Musings

For a time, tall, blocky, stone tower-houses were the rage in Ireland. Perhaps 2K survive today, and thousands more are rubble or gone. Since they took considerable labor, they must have been valued.

I read an article about them today, describing murder-holes and machicolations, which are design details that were all about defense. The author also described a battering-ram test his squad(?) did, which took minutes to take down the door. His conclusion was that tower-houses looked far more defensive than they actually were.

I think they were about elevation—about keeping a lookout. And perhaps visual communication (flags? smoke?) among the many towers, as they were often built close enough to see one from another.

Posted at 10:22 PM | Comments Off on Of murder-holes and machicolations

We made an important citizenatious* activity downtown…amongst the big tall buildings…revolving around Republican-promised changes in the ACA (what’s the replacement plan? what happens with the current funding monies?) and a big ol’ thank-you to John Lewis. We’re in his district and it’s a fine place, jes-sayin.

The Guru found us a charging parking spot—still had to pay for parking…this is what the charging station window looked like right after the juice started flowing…. We got “free” charging for 90 days with the New Car…trying to make good use of it….

* Trying out a made-up word….

Posted at 9:59 PM | Comments Off on Urban biz

Somebody had this joke up on a sign that we saw during our FL run recently, and it’s stuck in my head, so now it’s…here.

I met Mr. Right and married him. Then I discovered his middle name was Always.

Posted at 10:22 PM | Comments Off on Tin…something

We passed the final milestone (fingers crossed) in getting the New Car properly registered here in our home state. It has been a rather circuitous road. I conclude that paper-pushers in the private sector can be rather haphazard.

Several synonyms of sloppy have unusual consonant combinations—slaphappy, slipshod, slapdash, haphazard, lackadaisical, shambolic—also, “s” sounds are frequent.

Posted at 6:40 PM | Comments Off on Angles and curves

We made it out to the beach for a bit of a stroll. Almost no beachcombers, and few birds….

The last hurricane damaged the pier, and apparently also most of the walkways across the dunes to the beaches. Visitors just walk through the dunes (the walkways were to protect the dunes, so total failure with that maneuver), but this barrier is more robust. We could see that the end of the pier was missing…yup, dangerous out there.

I don’t remember seeing these huge round cotton bales before. Round hay and straw bales, yes. I think these are larger—and far larger than the old hand-picked bales, too!

We found ice still glittering in Atlanta’s trees where it remained protected from Mr. Sun. We found a dusting of snow remaining in our yard, to be sustained overnight with the below-freezing temps predicted for us.

I remembered another pork item from yesterday’s breakfast buffet, bringing the total to nine, seven of meat, and two dishes with some meat added….

Posted at 6:10 PM | Comments Off on Sea to inland

We found golden light on the backside of a renovated hotel/apartment building, way down in SoGA*.

No where near as flashy, but I liked this arboreal skeleton, also created by uber golden light.

And, funny thing, we discovered that we could cross the GA–FL line on a dirt road. Packed sand, that is. Great surface (today). And a canopy road at that. (Yes, that’s a term.) Only saw one deer family, and none were close enough to be dangerous.

* That is, south GA.

Posted at 7:26 PM | Comments Off on Golden light: present, then going, going…

I have been working up a story to go with this…a school project, no? Popsicle sticks that never had any food attached, and yarn…to make an ornament that got sidetracked to adorn a picket and not a tree…. Festive!

No story with this one, it’s just an attractive pattern, enriched by the dark grout/mortar separating the stones….

Posted at 7:56 PM | Comments Off on Neighborhood visibles

We had an errand at the camera shop outside the perimeter (OTP), where this rubber (?) camera is part of an art installation welcoming customers.

It’s rocking it?

This is from the other day, but illustrates Toyota-math. When the vehicle runs on electric only, that is, from the battery, Toyota reports the mileage at 199mpg, meaning no petrol was used.

For our old car, when it ran on battery, it reported the “infinite” mileage as 100mpg. Thus, the new vehicle is a mathematical upgrade?

This sign was inside a gravel parking lot, at an angle that would make it difficult to spot as you entered. No other signs (e.g., arrows). The label read “Park as indicated.”

I suspect traffic gets stuck in the back loop going round and round.

We continued our rural drive down two-lane roads OTP, some abandoned…. The rusty metal panel is intended to keep the dogs and vermin from crawling under the house.

Maybe kids, too.

Posted at 5:55 PM | Comments Off on ∞ = 199

When we wore working out the design of the rebuild after Tree#1, I wanted a big window to the south, with a balcony above to shade it during the summer, but not protruding enough to cut the view out the window too much. Is this possible, I asked the architect. Yes.

And, so, this time of the year the sun floods in, and I am cheered.

I guess my eyes were distracted by the sun when I tried to capture the soul of this moth resting on the doorframe. Hah! Maybe I’ll have to get one of those clip-on lens gizmos, again….

Posted at 10:22 PM | Comments Off on Observing nature

Curved railings in the county “government center”…. Our institutional visit was a half-bust. We are to get another temporary tag from Oregon tomorrow (thank you overnight delivery!), which is appropriate since the OR person goofed. But it means we have to go back (and stand in line) when the corrected paperwork is returned to ATL (what they sent has to be returned to OR, fixed, then sent back to ATL). I call it a half-bust because we’ll be able to drive The New Car again…and that’s an improvement on it being benched in the driveway with an expired tag.

On our way back to the house, we drove by the new foots-ball stadium, or the getting-finished stadium. Its formal name is M-B for a German car company. I really question taxpayer subsidies on this scale for private businesses.

Okay, enough of more severe designs; here’s a lovely red chandelier in a bakery/coffee shop that we visited while we were out. I enjoyed their baguettes (trying to decide where the best ones are made in ATL), but wonder if there isn’t a teensy-tad of added sugar…. The tables, chairs, and sit-space is lovely and a terrific space—wish it were closer to home.

Posted at 7:25 PM | Comments Off on Paperwork adventure