Tulip Tree Beauty Moth
Once again the man has headed to the coast for another weekend of fishing and hopefully, this time they'll actually get to spend some time out on the water. He's so funny. Although I do not mind in the least when he goes off for a few days to fish or hunt, he always sort of waits until the last moment to tell me of his plans as if I might get angry or be too sad or something. So the other night when he vaguely mentioned going fishing this weekend and I indicated that I did not know he was thinking about that he said, "Well, you know- snapper season! We have to go while we can! So, do you mind, I mean, is it okay if I go?"
I laughed.
"You don't need to ask my permission. Just let me know."
I suppose he thought I knew when snapper season ends because knowledge like that is simply part of his reality, like knowing when it's time to pick the beans is my reality.
We are a funny couple. And getting funnier by the day. I told him last night that I would gladly do his grocery shopping for him. Buy the stuff that he'll need to make sandwiches with and so forth. We made out a list and before I left to go shopping this morning and was sitting here doing a crossword on my MacBook he asked me when I thought I'd be back from town.
"About an hour and a half after I leave," I told him.
Trust me- I did the shopping and was back in plenty of time.
"You don't need to ask my permission. Just let me know."
I suppose he thought I knew when snapper season ends because knowledge like that is simply part of his reality, like knowing when it's time to pick the beans is my reality.
We are a funny couple. And getting funnier by the day. I told him last night that I would gladly do his grocery shopping for him. Buy the stuff that he'll need to make sandwiches with and so forth. We made out a list and before I left to go shopping this morning and was sitting here doing a crossword on my MacBook he asked me when I thought I'd be back from town.
"About an hour and a half after I leave," I told him.
Trust me- I did the shopping and was back in plenty of time.
That man just loves to fish.
I did two things today that I have been meaning to do for a while now. All of this rain and all of these storms we've had in the last week or so have done a good job of pruning the trees around the yard. Branches have been dropping like crazy, ranging in size from hardly-larger-than-twigs to ten feet long. That would be the Chinaberry tree which does indeed love to shed its limbs. So I emptied the rain water out of the garden cart and went to work, picking up the downed tree pieces and hauling them to the burn pile. After about ten minutes of that, I was sweating like a trouper as my grandmother used to say. And then it began to rain a little and so by the time I was finished, I was soaking wet. Just as I put the last branch on the pile, I heard the unmistakable sound of yet another branch letting go of life and falling. I turned around to see this.
Dang water oaks.
"Really?" I asked the branch. "Really?" It gave me no response.
"Really?" I asked the branch. "Really?" It gave me no response.
And then I hauled it to the burn pile too.
This morning I had seen and heard something falling behind the chicken coop and so I went to see what that had been.
Part of what I call a "woodpecker tree" had fallen, taking some vines with it, crashing through the extremely invasive coral ardesia which is swiftly taking over. Since that happened in one of the wooded, wild sections of the yard, I let it be. Soon enough the insects and fungi, water and sun will take it back to the earth.
And then, because I was already sweating and filthy, I attended to the other thing I'd been meaning to do which was to pull some crab grass from the kitchen garden where the bananas grow. That crab grass has been been bugging me for weeks and I have to look at it at least ten times a day.
I really should make that spot into something more esthetically pleasing. Perhaps take out everything but the roses and bananas and plant herbs in there. That would be the right thing to do. There is some mint over beside the pretty little tiled bird bath but it's hidden by the pinecone lilies and volunteer golden cherry tomato vines. There's also a gardenia, a giant tropical plant that I always forget the name of, a sago palm, some of the wild pink phlox, four-o'clocks, chenille plant, and Virginia creeper. Plus other stuff.
Perhaps this winter I will attend to that.
But at least the crab grass is gone from that particular bed.
At that point, Mr. Moon had kissed me good-bye, told me he loved me, and with an almost inappropriate amount of joy, left to go pick up his friend Rob and drive to the coast. I took a shower which was delightful and folded some laundry and put it away and now the bed is made up with clean sheets, of course, and I took a few porch pictures when the sun had come out and was making merry with its light after being hidden behind the rain clouds.
At that point, Mr. Moon had kissed me good-bye, told me he loved me, and with an almost inappropriate amount of joy, left to go pick up his friend Rob and drive to the coast. I took a shower which was delightful and folded some laundry and put it away and now the bed is made up with clean sheets, of course, and I took a few porch pictures when the sun had come out and was making merry with its light after being hidden behind the rain clouds.
My dump-scored Monstera. Well, part of it.
A Rex begonia that I do not remember where I got, a clivia lily that Lis gave me, a Swiss cheese plant that Lily gave me, and some Swedish ivy that Jessie gave me. The lily is on a typewriter that Mr. Moon brought me home from...the dump. It is sitting on the base of what used to be my grandfather's shop stool.
The spider plant in the blue pot sent out a baby which has rooted in the pot belonging to the giant begonia. Those sneaky spider plants!
And now the sun has gone back behind the clouds and the weather widget looks like this.
I am pretty sure that the weather in Florida is a big influence when it comes to Florida Man. And Florida Woman. There is absolutely no constant you can hang your hat on. Except for heat and humidity. It's enough to make anyone crazy.
Ooh boy. I can hear thunder.
Happy Friday, y'all.
Love...Ms. Moon
Happy Friday! I love all your plants.. I’m Norway way we have Monsteras as indoor plants, but I think they’re such a pain- they grow so awkwardly, all over the place!😂As for crab grass, it’s very annoying.. but the last few years we’ve been drowning in Japanese stiltgrass here! It’s driving me crazy! 😖Enjoy your weekend…xo, Rigmor
ReplyDeleteI just googled Japanese stiltgrass and it looks like a horrible nuisance. Yes, Monsteras can certainly grow all over the place!
DeleteMy older brothers moved to Florida in the 50s and visiting from Ohio was like seeing a foreign country. Palm trees, orange groves, tree frogs. And you could see it rain on the other side of the road. A strange land, indeed.
ReplyDeleteYep- that sounds like Florida. All of those things and so much more.
DeleteYour Rex begonia is impressive! WAY too dry here to grow those and I have little true semi-shade. Had to laugh at your and Mr Moons exchange.....LOL. I get same here.....*honey, is it OK if I go for a long bike ride Sunday*? Well....yes...no permission needed and I have never in 40 years said no to any of his excursion requests.....but I *would* like you to remember to tell me!! HA! And.....*so and so will be coming tomorrow for a visit.....didn't I tell you*? That one *can* get my goat. Happy Friday Martini....and enjoy your solo weekend. Did you remember to get peas at the market? or are you still eating just beans?
ReplyDeleteSusan M
I love a begonia. I don't have that many anymore but I used to.
DeleteYes- we wives are generally fine with our husbands going off for a bit but we do like to be informed pre-event. And I would hate it if Glen told me that someone was coming for a visit "tomorrow." I'd have his head. I did get peas awhile back and had some last night!
we were in stage 2 drought but it's been raining steady for almost 12 hours so hopefully that pushes back to abnormally dry stage 1. enjoy your peace this weekend xxalainaxx
ReplyDeleteOh gosh. I know that the rain must feel like a miracle to you.
DeleteWe worked in an off and on drizzle. Thunder was promised, but did not manifest.
ReplyDeleteWell, a drizzle can make it cooler but it is not safe to be working on a construction sight in a thunderstorm!
DeleteYour weather is exactly like ours tomorrow. That can't be right!
ReplyDeleteThat does seem quite odd, doesn't it?
DeleteWe had a doozy of a storm on Thursday night that did quite a bit of damage locally, although thankfully not to my place!
ReplyDeleteI'm glad that you didn't get the brunt of it.
DeleteYou have a wild and wooded section in your yard? Wow. I love your porch plants. I hope Mr Moon brings back lots of fish.
ReplyDeleteYes. Mostly in the back by the railroad track.
DeleteI love seeing all your nature, and I'm glad you leave some rotting trees for the critters. Looks like the woodpeckers have been making good use of that tree!
ReplyDeleteHope Mr Moon has a good time fishing, as I'm sure he will -- though I can't understand it myself!
I have long since given up trying to figure out Glen's love of hunting and fishing and now I just accept that they are very important to him.
DeleteWhen I was married, I used to love it when my husband went away!
ReplyDeleteHappily divorced! :)
Heh-heh!
DeleteOh, so lush there. Room to let a tree fall and let it be. Your love and at-homeness come through every day.
ReplyDeleteEverything is very full and green right now. This rain has been amazing. And I do love it here.
Deletewe emptied the truck of its current load of fallen branches and it was maybe a week, week and a half and now it's full again. four pecans and two oaks. we have a dead raintree at the back of the property that the first arctic vortex killed down to the ground. roots survived but I have knocked off all attempts to regrow because while I never would have cut down a living tree, I didn't want it because of all the seeds and trees it produces. I'm still pulling up the occasional volunteer around the yard. we've left it instead of taking it down because if and when it falls it won't hit anything and in the meantime it provides food and habitat.
ReplyDeletelooked up pictures of crab grass since I wasn't sure what you were referring to. oh, that's what that shit is. I'm constantly pulling it out of my flower beds.
Not all trees are exactly what we want or need and in fact, there are trash trees! You know what I mean. But it doesn't sound like you need to take that dead raintree down. If it's not going to hit anything if it falls- why bother?
DeleteYeah. Crab grass. It looks a little crabby, doesn't it?
Such lushness everywhere! Your comment about Mr. Moon waiting to tell you that he's planned a trip resonated for me. Men and children do this, and I've often wondered whether I give out signals to cause it. Oh, well.
ReplyDeleteIt ain't you, babe! It's men and children.
Delete