Braidy bunch

Yay! my hair is getting long enough to braid again - sort of...

Carolina Gardens

At this time of year, you can find some great deals on many garden items. Even a lot of the hard goods are often on sale as nurseries try to make room for all their holiday stuff to go out on the floor.
If you are looking for some nice perennials to put in now, there is a local garden center called Carolina Gardens (4027 Randleman Rd Greensboro, NC 27406 (336) 275-6826). They still had a good selection when I went by a couple of days ago.
I've been looking for good deals on drought-tolerant plants. There were some really nice choices at this nursery.
We got several rosemary and thyme plants at $1.75 per one-quart pot (since they've had the summer to grow, they are really full). There was a lot of lavender, daisies, lambs ear, heuchera, etc. So, nothing too rare, but beautiful & healthy specimens.
I also found some great golden carpet sedum in larger 8" pots for $4.75. They are so vigorous. The owner was telling me how he'd started my plants from seedlings that had been coming up thru the pavement beside a display. So, I bought 2 and have already split one seven ways from Sunday.

Niche Gardens

Curt and I took a trip over to Chapel Hill a couple of days ago using back roads. We came across Niche Gardens. I'd heard about the place before and was curious.
What a neat nursery. It's not huge, but (as the name implies) there are a lot of interesting choices. We think that they must propagate much of their own stock since there is great variety, but only a handful of each type (ie several different hosta, but only two or three of each species). Of course, maybe it's just a sign that we are coming to the end of the season.
In any case, the plant life looks really vibrant and well-tended. It must be a satisfying place to work.
They also have a bunch of cool garden art that's mostly fairly affordable. So, if you're ever in the area we recommend checking the place out.

Elliot Smith

Curt has been listening some to Elliot Smith. I just know the hits as it were. Rather depressing stuff. 'Twilight' is a pretty tune. You may recognise his song 'Needle in the Hay' from the film 'The Royal Tenenbaums' (a great flick in it's own right)...

Bejeweled

Beatriz made me a pretty necklace...

Between this one, the one Coral made, the megalodon tooth Paula turned into a necklace for me and the one from Kirk - I'm stylin'! What cool gifts.

Visiting

Here's a photo of our friends Eva and Kara. Last week I went and stayed with them and their Mr. Muffin Man - Stephen. What a fun time we had playing games, going to the market, the yarn shop and just hanging out. They have a neat house outside Boston. Too bad it's so nice there, we'll never be able to convince them to move closer.

Salt Marsh

Here is a particularly lovely picture I found online titled "White Birds at Allens Pond" by Gina Purtell of the Massachusetts Audubon Society. I believe that they are egrets...

Home

Well, I went to the brrrr...cooool...brrrr state of MA for a week. It was great fun to go back for a visit. I first imposed on my dear friends the McCall's - more on that in another blog.
For the second half, I went to visit my Dad and Step mom. The old house is ever expanding - now there's a guest kitchen - fancy stuff! Anyhow, it is a magical place to me with great natural beauty.
At this time of year, everything is so alive. Driving, there are some tunnels of growth so dense that they throw the streets into darkness & the wildflowers are thick at the base of many old, stone walls. The grapes were hanging heavy at the vineyard too.
They took me to our favourite spot where Allen's Pond comes out into the ocean by Barney's Joy and East Beach. Another day we walked Horseneck. On the final day we went out to Sakonnet Point, RI (here's someone else's photo). It was beautiful, bright and still. The rocks were totally different than at other beaches.
Lucky me to be able to spend time with special people at such wonderful places! Thanks guys.

State of fear...

I don't know if this case is winnable, but I am impressed with Mr. Righi's decisions (except for my disappointment in his support of the niece's Disney addiction). He stood up for himself in a way that we all should be doing. Modern convenience has turned us into zombies. The corporations lead us along by our nose-rings to work harder at more meaningless jobs so we can buy more and disagree less.
http://newsite.michaelrighi.com/2007/09/01/arrested-at-circuit-city/

Doodle-rama

So, I was mucking about with a doodle in Photoshop and came up with this. Might make a fun base for a Mardi Gras mask or something...

Little ghost

So, I try to refrain from the overly cute/pathetic, but Clovis won me over on this one...