Musings

One of the things I loved about buying veg/fruits at the markets in Mexico was that if you wanted avocados, the market lady (almost always a lady) would ask when you intended to use it. You could be very specific, like seven this evening or three this afternoon, and the avocado she offered in response would, invariably in my experience, be perfect at that time. Yay!

Now I see that today WholePaycheck had two piles of four-to-a-bag avocados, one with this sign and one with a 3–4 day sign.

I bought a single from the regular pile, and it was perfect in our salad. Didn’t need four avocados, so I don’t know if their system is as good as the market ladies of southern Mexico.

Posted at 6:59 PM | Comments Off on Ripening science

Our plantings include two kinds of gardenias. These are the sockets of the blooms I’ve posted a time or two recently. They are done done.

And, at the other end of the planting, are these…blossoms with more layers of petals. Are they “doubles,” “more complex,” whatever is the term? Their scent is different, still gardenia, however, and still intoxicating.

Posted at 10:22 PM | Comments Off on Flower power

I saw these blooms poking through this fence, and I thought, aha, there’s my post photo.

Then, I came across this hydrangea, and I thought, hmm, which is my photo?

When I later came across this delicate bloom, I thought, well, it’s not so easy to choose.

So, here’s a trio, and you pick your fave. I sure couldn’t.

Posted at 10:29 PM | Comments Off on Fencing

This tulip poplar seed cone has fallen from its perch, its progress frozen in time. What a display on the sidewalk, however!

Similarly, these gardenias are fading. The pristine white blooms turn yellowish and darken after a bit, eventually becoming brown and desiccated. The smell lingers longer than you’d expect.

Posted at 6:21 PM | Comments Off on Floral unfortunates

Tough to lose your Jack of Hearts. Jack just hangin’ on the sidewalk…a few blocks from the middle school—was it lost by a student?

And here’s what a late magnolia blossom looks like…headed for dehydration and desiccation of the petals, while the seed part continues to develop.

Posted at 10:10 PM | Comments Off on Hinge points

From the organic world, a flower (natch).

From the physical [umhm] physics world, a prismatic rainbow.

Posted at 8:50 PM | Comments Off on Diffracting my world

I have no sense of scale, the Guru said about this shell. It was perhaps just over a centimeter long. And under an apple tree (on the sidewalk). I choose to believe that the wind/rain overnight tipped it out of the nest, leaving the already hatched wee-bird safely behind.

I admit to an outsized attraction to ferniness—not a word, I suppose, but should be! The laciness of ferns is so aesthetically appealing, is it to my reptile brain?

I did not intend to select a pair of sidewalk photos, but that’s what I did. Hmmmm.

Posted at 6:56 PM | 3 Comments »

I guess that the temp outdoors dropped about 12°F in an hour this evening shocked me so much I have a delayed post for today. I expect the humidity will continue to be high, but without the heat it loses just a bit of its punch.

Posted at 10:22 PM | Comments Off on Living in punchbowl

There can’t be too many plants with emergent spring leaves that are not a shade of green. These are greenish pink? Actually, nandinas exhibit a range of leaf colors…so maybe not so strange?

I’ve been watching this corner…now newly fixed. I’m afraid that without bollards or other defensive structures, one of the next dozen dually delivery trucks to right-turn here will once again flip the metal out of its resting place. And the cycle of damage/fixing will continue.

Posted at 8:25 PM | 3 Comments »

Is there such a thing as a cheer-up weekend? I’m looking for one.

Really, I’m okay.

Got out of my head in the late afternoon to create a poached chicken dish…boneless/skinless thighs in white wine, but sauté bacon and onion first, throw in some garlic, then the chicken, white wine…and let it simmer. Add in some carrot coins and later some mini-zucchini chunks…then throw some parmesan shavings and fresh julienned basil on each portion. Enjoy with a big salad.

A Friday-night recovery feast. I’m on my way.

Posted at 10:11 PM | Comments Off on Turning the ship around