Musings

We were smart to get to the BotGarden earlier in the day before the heat eased toward Blast Furnace (I exaggerate, only low 80s). We found squads of people changing the theme from orchids to assorted outdoor modern art installations. I like these red gourds in a drainage ditch in the woods. A woman arranging them artistically said they’d be giving them away in November when the holiday decorations will be installed. Seems to me they might look good in holiday decorations, too!

From the high bridge we looked down on the Goddess, like we were checking her for dandruff. The plants haven’t yet filled in, and with the matrix peeking out, the bands of color resemble dreads. How did I never realize that before?

Over in the pool around the feet of the Frog Baby statue, we found one set of eyes-and-nose. Hi, Bullfroggy!

And, in the conservatory, many lovely blooms, of course, and for you, a rosette of leaves, hairy-edged leaves.

We did not get to the unicorn…next time….

Posted at 5:31 PM | Comments Off on Spectrum of botanicals

The buds and petals are long gone…and we now have this cascade of glossy dogwood leaves.

We also caught the sunset light (sunset above the trees, anyway) from The Heights. Here’s the almost-landed moment, when Droney and its shadow look like a grey crab.

Posted at 9:48 PM | 1 Comment »

This is Nepalese bheda ko ledho thali. Lamb stew with wee bowls of veggies, pickles, bean stoups, and rice and naan chaperones.

The accompaniment you don’t see: a lesson in blue-dot navigation.

Posted at 10:54 PM | Comments Off on Show stopper

I’m pretty sure this is a viburnum, and this plant is in a spot it likes—aggressive growth for decades…or it loves coffee grounds….

BTW, the ATL traffic problems continue to…expand. Today a small section of the interstate in another spot from the bridge problem…lifted. It wasn’t a bridge, but a gas leak? Something along those lines.

Posted at 11:13 PM | 1 Comment »

Based on the calendar, we’ve all de-Lented. But that’s not quality word-play.

Posted at 9:36 PM | Comments Off on Re-Lent

Today’s highlight was a feast. However, for it to come together I needed another cake pan to use for brownies, as the other two I have were acting as casseroles, one with bison meatloaf, and the other with potatoes-in-cream (which has a fancy French name in the cookbook). I used to have a third pan, but I heat-shocked it or something a while back—kablooey, it went, shattering.

Across from the glassware we found this carefully faced display. Two different batches, with slightly different label composition, same photo. They really sell that many?

Posted at 10:22 PM | Comments Off on En route

So, big weekend for Christians. Big weekend for pollen-sufferers (in this neighborhood, anyway). Big weekend for this household.

Yes, the family celebration of someone’s Zero-birthday (not mine) that happened last week. I have two of the principal dishes in the fridge ready for reheating.

One baking project to go. Turns out the two already-prepared dishes are in the baking project container. So, logistic solution ahead. New? Shift things around? [Wouldn’t be a problem if I hadn’t exploded a container about 18 months ago. But, yeah. Plssssssh. [Glass went to bits.] Don’t worry; we’ll figure it out.]

First world problem.

Posted at 9:17 PM | Comments Off on Schedules, you know

One of my dad’s personal vocabulary was volunteer. By personal vocabulary I mean words he was likely to use that other people were not; they weren’t used incorrectly, just far more common with him than most people. He used the word volunteer with plants to mean that they germinated and survived in a location where they weren’t planted. He was into a curated landscape…around the house—not in the woods.

Posted at 10:22 PM | Comments Off on Columbines can be maroon

Yesterday I tried to photograph this rose—it was a closed bud. Today, it’s opening. This is what time looks like.

Posted at 9:46 PM | Comments Off on Hey, Buddy

Serendipity struck during our special dinner outing. Big city sometimes has the small-town feel—we encountered an acquaintance and several neighbors while perambulating.

Anyway, we feasted. With dessert.

Posted at 8:12 PM | 3 Comments »