Sacramento is for quiet time

These few days have been relatively quiet ones for me, which is great. I get to settle in before the hordes of family arrive (only for a day or two), so it'll just be a whirlwind and then quiet again. I like busy, generally, but while the primary purpose of these trips is to accompany my mother, they are also a much-needed break from reality. So a few quiet days isn't bad.

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And what a place to do it -- every time I visit I am struck by the beauty in my Californian uncle's neighbourhood. Sure, the weather's beautiful right now -- sunny, warm but not hot -- but that's not why I enjoy the walk to his house each morning. The thing is, in this area, every house looks very different from its neighbour. (Well, neighbor, I suppose!)

I wrote about American flags on my first trip to the States.
I marvelled at the American patriotism;
my Ohioan friend suggested it's simply jingoism.

Some houses have red brick, some blue panels, some white slates. Some have roses out front, some have conifers, some maples, tulips, bluebells and so on. I have to say that most of them are well-maintained with flowers pruned and lawn neatly mowed. And all the lawns are so incredibly green!

I count the political signs as I walk to uncle's: 'Make American Great Again', 'Love Wins',
'Stop the Tunnels'. Are all residents this political?

As I walked over yesterday morning, I mused that it was because people in this area pay gardeners to mow their lawn. But as I walked past, a worker carrying rolls of turf nodded to me, and I nodded back.

I know the secret to the green lawns now -- they must get the turf replaced weekly! I was so impressed last time I visited in autu- uh, fall -- that alongside the council rubbish/recycling/green waste collection, the council also provides collection for the fallen leaves. Just sweep them into a pile and leave by the kerbside and the truck will come and collect it. So why not weekly turf replacement, huh?