The season's finally cooling down, and I realized this patch of ground cover killed by the fence project, is staying open.
To the right is where my six, this year only three, snowdrops blaze away each January. So this year my annual $30 gardening budget is going on this dream
Well, not a river of snowdrops, I can only run to two dozen, but I can still dream. And maybe these will, unlike the others, multiply.
Another sign of fall was this little guy
who was apparently sitting inside the storm door, and when I opened it, fell on my head, giving us both a start. I ushered him out, go on, Jiminy, and was glad he hadn't made it indoors to drive me nuts chirping all night.
The bees are amazing. After inviting the cricket to leave, I noticed the very faintest tinge of pink on the Autumn Joy sedum, and instantly bees appeared
There must have been a memo.
Yesterday was a gardening rather than a walking day, tying up the Russian sage which had been blown all over, and pulling out the last of the iris and daylily foliage, cutting back the spent black eyed susans and marigolds. I also took out the spent foliage on the patio, and saved that for future cordage
And I expect this beautiful skeleton is the result of some deadly critter eating my Japanese maple, but it's still lovely
Meanwhile indoors to read, I finished the Donna Leon, Give Unto Others, and it was the best yet, full of ambiguity and coded dialogue.
She found ways to acknowledge the pandemic and its impact on daily life without making it a central issue. And Brunetti, main character, being a thoughtful man, she always introduces moral issues often based on his favorite Greek tragedies.
He loves the Oresteia, which reminds me to continue into the second part of it, and discusses Electra's power with his teenage daughter. Not incidentally, one of the more powerful characters in all the Brunetti books is an admin named Elettra.
This book also gets into the concept of the prime mover, the force which causes action without itself being changed. This plunges you from Aristotle straight into Aquinas. And you consider who in this novel wants to be that prime mover. This is why Leon is such a satisfying read.
And it required a batch of wholewheat scone things and Manuka honey. This is a treat from Misfits, expensive and worth it. A tiny little jar is how it's packed, seen against the usual honey size I get
And a dab packs such a flavor that you need a lot less to get the impact. This is the official real NZ thing, the retail grade. Thank you NZ blogistas
Not the high octane Manuka you can heal wounds with as in the Crusades, where battlefield wounds were sometimes treated by pouring on honey then wrapping and hoping for the best. I think it's also why honey and oil are mentioned in the New Testament parable of the good Samaritan.
Anyway back to teatime chez Boud, here is a scone thing split, Vermont butter, spread of Manuka honey
Glass of lemon iced tea because it's still hot in the afternoons.
The personal socks are progressing turn by turn, and soon we'll see how far the blue goes. I think I'll have to add to it to make the length of leg I like.
I've been making Ministry socks either nine inch foot, seven inch leg, or ten inch foot, eight inch leg. Not knowing the calf size of recipients, it's better to make them that size rather than trying for over the calf size. Tube socks bypass the issue of foot and calf size, so they're more flexible.
Anyway my socks are planned for nine inch foot, seven inch leg, so we'll see how far the blue gets me.
Today's art is a selection from the Fall collection of lovely Karin Celestine, aka Celestine and the Hare. She's Swedish living in the UK.
She's a wonderful artist in fiber, metals and imagination. She also works with other miniaturists to make accessories for her animals. She's been in nationally juried and invited events in the UK and you can see why. On Twitter she's @andtheHare
Her Lightbringer books helped a lot of schoolchildren in the UK get through lockdown.
And she's very happy to be introduced to you here, I checked.
https://www.celestineandthehare com
will get you more info. No, this isn't a business arrangement for me, just signal boosting good art.
Happy day, everyone, keep calm and party on.
Photo Lightbringer AC
