Musings

I spotted this super-tall grass (upwards of seven feet!) amidst the other grasses in the field and orchard the other day and I’ve been revisiting all the grass names that I remember Dad using for the ones on the place. I remember orchard grass, fescue (but maybe not here?), brome, and today I remembered reed canary. Aha, I thought. I think I know what the others look like so cross-my-fingers that this is reed canary. But, right at the moment the internet is choke-cough-cough, so I’ll have to search later.

The mystery continues.

Posted at 7:37 PM | Comments Off on Grass detective

Last evening, post-posting, we drove to the other side of the lake to hear live music by AnnMarie Rowland, who has a fabulous voice that is complemented by her guitar-playing. As we listened, we watched the sun set. [Read more about Ann here.]

Between sets, she sat and talked with us. We heard about how the song “Lovely Agnes” became a pivot in her life, and how, for a guest-artist gig, she wrote eleven songs about aquifer groundwater. She did play “Lovely Agnes” last night, but none of the groundwater songs. [BTW, singer/songwriter Sally Rogers wrote “Lovely Agnes” in honor of her grandmother’s 92nd birthday.]

Far less of a story here: parsley from the neighbors’ garden, and chives from the gone-wild zone north of the cottage. Local greens?

We tempted fate by leaving the property this afternoon to do a few errands, without closing the windows. Fate became a low-grade downpour. Fortunately, there was almost no wind, so almost no rain/rain-spray came in.

Next chore: to plant the leggy basil plants we got in town for the greatly marked down price of $1.50 each in the now rain-moistened plot…probably set into the flank of the hillfort—where I put the basil seeds during the last trip, and some have germinated!

This hoptoad was hoping for hunting success after the rain from a well-camouflaged location by the hill fort.

Posted at 7:10 PM | Comments Off on Bit of a story-telling mode

Love it when the sun comes up bright, there’s been no wind overnight, the dew is heavy, and the light and dew begin their misty dance in the orchard and the field.

A little later the mist had thickened and the spiderwebs became little silvery apparent light sources.

Here’s a damaged web, not so brilliant out of context, yet still compelling. I feel badly for the spider.

Later we took a couple of truck trails through the woods. The first section was in terrible shape due to the small angular limestone chunks that were used as fill (way larger than large gravel), and how this camo beast had stirred them up. Well, the ride was terrible and the tires got a workout, but the mud holes were filled, so maybe not totally terrible. Most of the route was sandier, and one place I had to back up twice to get a run and better line on a low sand dune the road went over that was just plain soft. After the backup reconnoiters, we came through just fine, no spinning, on the third try. Triumph! (In a Nissan. 😉 )

Posted at 7:48 PM | Comments Off on That morning light; that morning mist

Three times I tried to photo the vetch blooms, and none were in focus, but the fly was in this one. Couldn’t have done that if I tried.

Trying to photo the leaf and flower parts of this American hophornbeam (Ostrya virginiana), and look who snuck into the background, cousin of the one above, I’m pretty sure.

Took me quite a while to figure out what kind of tree this is…half-dozen bird and wildflower ID books, but no good tree ID books. Hrrumph. And I do not need to BUY any more books!

Posted at 9:03 PM | 1 Comment »

Before I get into the day’s details, have you ever seen an interstate rest area that includes a long-distance path? Milemarker 52. New to me, that mix. !!

Farther along, hmmm, cars in motion. Not new or new-ish cars, but historic vehicles, that means silvery and chrome-y and not-new. Here’s a Rebel. Who wouldn’t find a “Rebel” being a temptation? Me, sorry, I get sidetracked by the Dodge part. Old history, not present, yet….

Soon, we crossed The Bridge. With the usual lane closure at the top of the arc. We soldiered through, then waited our turn through the toll-booth section…and off to a late lunch at Clyde’s.

Sigh. Life is darned good!

And there at Clyde’s, I dunno, maybe a half dozen of the cars (roadsters? I think so) in town (StIgnace) for an upcoming old-car parade. I think we’ll miss it; we are westbound!

Here at the farm, the grasses in the orchard are TALL this year, almost tall enough to overwhelm the lupines with grassiness. Still, I have to say, we are here and we are ready…to do chores and to relax, in a mindful mingling and mixing.

Posted at 9:44 PM | 1 Comment »

…cone sightings are not surprising.

At a stop, however, not expected: stacks of new(?) golf cart tires.

Could be anywhere: exceedingly afflicted poison ivy…makes me happy in a twisted way.

Posted at 9:35 PM | 1 Comment »

Rumor around the neighborhood two decades ago (or so) was that Elton John owned this place. It’s not a McMansion so I could never believe he lived here, but maybe someone important to him did…. Anyway, just in advance of the rumor someone put a buncha $$$ into the property, including having this curving staircase built.

I’m going with morning glory and not bindweed, but the purple centers have me confused. Of course, they’re related, so? 🤷 And I’m no taxonomist, no? 🤷

Posted at 7:52 PM | Comments Off on Rumors

It’s summer! Don’t get benched!

Posted at 9:49 PM | Comments Off on Summer!

Rain last night loaded down the flexible branches of this crepe myrtle.

The Mercedes wasn’t under low-hanging boughs, yet it did collect leaf-bits.

A Treasure Truck is good at attracting attention based on name alone. I hear you have to sign up for a steady diet of emails from AMMMMMazoNNNNN to find out what the deals are and where the truck will be. On balance, I’d prefer similar info on food trucks.

Posted at 7:25 PM | Comments Off on Conveyances

Not far from the house I helloed with a fellow who was walking his dog. I don’t remember him or the dog, so perhaps we haven’t crossed paths before. He smelled strongly of patchouli and the dog was something like a black standard poodle. I kept going and turned the corner, and finally the patchouli scent faded.

Later, I walked in the street past a parked pickup, windows closed, as no sidewalks on that street; I couldn’t tell for sure, but wondered if it had been there all night. I caught the scent of pipe tobacco, or the sweet tobacco smell some of it has, as I passed the driver’s door. But only near the door.

My question: do smells linger longer in super-humid air?

If I had to do captions, I’d start with something along the lines of “backlit redbud leaves,” “rampant polebeans (auto-correct changed that to plebeians, harhar),” and non-chemical weed-killer (except it is made from petroleum chemicals, I recall).

Posted at 7:48 PM | Comments Off on Scent hypothesis