Friday and a frog. Exterminator prep Also indigenous fire culture

Friday morning brought this slug, evidently the one responsible for the holes in the leaves 

I flung him far into the trees, plenty there for him.

And the pond walk yielded birdsong, frog sounds and this mushroom

And here's one of my frog friends, not too worried about my presence. I wonder if it's like young rabbits, more curious than alarmed.

I got back with the Exterminator John for my quote and found he'd sent it days ago, never arrived, not in spam, trash, nowhere. He re-sent it, expensive job sigh, I approve, he's coming Saturday morning. And asked me to empty the storage closet. Oh. Nobody available to help, so I did it. 

The view from my front door, there's more round to the right 

Some of that is dumpster bound, some Freecycle bound, it's a good opportunity to winnow anyway.

Thursday brought a Fowler Museum online presentation  I'd forgotten signing up for, good thing I also signed up for a reminder.

Lovely young graduate student presenting her Master's project, a current exhibit at the Fowler Museum of UCLA, and this Zoom presentation.

Here you see left a plant untouched by fire, growing less fully. On the right, opened up by fire, it grows freely and provides basket fibers.

Left is a sand painting depicting night and day, right sparks of fire and flowers together

The poem is set out to depict the mountains of the poet's childhood

The poppies are California icons and they flourish after fire.

The presenter, from a long line of basket weavers, is now far from her home territory, and is learning the style of her adopted region, but she plans to return and continue in the tradition of her family.

This exhibit is part of a movement to reclaim the cultural fire practices of indigenous people, and further to reclaim them for the women and queer people who have been excluded from their own practices, reserved for straight men. It's a double task. 

For centuries the indigenous people tended the land using fire to cultivate and protect it, until colonized. Then fire was outlawed and the wrongheaded Smoky Bear campaign to eradicate even useful fire resulted in the current undergrowth and kindling situation ending in massive out of control fires.

Fire, life, renewal and art are all part of the indigenous tradition.

If you're anywhere near the Fowler Museum, this would be worth a visit.

Happy day, everyone. Everything is good in its place. I'm still looking for mine.

Meanwhile this came in the mail with the perfect card for the likes of me.

Thank you J, perfect deck reading to get my mind off termites.

And I updated the daily bouquet 

Grantchester and Misfits

Today I made a trip to the library to return Foyle and borrow a season of Grantchester on DVD. Lovely greetings on my  front step as I was leaving,  from a family member next door visiting Gary. 

We talked about Hippolyta, J's replaced shoulder, and physical therapy. I admired her new range of motion, and it was a good start to the day.

At the library there was a rush of feet and "Leez!!"  And it was P, the librarian in charge of the knitting group, running across the room, evidently pleased to see me up and doing. She added herself to the list of people telling me not to overdo.

In other medical news, I have officially retired Walker Two-step and Carol Cane, and Greta Grabber remains downstairs. Onward!

Before Misfits came, lunch was pasta with a sauce using the last of the pasta and the last of the spicy sausage, diced tomatoes, butter, garlic powder and dried onion. Grated fresh Parmesan over it. Plenty for a couple more meals and maybe additions to soup.

It's a while since I had a good pasta with a big sauce. This was spicy because of the sausage, no need for the dried peppers I usually add. 

Here's Misfits today 

I think the Gala apples are finished for now, so I need a different fruit for morning breaks. Breaks. As if I'm toiling away and needing a rest, yeah.

There goes Haleem 

So it's the first cantaloupe of the season. I'll give it a day or two then cut into it. Quite a small haul today, replacement avocado oil, I seem to use a lot, lazy lady's bread, canned peaches and blueberries, for desserts with yogurt. I've come to prefer this yogurt to Nancy's for now. 

Panko because there will be breaded shrimp at some point. Tony's chocolonely needs no explanation except that it's been a while. Fair trade sugar, more expensive but a better food chain than supermarket granulated. Also with an actual flavor, not just a hit of sweetness.

And peacefully getting on with it near the kitchen window, the celery heart is putting out growth. See the little sprouting bit in the middle.

Happy day everyone, I'm going to watch Grantchester with a pot of tea.

Rain again today, what a surprise. I still have two doors, destined for the outside storage area here and next door,  leaning against the living room wall, because there have still not been two consecutive dry days to prime and paint them. 

Handsome Son's development has been trying to pave and stripe the parking lots for weeks. Up to now one section is done and all the others are repeatedly rain delayed. 

The water company sent a flyer reminding us we're still under water restrictions from last year. Still not enough in the reservoirs to compensate for the drought. Maybe if they moved the reservoir to my backyard the drought would be addressed.

Happy day everyone. When all else fails, try a nap and a piece of chocolate.

Ted sez 

Meanwhile a riddle, Shug made me do it.

Brothers and sisters have I none

But that man's father is my father's son.

Who is "that man" in relation to the speaker?

Memorial Day 2025, garden update

Today we remember and honor our troops who died in combat, without glorifying the wars.  The price is too high.

Yesterday I did make those tofu sticks, with a dipping sauce. I baked them with minimal oil and they came out just as crisp as fried. No pictures, because they looked the same as the last time I made them. More for today.

And while I was sorting out pots for my flower seeds, Gary got involved, supplied me with some pots, carried my bags of potting soil through to the patio, and set up the pots for me to plant. 

So I got to do the fun part. I scattered forgetmenot seeds, gypsophila, and mixed wildflowers, and gave small and large zinnias their own pots, also snapdragons and California poppies. 

And I transplanted the coleus you saw in the teapot to its own container. 

So now I watch and admire. And maybe water a bit.

Meanwhile I'm reading a Grantchester book and I like it much more than the TV series, so I think I'll continue. I much prefer my imagined Sidney to the actor in the series who looks like an awkward knitting-pattern model to this biased observer, and about as interesting.  But you do you, I know he has admirers.

Happy day everyone, if you're in the US, be aware of our debt to our people who died in war, and let's work for better solutions than combat.

And though you'd never know it from most weather around here, summer is officially under way. Shore resorts open, pools and tennis courts, too.  Golfers never stopped except in snow. 

Happy day, all, Ted sez.

Finally the box left and -- soup in late May?? Garden round up anyway

Yesterday I finally got the box of  items off to the sewing friends at Pine Ridge. Between navigating walking while carrying, new skill, slashing rain, which I thought would add another degree of difficulty -- driving, walking and carrying on wet roads -- and finding a good box, it's taken longer than planned. But it's done and they'll have it Wednesday.

And yesterday was also about making a large pot of soup, amazing in late May. Cream of celery, chard, potato, seasoned with umami, must make more, berbere and cayenne, with lime juice at the end, pretty good. 

I was getting tired by the time I arrived at the stage of filling containers for the freezer, so they're all just labeled SOUP, nemmind what kind. I usually write more, so I know what I'm thawing. This time there's only one kind. Soupe du jour.

And, Emil the PT being very keen on getting me back into resistance exercises, I've replaced the leg weights I'd given to handsome son, who also likes them, with new smaller ones. I used to use 20lb per leg, but I think max of 10 lb is wiser right now. That's still a 20lb box delivery. This presented an interesting situation.

They were delivered, total 20 lb weight, in a tiny solid box, on the step. Ground level. Nobody home to help, and it took all my ingenuity to lever it up, over the step, indoors,  to where I could open the box and lever out one set at a time.

The only tiny hitch is that I can't really put them on without bending further than I should yet. When Emil and I worked, he put them on for me, much easier. Putting them on is at least as taxing as doing the exercises. 

But I can use them to carry one in each hand, just 6lb for starters, to do Farmer's Carry. That's walking indoors holding weights. I already lift 5lb dumbbells, and it's feeling lighter, so a bit more is timely.

Today I'm feeling the aftermath of yesterday's various exertions, including a fair sized walk. Maybe I'll just exercise by holding a Kindle today. I have it loaded ready for the wet, cold Memorial holiday weekend. 

And I'm rerereading The Reluctant Widow.

Or by doing a jigsaw puzzle

But first I did a few exercises. Sit to stand raising weight overhead, Farmer's Carry, and qi gong favorites: Punching with Angry Eyes, Wise Owl Turns, and another punching one. 

 Now riddle me this newly delivered item

Hm. How to use it? Is this like the DO NOT REMOVE ON PAIN OF LAW labels on mattresses?  One of my nephews once had a summer job in a local factory removing the labels from mattresses. His colleagues spoke no English, so he never found out why he was doing it, and was it illegal.

Meanwhile despite the weather, things are starting outside.

Unsought rose budding out 

This year's hibiscus showing up with lemon balm and day lilies 

Look closely and you'll see morning glory starting. I decided to strew them directly on the ground and they don't seem to mind. This is Chris's participation, her saved and forwarded seeds. To be exact: Grandpa Ott.

Here's the very first appearance of this year's zinnias.

Happy day everyone, and thank you all for the interesting responses to my blog post about blogging, what a powerhouse this group is!

We all do this. Some people every day, even.

Pride month coming up soon.