Saturday, 13 November 2021
My focus today was all over the place.
There was Pannonia and the Amber Road, which are related (Roman east). I also drooled over Jamie’s 15-minute meals; he does a great job creating big flavor fast—think blenders of yoghurt and cilantro and avocado and lime zest-n-juice and tomato puree (not for the same dish).
Sunday, 7 November 2021
I was hungry at the wrong times (according to the clock), and I awakened rather early (according to the clock), and generally discombobulated all day. Even simple things can be complicated. [Like the spelling of ginkgo….]
Tuesday, 2 November 2021
Today’s neighborhood story was that my wander took me along the path of a fire truck that was going from hydrant to hydrant, with a young(ish) fireman hopping out (not in uniform) with a wrench to open one of the breast-ish-ports, then the valve at the top to assure that the hydrant was emptied of sediment, etc. I saw five hydrants tested during my parallel wander. This is not one along their route.
So much for hunkie guys. (Firemen, it seems to me, tend to be in better shape than cops; after all their lives depend on being in great shape.)
My other story is this miniature moss world. I took this snap using my magnifying glass function on my phone. I got it in focus (yay), and immediately realized that the light was not optimal on the uprights, that is, the sporophytes.
At the next moss-patch: much more light on the sporophytes.
Sunday, 31 October 2021
I give this seasonal decoration the Most Likely to be Homemade of everything I saw, but I suspect that it isn’t. Traditions do mutate, but I never would have guessed Halloween would have gone from the pagan All Hallows‘ Eve (meaning Saints‘ Eve) to this, the holiday of plastic yard ornaments and gewgaws, now including giant black spiders with fur in their joints.
Also, here’s a gorgeous flower, a camellia, surely both real and not the least bit scary, eerie, or witchy.
Saturday, 30 October 2021
Earlier it was college football time (in this half of the continent), and of all unexpected results to see: MSU beat Mich. Go Green. We didn’t watch; the score just flipped by.
Also, Georgia beat Florida (bound to happen).
Now, it’s baseball time. Third inning, with the other team in the lead 1–0. Nowhere near the end of the game. Or the series.
Sunday, 24 October 2021
The slip-sliding potential is high these days, what with all the mast and mast-husk frags on the sidewalks and streets. Here: acorns.
Confession: I glanced at these and my brain popped up the phrase “five chinese brothers.” [It’s the round-headed comparison. I’m guessing public libraries and schools have purged that book as too racist and damaging for the kiddies.]
Friday, 22 October 2021
We visited the Detroit Institute of Arts this afternoon with friends. Starting with the Diego Rivera murals (1932) is an obvious choice. One section is of workers on an automotive assembly line. I thought this fellow has a modern hairstyle, or maybe I don’t know 30s hairstyles.
The first special exhibit we saw was Ofrendas, shrines for the Day of the Dead. They were multicultural rather than just the iconic cempazuchitls, or marigolds. BTW, the zuchitl or suchitl or xochitl suffix means flower.
Our main goal was “Detroit Style: Car Design in the Motor City, 1950–2020.” While there were lovely concept cars, there were more drawings, the kind you never see, that are only in offices and workrooms away from the public eye. A fun nostalgia trip.
Elsewhere, I was enamored of these three lovelies when I spotted them from across the room on a large ceramic vase.
I may be wrong, but I thought the title of this was “Three Tigers.” The eyes have it.
Sunday, 17 October 2021
I did get two “crowns” of rhubarb transplanted. They were so poorly that neither was a crown, truth be told. They REALLY needed to be transplanted. I just hope some of the bits survive.
After reburial, I lightly watered the survivors, then put some dessicating fern fronds on top for winter protection.
Friday, 15 October 2021
Enjoyed a glorious sunny, lovely morning, as if it hasn’t been raining off and on for days.
Even the playhouse looked inviting.
However, overcast had returned by the time I walked in mid-afternoon. I took a detour along the back edge of the pine plantation, and discovered the tree guys have been busy.
Here’s the detail on how the rootballs are wrapped and prepped for shipping. They used to use burlap for the wrapping, and this fabric does look like burlap, but I’m guessing it may have some artificial fiber incorporated (polyester?). Ages ago when I worked in the plant nursery world, trees prepared this way were called B&B, for balled and burlapped. [Nobody even cracked a smile.] I never saw the metal frame way back when; seems like a smart improvement.
Sunday, 3 October 2021
I’ve been keeping an eye on this project. At first, I just saw guys and heard sawing. Then, poof, walls and siding, but no roof. I thought it was a camp cabin, but now I think it’s a garage. There’s already a structure in the woods behind it, but it doesn’t look cabin-y either. Outside the frame to the right is another garage, pretty large. So: all garages, no domiciles? I await developments….