Neighborhood Tidbits; Brandon

Last month, consumer prices rose at their fastest rate since 2023.

Tomatoes have become nearly 40 percent more expensive in a year. 

I'm glad that my tomato plants are doing very well.  

Maybe I should plant some more. 

Happily, as of yesterday, spuds AND three pumpkin seeds are in the ground. 

Every time something looks dire economically, I say to myself, "Better plant some more potatoes."

Well, I have this time. 

Brandon Clarke and his high school basketball coach after a ZAGS game at the Jenny Craig Center in 2019. 

It's a quick lesson, but it's been long lasting and more meaningful than ever after yesterday's shocking news about the death of ZAGS standout and Memphis Grizzlies basketball player Brandon Clarke. 

In 2019, Bill and I, and several others from this area, attended a ZAGS game in San Diego at the Jenny Craig Center. 

The ZAGS won, and since we were in no big hurry to get back to our motel, we stayed afterward and waited in the parking lot for the team to come out of the gym to board their bus. 

While waiting, we met a nice man who told us he had been Brandon Clarke's basketball coach in high school.  He had driven over from Phoenix to watch the game and was anxious to say hello to Brandon. 

We also met some young ladies from Japan who were super Rui fans.  They had brought a Japanese flag and had come to see Rui Hachimura. They even had  images of Rui in their nail polish. 

So, there was a lot of expectation among those of us waiting. I was anxious to take some photos.  

As the players started arriving in the parking lot, I started snapping photos but soon realized that I had never used my iPhone in that much darkness. 

Those first photos were all blurry. 

As I was about to take a picture of Brandon and his coach, the awareness of my ineptitude for taking photos in the dark with an iPhone became very clear as I complained while trying to get a decent picture. 

Before any more photo attempts, Brandon asked for my phone and showed me the technique. 

Happily, the resulting photo with him and his coach turned out okay as did several others. 

It was a quick interlude with one of my favorite ZAG players, but the moment and the camera lesson were lasting.  

A young star on the basketball court took time to teach an old lady fumbling with her iPhone how it's done in darkness. 

At that moment, Brandon's star turned brighter in my mind.  I was even more thrilled later when he joined the Memphis Grizzlies.

So, like everyone else who followed and admired Brandon Clarke, I was stunned to learn of his death. 

The ZAG Nation is grieving today. 

So sad. 

May this young man rest in peace. 

They often say, "This is not who we are." 

With the example below and with endless others, sadly, this is who we will be.

From the  President of the United States

 TRUMP: We have a ballroom that's under budget. It's going up right here. I've doubled the size of it because we obviously need that. 

 REPORTER: The price doubled. 

 TRUMP: I doubled the size of it, you dumb person. You are not a smart person.

I love hearing the sound down the lane in the shed when Bill is using his wood splitter. 

I think wood harvest and stacking will go a lot faster this year. 

Our neighbor Peter stopped as I was walking the road while retrieving the paper this morning. 

"Did you get a picture?" he asked. 

The question puzzled me for a moment until I realized that Peter follows the blog and recognizes many of the photos I take around the neighborhood. 

I had just taken a photo of a weed but it wasn't that successful because I had taken it quickly. 

So, yes, I got a picture:  Peter sitting in his pickup and visiting before going off to do some disking. 

"I have sausages cooking," I told him, "and they take eight minutes, so I have to go."

My morning walk to the paper box and down the road usually lasts long enough for those sausages to cook, so I like to stay on schedule. 

The air fryer let out a ping when I walked in the door, so the sausages were ready. 

After my sausage explanation, Peter wished me a nice day and told me to say hello to Bill. 

Nice neighborly moment along the road.

Happy Wednesday, and let's all practice being nice. 

The recipients of your goodwill feel much better.

After all, this IS who we are!