Musings

I hoped the apple buds would open, but no, too cool a spring for them to open in May.

Tulips and forget-me-nots, on the other hand: stunning. Thank you, dear gardening neighbors.

On the road we encountered a long military convoy. They were moving an assortment of vehicles, about half in OD champ and half in desert beige. However, the vehicular theme of the day, of all our long miles, was Equinoxi. Is that the plural of Equinox? I’d guess that one of every eight or so vehicles was an Equinox. Go Chevy.

No, I definitely do not covet one.

I can’t remember the last time I saw tent caterpillars. Do I spend too much time in the city? Do they avoid the Sunny South? …Answers I do not have.

Then, as we crossed into Ohio, we drove into rain. Heavy rain. And more rain. Later with a few hail balls, bam bam. And when we drove out of the precip, within two minutes, we were driving on dry roads. Funny. But the truck is less muddy and decorated with fewer insect bodies. Sunset: a normal orange with a few clouds.

And a happy good night!

Posted at 10:19 PM | Comments Off on Equinox day

Seems to me that up here, during the grass-growing season, we are in one of three states: going to mow, just mowed, almost time to mow again. Today, the Guru had the big mower out, and all of a sudden there was a noise and it stopped dead. Not to be restarted. Loaded it into the pickup and took it to the fix-it neighbors (a real business). Then, the Guru got out this old machine (not to be confused with the ca. 1950 electric, but that’s another story). Don’t know when it was purchased, but the logo typography indicates almost two generations ago. It started right up. After not being used for at least a decade. Yay! Currently, however, it won’t restart, leaving a small patch unmowed. But only a small patch. In a low-priority place. And that’s today’s grass-growing season story.

Rather exciting: found a nascent lupine bloom. Wouldn’t you know I’d take only one snap, and that’d be out of focus. Apologies!

Posted at 6:40 PM | Comments Off on Growing season

Yes, here in the great northland, the grape hyacinths are still blooming.

And the lilacs are coming. Push, I say! I took a cautious sniff, and, oh happy day, I could smell lilac-ness…faint, but still!

Posted at 9:24 PM | Comments Off on Flower report

I got out for half a walk this morning, with only a few raindrops daintily pattering on my head.

Most of the remainder of the day, it was drippy to rainy-drippy, and it never got warm—pure indoor weather.

We did a end-of-the-road potluck at the neighbors’; the buffet groaned with many bowls of yumminess. Ingredients picked fresh from the land here included chives, ramps, and morels. Star ingredient for potato salad overwintered from last year’s garden next door…. We are darned fortunate.

Posted at 10:31 PM | Comments Off on Living the good life, with rain

Wind-i-fication…. Yesterday’s tailwind turned to be off the left quarter panel…not so helpful. Also, it strengthened, and not fun for the folks driving big camping trailers, and the folks, like us, trying to pass them not knowing when they were going to swerve in a gust. But, we have arrived safely.

Bridge-i-fication…. Plenty of traffic, and only two northbound cash/credit toll lanes, but not too much of a backup surprisingly. We did end up behind a loaded semi through the top of the bridge-arch, this stretch, and so just puttered along—loaded semis are required to go 20mph, and so the traffic backs up. But, we have arrived safely.

Insect-i-fication…. Going along Lake Michigan, we could see clouds of insects in the air…and geeze, proof! Look at that windshield. And, we have arrived safely!

Posted at 8:10 PM | Comments Off on [Whatever]-i-fication

So, after yesterday’s main event—the wedding!—the multi-talented bride’s mom made (home·made!*) biscuits and a cheese grits casserole for brunch for drop-in morning-after-the-wedding guests.

Not to be confused with a restaurant with that name. Extra point if you know the name of that dot-in-the-middle-of-the-line character….

Posted at 9:34 PM | 2 Comments »

Bride’s cake. Yum.

The couple requested the car be decorated. Yay!

Kids having terrific fun. One of the best parts of a wedding, no?

Posted at 11:05 PM | Comments Off on Best wishes and congratulations

Today was an appetizer…and these are blue cheese-stuffed date with almonds and marinated deviled egg stuffed with hummus. Mmmmmmm. 🥚

Posted at 9:44 PM | Comments Off on Double meaning

Doncha love backlighting?

Doncha love a blue sky?

Posted at 7:14 PM | 2 Comments »

After the rain stops, insects get busy. I think of this as an anthill, but that’s a large passage for a typical ant. Ah, the rain has changed the ants, and now they’re mega-ants! 😃

This was unexpected…you can’t tell, but the reflection on this first-floor wall is from a window in the upper story of the opposite building. I guess the angles work, but on first glance I didn’t intuit that the window-ghost would be projected at a downward angle.

Or, if you prefer Bill Nye science, check out the latest John Oliver….

Posted at 6:48 PM | Comments Off on Unexpected science