

So I started thinking, and an opportunity presented itself.  Our washing machine broke.  We needed a new one.  We looked, we shopped, she picked, I bought. 

She smiled and hugged and kissed me. She said thank you with a sparkle in her eye.  Practical, usefull, and needed.  She even said she loved me.........which made it all worth it. 

Made me realize and remember anew just what a special woman Alene is, and why I fell in love with her in the first place. Not that I'd forgotten, I'm reminded every day, but it's nice to reminded now and again in a special way. 

So, Happy Valentine's Day, my dear!  I hope you get many years of enjoyment out of the practical gift. 

(Yeah I know, I get to use it too, but you get the drift here.  She's happy.  When momma's not happy, ain't no one happy.  But when momma's happy, life is good, ya know?)
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P.S. Guys, just so you we're clear, I'm not stupid, and you better not be either. 

Valentines Day is coming up, and yes, I do have a little something planned.  We never get off the hook quite that easily. You'd better have a little something up your sleeve too, unless you like being in the dog house. It doesn't have to be expensive, or elaborate, or fancy.  Just honest and sincere.  Make it real.

To be honest, I'm glad we don't get off the hook that easily.  It makes the work of relationship building worth it. 

If it was too easy it'd be no fun!