La versión en español está después de la versión en inglés.
Something about Maese Luis Street 9 felt kind of homey to me. Maybe it was the three canary cages with one trilling contentedly. Or maybe it was the friendly owner stepping onto the patio with the sweetest dog. I should have asked for a photo of them, but I was being pushed along by others as we did our one-way tour around the perimeter. There was a smallish kentia palm tucked in the center obscured by a cluster of more dense plantings. I learned that this palm replaced one that, after 40 years, outgrew the patio. It had reached 4.4 meters tall (over 14-feet), and was finally donated to the botanical gardens. Again, you get glimpses of another artisan stone floor. The event ended Sunday and I’ve since been out exploring the neighborhood again.
I’m still trying to get resolution from FedEx, which thus far has made it impossible for me to speak with an actual live person. I had a talk with The Kid Brother last night and we’ll see each other again tonight. He ran out of spending money by the end of the first week of the month. His obvious expectation is that I’ll simply send him more.
Despite his initial denials, he admitted last night that he did use his spending money for groceries (he has a card for that). After speaking with the nurse in his office who said he likes to gamble, I figured he must be buying lottery tickets and scratch-offs, and who knows what other opportunities he’s found. Without asking, I told him he could not spend his money on gambling and his response, without denial, was, “I know. I stopped.” My guess is The Kid Brother stopped because he ran out of money.
It reminds me of San Geraldo’s father when he was diagnosed with cancer. SG, his mother, and his sisters had all gone to the first oncology appointment with him. The oncologist asked him if he smoked and he replied, “No.” Four heads, eyes wide, eyebrows raised, snapped in his direction. “When did you quit?” asked the clever doctor. In all seriousness, SG’s father said, “This morning.” It should be no surprise The Kid Brother idolized SG’s father. And, by the way, I don’t smoke either. I quit Christmas Eve 1986.
La calle Maese Luis 9 me pareció acogedora. Quizás fueron las tres jaulas de canarios, con uno de ellos cantando plácidamente. O tal vez fue el amable dueño que salió al patio con su adorable perro. Debería haberles pedido una foto, pero otros me empujaban mientras hacíamos nuestro recorrido unidireccional por el perímetro. Había una pequeña palmera kentia escondida en el centro, oculta por un grupo de plantas más densas. Me enteré de que esta palmera reemplazó a otra que, después de 40 años, se había quedado pequeña para el patio. Había alcanzado los 4,4 metros de altura (más de 14 pies) y finalmente fue donada al jardín botánico. De nuevo, se vislumbra otro suelo de piedra artesanal. El evento terminó el domingo y desde entonces he estado explorando el barrio otra vez.
Todavía estoy intentando resolver el problema con FedEx, que hasta ahora me ha impedido hablar con una persona en persona. Hablé con mi hermano pequeño anoche y nos veremos de nuevo esta noche. Se le acabó el dinero para gastos al final de la primera semana del mes. Obviamente espera que simplemente le envíe más.
A pesar de sus negaciones iniciales, anoche admitió que sí usó su dinero para comprar comida (tiene una tarjeta para eso). Después de hablar con la enfermera de su consultorio, quien comentó que le gusta apostar, supuse que seguramente compraba billetes de lotería y raspaditas, y quién sabe qué otras oportunidades habría encontrado. Sin preguntarle, le dije que no podía gastar su dinero en apuestas y su respuesta, sin negarlo, fue: “Lo sé. Ya lo dejé”. Supongo que dejó de hacerlo cuando se le acabó el dinero.
Me recuerda al padre de San Geraldo cuando le diagnosticaron cáncer. SG, su madre y sus hermanas lo acompañaron a su primera cita con el oncólogo. El médico le preguntó si fumaba y él respondió: «No». Cuatro cabezas, con los ojos muy abiertos y las cejas arqueadas, se giraron hacia él. «¿Cuándo dejó de fumar?», preguntó el ingenioso doctor. Con toda seriedad, el padre de SG dijo: «Esta mañana». No es de extrañar que el Hermanito idolatrara al padre de SG. Y, por cierto, yo tampoco fumo. Dejé de fumar en Nochebuena de 1986.
• El Hermanito y el padre de San Geraldo. Pierre, Dakota del Sur, 1989.
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Thanks again, Mitch, for such lovely pictures
Anonymous is Jan from Perth ;-)!
Jan from Perth,
You’re welcome. Thanks always for your visits.
Oh dear.
I hope it’s not online gambling. Gambling is bad, but online gambling is INSIDIOUS.
And those photos!! Love those patios!
XOXO
Sixpence,
Thankfully, KB is not at a level to be able to gamble online. (And no credit cards!)
I quit smoking on June 25, 1990. But who’s counting, hahahaha?
I sure hope the Kid Brother is not developing a gambling addiction. I’m scared for him.
Debra,
Congrats on nearly 36 years without a cigarette. I’m not worried about an addiction. Just a bad habit he needs to break.
Of course the patio is lovely, but the house is also quite beautiful. I love the idea of a front door leading to a courtyard and now I want to tear down our house and do that.
As for smoking, I have never even tried it. I grew up surrounded by smokers and always hated the smell.
Bob,
Ooh. I want you to redo your house Spanish style! SG never smoked either. His only vice was sex. You’re better men than I!
I have been wondering about KB. He’s not the only one to fall prey to the gambling industry.
I like that patio very much. More green jungle, less potted flowers. I mean, I do like the flowers in pots but they can seem overwhelming to me. And I surely love that stone floor. The canary certainly has a sweet song.
One more thing- how in the HELL do they paint the walls of these patios? I can’t imagine all of the plant manipulation it must take.
Ms. Moon
Ms. Moon,
They paint before they overload with Patios of May plants. But it still must be a bear! Mr. Moon could do it in a heartbeat.
I think it might take even him longer than that.
Love the canary singing along with the music. these lush densely filled patios are gorgeous but I think I’d like to see them in their normal state as well. And so many enormous split leaf philodendrons, not just this patio but all of them.
ellen abbott,
I too would love to see them in their normal state.
One can surely tell that Pierre is SG’s father! I thought it was SG at first.
I quit smoking in 1970 and am glad I did.
The Kid Brother will hopefully get back on track with the spending…..needs to learn the pitfalls of spending beyond his means.
Another beautiful patio…..loving that wrought iron door entry!!
Jim,
SG’s father’s name was Jim (G. James). Pierre is the name of the city. Yes, i hope that with us not bailing him out, KB will catch on.
Oopps! Hey, what a great name!! lol Tks
Wow! SG looks so much like his father!
My mother smoked like the proverbial chimney. She taught us how to light up the suckers for her using the stove. Unfiltered. I still remember tobacco bits clinging to my lips. We should all have died from inhaling secondhand smoke. I never picked up the habit. It looked really stupid to me. I’m vice-free and perfect you know.
Deedles,
SG does resemble his father now. When he’s slimmer, he looks exactly like his mother. Amazing how vice-free you are. An ángel.
I wish there was someone I could call who would just send money. The atm fairy.
David,
Thank god he doesn’t have an ATM card! Ours works just like you suggest.
That’s worrying about KB. It’s too easy to gamble small amounts until there’s nothing left. As long as he has food, which he has a card for, he may need to manage without walking around money. It’s very hard on you to have this worry.
The patios are wonderful, plants, sunshine, birdsong, no need for much else. Boud
Boud,
KB always gives me something to worry about. A 66-year-old juvenile.
Oh, my goodness, the canaries singing! So sweet to hear. And, that photo of SG’s father, and Chuck… I love it 🙂
And, ohhhhhh what a charming patio. So uplifting to see and hear all of this (umm… except for the Chuck gambling part… so sorry to hear about that).
Judy C,
The Cory made me so happy the other two were quiet. He never stopped singing. And Chuck! Just when I thought it was safe to go back in the water!
SG looks so much like his father! I enjoyed the story of when he told the doctor that he didn’t smoke. I have never smoked myself, and I am glad of that. I think that’s what put my father in an early grave.
Michael,
SG does now resemble his father. Before the added weight he looked exactly like his mother. Oh, Chuck!
It must be difficult having to work through things with KB long distance. I hope he really has quit gambling! (love the story about SG’s dad) I quit smoking in either 1984 or 1985. I don’t remember the date, but I know it was cold turkey. I have rare moments I sorta miss it. Not the nasty parts, but the routine.
That canary is making the most of having an audience, LOL!
While everyone in my immediate family were heavy smokers, I never smoked because I had asthma as a child. As an adult, my lungs have susceptible to infection and I avoid second-hand smoke like the plague!
I also hope your Kid Brother hasn’t gotten into on-line gambling — those betting algorithms are super addictive.
Tundra Bunny,
My parents smoked but very little until the very early 60s. I was the only heavy smoker of the five of us.
Wow! San Geraldo looks just like his father!
Kirk,
He does. But when he’s slimmer he looks just like his mother.
Thanks for all the amazing photos of the patios this last few weeks. So much work must go into them, not to mention the watering! Those cheese plants look as if they have been ” polished” !!
Frances
Frances,
I used to polish our plants. Can you imagine taking on the task on that patio?
I love the photographs of the various courtyards, but I cannot help but notice that the plants are predominantly potted. What do they do come winter? Are they all brought in? Sent to a greenhouse somewhere? Or just covered with something like a fabric until the warm weather returns?
Vices… gambling and drinking were my two vices. Weekly scratch tickets and muliti-state lottery tickets until I retired. Then I realized I did not need them to reach the “dream of retirement!”. The second was drinking only to excess. Did that all through the early 90’s. Mainly out of loneliness. Stumbled home one night; as the phrase goes “5-sheets to the wind”, and I went into the bathroom and turned on the BIG lights. The look in the mirror scared the crap out of me. Like a cadaver that was alive. I stopped the nightly binges. Today, a glass or two of table wine (if the dinner is fatty; good to aide digestion!). Perhaps a martini once every couple of months.
Rade,
They’re mostly potted because the patios are enhanced for the competition. My guess is that they’re given away or sold after the event. Drinking and drugs were my vices. Distant memories.
I had forgotten or I didn’t know you you were once a smoker.
Urspo:
From the age of 16 for most of the next 16 years.