Today is trash day, and as I looked up, through my kitchen window, the great green behemoth paused at my curb to empty the black garbage bin. Huge sign on the side said, "CLEAN AIR VEHICLE". And though it is as noisy and clanky as ever, I realized that it wasn't putting out huge clouds of choking exhaust. I don't know if LPG vehicles have cleaner emissions, but they sure smell a whole lot better.

A couple of mockingbirds showed up this morning on the tree and light post in front of my house. The finches were all a-twitter (yes, that word still applies to birds), and as far as I could tell from watching the interactions, the mockingbirds' sole intent was to harass the finches. The finch feeders don't serve larger birds (hanging 'socks' filled with nyjer seed); finally bored with their fun and finding no food, they flew away. (Enough alliteration for you?)

Last night we went to Pacific Palisades to help out with an Organizing for Action phone bank (we used our personal cell phones to do the calling). The message was to invite people to a showing of a documentary on Immigration Reform and the Dreamers, and to encourage people to call their congressman (phone number supplied), whatever their position.

A large number of calls went to voice mail. I wonder if many people, like me, don't answer calls from numbers they don't recognize. Of the people who did answer, most were willing to call their congressman, even if they weren't able to attend the showing of the documentary.

It was a good way for me to support a cause, and in addition to start getting past the phobia I have about voice phone calls at the same time. A twofer!

We're still blessed with June gloom this morning. The tomatoes are loving this weather and have produced lots of little green marbles. The sole surviving eggplant is doing well, too. I've been able to harvest two zucchini and two yellow squash, so they also seem to be in production mode for now.

So...how are things in your neck of the woods?