How big are we talking about, here?

http://www.cellsalive.com/howbig.htm   The relative sizes of little things.

Easter Sunday at my parents' house

Gardening

The snap peas in my garden are growing well, although my prediction a week-and-a-half ago that I'd have some harvestable peas by Derby Day was probably premature.  I don't even see any flowers on them yet.  Flowers by Derby Day for sure, though.   We thinned out the crowded young spinach plants.  We ate some of the ones we thinned, and shared samples with my daughter's classmates.  We're now eating fresh garden produce.   Two days ago I planted two tomatoes, two strawberries, two basils, on cilantro, and six broccoli plants.  I have room for two more tomatoes.   Next I want to prepare a spot for sunflowers. I'm not sure where that will be.  For a couple of years we've wanted to have a large spot for sunflowers.  I think the best spot for this year will be in front of our bedroom window.

Very glad to a little sad

I opened the box of gladiolus bulbs I had stored in the garage and realized I had made a mistake. Last fall, I had dug them up, rinsed them off, let them air out a few weeks, and then boxed them up.  However, it was probably a bad idea to put them in plastic bags; many of the larger cormels rotted in storage.  Very dismaying.  Fortunately, most of them are still good, and there are scores of little ones that are just fine.   In fact, the little ones might be too fine.  Most of them have sprouted, and some of them have long white tendrils of new stalks that were twisting around in the dark of the garage, trying to find sunlight.  Instead of sprouting out of the top of the bulb, they are sprouting in random directions (I assume they popped out of the corm in whatever side was facing up).  I think they'll still grow fine, as long as I can get them planted soon.

4/20/09   The world lifts in springtime right off of the ground with the song from the robin--immaculate sound-- maligned dandelions, soft joy in each bud race jonquils and "hot flowers" up through the mud. Bugs by the bucket fly upward toward Heaven To dance over treetops, to shout the word "seven," For that is the number, for that is the word (or at least it's what I hear from bee and from bird, and if ears are mistaken, they willfully err) for the number of years that we've been a pair in wonder-filled wedlock. Your warm golden band encircles my heart more than adorns my hand. We married in April; now you are the spring that, in my spirit, turns every leaf green. Through summer's mosquitoes, and fall's golden days, And winter's hard ice and impenetrable grays, My inside is April; my soul is a kite and you, steady wind that brings it to flight.

cans

My recycling place is currently paying $.32 per pound for aluminum cans. A year ago at this time, the price was around $.92.  It's going to take a little more can-saving to make it worth the trip out to Grade Lane.

I prefer the chickens and cats, thanks

Last night I dreamed I was using a baseball bat to fight off zombies. Very exciting stuff, but it sort of made me miss the life of a poultry farmer.

chickens and cats

Last night I dreamed I was raising chickens. I had just bought some chickens, and was carrying them in my arms.  The cages I wanted to put them in, however, were full of cats.  I suspected that they had snuck in to try to get to the chickens that were already there.  I had to shoo them out.  I liked the cats; I just needed them out of my way.

Orang-utan

All of our photos of the orangutan at the Louisville Zoo look creepy and disturbing.

Death by dragon

"This is you being destroyed by a dragon," said a 5-year-old in my room at church.

New walnut ink drawing

I've completed a new black walnut ink house drawing. This one is 8x10 inches. The second photo is a close-up of some detail.

Same photo...

...but I messed around with the colors a little bit.

Happy Anniversary

My dad called last night, and I forgot to wish him a happy anniversary until after we were off the phone. I tried to call back, but the phone was busy. Anyway, he posted this on his blog, and I think it deserves re-posting here. It's a nice photo. There's a lot in it to look at, really. I think my dad resembles my brothers (especially Brian) and me; my mom reminds me of both Dot and Aunt Julie. Actually, on second thought, my mom looks like a younger Kevin in a big black wig. Not that I'm making fun of anyone. This is a cute couple.

Well, they look alike to me...

Through work, I am frequently exposed to the logo for the Thrift Savings Plan, which is our employee retirement plan. The weird thing about the TSP logo is that every single time I see it, I think it looks like the Cat in the Hat logo that I see at the top of lots of children's books. In fact, for a couple of years after I started working here, I thought (not really purposeful, conscious thought, but just as a sort of half-awareness) that the TSP logo was the Cat in the Hat. It only works if you don't look directly at it. This will be the first time I've ever put the two logos side-by-side. Don't you think that they're twins, if you sort of look at them indirectly?

Before the show

A week ago Saturday the four of us went to see Sesame Street Live's "Elmo Makes Music" at the Brown Theater, thanks to Mimi and Grandpa, who provided the tickets. We had a great time.  We arrived quite early, and had time to wander and explore the theater.  At one point we ended up in a basement area (with no one else around) and found this dressing area, which provided a photo opportunity.

a note on carob

In response to a previous discussion among family and friends:   Carob is made from the roasted nuts of carob trees, which are evergreens that grow in the Mediterranean region.   I like the flavor.

Getting in on the act: Here’s what I remember about April 3, 1974

...

lunch hunt

I spent about 40 minutes at lunch today hunting the grass at an elementary school. Results: 2 pennies, 4 dimes, 1 quarter, 1 broken screw/bolt piece, 1 winter coat button, 1 beer bottle (not buried), 1 foil wrapper, 1 beer bottle cap (not the same brand as the beer bottle), 1 piece of can slaw (not buried).   It's very pretty out today.