Showing posts with label fungi. Show all posts
Showing posts with label fungi. Show all posts

Sunday, August 18, 2024

August walking and orphans

 Today's walk took me back to the pond, a bit harder to get through the trees now bent down with overnight rain.

The air was full of dragonflies and other insects probably getting a banquet of gnats after the storm. 

Across the pond was a contingent of the flocks of Canada geese we deal with, here eating the golf course and no doubt pooping copiously all over it. They're protected and very prolific breeders, so we're not entirely enthusiastic about seeing them around 

Image

Image

Berries ripening for the birds

Image

Image

 There are fungi showing up, sometimes bitten into, a sign of early fall, though the hollow tree where I find lichen doesn't have any yet.

Image

Image

And here's a plant I can't identify, at the edge of the trees 

Image

Maybe the buds will open helpfully and we'll know. Meanwhile if you already know, please speak up.

Elsewhere there was talk about rescuing plants and I realized that all of my collection are either rescues, from the dumpster like the ancestor of this third generation plant

Image

or friends who didn't know how to handle them. 

Like this 

Image

 I think the only houseplant I ever bought was the ficus now in residence at the library.

And on the patio, the developing hibiscus bud collected rain in its cup overnight 

Image

Not long before a new blossom bursts out.

Someone asked me recently about English paper piecing, so in case they're reading here, here's a pillow I pieced by hand a while back 

Image

Today's reading is 

Image

Old fashioned attitudes and language but still good reading, especially since Peter Wimsey's mother appears, bringing wonderful dialogue,  and there's an indomitable old lady, the mother of the accused. They hit it off fine.

Happy day, everyone, between the walking and the allergy meds, the season in full swing again, I think I'll rest my eyes soon..

Handsome Son has asked to finally celebrate his birthday on Thursday this week, weather permitting. This means if it's great shore weather we'll reschedule! Those days are precious.

Image


Image



 

Monday, October 16, 2023

Out and about, and words

 Yesterday I used up the vegetable stock to make a green powerhouse soup. With leeks, potatoes, celery and chard. Heat added from the water in an almost emptied Dijon mustard container, swirled around. 

It wasn't photogenic, but was very good, a bit bitter from the celery leaves, excellent with multigrain toast.

My local walk, the twenty minutes which now takes half an hour, yielded some great October sights, goldenrod, fungi, the pond, exploding chrysanthemums, garden containers like animals.

Image

Image

Image

Image

Image

Image

The puzzle answer is

SE added to the beginning of the words, giving

SEASIDE

SECURES

SEDATED

SEAWARD

I think a lot of people got that right away.

And here's another interesting thought from the same source, just my idea of great information

Image
Cool, no?

Happy day everyone, I'm off to the derma today to see if my aging skin is managing.

Keep managing!

Image



Thursday, October 5, 2023

Flowers, food, gymnastics and Maggie Rudy

 One more flower has come in the house. 

Image

The season's waning, though it's still in the 80s f, so not many more flowers. Some great fungi appearing overnight

Image

Image

Such intricate structures, natural art forms appearing daily.

Back to wearing skirts, but soon I change the front door curtain for the red felt one, and the sofa cover to the warm kitty-themed throw. Not in a big hurry on these though. 

And what to cook when you're short of ideas, not interested right now in tomato based standbys, here goes with onions, leeks, yellow potatoes, heavily spiced with long pepper, my new go-to, za'atar, kosher salt, tossed in olive oil and left a couple of hours, before 30 minutes at 400°f. Served over jasmine rice, I remembered to cook rice.

Image

there's enough for a second dinner today. I also need to bake something, because Handsome Son is visiting. It might be warm enough to sit outside, if the biting bugs aren't too active.

Yesterday the US women's gymnastic team won a record seventh World gold, with Simone Biles' amazing floor routine blowing away the competition. 

Image

Go see it on YouTube and marvel at her landings. She also got a vault named for her, another move with her name on it. We're fortunate to see this greatest of all gymnasts still on form even when older for a gymnast.

Those of us who can barely do a somersault and have never managed to get over a vaulting horse, usually getting stuck on top, can only wonder and admire this power and beauty in action.

Back home, a bubble bath might be a good idea, after watching all that exertion

Image

And some more stitching. 

Image

Image

Image

The added rows of stitching are lending body to the piece as I go. A lot more stitching yet to do, such meditative pleasure. I'm glad I started this piece and that you're coming along with me as it happens.

Happy day, everyone. In the midst of political and climate chaos, art is there for us. Making something, if you're a maker, cooking something if you're a cook, tending  your plants and animals, all these are actions supporting calm and order, and they're acts of resistance to chaos and enmity.


Image


Tuesday, October 3, 2023

Fungi again and COVID, and advice seeking

 These are the fungi from the other day, already about twice the size. Their growth rate is amazing. If I don't pass that log for a couple of days, I probably miss an entire life cycle.

Image

Yesterday I had the latest covid booster, very little reaction this time, surprisingly, considering the dramatic reaction I had with previous covid vax.

The appointment also saw a phenomenon which seems to follow me about. It's happened many times over the years, when I walk into a public place people seem to think I work there or something, who knows why. Even if I'm wearing a coat, clearly a member of the public.

Yesterday I was waiting for my vax, and a woman came up to me and asked if everyone was waiting for shots, not rxs, and how long was the wait. I said they seemed to be running a bit late, and she looked quite unsatisfied, as if I were fobbing her off.

When I'd been attended, another woman asked me when she would be called. She looked a bit sceptical when I explained I'd been seen late, so I supposed they were running late. I got out before anyone demanded to talk to my manager!

This happens quite a bit, usually comic relief. Like the woman who wanted to know some staff-related thing about an art exhibit I was visiting. I explained I didn't know, I was visiting, And she snarled "Is that meant to be an excuse?"

Why, why! And don't get me started on people asking for street directions, the worst person you could ask! If they're aggressive, I do my best, but wonder where they end up. The worst offenders on  demanding directions have had NY number plates... the advent of GPS has helped me a lot. I don't use it, but if other people do, they leave me alone.

Happy day everyone, if there's anything you need to know, I'll try to help, but I don't work here!

Image
Don't ask me, I'm an innocent bystander.

Monday, October 2, 2023

Onion bhajis, fungi, silo art and sashiko

 Yesterday's walk yielded great fungi

Image

Image

 and the concrete rabbit still hanging in there, aren't we all.

And I made the  bhajis, after the chickpea flour arrived. They're usually deep fried, which I don't do, so I found a way to bake them.

Image

Image

Image

Image

Image

And used tzatziki as a dip. With shrimp. I know there are readers who will ask why didn't you make rice for the shrimp to rest on? I would have if I'd thought of it, but I often forget,  rice rarely coming to mind when I'm not making curry.

The bhajis were okay, and next time I'll use a slightly reduced oven heat, maybe 350°f, rather than the 400°f of the recipe, which browned them a bit too fast, the inside not done quite enough. But they were good, spices in the fried onions as well as in the chickpea dough. Definitely going into the rotation. There's another plateful like this for today.

Special request to Oz blogistas, have you seen any of these? 

Image

Yes, I know it's a huge place, and chances are slight, but just wondering what you might be able to tell us about them.

Just home from my much cancelled and reset covid booster, using the other arm from the rsv arm. This might impede my stitching, we'll see. The pharmacist admired my cheerful pink jacket, said she really likes to see color around. Same one who did last week's rsv, bright yellow jacket that time.

Meanwhile I've started on the sashiko surrounds

Image

Image

Happy day everyone, wear cheerful clothes, it's nice for the people sticking needles into you, or something.

A few more flowers

Image


Image


Thursday, September 28, 2023

Fungi, cabbages and kings, the pickers, that is.

 Yesterday's walk was largely about fungi

Image

I thought at first this was a flattened baseball

Image

Top, looking fairly  inconspicuous, then the reveal

Image

the gills underneath. Such wonderful design in nature.

Where those tomato vines were thrown into the trees which I foraged, a brave little volunteer. I must remember to check next year for picking.

Image

On the subject of food, and rising prices, here's why I will always support the farmworkers

Image

Back breaking incessant work, and no benefit from higher prices at the end of the chain. I always thank them with a prayer when I unbox my Misfits, because they feed me.

Image

The wall hanging is in rough draft, pinned onto a backing of unbleached muslin, and is now on the wall, so I can see it over a couple of days, move pieces around and start stitching again. 

I tried several overlay ideas, didn't like any of them, so I think the open areas will be many colors of sashiko stitching instead. That seems to be more harmonious. I'll save the overlay idea for another future piece. I think I've been influenced for the good by that kantha work I showed you recently.

Image

And, in keeping with  my long-standing support of MoveOn, here's the latest sticker, supporting library staff besieged by book bans.  This is on the fridge,  and my Twitter and Spoutible accounts.

Happy day, everyone, read a book, and, to the library folk among our blogistas, go you!


Image