Musings

We stopped to stretch our legs while we were motoring west on the plains and I found these wee blooms that my magic iNaturalist ID app indicated is a milk vetch, and a legume. I can SEE the latter—look at those flower shapes…so leguminous.

Continuing west, we climbed up and up after Cheyenne, and into sleet and snow-rain. Fortunately it was over 40°F, so no ice on the road to worry about.

Soon, we descended again and I found a wee sagebrush doing springtime burgeoning. A nearby sign indicated that Wyoming hosts 13 species of sagebrush. And this one is…?

Posted at 10:31 PM | Comments Off on Sun, not sun, sun (thankfully)

The Big Muddy dominated half our driving day. It was big and it carried sediment. “Formidable” seems rather tame for summing it up, although it carries the appropriate tenor.

This is on the north edge of Alton, Illinois, where the river slid along limestone bluffs that Euroamericans heavily mined. I assume these are abandoned mine entrances.

For the other half of our driving day, we pushed west, to stop in La Plata, Missouri, pronounced like plate, so: lah plate-uh.

Rather unremarkable town with an Amtrak Stop [that I assume Joe Biden has never visited] and an art deco style station that is suffering genteel decay (the exterior, anyway, as we didn’t get inside—yet).

These two also live in the town. It is bucolic, with frequent train whistles.

Posted at 8:02 PM | 1 Comment »

I’m still enamored of the (free) “iNaturalist, LLC” app as a wonderful and fast identification assistant; however, its first few choices for this are bluets, and as far as I know bluets have just four petals. It is that size and in the color range…so I’ll have to take a deep dive into the alternative possiblities. I found these “gone wild” in a yard, so that’s little help at all.

Posted at 5:57 PM | 1 Comment »

We’re full on in foxglove season. [My fingers typed both floxglove and foxgove earlier; got it right this time.]

Our temporary resident heating and air crew finished today—usually two and sometimes three guys. Now we have new units for up- and down-stairs. It was time, as the technology we had was in the 25+ year age range. We’ll see what happens to our electric bills. Plus…yay! a $500 rebate!

Posted at 8:32 PM | Comments Off on We’re cool

I saw this robin fly in and immediately begin bathing, splish splash. At first a brown thrasher watched while perched on the cone. A noisy dog was coming down the street, so the robin didn’t bathe much longer.

This guy came by me and it took me a second look to figure out what he had underfoot…that is: carefully stacked scooters. He rode one and was transporting two more stacked underfoot. As he came down the hill behind me, I thought he’d be stopping to add them to this parking spot, but he continued onto the BeltLine turning toward Piedmont Park and Trader Joe’s.

Posted at 7:44 PM | Comments Off on Scenes from a story

Somebody’s capital improvment is underway…well, actually rehabbing a leaning wall. I wondered why it was taking so long to get started, and today: action! And someone to ask…. Fellow with a can of orange spray paint said they’d been waiting on the city permit, and now they have it and, onward. First they have to remove the soil from behind the wall to remove the pressure. Then, if I understood him right, they’ll lean the wall down, hoping to stand it back up. I assume, although he didn’t say this, that they’ll redo the wall foundation before the standing-up part.

It’s also capital to hear Other Voices in the house…and not in my head! haha We have friends visiting. Fully vaccinated, so yay and yay.

Yeah, two meanings for capital, but a delayed post due to the excitement. Apologies for the latter.

Posted at 10:22 PM | Comments Off on Capital!

I believe I have put the winter down duvet back on the bed four times as our warm spring switched to cool. And back. I did for last night, and it’s staying on for tonight. Then, I may pack it up until next fall.

Posted at 9:05 PM | Comments Off on Golden light is not quite warm enough

Today I focused on little things. Like dust on a Venetian blind. I only got to one of them; more await.

Posted at 10:16 PM | Comments Off on Focus limit

Vaccine shot reaction seems to be limited to sore arm, which seems a bit less now than it did this morning. My expectation is that the worst is over.

Posted at 9:47 PM | Comments Off on Fingers crossed

Lucky 210. That was my number to get called to the nurse to get my #2 Pfizer shot. Yay! I’m shot up!

Posted at 7:54 PM | Comments Off on Done and done