I am in Austin for AAMC (medical schools) annual meeting, and we are hearing from Dallas Street Choir (homeless outreach program) singing You Will Be Found from Dear Evan Hansen. What a way to start a conference that calls itself Learn Serve Lead. I am inspired. (@manton)
Michael came through Chapel Hill as s tropical storm and we lost power late yesterday. Been out since. Beautiful cool and sunny day. I just set up the BioLite stoves to boil water for a bucket shower later, now warming baked beans. And power just came back on.
Awaiting more heavy rains, this time from Hurricane Michael. On my way up the gravel road tonight, saw a copperhead snake slithering into the grass.
I was researching invasive paper mulberry trees - we have a bunch out by the carport - when smoke alarm in daughter’s bedroom sounded loudly. No smoke, no fire, stopped after a minute. Later, looked up to see a long, thin centipede near alarm.
Bouncing to ska at the annual Carrboro Music Festival, free music all over town.
Fun with the ios12 comic mono filter, on a selfie with Oliver at Maple View Dairy ice cream store.
Heaviest rains yet from Florence, this morning in Chapel Hill. The deluge reminded me of the rains in Vanuatu during cyclones, so heavy and loud on the tin roof there we couldn’t hear each other speak. Chapel Hill and Durham roads are flooding, so I’m at home still.
Still raining in Chapel Hill. I’d be frustrated at having to be inside for 4 days straight but I know much of our state is in bad shape. Bring back Carolina blue skies to dry us out! I used the time to finish a blog post about the summer trip to the South Pacific.
A pre-hurricane walk on the property, with plenty of life and decay and interesting contours, including a rough earth snake and Cantharellus cinnabarinus.
As the trees outside are starting to sway in hurricane breezes, I’m inside trying to get the scuppernong grape juice canned before we lose power.
Hurricane Florence is coming right for us here in the Triangle.
A big hurricane is headed our way. An email from the public schools superintendent is a great example of the ‘small just, just ahead’ communication strategy I’m always hyping. I’ve reprinted her message here.
Cooking more scuppernong grapes for juice this morning. Doing too much in the kitchen yesterday and mixed the roselle simple syrup into the grape juice; wonder how that will change flavor. Will also finish hot sauce with Calabrian chiles I smoked over hickory chips. Experiments.
Another big rain, another box turtle on the move, this one in my path as i walked to retrieve the Sunday NYTimes.
Home from my morning excursion to the Carrboro Farmers Market, Gray Squirrel Coffeeshop, and Home Depot. Enjoying a PB&J and the last of my sour cherry shrub. Later will make osso buco, syrup from rosella flowers (wild hibiscus) bought this morning, & hot sauce with hot chiles.
Squirrels in the oak trees, dropping acorns onto the aluminum carport. Reminds me of the flying fox in the breadfruit trees on Paama, how we’d be jolted from sleep by crashes on the roof.
OMG, that phone call is hilarious.
Woke at 5 so I could meet Joe the sign pro at Duke by 6. As he installed a window decal for Voices of Duke Health, we chatted about architecture, the printing business, Army basic training, basketball, North Carolina, and more. Good conversation, followed now by coffee.
I was out walking woods again, checking on the fire ring we cleared Saturday and almost stepping on this turtle. Walked back to house and found good friends had stopped by to bring pickled sour cherries as consolation for my missing our annual road trip to pick cherries jn VA.
Went into the medical center today to set up the Voices of Duke Health listening booth, a temporary recording studio that I’ve been talking about for many years. I’m happy to have found great partners and earned trust of leaders and funding to make this happen.
