1996

Paul Koebnick has been at Singapore American School for 20 years. What began as his interest in lighting design evolved into his career in theater tech, and the opportunity to mentor hundreds of students!

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2002

As a student, Kate Ryan '02 learned to expect excellence from herself and the people she worked with. As a professional, she can trace much of her success back to the experiences she had as a student at Singapore American School.

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1988

For Singapore American School fitness teacher Ursula Pong, healthy living goes beyond a weekly trip to the gym. Her greatest joy comes from watching students move from the hunt for great abs to a desire to embrace a healthy lifestyle.

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3 Things to Do After a Massage

A massage is a wonderful way to relax, de-stress, and improve your health. Here are some simple tips to help … Continue reading →

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2009

For Singapore American School middle school digital media teacher Ana María Gach, fun is at the heart of learning.

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2001

For Kyle Aldous '02, Singapore American School was an opportunity to discover his potential and use his teachers' support to lay his foundation for future success.

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3 Steps to Installing Pavers

Adding a patio or walkway to your home is a great way to personalize your landscape and extend your living space to the outdoors. Check out these 3 steps below: planning, excavating and installing the pavers!

Image Source: Flickr.com

Planning
A good plan is essential to a successful paver project. Think about where you want your path, driveway, or patio, and then use graph paper to make a scaled drawing of the immediate area. Draw in your paver project. You’ll have to play around with your design a bit, so be sure to use pencil and keep your drawing neat. Your project will need to have adequate drainage if you want it to be safe and durable. You’ll also want to make sure that it slopes away from your house and other structures. To ensure adequate drainage, you should have a slope of at least 1/8″ per linear foot (1/4″ slope per linear foot is often recommended). Source:  wikiHow

Excavating
Keeping in mind the needed slope, now is the time to decide the finished height of the project.
- Use the bottom of a door or any permanent structure that abuts the project as a reference.
- Place stakes at varying intervals along the outline of the project.
- Take a long 2 x 4 and run the board from the abutting structure to a stake. After checking to make sure the board is level, mark the stake at that point, and then make another mark further down the stake based on the determined slope.
- Run strings, tied to the stakes, across the length of the site to indicate the desired finished height.
To lay an adequate amount of crushed aggregate stone base, bedding sand and pavers, excavate the site well below the desired surface height of the project to allow for the base and sand layers. Simply calculate the thickness of the base, sand and paver layers to determine the depth.
After excavating the site, compact the soil with a plate compactor to prepare the surface for the aggregate base. Remove any standing water, rocks or other protrusions. Any bump or depression at this or any level will become visible in the finished project.
If the soil is clay, place a geotextile layer over the exposed soil and up the sides of the excavated area. This will provide additional stability for the base. Source:  Grounds-Mag

Installing the Pavers
Lay the pavers down with the rough surface facing upward. This will give the courtyard more of a natural stone look. Place a straight edge along the length of the pavers just laid. By tapping gently with a rubber mallet, you are able to keep the pavers nice and flat.
- Continue screeding the sand bed one section at a time before laying the next area of pavers. Once laid, the pavers provide an excellent area to work without upsetting the newly screeded sand bed.
- Continue screeding and laying pavers, leaving the area for the fountain open.
- Position four cinderblocks where the fountain base will sit, making sure they are level. These foundation blocks will help distribute the weight of the fountain and prevent uneven sinking or wobbling. Using a hammer and cold chisel, score the pavers along the line. If there are large areas where pavers need to be cut to size, a more modern technique can be used with a diamond blade wet saw.
- Add a small DIY restraining wall along the flowerbeds burring the pavers in an upright position. This is an inexpensive, effective and attractive way to keep dirt and water from spilling over into the courtyard. Source: DIYNetwork

Contact:
Kerrisdale Roofing & Drains
8279 Ross St, Vancouver, BC V5X 4W1
(604) 360-2114

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How Veteran Real Estate Investors Buy Homes At A Bargain, *Hint* It’s NOT About The Price

 

 

 

It’s NOT About The Price! 

 

When I met a veteran real estate investor a few years ago, that was when I learned that’s NOT about the price.  Unlike the typical real estate buyer or the so called “investor” who cares about lowballing and buying below tax assesssed and getting the property at below market value, the Veteran Real Estate Investors don’t always think like that.

They think differently.  They think outside of the box.  They think about terms.  

 

 

What?  What do you mean?  Isn’t it about the price?

 

That’s what I thought too.   But, often veteran real estate investors are willing to pay market value or EVEN ABOVE MARKET VALUE if the terms are favorable.  

 

What do you mean if the terms are favorable?

 

What if you could get the seller to give you a mortgage at an incredibly low interest rate?  That would be called a vendor take back mortgage, a term that describes a seller giving you a mortgage so you if you can’t your banks to give you money or give you a good rate, the seller would give you that mortgage and you’d be making your mortgage payments to the seller, either weekly, bi-weekly or monthly or whatever you guys agree to.  

The post How Veteran Real Estate Investors Buy Homes At A Bargain, *Hint* It’s NOT About The Price appeared first on Gary Wong Realty Vancouver, BC.

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Happy Memorial Day Weekend!

 

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The New Ipsento Coffee Is A Chicago Destination

Just in time for summer, the second Ipsento Coffee location is now open for business, located conveniently adjacent to The 606 elevated trail that runs through Chicago’s Wicker Park and Logan Square neighborhoods. This is the second cafe from Chicago independent roaster / retailer Ipsento, and it’s twice as large as the brand’s first location, full of glorious natural light and serving up craft beer, cocktails, and house-made donuts alongside Ipsento’s own line of coffees.

The much-loved independent coffee shop’s first location is a staple in Chicago’s Bucktown neighborhood. Owners Tim and Mandi Taylor took ownership from the original tenants ub 2009, and couldn’t even afford to change the name. In the years since, the Taylors have grown Ipsento into a homegrown Chicago coffee destination, with expanded roasting and training facilities and and wholesale production of around 1,000 lbs. of coffee a week. All this while doing business in a tiny space with room for just a lone espresso machine, leading to out-the-door lines every weekend.

Their second space couldn’t be more different. Ipsento’s spacious new shop sits at the crossroads of bike superhighway Milwaukee Avenue and the 606 Trail. Similar to Manhattan’s High Line, The 606 is an elevated railroad line (and beacon for coffee) that was transformed to a public walking, biking and running path last year. If you’re familiar with Ipsento’s cozy vibe, the lovingly mismatched furniture and its bright blue walls, expect a completely different experience when you step inside Ipsento 606. “Both share the same vision and a passion for craft, quality and engaging people,” said general manager Harris Nash, “but each of the spaces are completely unique.”

If it feels like Ipsento had some budget to play with for their new cafe, well, it’s true. A whopping $130,000 was raised via the crowdfunding site Bolstr—in less than 2 hours—which, paired with additional private investment and bank loans, helped make leasing their new 1,800-square-foot spot a reality last fall. Build-out occurred through the cold Chicago winter, and they’re now open just in time for sunny summer walks on the 606.

The interior feels clean, clutter-free and open, with all-white espresso machines, white quartz countertops and white walls, an original tin ceiling (a staple of old Chicago buildings) and wood ash counters. Even the grinders (by Mahlkonig USA) are color-coded, in matte white and jet black. Great care was taken in designing the custom bar to reduce the visibility of equipment and open up the space. The front and side brick walls were opened up to install massive windows.

Anticipating high traffic, Taylor knew he’d need more than one espresso machine and a few baristas to keep up. To serve both on-the-go customers who pop in from the trail and those who want to sit and savor their coffee, Ipsento 606 has three espresso machines. Two are rare-in-Chicago Slayers, the same espresso machine at Ipsento’s other location. The third is the magnificent hidden-from-sight ModBar. Most of the guts of the machine live under the counter, with just three handles exposed on top. Think beer taps, except the handles dispense espresso, steamed milk and pour-over coffee. Ipsento will station their most experienced baristas behind this $14,000 coffee brewing station to offer slow coffee service.

Though strict city regulations prevented building out a patio or installing a walk-up window, Ipsento 606 is located right next to one of the trail’s entry points and conjoining parks. The small public park essentially serves an extension of the space. Folks can also expect some nice snacks, with Food Director Marina Holter offering a signature no-yeast sweet potato mini donut, fried in coconut oil in a machine unironically called the Donut Robot Mark II. It can crank out 150 mini donuts an hour.

By early evening, two of the espresso machines will go quiet. Ipsento will transform to full bar, complete with cocktails program from Longman & Eagle vet Chad Hague, and several beers on draft. Local taps will include beers from Begyle Brewing, where Ipsento brews their nitro coffee and Hopewell Brewing, which uses Ipsento in their coffee stout. They other taps will include craft beers from around the country. One Slayer will remain on duty throughout the night, and Most of the staff will be split between daytime baristas and nighttime bartenders, depending on their expertise. “I don’t want to be a coffee shop that serves beer,” Tim Taylor said. “Everyone we serve, we want to serve them well.”

Meanwhile over in Bucktown, the original location isn’t going anywhere and nothing’s changing—except for its name. Now that coffee shop has two locations, the first spot will be called Ipsento Western. You can still swing by at any time and enjoy a Garrison Keillor sandwich with your coffee. And maybe a shorter line? Ipsento’s new cafe is going to be a city-wide destination here in Chicago, so here’s hoping their cozy, neighborhood-y original cafe earns a respite from the hordes.

Betsy Mikel (@betsym) is a freelance writer based in Chicago. Read more Betsy Mikel on Sprudge.

Photos courtesy Ipsento Coffee.

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Wings

13th Lake before the wild times hit

If winter seems to trudge past on slush-clogged snowshoes, then spring flies by on the flickering wings of the hustling hummingbirds.

How did it come to be Memorial Day weekend, when just 17 days ago it froze hard and snowed in some areas?

It never seems quite comprehensible, but somehow we get it figured out, only to have it all change again a couple of months from now.

Meanwhile, we spent the weekend well. Alan took Becky and me to the mountains Saturday afternoon. We toured around a bit and then he introduced us to 13th Lake.

Wowsa what a place! We could get there by car to park in a wood-sheltered alcove ringing with birds I didn't recognize. Three loons dove and paddled right near the shoreline.

The lake was tranquil, but it was very much the calm before the storm.

We started a quick hike to a nice observation point farther up the lake. As we carefully picked our way among stones and protruding roots, the wind began to kick up.

And up.

And up.

Soon the little lake was a froth of whitecaps, row on row, chasing each other down the shore. 

Kayakers scrambled in its howling face. Big drops splatted around us....I tried to get Alan to hurry to the car with the camera and binoculars, but he wouldn't leave me behind.

Still we all made it without getting seriously wet and had a great time. 

Hope we get back there someday...there is talk of taking the canoe. 

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1983

For Dr. Vicki Rogers, Singapore American School and her family are one in the same. Dr. Rogers attended SAS as a student and now teaches at SAS. Her son is now a student at SAS as well!

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River Park Place – Phase 2 coming to Richmond

Following the success of Intracorp’s One River Park Place, we are pleased to bring you and your clients the newest addition to Richmond’s riverfront Oval Village. RPP II will be Richmond’s brightest new neighbourhood and will feature the most sought-after amenities within minutes, while paving the way with progressive and illuminating technological details.

RPP II will feature 127 vibrant one, two and three bedroom homes. Views of the mountains, the river or the city centre will celebrate both the natural setting to the north, and a bustling epicentre of amenities to the south. Without even leaving your front door, Intracorp’s quality and industry-leading excellence is proven with state-of-the-art recording and practice rooms, a business centre, games and study rooms – all within steps – and all part of the luxury amenities at RPP II. Also enjoy a peaceful yoga room, an innovative gym space, and the ultimate car wash.

The post River Park Place – Phase 2 coming to Richmond appeared first on Vancouver New Condos.

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Remember

I am waiting until the mosquitoes burn off to go out an water the plants. Right now, as the sun moves over the horizon, way, way to the north, they are pretty aggressive. When it gets going for real they will be beaten into submission and I can work in the yard without being on the menu.

Meanwhile, I am thinking about America and Memorial Day and all that it means.

Thanks to having worked some of the time as a writer for the past decade and three quarters, I have covered about every topic you can think of, including Pearl Harbor. (You have to dig pretty deep to get a thousand words a week, every single week. I don't remember how I tied it to agriculture, but I do remember being pleased with the column. I got to interview real people who had real knowledge of the topic.)

Anyhow, my mother and her cousins truly remember Pearl Harbor...remember playing upstairs at Grandma's and hearing the shock and horror from the adults downstairs when the news came....over the radio I imagine. They remember family members being called away....

Their generation gets it. Understands the sacrifices the people of our nation and other nations who were our allies suffered to save the world from monsters.

My own generation has the handed down memories.....we can and have talked to those who lived the nightmare and saw triumph over it.......and we had our own wars, some of them futile, to reflect upon. We are, after all, the Baby Boomers, born in celebration of the end of that horrendous war.

So we get the crosses and the flags and the solemnity of the day. Our hearts lift when we see the flag flying or hear a high school band playing in the little parade that winds through town.

We remember.

And then there are those who would drag a big eraser across all that was given and sacrificed and suffered, and forget the deeds that were done under the dark light of despair to save the world from true tyranny.  They would rewrite history to favor the folks who brought the battle to us.....they don't get it I guess, maybe because they have an agenda to put forward....or maybe they don't have the stories from their elders to put it all in perspective.

At any rate, what a shame that such a serious and solemn holiday should be marred by bitter controversy....as it has been this year.

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Carpe Canem

Ren and the Not Ren

What a day yesterday was. I love May anyhow..... trying to cram as much into every day as I can. Yesterday was a little over the top though....

I had just finished hanging some sheets on the line and stopped to weed the new flower bed  when I heard a sound behind me. 

I turned to look, and there was a tall, golden, dog, standing under the big spruce, and pausing to look around as if confused.....

Speaking of confused...for a minute I thought it was Ren, the kids' dog. Her daytime kennel run is right where this dog had just come from and it looked so much like her.

I called, tentatively......"Ren?"

And the dog jogged away on long, loping legs, like a cheetah on the Serengeti. 

Not Ren.

It was a tall, lean dog and looked wild, every rib an anatomy lesson. It was tattered and battered and torn, but it did and still does look familiar, as if maybe it has been in a Facebook lost dog post at sometime. I followed it hoping to get a pic with my phone but it was just gone.

I posted a description on FB and told the family to BOLO.

When the boss came home it was back, trying to drink from the garden pond. Alan went out to see it and it cornered itself right in the horse yard with Sunny. Not a good plan as the latter is no fan of dogs. Thus Becky put Sunny in the barn and Ren in the house, and Alan gave the wild dog water and a can of food. Loved the water; spurned the food.

He couldn't get closer than 20 feet or so from it, as it trotted and loped nervously up and down the fence. The horse yard is fenced with page wire and cattle panel, so the gate is the only easy ingress and egress. We stood at the gate so it wouldn't leave.

Our local dog warden was called and said he would be right down to pick it up. Thus began one of the coolest things I have ever seen. 

That nice young man spent at least an hour....probably more like over two....patiently talking to the dog, cajoling it with treats and creeping up on it, crouched on his haunches. He covered that yard over and over again, hunkered down at dog height, gently offering friendship, trust, and food to the poor animal.

Talk about a dog whisperer. 

The warden discovered that someone, at sometime, had taught it to sit on command and got it to do so. It wanted to let him touch it so badly, desperately, wagging the tip of its twisted, loopy, tail in a tiny, wistful flutter. It couldn't seem to surrender its safety to someone it didn't know..... it was just too terrified

Then finally, almost suddenly, the loop of the leash was around its neck. As so very often happens with free-running formerly pet dogs, it instantly seemed to sigh with relief and turn from feral wild thing to somebody's lost pet. It trotted calmly beside him down to the truck, and when he patted the tailgate it tried to jump up in the back of the truck.....

How I hope there is a good ending to this story. The dog was taken, I believe, to Ayers Memorial Animal Shelter where it will be evaluated and cared for. Hopefully someone will get all the ticks off and feed its bony body and treat its paws, which were worn and torn right down to bloody flesh and nubs of nails.

Hopefully some caring someone just lost it, rather than discarded it to find its own way, and there will be a happy reunion.

At any rate, we will surely be watching to see what happens. I already was following the shelter on Facebook....now I will make a point of it.

Mad props to Brian Alling, our town warden on a job very well done. 

Good wishes to the poor nameless boy...he looked like a George to me.....I hope it all turns out well for him.

Safer now......

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The Historic Panama Hotel: A Seattle Cafe Treasure

Step into the Historic Panama Hotel Tea & Coffee House and you’ll take a journey through Japanese-American history. Located in Seattle’s historic International District, a short jaunt from downtown tourist attractions and sports stadiums, the Panama Hotel and its namesake cafe are reminders of love and loss in a time of war.

Built in 1910 by Japanese architect Sabro Ozasa, the hotel and its cafe were designed to be a community gathering place in Seattle’s old Nihonmachi (Japantown). The hotel remains fully functional, but what is most notable about the space is a window in the cafe floor that offers a glimpse into the past. From here, while waiting on a latte or herbal tea, visitors can view unclaimed personal effects and valuables stored by locals before they were escorted to internment camps.

In 1942, in response to the attack on Pearl Harbor, a United States executive order relocated Japanese residents, regardless of citizenship, to camps. Locals turned to the Panama Hotel for a secure place to hide their personal belongings.

Willow Hasbrook, the cafe’s only full-time barista, says area residents “hid their things down here so the people sending them to the internment camps couldn’t sell them or keep them.” Some of them never returned to the area. “Either the owner had passed away or their business was taken over,” says Hasbrook, “or they felt very unhappy with the American government and left without ever coming back to take their things.”

Tours of the hotel are available by appointment, but “no one can go into that room,” says Hasbrook, as a means to preserve what history remains. Jan Johnson, the building’s owner, received a preservation grant from the National Park Service to ensure this piece of Seattle history stays intact. In 2006, the Panama Hotel was designated a National Historic Landmark and, in 2015, the space was designated a National Treasure by the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

Views from the cafe floor reveal dust-covered wooden crates, abandoned clothing, stacks of books, and furniture. Further down, in the basement, is the only remaining Japanese bathhouse (“sento”) in the country. It served Seattle’s Japanese community until 1950, though it is preserved and group tours are available for a fee.

Throughout the cafe is a gallery of historic photos and additional collectibles, though it seems most people who walk through the wooden door are regulars, and Hasbrook knows them by name.

“We get [more] tea requests,” Hasbrook admits. Lavazza is the house coffee at Panama, but the impressive display of tea varieties is clearly the focus here. “Of what we have right now, my favorite is the Golden Chamomile Blossom—literally chamomile blossoms without anything added. It’s delicious…it’s very smooth and has a hint of sweetness.” Hasbrook definitely has a sweet tooth: “I’m a pastry chef by trade,” she says, noting her degree in baking and pastry arts from Johnson & Wales University.

From sweet to earthy, Panama serves Rishi Tea in black, white, green, and oolong varieties, while the coffee menu is comparatively straightforward: drip is served only until midafternoon, but espresso beverages are available until closing at night. Complementing the beverage menu is an assortment of pastries from local vendors (Hasbrook notes the hotel “wasn’t designed with a kitchen”).

What the building lacks in modern perks, it makes up for in charm. Wooden floors creak under foot, and exposed brick walls add to the ambience of this quiet retreat in the city. Free Wi-Fi (okay, there’s a modern perk) encourages guests to lounge at length in wicker chairs plumped up with decorative cushions. Occasional jazz performances bring people together in the evenings.

Even passersby can get a glimpse of the Panama’s importance to the community thanks to the hotel’s storefront window display on the corner of Main and Sixth. Aging photographs of the bathhouse, hotel rooms, and storage vault hang from the ceiling, while additional crates and memorabilia are encased for public viewing. “I believe these are some of the things that were left behind,” says Hasbrook, as we examine the artifacts in one window. Another window displays documentation of the hotel’s history and status as a landmark.

The cultural significance of the Panama Hotel Tea & Coffee House has not gone unnoticed. It’s a central setting in the 2009 bestselling historical novel Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet, written by Jamie Ford. Now a documentary film is in production, with owner Jan Johnson working alongside producers Big Story Group to bring the Panama’s history to audiences worldwide. A preview of the film The Panama Hotel Story: Preserving the Panama Hotel Legacy is available here.

Johnson bought the building in the mid-’80s and has worked to preserve this piece of Japanese-American history for the Seattle community and beyond. A grant from the National Park Service has helped ensure the Panama Hotel remains intact and open for public appreciation—important work, considering it’s Seattle’s only official National Treasure.

The Historic Panama Tea & Coffee House is located at 607 South Main Street, Seattle. Visit their official website and follow them on Facebook.

Lori May is an author, poet, editor, and writing instructor based in the Pacific Northwest. A Pushcart Prize nominee, May’s work has appeared in the Atlantic, Writer’s Digest, Los Angeles Review, Midwestern Gothic, and many more. This is Lori May’s first feature for Sprudge.

The post The Historic Panama Hotel: A Seattle Cafe Treasure appeared first on Sprudge.

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Coffee Astrology: Free Coffee Horoscopes From Sprudge

Can you feel it? A gust of solar wind skips across the rings of Saturn; a vapor flares off the desert floor of some distant, desolate moon. The Universe has power over us all, in life, love, and of course, coffee. The celestial symphony sings to you today in the latest installment of our Coffee Horoscopes. Settle in with a cup of cosmos and open your heart to the drip…drip…drip of knowledge and truth from the great beyond.

Gemini – May 22 – June 21

Social, hard to predict, sometimes Gemini can be guilty of asking the universe for an unreachable request, like a whole milk latte without the fat. But this month—the month of your celestial creation—I predict your unique set of skills and outlook on life will be greeted and embraced by the world around you. Are you up for a promotion, or looking for a new job? Schedule that interview or audition. With Jupiter and the Sun in harmony, I see bonuses, success, and a kind of cosmic deliciousness coming your way that not even the heavens can predict. What I’m saying is, for the coming month, those cappuccino calories won’t count.

Cancer (June 22 – July 22)

Mercury, Mars, Pluto, and Jupiter are all out of phase for you this month, Cancer. Does that sound familiar? Like the plans circling above you, we see that the most important satellites in your orbit are currently undergoing a time of strife. Perhaps it’s a close family member, a best friend, or even your most intimately cherished partner. Whoever they may be, their need for centering and comfort has never been greater, and the time is now for you to care for them, Cancer. Put your future on hold, align your needs with theirs, and talk out the troubles over a delicious cup of coffee, brewed lovingly and by hand. Do this, Cancer, and know that the cosmos will return the favor sevenfold in the months to come.
Leo (July 23 -August 21)

Your tenth house is full of happy celestial bodies this month, Leo, with Venus, Mercury, the Sun, and the new moon all getting in on the party. That means it’s time to cut loose, let your lion mane down for a bit, and celebrate the good feelings that are swirling all around you. Your life this month is like some gossamer evening of untold possibility; you feel awake and full of life, as though you’ve just had a nice cup of coffee at 5pm. Go forth, Leo, because this is your time to bask in the sun, fall in love beneath the Venusian glow, and save a secret for the moon.

Virgo (August 22 – September 23)

Playful, cheerful, charming Virgo, the coffee world looks to you for delicious energy. The Sun and Jupiter are currently helping you get ahead in all areas governed by the ninth house, the house of intellect, which means this might be a great time to debut that new brew method you’ve been trying out. Or maybe you just want everyone to be happy, like an affable batch brew. Just don’t do so at your own detriment. Share coffee with people you love, but from time to time, brew up a cup for yourself to enjoy, or drink a solo cappuccino in the morning sun.

Libra (September 24 – October 23)

Careful now, Libra. It’s fine to count your blessings, just be sure to knock on wood as you do so. Success, contentment, inner peace, drive, attenuation, harmonious relationships—all of these are possible this month for the Libra, but all of them are balanced precariously, and the ever-moving scales of your sign threaten discord at a moment’s whim. Jupiter is the planet of good fortune, and the sun is in Taurus, making for balance with all of those around you. But the universe shifts on a subtle whim…be blessed, be present, and own your inner balancing act, Libra. For like a perfectly grown, picked, shipped, roasted, ground, pulled, and served shot of espresso, the endless precarious variables that surround us must work in harmony to achieve bliss.

Scorpio (October 24 – November 22)

In a certain kind of celestial parlance, a “contactee” is someone who has experienced visitation from a visitor not of our world. For our purposes this month we don’t mean little green men, Scorpio, but we do see you as cosmically ripe to become a different sort of contactee in the coming weeks. The new moon drives your fifth house to start the month, before waxing towards the seventh house, the one that drives new experiences and deep connections. Will you fall in love with somebody new, Scorpio? Who can say. Perhaps it’ll be a more immediate sort of contact, like a coffee jumping off the cupping table with riotous notes, or a shot of espresso that makes stop, reflect, and wonder on the many forms love can take.

For the admirers of Scorpio out there reading this, take heed: shit gets deep this month. Be ready to ride the flavor wave.

Sagittarius (November 23 – December 22)

Mars has been hanging out in Sagittarius all throughout this spring, and for the ever-optimistic Sagittarius, this could be a time of great progress. But it’s also a time for the universe to focus on you, and that’s happening in several ways. Cosmically speaking, you’re the hottest new cafe in town, and everyone is buzzing about you in admiration. But emotionally speaking, perhaps you’re more like cold brew: a source of both love and scorn, a lightning rod for all sorts of conversation, and maybe, just maybe, a new leader for a thirsty people.

Capricorn (December 23 – January 20)

The picture is hazy for you this month, Capricorn, because the cosmos foretell a great many new experiences coming your way. That makes it tough to get a read on where you’ll land when it comes through, but perhaps that’s the fun of it. In the short term, stick to what you know: if you’re a batch brew drinker, keep ordering that; if you’ve got an AeroPress recipe dialed in, don’t futz with it. Surprises are in store but they’re entirely out of your hands, Cap. Go with it and be receptive to the adventure.

Aquarius (January 21 – February 19)

Mercury looms large for you this month, Aquarius, and with it the promise of big news on the horizon. Have you been waiting to hear about a certain cafe promotion? Is there a particular coffee you’re hoping to snag off the green market? Maybe you’re up for an award, or waiting on an exciting new hire to say yes. Whatever it is, Mars is coming, and it’s no time to plug your ears. Stay woke, Aquarius, with a cup of coffee in hand, because our time is right now, here in the morning of our lives.

Pisces (February 20- March 20)

You’re overseeing a full house of celestial influences this month, Pisces, with Venus, Mercury, the Sun, and then new moon all vying for your attention. The end result? You may be veering away from the tradition and experiencing new and exciting forms of beverage consumption. This is a sweet period for you, Pisces, a time of pellet ice and two-pump syrup, or heck, even an almond milk mocha. A new and exciting universe dwells within you, Pisces. And for your coffee future? We see a frappuccino.

Aries (March 21 – April 20)

Money. Cash. Broccoli. Cheddar. Bank. Cheese. Bills. Your mind is on your money and your money is on your mind this month, Aries, even though your modest nature feels a bit embarrassed by it all. That’s because your second house of earned income is being driven by the sun, the new moon, Mercury, and Venus, which makes this month arguably the most important financial block of your entire year.

We can’t tell you what that means in practical terms, except to say, if you can pay down that credit card this month, do it now. If making coffee at home this month makes a difference in your pocketbook, make that choice. And if the opposite is true—if you’re stacking fat cash and rolling in the deep—well, your favorite coffee bar is open now, Aries, and a nice anonymous deposit in the tip jar could go a long way towards a gust of karmic wind from the cosmos.

Taurus (April 21 – May 21)

Taurus, your first house is overflowing in celestial bodies right now—thy cupping table runneth over with emotions, desires, and determination. The new moon is in harmony with Jupiter, and that can mean big fun for your closest relationships, as well as a catalyst for you to socialize with the world and make new friends. You’ve got a lot to offer right now, Taurus, but you must decide how your emotional and celestial fresh crop will be brewed.

Original Zodiac coffee sign art by Murphy Maxwell (@murphymaxwell) for Sprudge.com. Some rights reserved, but not all rights, because man is not meant to reserve all rights.

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May Be Busy

From robins screaming at four in the morning when the sun is just rolling over in bed and thinking about grabbing five more winks to a Grey Fox noodling across the lawn early in the evening, May be busy.

There are plants to move and gardens to plant. Hooray for putting house plants outside. This is their season to shine. The boss has been working to get the hay mow leveled up and straightened around so this year's crop can be made and stored away.

After several go rounds of doing that yesterday he helped me get the beans and onions in too. Jade had the ground worked up really nice, so it went quite well. It was nice to have help....he has always been too busy farming to take an interest in the garden. Sure went fast with two sets of hands.

Meanwhile, Alan and I planted a new flower bed under the kitchen window, which the boss had spaded up for me. Syracuse colors of course, with a few other odds and ends thrown in. It is a real treat for both me and the robins, which love that I water it every day and bring the worms up for them.

The bird I put on the ID group last week, known only by its endless song, was indeed an American Redstart. I saw his lady yesterday a dozen times...there may even be two ladies and two of him too. How cool is that? Nabbed Tree Swallows yesterday for the list too. I know everyone else has them by the dozen, but the d^$%ed House Sparrows drive them away from here.

Lambs go in. Lambs go out. The big sheep do the same. Roosters crow, large and small, deep in voice or shrill as a dentist's drill; they go at it all day long. The tom turkey gobbles in the barn, while the wild ones strut on the hill. The grass is so tall now, all you can see are heads and fanning tails. The old cows and the big heifer wander across the same hill eating and resting in the shade. The love being at grass and I love seeing them there. A pasture without cows is just a tall lawn.

Chipmunk battles are ongoing...they are winning by sheer numbers. We shoot various things at carpenter bees, as well as whacking them with hats and the tennis racket. There is going to be some painting done pretty soon I think.

Dogs must be watched for overheating. Mack is full of stupid and would run until he dropped if I didn't keep an eye on him.

What with so much that is interesting going on outdoors it is hard to sit still inside. May be busy after all, and with a lot of good things at that. 

I was rewarding myself with a sit on the porch counting birds when urocyon cinereoargenteus strolled out onto the lawn. I stood up with the camera to wait for him to cross the driveway.
Instead he popped out of the corn lilies right next to the house...just a few yards away, and stared at me in amazement when he heard the camera turn on.
He didn't seem too worried.....

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