Sundrops

My sundrops began to bloom all of a sudden. Here they are on the 21st.

I stuck the camera right into the midst of them. They're still blooming even with all the rain and dark skies.

At 6:30 this evening we had thunder and lightning and--see the white balls--HAIL. Sorry for the bad picture but I tried to catch pix of the amazing chunks of ice as they fell and it was very dark. They were the size of ... strawberries! (The large white thing on the right is a rock.) The hailstorm was soon ended and my sundrops appear unhurt.

Yellow goat's-beard

I found out what the yellow flowers in the strawberry patch were, Yellow goat's-beard (Tragopogon pratensis) or Meadow Salsify.

They resemble dandelions, don't they? Even have a fluffy seed head!

Hmm. There's also Western Goat's Beard (T. dubius). Might be that because there were 12 spear-like floral bracts behind the yellow petals as in this picture from the internet.

Strawberries

Yesterday, since it wasn't raining, I dragged Mary out of her real estate office and we drove out East and picked strawberries at a place on Sound Avenue. It was good to get out in the wide open spaces. Cloudy skies made for more comfortable working conditions and we soon had our quart boxes full. These tall yellow flowers were growing everywhere among the strawberry plants along with swathes of camomile. Wonder what they are?

Mary picked twice as many quarts as I did (no, not all of those).

I guess the chairs are for the people who just watch other people picking.

The price was 4 dollars a quart if you pick your own, 5.50 to buy the ones already picked, which were huge.

Today I froze some, ate some fresh, gave some away, and stewed the remainder making a sort of runny preserve (no pectin). A lot of work but fun!

Mary: did you finish processing yours yet?

It's raining again today!

Ha-ha again

Cheryl, I went back on your blog to last spring because I remembered a thread on the red newt. In scrolling back I enjoyed once more the beautiful flowers you posted in June 2008. And then I stumbled on some pictures (especially #5) that made me whoop with laughter again.

Oh my!!

P.S. I found the red newt post on May 4, 2008.

Rose Garden, Southampton

I visited the David Drew Rose Garden in Southampton yesterday. It's on a hill near the new library.There are dozens of roses in all colors and sizes arranged in a square with brick paths, arbors, pergolas, and a wonderful gazebo. The lifesize figure of a child quietly presides over it all. Though yesterday was just the beginning of the display period, there were enough roses in bloom to cheer anyone's heart.

The garden is maintained by the Southampton Rose Society

Our gang in Albany

The mess in the NY State Senate becomes more outrageous every day. On Monday the Republicans staged a sneaky "coup" with the help of 2 Democratic lowlifes and a wealthy egomaniac. Then the Dems refused to unlock the chamber so a session could take place. Non-stop meetings are going on. Whatever legislation they were working on is in limbo. Ordinary people are disgusted. What a mess! What a circus! Politics at its nadir. (But it's really entertaining too!)

The story on Monday

The New York Post story today (Wed.) was entitled "Albany's Bozos are in the Dark"

Update: Thursday morning "Bizarre Big Top Needs Ringleader"
A more dignified account from The New York Times

UPDATE: Monday morning 6/15: Hiram's one uh Dem again! Gridlock

Misc. pictures

As I was pulling into a parking lot out East on Wednesday I saw this truck pausing to turn left. You know what those bundles are? Grass, somebody's future lawn, the product of a sod farm all rolled up like so much carpet.

Spring cleaning: I made this dried arrangement more than 2 years ago from locally gathered material and it's been collecting dust in my living room all this time. Today I threw it out, but first had to make a pictorial remembrance.

My neighbor's Japanese maple tree hangs over the fence and is very prodigal with its winged seeds. I found this seedling just as spring was arriving. I potted it up, and so far so good.

Picture taken after the sun sank below the tree line.

12,000 year old carving found in Florida

In Vero Beach the only known carving of prehistoric animals to be found in America.

Quite a long article on this amazing bit of ancient art.

This and other interesting stories can be found on the daily Archaeological Headlines