Thursday, 1 April 2010
I think maybe this is a pink fringe tree (Chionanthus species)—C. virginicus, or white fringe trees, are native to the North American South and East, unlike many of our ornamentals. I dunno what part of the world this one comes from, perhaps Asia.
Another gorgeous day. Almost too gorgeous, though, since it almost seems like summer—meaning my body wonders if we’re skipping spring—at least in terms of temperature….
Wednesday, 31 March 2010
We had a late cold snap this year, although the winter was reasonably mild overall. It caught the camellia buds. The early blooms had brown rims from the earlier chill. Now, the late ones are unblemished.
My other favorite in the Camellia genus is tea (Camellia sinensis)—Japanese green tea aka sencha (-cha meaning tea) these days…. The tea stains my teeth a bit, unfortunately, even with daily brushing….
All the links…um…did they tee you off?
Monday, 29 March 2010
I awoke to a moon-bright sky.
Yes, none of the three parts (title, text, photo) of today’s entry relates to any other.
Sunday, 28 March 2010
I suspect some marketing people are bracing for a bit of a sea-change next weekend….
I just read in the NYTimes* online:
It turns out the truffles too have a sex life, said Dr. Francis Martin, a plant biologist at the University of Nancy in France and leader of the research team. The precious fungi had long been thought to lead an asexual existence, but Dr. Martin and his colleagues have found that they have two sexes or mating types.
Which is it? Sexes? Or “mating types”?
While you’re thinking about that, remember this next time you take a bite of truffle:
Last, there are the truffle flies which lay their eggs in the truffle. From the fungus’s perspective, the insects are just another way of spreading its spores. So it attracts them by releasing anisole and veratrole, two insect pheromones, when the truffle has reached maturity. Truffles can often be detected by looking for congregations of truffle flies.
Don’t the fly’s eggs and larvae degrade the edibility of the truffle? It seems the opposite is the case. “If collected at late maturation stages, the truffles will likely carry eggs and larvae—adding proteins and aroma to the truffle,” Dr. Martin said.
Mmmm. Fly eggs….
* “Truffles Have Sex Lives, Too” by Nicholas Wade, dated 20 Mar 2010.
Friday, 26 March 2010
Spring cooled off a bit today, but I enjoyed it anyway—although I was indoors WAY TOO MUCH.
For convoluted reasons, our special Friday night dinner menu is fried rice. I already cooked the (brown) rice, and raided a pretty-good salad bar for an assortment of veggies to add…. Kinda the short-cut version…. I suppose the same additives could be combined with either broth or noodles—or both. Anyway, I’m calling tonight’s main dish “Chinese pilaf” (haha—there’s a cross-cultural reference!).
Wednesday, 24 March 2010
Pretty darned postmodern that MoMA “acquired” the @ symbol for their collection….
Tuesday, 23 March 2010
I’m still getting used to the light so late in the afternoon (aka: early in the evening)….
After yesterday’s cold snap around here, today has been sunny-sunny-sunny!
Best news: the Lumix is back. Second best news: Panasonic fixed it for free.
Awaiting to see if this is even better news: our country’s new health care plan.
Tuesday, 16 March 2010
One almond tree, now planted…been a long time since I planted a tree….
It replaces an oak that was one small portion of the capital improvements Atlanta underwent prior to the Olympics. That tree was just coming into its own, and was de-branched (and would never have recovered and looked good) by the oak that took out one corner of the house in May 2008 (longer story here).
Now we water weekly, and wait….
Monday, 15 March 2010
First daffodils (at a neighbors’ in a protected place).
I see on our census form, which arrived today, that we are to predict the future—that is, how many people will be sheltering in our house on April Fool’s Day. Maybe we’re supposed to wait, but I’m guessing the mailing schedule people have no idea how much semi-junque mail piles up at this house, so that within about three days the form will be deeply buried beneath other need-to-do-something-with-this papers.
Saturday, 6 March 2010
I’m back to being hopeful about spring’s arrival. Mostly, I’m enjoying sunny days like this one….
In the meantime, I think I need to extract a stumplet from the verge sometime in the next week (redbud that the tree took out)—because we ordered a bare-root almond tree for that spot…. Oh, fun.