Musings

While the coffee was brewing, I stepped outside. The birdbath was frozen solid.

We’re somewhat overdosed on driving, so we didn’t today. Walked to do our errands. Mini-crabapple?

Sample of the residential architecture in our neighborhood; these units are a bit larger and fancier than ours. Same feel, however.

First chore trek took us to the Farmers’ Market. I talked to a bean guy, and bought some black beans from him. Also got a turkey leg, butchered yesterday (TMI?), the grower said. Stew to come. This is a watermelon radish, the sign said, with black radishes on the left edge. Did not buy or taste either one.

Near the FM is the northern terminus of the Railrunner commuter train that goes down to Albuquerque and beyond largely in the Rio Grande valley. Love the roadrunner graphic that flows from the locomotive across the trailing cars.

During a later errand trek, we found a largely untended urban cemetery behind a Mickey’s and similar fast food places, nail salons, and the like. On a slight hill.

Companion shot to the first one from the cocktail hour.

Apparently this sky warns of ❄️. The highest peaks nearby are already 🏔.

Posted at 6:41 PM | Comments Off on No driving

Raw materials are in place…

…and some have been prepped. Or partly prepped.

Posted at 6:45 PM | Comments Off on Feasting: not yet

Acorns becoming acorn flour and being blown to the curb on a street. From passing tires. Big waste of protein. If not people food, would be quality pig-food.

Some brickwork remains, but little of the wood structure above the floor (will they keep the floor even?). Wonder how much of a McMansion this will become.

Posted at 6:12 PM | Comments Off on Transitions

Yesterday our neighborhood Kroger re-opened. Or, at least, there was a Kroger here, but there’s a totally new building now, complete with two parking garages (one underground), and a high-rise apartment building. Far right is an old building on a different property. We made our first visit this morning. We passed on the Halloween swag, tasted a few of the offerings scattered throughout the store, and talked to several kindly and helpful employees. Two of three referred to a map to tell us where things were—Bob’s Red Mill dried-bean soup mix (one only, but not the one we like); organic fresh Italian sausage (none).

They are trying for a new identifier. Locally this used to be called the Murder Kroger (after a parking lot event, if I have it right), or Wino Kroger by the Guru. One edge of the store is the Beltline, so: Beltline Kroger.

Here’s the view from the Beltline. Note the blue bow on the column, left.

While most bins, shelves, and cases were nicely filled, with all items tidily aligned, this prepared-food section was empty. Someone decided that empty containers with post-its was better than totally empty. If the handwriting had been clearer, I could have browsed the offerings-to-be.

The checkout lady—we did serve yourself—was very helpful with corrections…five packages of 12-oz Starbucks coffee were supposed to be $5.99 each, but they rang up at the regular price ($7.99), not even the sale price (apiece)—$6.49. Plus, we were gifted some onions that weren’t in the menu at all.

We came out with assorted fresh veggies (salad stuff mostly), some uncured pancetta, and a few other grocs (e.g., coffee!!), plus their idea of a “Hawaiian” poké salad (fine, not exceptional; made for a more interesting lunch than we were going to have). We’ll go back….

Posted at 6:45 PM | Comments Off on Krogerized

A tractor is pretty darned bucolic. In the modern industrial sense.

Grapes…still green and still not eaten by the birds. In my experience, avian beings eat grapes, cherries, whatever, about three hours before I figure out they’re ripe.

You’re forgiven if you think these are Canada geese. Nope: sandhill cranes.

Posted at 10:48 PM | Comments Off on Bucolic moments

Ever so slightly foggy this morning. Have no fear, we got full sun by mid-day and the solar gain has been lovely. Note the woodpile, far right (dark brown).

And on the woodpile: this fur-bearer. John calls it a chipmunk apartment building.

On another note…local cuisine. I didn’t know about pickled eggs until I was of drinking age and archaeo-co-workers during some rural northern midwestern project took me to a local bar…and there were a pair of those big clear glass barrels on the bar, one of pickled eggs and one of pickled pigs feet. I stuck to beer.

Posted at 6:55 PM | Comments Off on Local lore(ish)

Here’s the desiccating “riverbed” that was running with water yesterday in the same stretch of road. I have seen so many desert places across the world on GooEarth that look like this on a gigantic scale. I find the braided paths and subtle shadings mesmerizing.

I had seen the hole and the dirt smear before, but today I spotted the perpetrator, ehem, builder. My grandparents called them Chippies. [I don’t know if it had a double meaning to them.]

Somehow, when we inventoried menu possiblities, we ended up with a blond dinner. That’s cauliflower from the neighbor’s garden, plus scrambled eggs and quinoa. [It tasted good, perhaps better than it looks?] And a very colorful green lettuce salad with tomatoes (garden again) and wee rounds of chives.

Posted at 7:23 PM | Comments Off on Shades of beige

Blushing cauliflower.

Giant zucchini blossom.

Rain last night. Heavy overcast and surprisingly warm all day, but not raining. Rain has returned ushering in an early dusk.

Posted at 7:38 PM | Comments Off on Wait five minutes

On occasion when we’re traveling we search for “indigenous cuisine.” Despite our term, it is a wide-ranging category that includes what cooks in the locale typically make at home, but also embraces pretty much anything that isn’t from a kitchen (microwave?) in a chain place.

We made a fantastic find in a Thai/sushi restaurant that we ducked into to give the Cincinnati rush hour a chance to straighten out. We loved these “fish crisps”—pretty much deconstructed fish tacos.

And, yes, the traffic jams were mostly gone when we returned to the highway.

Posted at 11:13 PM | Comments Off on Oh yum

The basil keeps growing. 😀 (pesto delayed until weekend)

Tintagel is reunited. 🤭 (new footbridge; opening delayed until☑️ Sunday due to high winds)

Posted at 9:49 PM | Comments Off on ✅