Tag: Observations

Blog

Bird and Salad Combo

ellenparkerwrites

When dining out, one of the items I frequently order is a large salad. Often it will come with grilled or breaded chicken. The combo is delicious. And it has lots of the things dietitians and nutritionists approve of.

It’s good to try new things. New combinations in foods. Perhaps with the addition of one or two unfamiliar ingredients. (Careful. You might like it!)

You can also look at a familiar object or event from a new angle. Ever lay down to watch a dog walk past. (They may stop to investigate you. It might be boring looking at human feet and knees all day.) Or go high – stand on a chair or ladder, or climb up to look down on a lawn sprinkler?

Or you can just go silly — as with this photo of cranes and lettuce.

100_5200

Art glass birds in water lettuce salad.

Blog

Rule vs. Advice

ellenparkerwrites

My practical introduction to the rule occurred as advice in my youth. Mother taught me to sew. Lots of steps involved in creating a wearable garment from a piece of cloth. Measuring was basic. You needed to measure to have the clothing fit. And to have the pattern piece cut on the straight grain of the fabric. (Or on the bias if the pattern called for it.)

Get it right. Double check. Pin in place. Only then did you pick up the scissors.

I later came to discover that this is a slight variation on the “carpenter’s rule”. Measure twice. Cut once.

As you can tell from my opening — it’s not limited to woodworking. I was pleased to see the rule in action as they began work on a new storm sewer.

100_5232_00

Measure twice. Dig once.

Blog

Animal Trails

ellenparkerwrites

Do you walk the same path day after day? From the driveway to the door? From the door to the curbside mailbox? From the house to the barn?

It was the final one which we walked a lot. But we took enough variations that we never defined a clear, dirt path across the thick grass. Okay, in the winter we made a path and stayed on it. No sense in letting a good track through the snow go to waste. But that was temporary.

Our animals played “follow the leader.” A lot. They, with the aid of sharp hooves, did wear a narrow path across the pasture and up the lane into the barnyard. Many times I followed along, usually with the dog, bringing the cows up for milking. The only hazard — cow pies.

People who grew up with some wooded land became familiar with other animal paths. And city dwellers can get a hint with a visit to the zoo.

100_5074

Cat Path Expert

Blog

Named for a Tool

ellenparkerwrites

A majority of American women have used them in the home.

Nearly every science student has used one in the laboratory.

The shape is functional and the name is simple description. However, not all bottlebrushes are created equal.

100_5040

Consider this lovely specimen of Bottlebrush Buckeye. Each flower is the correct size and shape to clean a baby bottle or graduated cylinder.

I’m not going to try it. Too soft. Too many petals/bristles left behind in the bottom of the container.

Instead I’m going to admire, photograph, and wish the honeybees good harvest.

 

Blog

Lawn Squares

ellenparkerwrites

You’ve heard the stories. Aliens from Outer Space sneak in under cover of darkness and flatten crops in circular patterns.

Today I show you evidence of a new brand of Alien — from the plant CUBE.

100_4246

Like their more famous cousins (distant) they work silently under cover of darkness. The evidence of their visits differ by the sharp corners of the patterns they make and they preference for lawns instead of crop fields. Small children puzzle over the colors and shapes. Animals sniff out traces of the rare creatures.

Be wary. They work in groups. The above example shows one complete and a second on the far right. Please respond if you’ve sighted the alien responsible.

Thank you.

 

Blog

Lion or Lamb

ellenparkerwrites

March – comes in like a Lion and goes out like a Lamb.

At least that was the folk saying which passed for wisdom during my childhood. The adults around me paid close attention to the weather. Their livelihood as farmers depended on it.

In elementary school we decorated the March calendar with Lions, kites, and Lambs. Once in a while a shamrock was added. We made sure to wear green if the seventeenth fell on a school day. (No one likes getting pinched.)

How is the first of March outside your window? Are you having a blizzard? Cold wind and rain? Or a mild sunny day.

The flip side – scary part – is that if March arrives like a gentle lamb it will go out like a roaring lion.

I think I’ll take my storms early in the month. After the official start of spring my thoughts turn to gardens. What will I plant this year? When dare I start?

 

Blog

A Question of Timing

ellenparkerwrites

Is it done yet? Are we there? Is it time?

Parents of small children probably have these and more questions circle in their mind at all hours of the day and night. First as direct questions. Then on repeat either as additional questions from young voices or insistent memories interfering with other activities — like an adult conversation — or sleep.

Timing can be critical in more than parenting. When is the best time to speak up at a meeting? Approach management for new equipment, training, or money? How do I know it the cookies are done?

Once in a while the timing is off. The cookies burn. The meeting is adjourned before you ask your question. Or the perfect girl moves away before you ask her for a date.

Life is risky. Results are not assured. Consider these brave botanical specimens.

Hardy Optimist
The race to bloom first is fraught with hazards — like a final hard frost!
Blog

The Big Picture

ellenparkerwrites

The modern world is complicated. Technology is changing and rippling down into other aspects of life at unprecedented speed. Many people are unable to grasp it all — so they specialize, concentrate on one portion, and work to become an expert within narrow margins.

The world needs a few specialists. At times we need to consult an expert. For example, my grasp of physics is fragile. I’d never be able to pick up changes in observatory photographs or tiny pulses hinting at new space bodies or atomic structures.

But I ask you to remember the big picture. Resist the power of tunnel vision. Think a little about the future. (If I plant the tree here — will the roots clog the sewer in a few years? Will the crown surround the power lines?) It might work out better in the long run to plant the tree six feet to the left or choose a shrub instead of a shade tree.

Big picture, or long distance, thinking requires choices. So I urge you to gather the facts as best you can, weigh the pros and cons, and make an informed choice. Whether it be where to plant a tree, which item of clothing to purchase, or which candidate to mark on your ballot.

 

Blog

Aftermath

ellenparkerwrites

Contrary to how you may read the title — this entry is not about the class subject which follows math. That would have been two separate words.

We’re in a portion of the calendar where one big party – Christmas – is past and it’s not quite time to count the glasses and prepare the food for New Year’s.

We’re rather like these fellows:

100_4202

deflated….er, resting.

Or in the case of St. Louis, keeping an eye on creeks and rivers as God gives us a generous serving of rain. Yes, rain. And I’m ever so glad it’s not this much moisture in the form of snow.

Thinking of a New Year read? Starr Tree Farm is set in a quiet, peaceful town during January. Peaceful is relative — it’s a romantic suspense.

amzn.to/1rjzBsk          

Blog

Two Views

ellenparkerwrites

The first day of December. Do you realize that 92% of 2015 is past, done, in the history books?

What’s your reaction to the fact?

What happened? I had plans. Now I’ll never… I may as well give up. I never get anything done. Time goes too fast.

If that’s your view I’d call you a pessimist. Your glass is half-empty. Your mind is on the unattainable.

Shall we flip it? Did you know we have 8% of 2015 yet to live?

I can do this. I’ll find a little organization and accomplish many things in 31 days. Yes, I missed sending out…, but I’ll add a note to the Christmas card. It’s too late to plan that summer gathering, but who said picnics had to be in summer. (Think picnic blanket on the living room floor. {Advantage: no ants.}) I’ve time to start one new, positive habit.

Yes, an optimist to the end of New Year’s Eve.

Whichever view you take (and I favor the latter) here’s wishing you a reward for your effort in the final stretch of 2015. We’ll talk about 2016 in the near future.