the girls are here, have been for a week, and life is a lot busier. i may be writing less, parenting more; we parents are outnumbered and burdened. but we will survive too. there may be a bit of chaos as we get adjusted.

the girls make demands, and have a chorus of letting us know their feelings, much as the peepers would up north. for us, used to boys getting dressed quickly and running out the door, mornings are long as they try to get their hair right, etcetera. we try to make them happy; sometimes we can't.
Across busy Flint Avenue, a castle-like house stands empty, unleased for about a month. i've kind of gotten used to the silence of nobody living there; it's an awesome castle-like structure with dormers and turrets, and additions out the side, and it's so quiet, so nice just now. but there's construction and the like all through the neighborhood, also fire trucks, medivacs at night, things happening. the governor came to town and spoke like maybe four blocks away, in the arena. traffic was busy, but it's always busy.

got some onions and garlic in; i'm planning how i can accomplish sunflowers, and maybe peppers and some tomatoes. don't know if i can grow anything in this texas soil. but i've met some people who do, and actually my jalapenos did just fine last year, i'll stick with what works and see if i can keep cranking it out.

then, out there in the world, there are lots of nice cars, in a hurry. after i go out, i rush back home, shut up the fence, water the vegetables, and do some throw with the dog. let the traffic sounds fill out the background. beyond the fence, the castle; the street, at its busiest, comes through a little spring-like tunnel there, as the enormous elms are greening up, and we try to sustain the charm index for the entire neighborhood. it's april, time for some graphics.