Under a Red Roof

Almost Fall

September 6, 2022 in Gardening + Nature by Colleen | Permalink

Oh, the variety of plants in full flower now, this almost fall final hurrah! Though I only captured one feasting bee, the garden is positively alive with them, and birds, zooming hummingbird and not so plain of every other local variety, including a Cooper’s Hawk who visits nearly on the daily, plus butterflies and regular ole flies. A garden cornucopia.

Juniper digger dog caught in the act. She has two holes she digs with abandon and our permission, this one included, and one she tries on the sly and for which is regularly scolded. A dog’s life.

Full of Hot Air, Again

September 5, 2022 in Admiring by Colleen | Permalink

Labor Day Weekend Ritual:

Rise alongside the sun, dress and wash-up quick, lace shoes, harness dog, top head with straw hat. Walk, grateful for the cool before the heat. Ascend on mud soft ground to the pinnacle of the shortest double hill and wait in the low wind. Eyes south to witness the rise of balloon after balloon to crowd the sky. Our aging eyes wonder at the non-standard shapes: pig in coveralls, fish, unicorn, frog, smiling blue horned creature, Darth Vader, Yoda!! Quiet save our sighs and a single engine splitting the sky above.

Then the descent, peppered with flowers and our commentary on this small luxury. Nothing and everything before eight a.m.

Taste Time

September 1, 2022 in Quoting by Colleen | Permalink

There was a smell of Time in the air tonight. He smiled and turned the fancy in his mind. There was a thought. What did time smell like? Like dust and clocks and people. And if you wondered what Time sounded like it sounded like water running in a dark cave and voices crying and dirt dropping down upon hollow box lids, and rain. And, going further, what did Time look like? Time look like snow dropping silently into a black room or it looked like a silent film in an ancient theater, 100 billion faces falling like those New Year balloons, down and down into nothing. That was how Time smelled and looked and sounded. And tonight-Tomas shoved a hand into the wind outside the truck-tonight you could almost taste time.

Ray Bradbury

Tags: Quoting

Summer Road Trip 2022: the Road Home

August 27, 2022 in Eating, Loving, Traveling by Colleen | Permalink

For all of my fellow Little House on the Prairie fans, greetings from Walnut Grove, Minnesota. Oh my goodness, Laura Ingalls Wilder lived here! I wouldn’t say there is a whole lot in the looking department at the early hour we visited, as the museum opens at ten, and especially since we only noticed Plum Creek on our drive out of town and didn’t want to stop, but still.

I spent so much of my childhood (and a summer as an adult!) deep in the books, reading them a couple of times, then watching the show, it was impossible for my heart not to overflow a bit. We also ate at Nellie’s Cafe, which is a cute little place with kindly service, the biggest sausage on a breakfast sandwich, and an amazing sticky roll, which was HOT from the oven.

A little blurry, I know, but look at my smile. The excitement of being in Walnut Grove!

At the Corn Palace in Mitchell, South Dakota. I have always wanted to stop here! The corn cob murals are pretty spectacular, with such a variation in shades, and certainly worth the trip.

The downside of my 51 year old body is having eyes going farsighted and that the tiny little preview of photos on my camera look pretty great until I get home and see they are blurry as heck. Wah!

So, you won’t be able to see the wall to wall motorcycles coming and going from Sturgis lining the road in front of Wall Drug. The Wall Drug, with signs for hundreds of miles. I have even heard they have a sign in the London Underground. Fancy!

It was a mob of people with every kind of accent and shade of sun burn and tan, all gobsmacked at the masses of choices of goods on offer. You will not be surprised to learn I bought fudge, in my favorite amaretto flavor. If it isn’t illicit, you can probably find it here before finding solace in Jesus (or whomever) in the sweet little chapel. Welcome traveler!

South Dakota melting into Wyoming, beauty for mile upon mile! The old timey Frontier gas pump is located at the finest public restroom on our journey. Located on East 21st Avenue, just east of Main, in Torrington, Wyoming. It is clean and bright and filled with vintage charm!

Summer Road Trip 2022: Minneapolis-St. Paul

August 26, 2022 in Eating, Traveling by Colleen | Permalink

Hey there, hi there! It’s Minneapolis-St. Paul. Hilly and lovely and friendly filled, but what a nightmare to the novice driver, as many a street turns into a highway without much warning. We did a lot of cussing and driving in circles!

The Patric Richardson recommended bridge in all its glory! How cool to wander amongst remnants of the old mills. Since we are early to bed and early to rise types these days, we did not get out after dark to witness the neon. I’ll bet it puts on a stellar show!

Running up that hill, with a serious nod to Kate Bush, of course. How cool is it that her ages old song is making all the hit lists this summer. YAY! The Sensual World, which I owned on cassette (!!) got some serious mileage in my Celica.

September Room – Mark Manders

The Claes Oldenburg Cherry is even more cheerful in person. I never knew it sprayed mist on passersby. Eeek!

Also, to the right, is LOVE – Robert Indiana

Woodrow – Deborah Butterfield

Hey, Portlanders! He looks like the sculptures as you leave PDX, right? A little trip down memory lane.

After Dream – Pierre Huyge

A tree full of chimes that together play every note of a score by John Cage. Very clever.

Spoonbridge and Cherry – Claes Oldenburg and Coosje van Bruggen

X with Columns – Sol LeWitt

Black Vessel for a Saint – Theaster Gates

This fella is the saint safely nestled inside the Black Vessel for a Saint on the right, with no actual access, only slots for peering eyes and camera lenses. Damn, so good!

For Whom…

Kris Martin

Cock – Katharina Fritsch

The Minneapolis Sculpture Garden was probably highest on our list of activities in the Twin Cities. Nestled pretty much in the heart of Minneapolis and full of fellow wanderers, it is a joyful and energetic space.

Lunch break! The best Banh-Mi we’ve had in a very long while at Trung Nam. They also have amazing croissants that are next level delicious. The lightest, airiest, crispiest I have ever tasted. PLUS, apricot filled?! I didn’t know this was a thing, but oh! Yes, it IS.

Cathedral of St. Paul

Hockey!

What look like rabies tags looking cheerful on a tree. Guessing some sort of inoculant against a devastating disease?

Every photo from the beautiful sandwich onward is in lovely St. Paul. There is probably some sort of secret way to really know the difference between the Twins, but, as outsiders, we found them equally delightful!