Musings

Been hearing more than I want to about a wall, lately. This one I like! …and it cheered me on my walk as I was buffeted by a cold wind (cold for here) as I stepped around un-evaporating puddles.

Posted at 7:34 PM | Comments Off on Rubbish weather (damp, cold)

We had a bit of a wander-errand at mid-day, a spotty-rainy very overcast mid-day. Usually errands are a there/back event, without additional loops. Not today. Loops to cheer us with a sense of adventure? At one dead-end, we found this tree, leafless and with a blacktop skirt that is greatly reducing moisture and air to its roots, poor tree.

Leaves have come down by the thousand in our neighborhood, too. This is about two days worth(!!), with most of them arriving by yesterday. Too wet to shuffle them off the sidewalk….

Okay, some cheer! Our neighborhood firehouse has decorations! I wonder if the lights on the fireplug are to help train boy-dogs?

Posted at 7:43 PM | 1 Comment »

Elvis and fuzzy dice—totally retro. Vrooom. [But quiescent now.]

This car was a parking narc. Notice those devices on the corners above the windshield. I think they’re plate readers. Be careful, folks! [Or park a couple blocks farther away where there are no meters.]

Posted at 8:50 PM | Comments Off on Carstories

Midafternoon I got a text. From spouse. Who was getting something from the car out front and…wha? Why a text, I thought, as I checked the words. “Sandhill cranes!”, I read. And headed for the door to listen. Yup. And I looked up. A big crowd/group/bunch of them wheeling and circling. So so special.

Okay, more landbound…and oak-leaf hydrangea in full fall crimson.

Posted at 6:39 PM | Comments Off on Such fine light

Sweet kitty! Even got up from the sphinx position to greet me.

Posted at 7:00 PM | Comments Off on Not wild(life)

In Mexico, and I assume generally across Latin America, Sunday is for family and socializing, if you aren’t working. One focus for these activities are public spaces, especially in the city/town center, as various attractions are likely to be there (vendors, food, perhaps live performances, either formal or informal) and there’s room for everyone (poor people have small living spaces, after all), and the kids can run around.

At one of the Latin American shopping centers hereabouts, which holds a collection of small vending spaces, as there would be in the Latin markets, there are scattered benches at the junction of aisleways, and a larger open central area, all mimicking the public social spaces of the old country. We wandered there today, admiring the saturated colors of most of the fancy lady-dresses (e.g., for quinceañeras), piñatas, and all manner of polyester garmetage, and so on…and on, and on.

But the people-watching was the best. Some of the younger sales people spoke Spanish to us, but the older ones all used English—or ignored us.

Purchases? None.

Posted at 7:13 PM | Comments Off on We got multi-cultural

Several times today I kept thinking about being in the UP, the summer-sunny UP. Which it is not at present. The lake’s been frozen across for weeks. Sometimes time jumps like that….

Posted at 6:13 PM | Comments Off on Temporary adjustment

This is certainly a hot pink camellia. Despite the overcast and rain, it cuts through the murk of the day.

The rain, or just time, brought this one down. I spotted the bright yellow among the leaves and thought: that’s too yellow for a leaf!

Hot pink plus brilliant yellow equals…? Best I can do is this bolognese-inspired sauce (aka gravy)…in the new cook pan/pot. Perfect size! [This swirl is right after I started to stir in the milk….]

Posted at 6:26 PM | Comments Off on Color equation?

Outdoor report: lights are up and the aesthetics vary. I liked this one. Should I be concerned that the rocking horse has no chocks? [Duh—use your imagination, no?]

Indoor report: we avoided the Fry-Night crush and went out tonight, a late morning spur-of-the-moment decision. Everything was tasty as usual at Babette’s Café (honoring the movie), and we were even served our entrées by Chef Marla herself! Basking in the glow of cocktail, wine, and crème brûlée, our go-to dessert. Yum!

Posted at 8:25 PM | Comments Off on Treats

We live in such a cool neighborhood! This planting decorates our combo gas station/convenience store.

Posted at 6:56 PM | Comments Off on Poinsettias and pansies