Musings

Off on the left is half an apple tree; the left trunk took out the other half—better that than a person or a pickup.

I went out and communed with the stump and the twin tree-corpses this afternoon. Huge trunks, now…potential lumber (we hope). And plenty of branch-firewood.

Sometime later, big fluffy flakes came down for a few minutes. Then, the sun came out—the first time since we arrived. It lasted only as long as the snow. Then there was another flutter of snow. Now it’s just grey (and dark), and wet underfoot.

Big news: the fixit-guys finished up, and the cottage is as whole as it could be. Whoopee!

* I think….

Posted at 5:50 PM | Comments Off on Planted by my great-uncle*

We had some rain in the morning, then the afternoon was overcast for quite a while, except for a few minutes when the western sky became looming-grey. In a few hours, the sun came out.

Posted at 10:22 PM | Comments Off on Slightly fickle

Ehem…via the Prius, on the amazing Cherohala Skyway highway. It’s a late arrival to the road system, draped across high ground with many pull-offs, and a perfect choice for a sunny autumn day. We found slopes and peaks that were mostly denuded, along with plenty of pine/oak/other species forests with nice leaf color.

We thought the rivers had more water than we expected for the season, but maybe our expectations are skewed from the many drought years….

The states we visited were GA, SC, GA, NC, TN, and home in GA. That was more that we planned when we left home…got carried away by the fine views…in a good way.

Posted at 9:34 PM | 1 Comment »

I imprinted on the temperate deciduous forest world, and the maple and its fall color signal the season deep in my brain…not original, but understandable.

In addition, the seed-heads of the pampas grass (I think) also caught my eye….

Posted at 5:36 PM | Comments Off on Plant glory

Serious rain came in before daylight, a little later than predicted. Oh so fortunately we did not have bad winds at our house. Still, somehow our power went out, a small part of the neighborhood I think. We hemmed and hawed for a few minutes, then struck out, leaving the house to its powerlessness, as we headed up to Apple-land to HOLD the new iPhone models. We took a side trip to see John’s dad, had a nice visit. During our outing, we checked out the flooding on one of the small creeks—look at the sediment returning to the sea (or at least sea-wards).

Posted at 7:34 PM | Comments Off on Whooshing muddy waters

This is a nymphaeum that probably dates to very early in the 18th C. It’s right up against the foot of the Capitoline hill, just down from the staircase that ascends to the piazza that dominates the top of the hill at present.

Anciently, the Capitoline was a very important place in Rome. The first fortress was here, along with the first temples. Long story short, Mousse-oh-lee-nee chopped the north end off a hill that had already been greatly altered over the years, including the addition of a church in Medieval times and the 16th-C alterations of palazzos that now are part of the Capitoline Museums around the Piazza del Campidoglio, all designed by Michelangelo. This construction changed the ascent to the main hilltop from the east and the Forum to the west and the city. The climb from the Forum to the Capitoline summit was the last, and arguably the most important, part of the route of Triumphal processions that Republican and Imperial generals lead through the city, ending at a temple on the Capitoline where sacrifices were made.

Nymphaeums were first sacred springs where nymphs were believed to reside. Nymphs were likely part of the pantheon of pre-Roman peoples of the northern Italian Peninsula—and probably beyond. Eventually, springs were created in the form of fountains to evoke such sacred places (the water alternative to sacred groves). The name continued to be used for a contemplative location (garden) with flowing water, so that owners of a villa had one built in the back of their garden in the early 18th C, below ruins on the face of the Capitoline. Note how the vertical support in the arch above was there in the 18th C (drawing). Also, note the row of buildings (residences?) along the rim of the hillside, where there is now an overlook.

One other thing, apparently although the destruction in the 1920s didn’t remove the wall of the nymphaeum, the water supply was cut. In, get this, 2011, it was restored and a plaque installed noting this proud fact. And a mere three years later, it now looks like it’s been a barely functional oozing fountain for a half-century….

We splurged on a taxi to our overnight down at the airport that we hope will make an early arrival at the airport tomorrow easy (well, easier). The taxi was a Peugeot, oooh-lah-lah.

And we’re seeing a slushy, romantic, Julia Roberts promotion of Calzedonia, a big Italian company (clothing at least) play over and over on the TV (haven’t had TV for a while). Big Euro-bucks to the former Georgian, I’m sure.

WEATHER REPORT: Storms in NW Italy and SE France have sent mud and sludge into many towns, including Vernazza, which has been evacuated. No rain here, and overcast even has been spotty. Our trip planner (me) sure miscalculated the temperatures we’d experience during this trip; it’s been sweaty-hot much of the time, with pleasant cool evenings, mostly; however, we’ve been lucky with the rain, only a morning or so during our first stint in Rome….

Posted at 4:25 PM | Comments Off on Later ruin

We watched the precip go from sprinkles to full-out rain and back, with a few cessations, several times through midday. Still, I found the views compelling….

While we were eating lunch at the Pirate Twins of Sicily Restaurant (not its real name), it went from no-sprinkles to hard-rain; our table was under the awning and barely safe from spatter. When we left, we “flowed” downhill along with the run-off, glad we had brought our raincoats.

The boats with the route up and down the coast stopping at the five towns made interesting port-visits, at least here in Vernazza, nosing in toward the outside of the breakwater, the boat staying perpendicular and away from the concrete. They have a walkway with wheels that they push out to span the gap; it makes for an adventurous crossing for the tour-group folks we saw debarking. The boat-guys clearly are very experienced at the maneuver—no trepidation or false moves (tossing the line-loops, situating the walkway, helping the tourists, and reverse).

By sunset, the light was terrific and the sky blue blue blue. Loving the narrow terraces on the slope outside of town…. (BTW, that IS a foosball table in the left foreground; no ball supplied, though.)

Posted at 2:43 PM | Comments Off on Vista mare

Today I found the evidence inescapable that we are moving toward the equinox, and, yea, it is less than a month away.

Posted at 9:51 PM | 1 Comment »

As we reached Chattanooga, we saw a curtain of rain over the Tennessee River, smothering the landscape with gouts of precip. The Guru piloted us along and at some point the road was dry again, and soon the car was, too, by the time we were a half-hour into Georgia.

Posted at 11:28 PM | 1 Comment »

Despite the late and cold spring, and even the coolness overnights now, the maize in the neighbors’ garden is approaching ripeness, forcing deployment of the electric fencing to protect the not-yet-ready crop….

Posted at 8:23 PM | 2 Comments »