No, this isn’t a post about financial investments and chances of getting a return. It is about investment of time and the luck of the weather.

Over the last several months, we’ve invested a lot of time in the landscaping around the house in Aguanga. We’ve added six trees (two olive and four pines) and at almost 20 shrubs. I’ve run drip irrigation lines to them all. We’ve pulled innumerable mustard plants and loco weeds. We’ve mowed and trimmed. I’ve gone after many gopher mounds. We have two goals for all this work: Less effort at maintenance and a prettier property. With each week having more to do, I wonder about the first goal.

Luck is needed for astronomy. Actually, it’s clear skies that are needed but without the luck to have clear skies, there is no astronomy. That’s been the situation over the past six months. I’ve only had a few nights when we’ve been out there without a major Moon and had clear skies. And on those nights, I’ve been whacked out tired from the work on the property.

As we move into Summer, I am hopeful that there will be less maintenance and more clear skies.