Wednesday, 11 July 2018
I laid low today, hoping to throw off this crud (no fever cold) I’ve been fighting off for days. I would have been happier feeling better and rambling in the woods finding wildflowers like this bunchberry (Cornus canadensis, an important forage plant for herbivores in some ecosystems) I spotted the other day. Here’s hoping the cough-sniff-arrgh lifts tomorrow; I’m done with it.
Tuesday, 10 July 2018
With a generous daily measure of water-added, the basil in the ringfort has been productive.
Today we harvested, and the volume was good for a giant dollop of a pesto-like sauce for a big pot of dried tortellini (not to be confused with tortelli or tortelloni…for example).
However, it is so dry weather-wise that unless there’s rain after we leave, these tender plants will NOT make it, and there’ll be no later-season harvest.
Monday, 9 July 2018
Indeed, the focus of today’s expedition was seeing Lake Superior. That’s me in bug- and sun-resistant clothing. No fashion plate am I. Turns out, today, almost, close-to NO bugs in this area.
There at the mouth of Hurricane Creek we spotted two lampreys. I never remember seeing them in the wilds before. Scarred fish, yes; the critters, no. That brown “ribbon” across the middle of the frame: lamprey.
Instead of our usual return-to-Grand-Marais to lunch, we continued west and dined in a deli-coffee-bookstore in Munising. Yum. Such a lovely place.
On a lark, we also did the Marshland Tour at the Refuge, and of course saw many Canada geese and swans. Most of the swans were far from the car, but this wee-family was close by. I will not mention the clouds of deer flies that rode on our rear-view mirrors; such a contrast to the near bug-free conditions on the south shore of Gitchee-Gumee.
Sunday, 8 July 2018
It was getting toward dusk last night when this leetle critter wandered into the yard, no mom in sight…which was disturbing to the critter, who commenced bleating. My interpretation is that the first bleats were “where are you?,” but they soon became “I’m here!” S/he bedded down under Uncle Dave’s maple, and I heard her/him in the night, but not constantly. In the morning we didn’t see her/him and hoped mom had showed up. Then, bleats around 2pm. By dinner time, Mom and the leetle one were bedded down under an apple tree out front. It’s been windy, including overnight, so the sound of the tree-leaves and grasses must have been scary-distracting to the great adventurer.
The Guru cut the right post yesterday from the top of the juniper that fell over the winter, and dug the hole and stood it in place today. So, we now have a clothesline again!
This evening we were invited next door to play bocce. Turns out no-one knew the rules, so we made up some. The comely dirty blonde is using a short-ish handled hoe to determine if one of the balls is within that distance of the small target ball (dirty golden, golf-ball sized), and thus the tosser gets a point. Lots of laughing and great difficulty with the uneven and fast surface. But fun!
Saturday, 7 July 2018
Finally: cool enough today to tackle outdoor chores toward the strenuous end of the difficulty scale. By mid-afternoon, however, pretty toasty in the sun.
My main morning project was planting the giant potentilla we got yesterday from the neighborhood landscaping place. I would have gotten a smaller pot if they had it, but on the other hand, when planted, this one was pretty darned fulfilling. You can see from the shadow, I was out early. This was at 8:14am.
The Botanist always said dig a $5 hole for a 50¢ plant. I got maybe half-way to that ratio. Inflation?
It was a deep hole, and I did Dad’s trick of setting the sod aside, and when the hole was finished, lining the bottom with it, grass side down. Makes a sponge-like reservoir. Dry as it is, that’s a good plan, although the roots aren’t really down there yet. In fact, the soil was so dry that I watered the area around the hole as well as the fresh soil I dumped in the hole around the root ball.
Landscapers and botanists usually call this plant potentilla, but it’s commonly called cinquefoil, with cinque meaning five, and foil referring to leaf/leaves.
Friday, 6 July 2018
Several things about these numerals aging in place on this wooden phone/power pole are interesting. What compelled me to photograph it was that the body of the pole is clearly significantly eroded, leaving the metal pedestalled on the original surface.
Thursday, 5 July 2018
I went down to the lake and shucked off my shoes (and custom orthotics), and set The Foot loose in the wild. I didn’t go out far and I didn’t go under, but when I was floating butt down and digits up, just feeling a mild one-ness with the lake, I watched Lady Loon and her trio of following loon-lets glide by…ah, nature can be so uplifting.
BTW, we aren’t so far out in the sticks that the future doesn’t appear here in one form or another. You may have seen pre-release vehicles, especially if you spend time near Detroit, with a strange black-and-white obfuscation “contact paper” cladding a vehicle to disguise the exact shape should someone see/photograph it. The other option is that the manufacturer sticks panels to the vehicle that cover up the shape beneath—no reconstruction of curves etc. is possible at all. Here’s what the latter vehicle looks like after the panels have been removed, with the not-quite-velcro attachment strips remaining. I’m told this vehicle was shown publicly in March, so there’s no longer any need for disguise.
John was very jealous of the bright red panic button by the dash. Does that tell you something about the state of GM engineering? haha
Wednesday, 4 July 2018
The show we usually watch was last weekend, so we laughed and talked and ate and sipped, and laughed mostly. Pretty darned fine Independence Day.
Tuesday, 3 July 2018
Shopping in a store you don’t normally visit, in a different area than you usually shop, increases the potential for finding items new to you. I’m heh-heh stumped about this. The words are clear; the meaning is easy to guess, but the utility of the product, even 100% real and natural, escapes me.
These labels, on the other hand, are extremely clear. The Logo-Guru approved. Interesting: all are the same proof, but the prices range from $31.99—vodka and rum—to $51.99—bourbon, with gin and clear whiskey in the $30s. So many mysteries in the world….
Quick plant report: this is one of the most drought-and-heat stressed specimens of lupine I’ve seen so far this season on the farm. Too early for this deep a dry spell.
Monday, 2 July 2018
Got the macro out. Of course, a flower. And of course the flower had an insect. Package deal!
My second time at the Droney flight controls, this time longer than a minute. And here’s my first Droney photo.
Beware: the future may bring more Drone-photos!