lazy day

i think dog ate too much cheese and stuff that the humans gave him yesterday --- he's better now but pokey all day --- gave me a chance to take a good walk by myself and listen to verdi's requiem --- the plant world is in a gloriously fecund condition at present

update

a second crop of ginger beer begun yesterday --- the last was extremely stout --- trying to dial it back a notch with this --- it will take a while to perfect the recipe i guess

there was an awesome thunderstorm this morning before daylight --- one of the biggest i've seen in a while --- lying in my bed watching it happen, i saw the wind slowly roll one of my cement balls from one end of the balcony to the other

remembering a snake

a landmark of sorts for me at chattahoochee is the impression in the concrete left by a poor little snake that got flattened when the concrete was poured and finished ten years ago --- the body was long gone, but it left an excellent reverse cast of the snake

within the last month, someone has painted the impression, which will probably last a long time since it won't be subjected to direct foot traffic

it's cool and all but i sorta wish they had left it alone

comestibles

YDFM finally had organic pickling cucumbers, which i've used to attempt creation of naturally fermented dill pickles --- also made a batch of sauer kraut and started another ginger bug

update: day two, the fermentation process got off to a good start

update: day three, in addition to froth and bubbles, the brine has turned murky, which i wasn't expecting but found out is perfectly ok --- and oh my do they smell good

too much going on

it is really quite amazing how quickly and completely the wheels are coming off the trump train --- every single day, i wake up wondering what in the fk it will be today --- special prosecutor already --- and all this with republicans in complete control of government --- the silver lining is that their chances of destroying obamacare and showering the rich with massive tax cuts diminish every day

the atlanta rose show was last weekend --- this did not win a ribbon, but it should have --- entitled simply "st patrick's day"

now jasmine are giving way to gardenia, keeping the air wonderfully thick with the stench of spring

and i think that the editrix and i are basically done with six of ten chapters in the coochee project --- .... creeps in this petty pace from day to day to the last syllable of recorded time

but it'll be great when it's done

and still cranes, cranes, cranes

trump's razor

when seeking an explanation for the behavior of president* trump, always choose the stupidest possible explanation that can be reconciled with the available facts ---  josh marshall

ginger!

so the first stab at ginger beer was a semi-failure, although tasty and really gingery, it was too sweet and not much fizz --- second try looks more promising --- these have only been festering less than 48 hours and are looking real sparky already

update:  one recipe sez it's ready after two days, so i opened one --- delish, although a little too gingery, but cut it with vodka, pelligrino, and a splash of lime, and you have an excellent adult beverage

atl bot gdn

first adult beverages in the garden for the season --- i was not overly impressed with their theme this year, but then that's usually the case --- i had rather enjoy the botanicals without all the arty hoo-ha

the viewshed

when i moved to the 13th floor in 2005, about half the western horizon was visible, including kennesaw mountain --- the mountain has disappeared and now less than a quarter of that horizon is visible --- but there's still enough to track the sunset across the horizon, and this view to the northwest still catches some of my favorites: the mosque, the waterworks, and traffic along howell mill road, which follows the track of an ancient indian trail between the reservoirs

who invited all these old people?

50th high school reunion was a weird but highly enjoyable event --- it was wonderful to spend a little time with some folks that still mean a lot to me, nevermind how long it's been since i last saw them

32 out of 250 already dead

firstlings

first attempt at ginger beer --- had to start over on the bug, but got it right when i used organic ginger ---

the beer may wind up way too strong if it doesn't explode first

½ lb of ginger root
1½ c of water
1 c sugar
~1 ½ c ginger bug

topped off with water to make a half gallon

i think, but i can never be sure since i'm always starting a recipe, changing it as i go along, and then fergittin what the changes were

after a friend told me hers exploded all over her kitchen, i decided to stick them all in the heavy-duty ice chest, just in case

more like early june than early may

a little frustration with the coochee project as the editrix continues to provide comments at a glacial pace --- and i remain the rentman, as the main st house continues unsold after a month on the market

to cope, we walk --- part of today's routine was a circuit to ponce city market, but guinness freaked again as we started into the shed on the east side --- he just really hates that whole place for some reason --- but mostly both of us love the exposure

 none of us work like this dude

it's good to see the ducks and turtles making themselves at  home in the O4W retention pond --- the trees need to grow, but the aquatic side of the landscape is doing nicely