Musings

Early Europeans recorded on the order of eighty names for sweet potatoes across Māori-land (now called Aotearoa New Zealand). Some referred to color or horticultural variation. Others were regional or dialectically different. Still, sweet potatoes were the primary calorie source year in and year out for pre-contact Māori.

I was surprised that our local Whole-Paycheck (several grocery chains receive this nickname) had four different kinds, each a different color. This was called purple sweet potato on the sign.

Posted at 10:22 PM | 2 Comments »

The penchant for street names to include Peachtree in Atlanta is well-known. There are also assorted watercourses with Peachtree in the name. This is the South Fork of Peachtree Creek. View to north (ish).

And this is a wee tributary of the above, name unknown to me. South Fork of the South Fork, perhaps?

Posted at 10:06 PM | Comments Off on Which way’s north?

Leaf dunes? Alignments, anyway…why? So…unexpected.

Actually, I know part of why. The homeowner has laid a fine mesh fabric across the lawn, I assume to catch the leaves and acorns, to keep them from embedding in the grass and to make them easier to remove. Or?

Posted at 7:51 PM | 2 Comments »

Meet creeping jenny, sometimes called moneywort for the leaf shape. I/we paid a landscaper to put it in our yard; now I discover it’s an invasive species (native to Europe; spreads especially easily in moist soils).

The country’s largest food company is PepsiCo; it owns Rice-A-Roni, Sabra, Rold Gold, Doritos, Gatorade, and Quaker Oats.

That’s from Daniel Immerwahr’s “Beyond the Myth of Rural America,” in the 16 October issue of The New Yorker.

I say that PepsiCo is equivalent to an invasive species in our USA and global food systems.

Posted at 5:37 PM | 2 Comments »

How did I pick a picture with such story-imagining potential and not post it?

As to the story…short version…christening or elderly birthday?

Posted at 10:22 PM | Comments Off on Go figure

We went to the park to stroll in the lovely sunshine, and discovered preparations underway to host a music-fest over the weekend. We saw many food trailers and whole zones of porta-potties, and two stages being assembled. This is the north one.

This was the main ingredient in the pile behind the mini-donut truck. Note that the open kettle recipe requires more water than automatic equipment. I cannot figure out why.

Posted at 7:19 PM | Comments Off on Coming events

I did a huge inhale and gloried in the scent of the few blooms on this persistent specimen as an antidote to my deep confusion over the escalating horrible mess in the Levant.

Posted at 9:48 PM | Comments Off on Counteraction

Stunned bee on redolent ginger lily.

Shoes on high, too high to smell.

Sun-dried autumnal fennel blooms. No scent; too desiccated.

Posted at 6:30 PM | Comments Off on Trio

I hadn’t seen this update before. I love the steps-then-dance addition to the hopscotch grid.

I also updated my phone and watch. Now, two of the most common things I do on my watch each take an additional step/tap. You can imagine how thrilled I am (NOT).

Posted at 7:24 PM | Comments Off on Updates

I propose that this is an excellent example of Halloween yard-decoration angst.

Posted at 7:09 PM | Comments Off on Face plant