Saturday, February 10, 2007

SEVERAL GOOD THINGS

It actually got above 60 on Thursday. It does this every year. We'll have just enough warm weather to coax the bulbs above ground. Then it will get cold again and the crocuses will look as though they wish there was a rewind button handy. Sorry guys once you are up there is no going back.

The crape myrtle we planted last fall may have come through after all. It looks like there is green wood at the base of the plant. Since we've never had one before I have absolutely no idea what they should look like in the winter. Except that it looks like heck. Actually we've had pretty good luck over the last three years. Most of what we've planted has flourished. If this one doesn't pull through, we'll fall back to native plants like the Nootka roses.

Crocuses are up. Not a lot of blooms. Not that I'd know for sure. I don't usually go wandering around the yard when I get home at night and it was raining hard when I got back from a morning run to the craft store. Almost time to fire up the cameras again.

Had a huge flight of Canada geese go over the house Friday morning as I was setting off for the morning commute. They were heading northwest so they may have been heading for the grass fields north of town. Sounded like they were catching up with the local gossip as they flew.

New toy arrived last week. A nice, shiny tortilla press. It works very nicely thank you. Once I got the hang of it. Took a couple of tries, but at least the kitchen didn't look like hand to hand combat took place before dinner. They aren't that big, but three fit in the over size electric skillet. This puppy is big enough to bake a sheet cake if that's what floats your boat. In theory anyway. Non stick surface so they are virtually fat free. The tortillas that is.

I get a kick out of making bread. It's something people have been doing for generations. I don't know, I guess there's a feeling of kinship with all those who've done it before me. It's so basic. Man may not live by bread alone, but he doesn't get very far without it. And it seems like everybody, and I do mean everybody, has some kind of flat bread that you either wrap around the food or use as an edible spoon to get the goodies from the plate to you. Messy but effective.

And last, but certainly not the least. A Hubble shot from my favorite astronomy site. Galaxies of every shape and size from cluster S0740 approximately 450 million light years away. The glowing elliptical may contain up to 100 billion stars. But, my favorite is the gem of a spiral galaxy in the lower left corner. Mommy can I design galaxies when I grow up?

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Did I hear correctly that Hubble is going to be gradually left alone to die?  No funds for repairs?  I hope that isn't true.  Pictures like this are priceless!!

Russ

Anonymous said...

the girls and I have been making bread all week long. I agree with you, there is something very primal about it, and very satisfying.

Anonymous said...

What a gift the Hubble has been! Glad you have the hang of the tortilla press. It is raining here too. The midwinter thaw. A few buds on the trees look like they may bring spring any moment. Spring comes early here. We can plant a lot of things in mid-March.--Cin

Anonymous said...

Those cosmic photographs really make you wonder about priorities...

I've noticed that a lot of my bulbs are not coming up this year.  Particularly the Japanese irises, which have, for the past three years, bloomed before the crocuses.  Don't know if I inadvertently killed them when I planted something else last year, or if the fact that the fountain garden did not get faithful watering last summer caused their demise.  And I don't see any crocuses popping up out there, either.  I think it's just been too darn cold for them this winter.  Lisa  :-]