Ducks and Cover, with Flowers

The cable box cover is an ugly lime green. One afternoon it appeared on our lawn, and I became acquainted with the term "easement". (It means that someone can come on your property and you can't stop them.) The cable company's arrogance wasn't the main reason we switched to satellite TV, but it was a factor. When we upgrade to high definition, cable won't be our first choice.

The ducks don't have an easement, but they go wherever they want according to a much older law. Speaking of the law of nature, ducks scatter natural fertilizer around Foster City, beneficial to our lawns and flowers but not so attractive to our cars and decks.

It's been atypically cool this summer, and the plants have used less water. A good thing, because if we have another dry winter water cutbacks, even rationing, could be in store next year. (California is now technically in a drought.) Showering with a friend--an Eighties tradition that's ripe for revival. © 2008 Stephen Yuen