Bye Bye La Jolla

This week was about settling into a rhythm--caring for trees, running errands, sharing good meals, and enjoying music with friends. This was one of those wonderfully full weeks, where small moments and meaningful projects filled our days.

Kobayashi in his bed

Despite Kobayashi's preference for having his entire pack at home, he seemed surprisingly unfazed by David being away. Ira, on the other hand, had plenty to keep him busy. 

One of his projects was helping prep David's tree prior to RC grafting new roots onto a tree that was lacking strong growth on one side. If David supplied the grafting whips, RC was happy to do the grafting--RC loves to graft.

Pre-grafts

Proposed Grafting Locations

Ideally, the grafts will take, the roots will thicken, and the nebari will eventually be more even all the way around the base of the tree. It's a little Frankenstein-like--very "mad scientist"--but in the best bonsai way.

We also squeezed in a visit to the chiropractor. Normally we'd borrow a car or Uber and then walk back from Pacific Beach, but Dawn (our new bestie) offered to drop us off since her gym was nearby. She took a class while we had our appointment, and afterward we met up for a ride home. We even had time to run a few errands. 

Naturally, Dawn suggested lunch--and of course, we let her choose. She always knows where to find good, clean food (ignore the fries Ira ordered). 

Pesto Chicken Sando / Organic OG Turkey on Local Sourdough

The Green Thumb

We waited a while for a table, but the food was worth it. Interestingly, many tables were occupied by people working on their laptops and sipping drinks rather than eating. It certainly made The Barista Botanist look busy and popular--so maybe that's was their strategy.

Back in La Jolla, Ira took this short video of David and Dawn's newly repaired pond. Last time we were here, it had a temporary PVC pipe instead of a waterfall. This version is much nicer.

The Inglish Pond

Another big topic in the neighborhood was the large tree that came down during the recent wind storm. The city cleared what was blocking the road, but the rest is up to the homeowner. Yikes.

Tree Down

There's always something interesting to see on our walks, but just in case we needed extra entertainment, David's band, The Voices, had a gig at Beaumonts. Dawn decided to join us-- but first, she wanted dinner.

David was convinced last-minute reservations would be impossible and was ready to grill steaks instead. But Dawn was determined--and successful. We ended up at Catania Coast Italian Restaurant. The atmosphere wasn't fancy, but the food and drinks absolutely were.

I'm making a note here in case I ever see it again: I ordered a Negroni Bianco (gin, Luxardo Bianco, Cocchi Americano), and it was one of the best cocktails I've had in ages.

The rest of the meal was just as memorable.

Wood Roasted Cauliflower
whipped ricotta salata, Fresno chili salmoriglio, pomegranate, red onion, pistachio

Crudo
local tuna, blood orange agrumi, saffron, olive

Ziti alla Genovese
braised beef, caramelized onions, pecorino sardo

Butternut Squash Triangoli
sage, aged balsamic, Parmigiana Reggiano, hazelnut biscotti dust

Black Cod
Sardinian fregola, cioppino, crab, lemon aioli

We also shared a Wagyu Ribeye with fingerling potatoes, gremolata, and charred spring onion butter--David's favorite kind of meal. Dessert was the trio:

Dessert Trio
Almond Panna Cotta / Nutella Semifreddo / Chocolate Nemesis

Then it was off to Beaumonts. 

The Voices

David playing keyboards during "Under My Thumb"

Before leaving town, there was time for one more major repot. Originally, this pine was in a deep pot that didn't quite suit or enhance the tree. Afterward, the shallower pot made a world of difference.

Pine in the original deeper pot

Post repot

With that final project finished, we picked up our rental car and headed to Los Angeles. Ira had an early appointment at the Italian Consulate to submit his paperwork in exchange for his visa, and we were crossing our fingers for a quick turnaround. If it took more than 48 hours, we'd have to rearrange our flights to Edmonton.

So now we wait--hopeful, grateful, and feeling lucky to have filled our days with good friends, good food, and meaningful work.

Fingers crossed!!

Ciao ciao!






























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