… where many of the lilies and lotuses are currently in full bloom. A couple of his pix:
… was in a business class lounge at Dulles Airport. She’ll be in London for ten days, half of them celebrating a clearly over-the-top wedding of an old friend (stretches for four days), and the other half in a Mayfair townhouse, training for a new job.
It remains, for Les UDs, a constant mild shock that their spawn works in the heart of the heart of capitalism. Both UDs come from academic families. Mr UD‘s family, for centuries, was about landowners/government officials.
With the exception of my father’s immigrant father, who owned and ran Rapoport’s Department Store in Port Deposit, Maryland (Grampa Joe: Early Capitalism / La Kid: Postmodern Multinational Capitalism), you just don’t find much capitalist activity in our background. We feel like Ma and Pa Kettle as we marvel at La Kid’s five-star ways.
… one of four stops on today’s Chesapeake Bay adventure,
… Gravitas restaurant. The phrase is from their website.
I’d like all the details, but I respect her privacy.
A University of Delaware ecologist speaks.
Anyone who reads this blog knows UD‘s gardens, front, sides, and back, are massively mammalian. Man, I found a MINK in my garden once.
Sometimes I try listing everything that’s out there, but I’m sure I’m forgetting stuff.
rats
mice
voles
rabbits
raccoons
opossums
fox
deer
coyote
squirrel
bat
shrew
moles
chipmunk
ground hog
Plus reptiles, insects, and avians! Never a dull moment.
… I found in front of the fireplace this morning, overturned and waving its legs about in an effort to right itself. Mr UD took it outside. I think it might have slid down the chimney, since I always forget to close the flue. The whole episode was shamelessly lifted from Metamorphosis.
We’re seeing a young red fox almost every morning, around 8 AM, in and around our pollinator garden. Looks like this (photo, Colleen Bruso):
It walks calmly through the bee balm, unaware of us, doing a last-minute rabbit check before returning for the day to its den. It is a beautiful, elegant animal.
The fantastic evening firefly show, followed by the morning fox, makes these summer days and nights mesmerizing and surreal.
… on UD’s deck has put out tons of buds, which, dedicated readers recall, soon unfold into massive red blooms. (Images are from last summer.) UD tried getting a picture of the pale green crab spider on one of its leaves, but as she approached, it jumped away. Praying mantises, you may also recall, loved last year’s hibiscus, and I found a baby mantis on this one the other day, but there aren’t any on it at the moment. (There are probably ten on it, but, you know, camouflage…)
As UD took pictures of her hibiscus, two chipmunks on the grass near her did that frantic little dance where they take turns hopping into the air and then race off.
Yesterday, early evening, Les UDs were startled by a large dark snake on the garden pavers. I’m thinking water snake. (We live near Rock Creek.)
… for photographing spider webs, and UD found a perfectly circular one at the top of her hill; but I felt too unsteady over the thick vines and slippery limbs to get close enough for a good shot. Best I could do.
Both places from UD‘s outing today — a very beautiful day.
