This is one of the perfect succulents mentioned the other day in Explosive. It is hanging over a planter just off the sidewalk. The rain has stopped, leaving everything clean and beautiful.

My theory on why there are so many perfect succulents in Morro Bay. It’s only a theory, but I suspect it’s true. Two reasons. The first is climate. Except for the cold weather we’re having at the moment, the climate is mild. It’s been cold lately, but our huge population of homeless people are simply bundling up a bit more. It drops into the 40s, which is cold for me, but it never seems to drop down into freezing, thanks to the ocean’s moderating influence. So, no one is complaining, they are just putting up with it. Also, the ocean air is moist, which I think succulents like. Second, and this is a bit more controversial, is the mix of adults and seniors, and the rarity of children. The children who do live in Morro Bay seem abnormally polite and well mannered. They haven’t had the opportunity to band into groups of marauding teens, or to play on their own until their parents come home. With a different mix of young people the plants would be subject to sword fights, petty larceny and trampling. But none of the young people here seems to have thought that plants deserve such treatment. A broken flower suggests that a dog has been searching for something, though even the dogs around here seem polite and well behaved.

At least, that’s my theory. Personally, I would trade a great many succulents for a few more children. We could use some excited screams and high pitched laughter before dinner. We could find out what’s really going on if we had more children to explain things to us.