Unfortunately, it will be payback day for me.
Glad to see back in the saddle, BTW.
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I went back to hiking within 2 weeks. Just at first was mostly like 1/2-1 mile hike and then sit at a bench for 1-2 hours reading, scrolling the internet or birdwatching. I’m now up to about 3-4 mile hikes. I only take serious pain meds at night. First it was oxycodone 5. I was given 28 and spread it over 43 days. Sometimes full, sometimes just half and a few nights none to see if I could make it. Then few days ago I was switched to hydrocodone. 28 pills again. Been taking full the full one at night. 5s. During the day I switch between Tylenol and ibuprofen every other day or two. Normally just one at 9 am. Still light duty at work. Right hand hand restriction. Thumb stays wrapped because it’s still healing with open wounds but last night was the first night since it happened that I was able to unwrap my middle and index “fingers” and sleep. But to be honest I feel way more angry and I guess wrathful then even a month ago. I bought a cheap camera and a plane ticket to up north. I think I’ll end up just decompressing the there for a few weeks. No phone, not even electricity.
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Straight out of horror films!
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Matter of perspective.
“ what is chaos for the fly is normal for the spider”.
I see cute little critters that make life worth living.
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Enjoy your time away. All the creepy-crawlies will still be there when you get back and I’m confident you’ll always be able to find them.
I recently got back to the Regional Parks Botanical Garden in Tilden Park, Berkeley with my wife Lia and the son Grey of one her women artist friends. I usually just post my own photos but I must admit Lia’s were flat out better this time, so all credit to her. Starting with the spillway where Wildcat Canyon creek, after passing under the road, falls into the garden. Can’t tell what any of these plants are called but eye candy to me.
I always like to see the sequoias, youngsters by their standards but old and large enough to humble us all. And then Grey and I for scale.
The newish rock garden seen on the way from the first photo to the sequoias.
Here is a map and layout of this bot garden specializing in California plants:
I’m a shameless fan of exotics but I also love a lot of our local flora.
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No kidding.
Last time my dad and I painted the house we always got started about an hour after the sun came up, as soon as the night’s dew was fading away. Every morning there were sleepy crane flies all over the lawn, which my dad tended to stomp on. I decided instead to feed them to the artists who had spun beautiful webs between the shrubs; I’d scoop them up and toss them into webs. Our of all the spiders, I picked the three with the most elegant webs, and every morning each one got three crane flies to wrap up.
Usually those spiders drive me crazy; in the early morning light those lovely webs changed the status of their spinners.
And somehow it was more satisfying to see the crane flies wrapped for food than just smears on the grass.
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I recognize all those from botany classes and if I had perfect recall I could give you scientific and popular names. Oh, I wish we had a way to bestow perfect recall!
(For desired memories . . . there are things I wouldn’t want to relive.)
Nice! If I ever get south again, I’ll have to make this a stop.
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If I haven’t slowed down even more by then maybe I could go with you and you could definitely stop by our place for a cuppa. For coffee, I go out or my wife can make a pod expresso drink. You could never build a public garden like this with its narrow paths but if is a very picturesque place.
I’ve stopped fretting about my fading memory. But I heard the director of the garden give a talk and take questions at a nursery and that guy seemingly knows everything about any plant you care to ask about. He is only ten or so years younger than me but somehow I think his memory Is like that of the London cabbies.
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I have been watching this plant and photographing it for a year. A community of it grows on our property near the ditch. With the help of Michigan Vines and Shrubs I figured out it is Gray Dogwood. I had never heard of it before.
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Ever harvest any? I get them on my bagels when I have one. Are there other uses I should check out?
I’ve heard the individual flowers are pretty nice too. Found this one online.
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No those were just growing on a wall in Sicily, where I happened to be. I left them for the next tourist.
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And for my reflective friend, @MarkD who likes reflections on the water, here is the Au Sable River just outside Oscoda, Michigan:
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They’re all great but #2 is my fave.
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Mine, too!
I have a zillion more!
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Lucky. Where I’m at I can’t find them. They exist here I’ve just not seen them.
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