Thursday, 21 May 2020
We’ve traveled back into earlier spring. Hello, grape hyacinths!
And rediscovered a Big Bridge!
Hello, Hemlock’s Own Trillium! Been watching for a spring lovely in this exact spot at the foot of this tree for decades.
Wednesday, 20 May 2020
We loaded the vehicle without precip, and drove into spitty rain cells for many miles, and then finally out of the rain. Then, north of Cincinnati, we found the Butter Jesus’s christening pond overflowing, with its waters merging with acres of flooded fields. I don’t know if this Replacement Jesus is also called Butter Jesus after its slightly yellow predecessor, but that’s how I think of it.
Later, we got very close to high water. Possibly yesterday we would have had to detour a few miles.
Managed to catch the late-day light/dusk at the county courthouse I rode past twice each schoolday after I finished elementary school and had to go to town for my schooling. [Full confession: I never had to walk to school.]
Finally, out of town we got a good sky view across the flat flat fields. Purdy. [Sarcastic take on local pronunciation.]
Tuesday, 19 May 2020
Just thinking about multiple collectives failing me/us/we/ourselves/them/everyone…but in a distant, nothing-I-can-do-about-it, so…shrug…way. Trying to be zen.
A collective action problem…is a situation in which all individuals would be better off cooperating but fail to do so because of conflicting interests between individuals that discourage joint action.
So professes WikiPee.
Monday, 18 May 2020
I checked my fave weather app at 7am (ish) and it said to expect rain (and lightning) by 11am. I checked later, and it indicated not until 1pm. It was 11:20 by the time I hit the street and…looking up, hmm, weather-y, but not so bad. Then, a few drops. I wisely had stayed close enough to the house that I looped myself in the back door and acquired a big umbrella, thanks to a hand-off from the Guru.
Twenty minutes later, I figured I was in the clear, but within two more minutes, the drizzle was kicking in. Mr. Personal-Putting-Green (see entry perhaps a month ago) had his flag out. In the rain. Got my blood pressure up. I took a photo and kept going.
Of course, by the time I was in the final stretch the weather had clinched the deal and I was super-glad I had the umbrella. Or my walk would have been gloobered up. (See Kayakwoman for this vocabulary.)
Sunday, 17 May 2020
We decided today was the day…to eliminate this lovely row of funnel volunteers in our front walk and the black yuck on the mottled grey granite stonework…. We did power-washing for a couple of hours on the front steps etc, plus de-yucking both vehicles.
I’d say things went swimmingly, but maybe I should just say “fine.” I got these rubber boots in part to do power washing here—and walk in the dew-dressed grass in the UP—not going to be doing that for a while. It was warm today, so I just went for it with the spraying…and I got wet to mid-thighs. Which was fine.
More mildew eradication awaits, although things look much better. Yay!
Saturday, 16 May 2020
Greens! Only they’re not mine…a productive container garden in front of a rental…four apartments…someone’s commandeered the sunniest spot for these lovelies.
I liked the light through the leaves. Looked better in person. Through my polarized sunglasses.
And looking up…high altitude magnolia blossoms.
They are huge. Here’s a bud at finger height.
Friday, 15 May 2020
Playground in the time of covid.
Widest rickrack I’ve seen in ages honoring health care workers…in the time of covid.
Stain protection, in the time of ripe mulberries.
And just a house of (apparent) mystery. Gate latch is a keeper. And a kind of protection. [Wide-wide-angle.]
Thursday, 14 May 2020
Just move the garbage cans, and game time!
I went out early (like morning rather than afternoon) because I heard the afternoon would get warmer than conditions I wanted to adventure in. And I heard a high of nine-zero predicted for Sunday…rrrrrrr. First time since October…. Helllllll-ooooooh summer.
So making early rounds meant fewer people. No basketball players. Tree needing propping up.
And art! Art waiting for me! I’m special!
Wednesday, 13 May 2020
Carry-over from yesterday…apparently no redbugs from my berry-picking. Fast and feet on pavement saved me. This is a red bug, but not a redbug (aka chigger).
This bee mastered this rose. Dead aim into the core, trundled around for a minute, bzz bzz, and I captured its soul.
And the third “b” is berries. Not the kind I found yesterday, but smokey-, sage-colored lovelies.
Tuesday, 12 May 2020
Hands down, the most exciting happening in my day was finding this blossom, and its family. Because I knew it was a berry blossom. And a signal….
So I kept looking. Eeee-heeee! Berries! Hmm, any ripe ones? How ’bout ripe-enough ones? Gentle twist on one with color. Nope. So I try another, hmmm, add a bit to the gentle on the twist…thinking, well, I’ll try it, probably a bit…not-quite ripe. Sure enough, not full tasty, but…mmm…sun-warmed berry! Yay! Fortified, I keep looking. Back there, way behind the close distracting berries, a fully ripe berry…mmmmm. A new season…berry-season! Yeah. Life is darned good. Ripe. Sun-warm. I’m so lucky.
Artsy picture. Not sure why this grass has not greened up…must be a stay-brown a LOOOOONG time species.
Jay commented not that long ago that a V-marked marker probably announces a valve. Duh. She is so right…as I expected. Here’s a different V-marker, a hydrant, and a valve cover. Done and done. Thanks for the tip, Jay.