Blog Archives

HERD ABOUT IT?  by ana grarian I think I saw one of these in Cascadilla Creek yesterday. I definitely saw some kind of eel, and sea lampreys are found here. From the top they are kind of interesting, but don’t go Googling them unless you are prepared for some really disturbing photos. They have a mouth right out of a horror film. Apparently the inlet to the lake has been designed to inhibit their entrance into the lake proper, and they are fished out to keep them from decimating the fish population.

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HERD ABOUT IT? by ana grarian 60 degrees at 6 am headed for 80+ and no rain. This does not bode well. We keep getting these promises. Cloudy skies, windy conditions, then nothing. After a winter with almost no snow at all, folks who know enough to be – are edgy. And those who don’t know feel it too. Barometric pressure impacts our emotions, and stamina. Even the birds seem subdued this morning.

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HERD ABOUT IT? by ana grarian Just two years after a beloved local bookstore revitalized itself as a community owned cooperative with over 600 owners world-wide, disturbing news comes from the board of directors, with devastating impacts on employees. Times are hard all over for small retail establishments, and perhaps nowhere more so than in book sales. The prevalence of electronic readers and increased capabilities of cell phones to deliver content, means we have seen even the big boxes leave town.

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HERD ABOUT IT? by ana grarian I need some serious time in the garden. Right now I am watching a young Downy Woodpecker (shall I call him Robert?) at the feeder outside my window. The tree is heavy now with leaves and plump green seed pods similar to a Maple tree. I have never learned just what this tree is. Weed like in it’s growth. Perhaps some form of swamp Maple.  It turns out the bunny likes them almost as much as the squirrels. The birds woke me around 4 am and my insomnia took over. That got me to penciling out figures from work and figuring out that the economic indicators we had been presented with did not jibe with the proposed solutions. Did I mention insomnia? I tried to go back to sleep, but now the bird song was joined by a ringing in my ears that could not be blocked out with ear plugs. I got up and took a shower. Yesterday I watered the garden and mowed the lawn with the help of a young friend. I love my reel mower. It is so nice to mow with a machine that is almost silent, and safe…

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We had a good weekend. Mother’s Day we went up to my daughter’s for a lovely brunch in the back yard. They are reclaiming the back yard that looks over the ravine. A new fence for privacy from the road makes all the difference. Later I got down on my knees to weed her front garden around the swing. It was a cool day, but working in the sun was nice and warm. That afternoon I worked in my own yard planting summer bulbs, expanding my front flower garden, and raking the back yard. Poor dog. I raked up all her old dog bones and threw them in the compost bin. She keeps sniffing around looking for them. We had some good rain a few days ago, and this morning it looks like we might get some more. I sure hope so.

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 HERD ABOUT IT? by ana grarian I like to go to our new neighborhood grocery because I know what it is like to not have a store within walking/biking distance. I don’t enjoy driving cross town through traffic, to a crowded parking lot, to a crowded store, even if that store has a wide (should I say dizzying) selection of products. The new store sits nestled between the artsy/hip/vegan-veggie-pc side of the neighborhood, and those who need to pack the most punch for their dollar. Kind of like our household’s pocketbook. They are trying very hard to serve the entire community with an expanding local/natural/organic section and vibrant well stocked shelves of modern lower cost products. Purchasing meat is a difficult balancing act. This store carries a good variety of affordable cuts of beef/chicken/pork etc. It is actually surprising how low their prices are, and I am sure they are risking profit margin here as a method of increasing customer satisfaction. Unfortunately, I know from where meat comes. The modern industrial livestock industry is ugly, and becoming more disturbing daily.

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HERD ABOUT IT? by ana grarian Five AM is not an easy time to get up, at least not quite yet. I haven’t quite reclaimed the habit of early to bed, and it is still a little dark out. Yet, I know that very soon it will be my best time of day. As the afternoons warm up I will be best at weeding before the sun has reached it’s peak, which means before work. Even through the winter as I huddle under the covers, I know I should be up and writing, because if I wait until the rest of the house is busy, or the time to leave for work looms too close, I will have lost my concentration. This old brain likes to wander. Even this morning I am scanning the net for pig in the garden pictures – and came up with these delightful Beatrice Potter images of Guinea Pigs in the garden. I hope my Grandson gets a kick out of them.

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