Perfect May day for a walk

Yesterday, sunshine finally after heavy rain, and I enjoyed May flowers, some of which I can name, some you might help with if you can.

My favorite color of azalea

Scarlet pimpernel patch 

 

Couple of bullfrogs shouting here around the pond yesterday 

 

Panicles looking lovely, smelling not so much 

Wild aster, some people call it 

fleabane

Honeysuckle, the scent travels far enough you can catch it long before you see it.

Misfits later today and a cooking plan, involving red lentils and curry.

Happy day everyone, stop and smell the fleabane!

Eligible, watercolors, pizza and pensions

 "Eligible" turned out to be a really fun read, definitely one of the best rewrites of Pride and Prejudice I've read, very nimble at finding modern-day parallels, not just stuck with the original. And there are marvellous little austenesque observations here and there. I definitely recommend it.

And I just finished the Donna Leon, Girl of his Dreams, very good accompaniment to the continued scarf, a sad story, one of those where what the police know, they aren't going to act on, friends in high places.  A very good narrative,  where you feel like advising Brunetti to take up a hobby and leave his work at work. Reading the Greek classics isn't a rest from work.

And now I'm looking at this, an interesting compendium of literature, botanical lore, and watercolor illustrations, so much more informative than official botanical illustration

When I'm not doing all that reading, I'm making interesting fast food. The vegetable stew, with yogurt and fruit for dessert, is taking care of main meals for now, and rapid suppers are called for.

Here's a mini naan pizza, with the rest of the tomatoes from the stew recipe, cheddar, olives and thyme, the thyme from the stew recipe, too, frozen from last year's garden and instantly aromatic as soon as thawed 

this, I've decided, is my Aegean pizza, what with the olives and thyme.

And here's where listening to Leon has got me in the scarf

I'm still watching Northern Exposure in the evening, still very attached to Ed and his movie making ambitions. One of his advisers is the Nana of a famous movie producer, and her comments are worth the price of admission.

My current favorite: "We're just monkeys with car keys". Words to fall down laughing by. 

Happy President's Day if it applies, happy plain old Monday otherwise. Oh, and I just heard from the British gummint, they're increasing my pension by five dollars a month, wheee, better not spend it all in one place.