Of mowers, mosquitos, and churros

Yesterday I really needed a nap. I hadn’t slept well the night before and thought one of those deep afternoon naps would fix me up. But just as I settled my head on the pillow, I began to hear mowers and blowers and yard equipment. At first the shrub crew, who were to clean out beds, etc., worked at the patio end of the cottage. Granted the cottage is not big, so that’s not far away, but I convinced myself that I could consider their racket white noise and go to sleep. But then the equipment suddenly sounded like it was in the bedroom at the head of my bed. It wasn’t, of course—it was in the driveway right up next to the house.

But sleep I did—because I woke up from some bizarre dream to find a quiet and neatly trimmed yard. The patio was clear of leaves—a condition that would last half a day. My pecan tree, which shades the patio, is dropping leaves early and at an amazing rate this year.

When Linda from Granbury arrived for a catch-up visit—she was in New Mexico all summer—we decided to have a sip of wine on the patio. It was a lovely late afternoon. But the mosquitos drove us inside within minutes. They don’t bother me—must be too old and stringy for them—but Linda was getting bitten. And I’d just read that some extraordinary number of mosquitos in Fort Worth or Tarrant County tested positive for West Nile virus. So in we came.

We dined at Righteous Foods on Seventh. For those who don’t know, this small but classy restaurant once served upscale food based on the cuisine of the interior of Mexico. Then the owner became health conscious. The menu offers detox drinks, grain dishes, salads, and the like. I am not much on grains—Linda had risotto which had been toasted. She loved it and insisted I take a taste—just not my dish. But I can always find something I like—last night it was a smoked salmon tartlet (actually smoked salmon toast with surprise diced beets, which I happen to like a lot). For dessert we split an order of churros, maybe my new favorite food. We each ate one churro and I brought the third home for my breakfast today, but it didn’t last that long. I ate it last night.

Speaking of landscaping, I love that around Righteous Foods—lots of decorative grasses and a big bed or prickly pear cactus. I wondered if the cactus also appeared on the menu or if the restaurant purchased pads that were younger and more tender. I bet the latter.

A fun meal and a good evening. And here’s the trivia for the day: did you hear about the couple, devoted to hiking, who set off in the mountains of Colorado. He proposed, she accepted, and then they got lost.

Or there’s the runaway horse in France who galloped into a bar. Seriously.

What a start to the day.