Visited my local bookstore (Flyleaf Books in Chapel Hill) to pick up my pre-order copy of Moonbound by Robin Sloan. I browsed the tables of new releases and also took away Glorious Exploits by Ferdia Lennon. 📚
It is Juneteenth and Duke University has the day off. I’m rereading my Alabama post from April, about the Equal Justice Initiative and its Legacy Sites. The least I can do is to encourage everyone I know to visit those breathtaking Montgomery monuments.
Was enjoying this slower day. Decided to expand a flower bed beside the house. Pulling vines and noticed a flurry of tiny wings. Kept pulling, then felt the sting of angry bees on my arms and collar. Ouch. Inside now with a consolation Klondike bar.
I’m looking forward to settling into the chair on the porch tonight to read this Atlantic article about Vanuatu and climate reparations: What America Owes the Planet.
Lovely night camping beside a creek in West Virginia. I’ve arrived safely in Solon, Ohio although a near-disaster on the highway in Charleston scared me. Not sure how my car was able to stop within inches of the car in front of me.
Bummed to see I will miss the appearance of Robin Sloan near Chapel Hill on Saturday. His Moonbound book tour takes him to MacIntyre’s Books. Alas, I will be in Cleveland (running Towpath Twilight race Friday evening).
Malia and I picked 30 pounds of sour cherries this morning. We are home now, it’s nearly time for the Champions League final, then I will get to the pitting and canning (I use and dole out jars of pie filling for holiday pies).
In line at Levering Orchard in southwest Virginia for the annual sour cherry picking adventure.
Rainy night. Stepped outside to close the grill (left open by family after hot dogs foe dinner). This box turtle was against the house with an insect in its mouth.
We toured the White House today. Short but sweet. Beautiful weather.
Checking on the flowerbed and I noticed this tiny (about 7 cm long) box turtle.
And here’s the male Eastern box turtle up close.
Walking the hillside below our house, my brain registered another turtle before I consciously saw it. Can you spot it?
On the hillside below our house, Carolina climbing-milkweed (Matelea carolinensis) on a fallen log.
Raindrops and Turtles
Saturday, May 4, 2024
Another walk in the woods to find box turtles and listen to the birds and cicadas. Transcript
Decided to walk the path along my rock-wall property line. It’s been raining and dripping since last evening. Thirty seconds after thinking ‘the turtles will be out today’ I came across this male box turtle with his head against the rock.
Hum of Cicadas
Thursday, May 2, 2024
From Chapel Hill, North Carolina, a moment in the woods to listen to the birds and cicadas. Transcript
Over on the Zuiker Chronicles, I wrote about our recent road trip to Montgomery, Alabama to visit the Legacy Sites, which are beautiful spaces and displays and art that commemorate the horror and evil of slavery and lynching.
Waterfall in the preserve
Wednesday, April 17, 2024
I’m in Northern Virginia for a work event. I needed a walk and saw the Winkler Botanical Preserve nearby.
I observed the eclipse in Carrboro, North Carolina using binoculars with lens filters. I also used the perforated pizza pan to project shadows onto the back of the adirondack chair.
