All of the rain in early part of this month and warm sunny days following, have made the garden bloom with some beautiful colors. The Peonies are ready to burst out of their buds in all their glory, and the Georgia peaches and Japanese persimmons look like they're off to a nice start. I wonder just how many will ripen for me to enjoy before the squirrels get to them. It should be a good race.

Booboo and Dustin were out and enjoying the sun today. Seeing them in these photos, I realize that they're getting old. Dustin has always been easy going, but Booboo, the wild and crazy one, has slowed quite a bit from just a year ago. Booboo, Dusty! I luv u... dawgs!(?)

I stopped in to see Frank, my press printer, while driving through town today. I hadn't seen him in quite some time, and wanted to see how he was doing. Frank and I sat and chatted a bit about family and business—I was happy to learn that all was well at home and that his business was quite busy. And too, that he was still into glancing at screens full of stock tickers, every chance he gets.

I'm not much into stocks, so I didn't know exactly what he was looking at, but wondered just how many of the dozens of tickers, on three monitors, he actually had some interest in. At one point, one of the tickers seemed to catch his attention. He picked up a sample pack of new business cards and slid it over on the desk toward me to keep me busy for a minute or two. "Take a look at these. They're new." He said, then swiveled around and zoomed in on one of the screens. I shrugged and picked up the pack of cards and thumbed through them while contemplating the ironic coincidence behind Frank's obsession with stocks. How he can't seem to keep his eyes off of the computer screens full of stocks, then working all day with all types and weights of paper stocks.

97 lb Vellum, full color with blind emboss. 88 lb Strathmore, foil embossed and flat black ink. 130 lb Classic Crest, full color, rounded corners. None that I hadn't seen before and none that seemed all that new. Then I came across a card in the sample pack, a paper stock of which my fingers have never felt. And it felt...so nice, so elegant. The stock, smooth as if it were coated with fine, microscopic powder, a coating non-glossy, more matte, but not rag. It had nice reflex character and a pleasant "ting" when flicked with a finger, but didn't feel like plastic. I felt it again and again, and flicked the card several times. 15 pt. Silk Laminate with spot coating. I figured that the spot was the clear UV coating over print or illustration. Nice shine on the spot, too. No imperfections or rippling, the coating had clean edges and was the best that I've seen.

I had to get it. "How much is this card?" I asked Frank. "I don't know, I just got the samples yesterday. I have to look in to it." He replied without turning, his chin still resting in one hand. "I'm gonna go. Got work to do." I told Frank as I got up. "Oh, and I'll email you a layout of some new cards. I like this one." I held out the 15 pt. Silk Laminate. Frank turned around, lowered his bifocals to the tip of his nose and reached out to retrieve the card. He inspected it at arm's length, checking the front and back, then murmured satisfied, "That's a nice card..."

And it was, it certainly was. Now, I have stocks on MY mind. Thanks, Frank.

Guess what? I got a fever! And the only prescription is more... 15pt. Silk Laminate(?) - Research "More Cowbell"