Today while at church I asked someone who has far more extensive experience about yards and trees and such than I, for advice on what to do with our tree. He noted that trees are actually far more resilient than we often give them credit for, and that it would likely be okay as long as we could drag it back upright and stake it firmly in place. So this afternoon Richard and I went to Lowe's and tracked down a tree staking kit as well as a pair of tree clippers, and when we got home we hacked off large portions of the tree while it was still on its side and then dragged it back upright and managed to stake it into place. Apparently we are lucky in that it is prime tree pruning time right now anyway, so removing a big chunk of the weight makes it less top heavy and (we hope) less likely to go careening back down again in the (inevitable) next wind storm. I also took this opportunity to hack off a few of the small lower branches of the white peach tree, because it has a pesky tendency to grow branches that actually point down instead of up, and thus make the tree look more like a shrub and less like a tree. Although I should not speak too unkindly of the white peach tree because at least it is recognizably a tree. The pomegranate tree is the most un-treelike tree in our yard because it is just this wild shrubby thing with branches everywhere. I do not know if it ever will resemble a tree at all, but as long as it continues to produce pomegrantes as large and numerous as it currently is doing, it can pretend to be a low-running vine for all I care.

It was Joyful Noise Sunday this morning, which means it was busy. I picked up my dad for recorder group practice (since he's not going to be allowed to drive again for a while) and there were only four of us but I think we sounded pretty good for our size. Choir is also smaller this year than in years previous - not sure if this is just because people are out of town, or if I am not the only one who is starting to really feel like I just need a break. The minister pulled my dad aside after the recorder group played and talked about how quickly and wonderfully he has recovered and everyone gave him a standing ovation, which was unexpected and a bit overwhelming.

There is a new Borders in Vacaville, which opened only a few weeks ago in the new shopping center along the freeway (and as an aside, it is a bit ironic and also extremely annoying that Vacaville can continue to get large retail establishments and lovely shopping areas, while my town has only managed to attract, of all horrible things to attract, a race track), so one of the regular knitting group members suggested we all meet there and check it out. I suggested to Richard that he could go with me because I knew it would be such a hardship for him to have to go hang out in a large, new bookstore for a few hours (not) so he brought along his laptop and we had a healthy lunch of coffee drinks and pastries and I sat with my knitting friends and he sat all by himself at another table and we both had a lovely few hours of doing things we like.