'm not complaining. I'm not. It's a small thing. So small. But a pesky high pressure system over Oregon (didn't know that was possible) has created summer-type heat here the last couple of days. 89 degrees, today. In Sacto, it was 102. So, because of that and about a million other reasons, I'm not complaining. I am saying that the temps went up 30 degrees (6:30am walking time) in a few days. So, I quickly snapped a bunch of pictures of the more than 20 different wildflowers I've been enjoying along the road because I know they'll be gone in a blink. I don't know all their names, yet. Most of you can tune out, now. I'm going to indulge (a teeny bit) in my fascination with the flowers, around here. But come back at the end, OK?
Last year I basked in the profusion of yellow flowered bushes that grow everywhere, especially along roads. I-80 is thick with them, and they're stunning. They're blooming now, too, but the enthusiasm, shall we say, has faded since I've learned that the plant is called Scotch Broom and is a Class-C Noxious Weed (along with the delicious Oregon blackberry). It's a landscape plant run amok, and is taking over huge swaths of natural flora. Besides that, if you look at it cross-eyed, it explodes into flames. Really. So dangerous. That bad little plant is the third picture, down.
The first pic is of my dutch iris, which finally popped up. So pretty! Of course, I thought that they would be up with the daffs (for a stunning yellow/violet combo), but now I know. I think I'm going to use that unusual wooden water-tower-type planter as an experiment with bulbs. I'm going to plant as many different kinds in there as I can squeeze in and try to have a succession of bulbs blooming in there all growing season. Like very slow fireworks. So far, there are crocus, daffs, dutch iris, ixia, freesia and something starting with an "m" (I know it's not "meconium"--thank goodness--but it's something like that).
The second photo is the little wild iris that grows along the road. Very cute! There are yellows, whites, lavenders, purples, pinks, blues. I know there are red ones down the slope. Alas, no pictures of it, yet.
OK. Come back, now. The last photo shows one of my recent studio projects. Over the last few months (yes, months), I've been working (very sporadically) on a t-shirt design for a ministry in Pennsylvania called "The Pittsburgh Project" They do so much cool stuff for the poor, that I can't even begin to tell you. Here's their website: http://www.pittsburghproject.org/ But I'm finally in the last stages of the design prep. That's just some of the work on the table. Some of it's on the computer. I'll post a few photos of the actual shirts, when I get them. The other thing I've been working on this week is a stained-glass design for our El Cajon church. It will be the sixth in a series of eight panels for the sanctuary. It's early, so no pics, yet.
Talked with Dylan yesterday and today (from the shadow of the Empire State Bldg). He and Charlie should be finished with their booth, now. Their space is about the smallest in the whole convention. The booth directly across the way is Spain. The country. And, I guess it's proportionately larger than theirs.
So, that's it, for the moment. Next, is catching up on the Blotter and the hawklets we're snooping on.
