Thursday, 21 January 2010
I guess this is about the northern limit of the outdoor range of the saw palmetto (Serenoa repens)—at least I think this is a saw palmetto!—but somehow it does pretty well through the winter. I get fascinated by the way the fan part connects to the stem (not correct botanical terms, I’m sure).
Wednesday, 20 January 2010
D’s super salad—grapefruit and avocado over baby spinach, with a scrumptious dressing.
Second day in a row of lusciously warm weather, accompanied by the prediction that the rain is coming.
We got in some porch time with the neighbors this evening, enjoying the fading warmth.
Tuesday, 19 January 2010
We sure seem to be right in the middle of the Sad Season.
I’m very sorry to hear of the passing of Robert B. Parker, who invented the detectives Spenser, Jesse Stone, and Sunny Randall.
The list of those we’ve lost in the last few days, even not including Haiti, is long. Winters, I think, are rough in general….
Monday, 18 January 2010
Sunshine plus special holiday equals busy Piedmont Park. Even though you don’t see anyone in this shot!
I’ve never seen this building open, but I think, at least at one time, it was a welcome center. We also walked up to the main gates on the west side of the park, which usually front a too-busy street. Today, however, the driving traffic was moderate and tolerable.
Sunday, 17 January 2010
Our winter rains have brought pizzazz* to the lichens. I have a hazy recollection that the age of this surface can be dated by the size of the lichen (which, of course, correlates to its age), but lack detail on that bit of science**.
* The word pizzazz is said to have been invented by Diana Vreeland in the 1930s….
** Ahh, it’s called lichenometry. One of the perils of this method is the potential for a lag between exposure of the surface and colonization by the lichen. FYI.
Saturday, 16 January 2010
In the interests of perking up your winter (and, for one very special person, birthday!), I’ve used a picture of some window dressing to counterbalance this rainy day. Yes, the snow is gone, and we’re back to a more normal Piedmont Georgia winter weather precip.
Since this picture inspires one to think about travel to another clime, let me note that the travel destinations I’ve been thinking about this week are NORTH, like southern Michigan and east-central New York—not beach weather at all in these fine months of January and February….
This is all I’m going to blog about the Conan-Leno situation: why don’t People mention how crappy Jay’s 10pm show has been? And I mean crappy.
Speaking of television programming, why do I feel so compelled to watch “The Mentalist”? Maybe I see parallels with interpreting archaeological data? Dunno….
Friday, 15 January 2010
This is from the archives, from a year ago today. Clearly, I had planted my bulbs much earlier than this year…or in a better medium—or both!
Thursday, 14 January 2010
This is one of the branches of Peachtree Creek, just downstream of the Bot Garden, getting a tuneup as part of the upgrades there and in Piedmont Park. Note the ice along the creekside toward the left. The milkiness in the lower right is sediment, though….
Last week I heard an interview with Laura Veirs, a singer-songwriter who I’d never heard of, and loved her songs and sound. So, I went to the Guru, and voila!, just like that, we (he) ordered her newest release “July Flame”*! This is especially cool because she is selling it through Raven Marching Band, her own boutique label.
Laura Veirs’s website, with two free tracks, is here.
And here’s the NPR story from Weekend Edition.
* July Flame, Veirs tells us, is a variety of peach. Lovely name!
Wednesday, 13 January 2010
Boy, it’s a mess down in Haiti, and it’s going to get worse, unfortunately. The quake caused a dust cloud from the buildings collapsing; I hope it’s less toxic than the 9/11 particulate matter in NYC….
I was going to write about food, my favorite fast meals, but that seems a tad inappropriate in view of current events. So, keeping it simple, here’re links to parmesan-rocket rollups and BBQ tofu….
Tuesday, 12 January 2010
I’m not privy to the art of window-dressing.
This lovely gown with a flower-bodice and velvet skirt is in the window of a fancy upscale salon around the corner called of all things Key Lime Pie.
I do like the idea and the execution; nevertheless, I detect no urge to make an appointment here.