I am an unshelled turtle
Friday, 21 July 2017
Even though this is a pottery turtle, I suspect it may be able to move faster than I.
Point to turtle.
Love the half-n-half decorative zones on the carapace.
Musings
Which duo?
Thursday, 20 July 2017
I’ve been catching up on culture. Never saw original Twin Peaks, so I’m getting ready to see the follow-up, released this year—27 years after the first two seasons.
How did this get so pink? I thought I de-pinked it.
Thinking back: Hill of Tara
Wednesday, 19 July 2017
Here’s a wee trip down memory lane, in this case the approach avenue from the north leading south up to the crest of the Hill of Tara, or Irish: Cnoc na Teamhrach. In Ireland. This spring.
The ancient chronicles discuss an over-large banqueting hall at this civic-ceremonial center, and for well over a century this sloping feature was long called the Teach Miodhchuarta, commonly translated as Banqueting Hall, but more precisely translated as circular house of the (mead-) feast. The chronicles date to far later than the Neolithic, but that doesn’t mean they don’t record information of earlier antiquity (presuming continuity).
While I’m sure there were over-large wooden buildings elsewhere on this hill, this wasn’t the banqueting hall of the legends.
Some call this a cursus, a linear ritual complex of ditches and mounds that dates to the Neolithic period, and I’d accept that. The name derives from the linear Roman athletic race courses, which the Neolithic cursuses resemble, but to think the use is the same is inaccurate. Not for races. Avenue is a better label.
This hill is still a locus for rituals and ceremony. Here’s a St Patrick statue, and there’s an active cemetery and church honoring the saint on the hill-flank.
Okay. Enough Memory Lane.
Not a movie
Tuesday, 18 July 2017
We thought this was a movie shoot going on down the way. Turns out that they put Xmas decorations on the house for a photo shoot for a catalogue (note the porch columns). They did at least one other house on the street, too.
In B&W
Monday, 17 July 2017
My black and white world….
This x-ray (rad, in the medical world, I think) is of my right foot from above looking down. The toes are at the top and the ankle is at the bottom.
Here’s the sense I get at the moment. The oval is around the dislocation of the metatarsal that is between my big toe and my ankle, at the ankle end. it’s dislocated up and left, and makes a bump where there shouldn’t be one on the top of my foot.
The arrow points to a probable fracture at the ankle end of the next metatarsal. The WiseOne I spoke with today also said that the ligament that is on the arch/sole side is probably stretched and will be the slowest to heal of all of this.
I see the surgeon next Monday, and won’t know the healing protocol until then. As of now, it’s pain meds, ice, and elevation. And waiting.
And being waited on. Thank you, JCB.
I’m getting better with the crutches. But crutches.
Silver lining
Sunday, 16 July 2017
Rough on The Guru having to do EVERYTHING for both of us, including all the driving.* I’m so appreciative that he managed to find us an accessible room in rural Ohio, where people have taken refuge in motels because of flooding (same to the west through Indiana and Illinois). At our lunch stop, we got a frequent shopper points reward of a free giant cookie. Mmmmmm sugar, fat, chocolate, and crunch…mmmmmm.
We watched this small section of a rainbow—a rainbowette?—soon after we entered home territory. I’m taking it as a good omen.
Whew. Home safely before 10pm, even with quick stop at TJ’s to get necessary items. It was a quick stop because I stayed in the car and The Guru did the shopping. I must say that late evening TJs is a different place than in the daytime when I almost always visit.
* My enduring thanks for cheerful helpfulness…and over the weeks to come. I am not an adept crutches person, it turns out.
Ooops
Saturday, 15 July 2017
We did make our goal of heading to troll-land.
However, we were behind schedule because I had to visit the ER. Broken foot. Stabilized and cleared to return to ATL and find orthopedic surgeon there….
My own fault. Reminder: do not substitute a chair for a stepladder.
UP saga
Friday, 14 July 2017
The sun finally (finally!!) came out about noon, and things began to dry out and seem normal. So normal that The Guru sent the drone up. Look at the Beaut/Beast, the new dock!
Later, I was walking toward the beach, and had this great view of the lake…and denizens! Whatta crop of Canadas this year! Reproductive success! Not that the populations are endangered or anything, but call it like it is…. And a few steps later, I thought, uh oh.
Sure enough, the Canada-gang had tagged the New Dock big time. Yipes. Not holding anything back, “one” might say.
If I had more time, I’d work on a monofilament “fence” to protect the dock….
Be happy, I thought about calling this “Fouled by fowl.”
Sun? Where you?
Thursday, 13 July 2017
We’ve had so much rain lately that the foxglove (Digitalis purpurea) has become horizontal. Not hard rain, mostly, but precipitation just keeps oozing from the sky. The branches on the trees and more downturned and the grasses are a bit smooshed in some places, in part from the wind—lodged.
Big n small variants
Wednesday, 12 July 2017
Big birds. A pair of sandhill cranes inspect wavy railroad tracks.
Small bird. Pretty sure it’s a spruce grouse. Eat many pine needles. Interesting choice.
Here’s the east side of West Bay, which I call Grand Marais Bay in my head. From ground level.
Here’s approximately the same direction/angle from Droney. In spite of some serious wind. Tough drone!
On the ground, the water-topping flowers are in full display.
And we found a swan family—four cygnets!—browsing.
And a solo loon…posing…or watching us back.