Last year’s weed patch is cleared and leveled, ready for a tree to be planted. This is the last month with an “R” for a while so we need to get it done! I did it all with my own two hands, back, and a rake. Admiring my hard work and kicking back with my new favorite nonalcoholic IPA from local brewer Sun King!
Our daughter surprised us Friday with a weekend visit. So we wandered yesterday in the vintage shops and peddlers malls, chasing our 3yr old granddaughter as she gleefully discovered treasures from yesteryear. Her favs were fake wooden fruit, mid-century lounge furniture more her size than ours, and lots of breakable bowls with lids she needed to lift and investigate.
Today is the science museum and an Imax about dinosaurs. A fortuitous mis-pressed button and I didn't have a ticket. As D was trying to rectify the error, I suggested I could wait at the brewery down the street.
So here,I am. Soft music playing over quiet conversations with a glass of delicious beer named Midtvinter and I call serendipity.
A lot of folks from many different cultures, faiths & traditions are celebrating this weekend as something special. For all of you, I hope the divine grants you peace & prosperity but, above all, wisdom & forbearance. For those who see this a just another weekend, I wish the same.
Cheers!:
Seen while walking:
On this week’s episode of dog toy or sex toy...:
Free range chickens. That rooster crowed every time I passed by letting me know not to mess with his harem:
This blackberry bush has been mowed down so many times that it starts blossoming & trying to set fruit at three inches or so tall. A reminder that just because something is surviving doesn’t mean it’s thriving:
Second strawberry of 2023:
We got good news this week. The guy in the plot next to us gave up this year so we were able to pick up Plot 419 in addition to Plot 420. We spent Easter getting the fencing expanded to incorporate Plot 419. For future posts, I will refer to the combined plots as Plot 420 out of tradition:
The same day a few years ago in Palermo at a local restaurant. I don't remember how many beers we drank, but I do remember that the local beer called Mesina as well as the Moretti and Peroni beers were very popular! And the summer heat helped us to love them 🍻
January 2023 - Cape Le Grand National Park, Esperance, Western Australia
After 3 full days on the road my cousin Susanna Tan and I finally made it to Esperance where we'd spend the next two full days before starting to make our way back to Perth.
Our first full day at Esperance was a long one! We got super lucky with the weather - it was beautiful right up until we were back on the beach finishing up our last hike of the day when it started raining.
We did 3 solid hikes with some trail running for a total of 11.6 miles (18.65 kilometers) and a total elevation gain of 1,984.9 feet (605 meters).
We finished off the day at the Lucky Bay Brewing with some great local beer and pizza!
This guy, a veteran and park ranger named Steve, opened this place called TreeRock in Asheville, NC as a sort of passion project, to celebrate Mead and Cider, and showcase an incredible selection of the world's first alcoholic beverage.
I just had an hour and a half long conversation with the guy. He's so personable and knowledgeable, and I had an absolute blast- I tried like 10 different drinks, and they were all awesome, and he told me about the history and making of each and every one. After a while, I decided this is my new favorite place to go.
But they're closing, in March.
These past few years have been devastating for small businesses, and they are no exception. They are going to close in March, unless something drastic happens that changes things.
So if you're in Asheville, or you know somebody in Asheville, or you have been meaning to go to Asheville to bury that body in the trunk of your car somewhere along the Appalachian trail but you just haven't gotten around to it yet, please stop by TreeRock for a flight of meads, ciders, and beers from all around the world, for less than the cost of a Chipotle burrito.
(also they love dogs!!! my dog had a great time, and I'm sure yours will too!)