. . . and as usual, nothing much is going on.  I’ve been to Barnes and Noble and have three new books to read; there’s 15-bean soup simmering on the stove; and the biggest question is . . . crackers or tortilla chips with the soup?

So here’s a pretty picture from ’08; the rare-and-endangered Bakersfield cactus.  As well as being rare, it’s beautiful; with vibrantly colored satiny petals, as you can see.  It’s not one of those inconspicuous little endangered plants!