Tuesday, April 16, 2024

Road Reports And A Magnificent Magnolia


 It's been a big day here in Lloyd. When I got up this morning I went out to the little swing porch which my bathroom opens on to in order to toss out the hair from my brush for the birds to use in making nests (I know- some people say you shouldn't do this but whatever) and I discovered that the little ashe magnolia had finally bloomed. I've been checking on it every day, not wanting to miss it. That's what it looked like when I first got up. 

A few hours later, as I was getting ready to go to town, I checked on it again and it had opened, as I knew it would have.


Is that not beautiful? The blossom is as big around as a dinner plate and the petals, as you can see, are magnificently white. The stamens are impressive in size and arrangement and those little purple dots are like kisses by angels wearing lipstick. 
Sigh. 
But the best part is their fragrance which is almost as heavenly as the blossom of the magnolia grandiflora. Both are lemony and light and yet, still pervasive. 
Hello, ashe magnolia! And thank you for being here and sharing your glory. 

While I was outside, taking pictures, Maurice came over to say hello and see what my toes smelled like. 


Probably not as good as the magnolia. 

I got a text from my cleaner, Candie this morning. "Mom, I can't make it today." Turns out that she'd been hiking and walking on a local park's bike trails and FALLEN OFF A RAVINE and her whole left side is a very, very painful mess. She has been to the orthopedic clinic and they told her that she just had bad contusions but what she describes sounds like broken ribs to me. Add in the road rash-like scrubbing her skin got and she is miserable. 
I told her just to rest and please not to worry about us. We don't really make that much mess over here. 

I took another walk this morning and it went far easier for me. I walked up to the county line and back, passing Harvey's place both ways. I don't know what's going on with him but I have never seen his property in such disarray. He's always got something going on but it's just completely littered with scattered pieces of I don't even know what all. He's moved in another trailer, this one an ancient single-wide, instead of a RV, and perhaps he is renovating it. I do not know. But he gave me one of his big arm-reaching-out salutations and I yelled, "Good morning!" and he smiled which made me smile, of course. I crossed paths with another man whom I did not recognize. He was heading west and I asked him if he knew if the road was open yet. He said that it was although he had not gotten his truck out. I was not sure what he meant but when I drove home down that road later, I saw what I assume was his truck, stranded by the side of the road with the tires half sunk in mud and water. Bless his heart. It's a beautiful red truck. 

And so yes, I went to town to do some shopping. The worst part was that Mr. Moon wanted me to get some more zinnia seeds and how could I complain about that? I mean, he's planting flowers for me! He suggested that Walmart would probably have them which is right next to Costco where I was going anyway. 
I fucking hate that place. Walmart, not Costco. First off, I parked in front of the Garden Center because that's where I wanted to go. I walked up to the doors that say, "Welcome!" but they didn't open. So I walked down to the main entrance and of course I had to go look at the dresses and by golly, they had the same dress they've had for a few years now which is a practically perfect dress for me to wear at home. Soft T-shirt cotton, loose, generous pockets. So I had to grab one of those. And then I went to the Garden Center where I found the seeds and then walked around looking at the plants and had to buy one of those too. I had to! All right? 


I set it in the hollowed-out stump that Mr. Moon found me to put a plant in. Perfect! And look at those roses back there. 


We are rich in roses this year. 

But I wanted to add that I have no idea how Walmart is still making money with this self-check-out situation. It's so lame. No one was watching the people checking out and no one was checking receipts. I could have stolen a chain saw. Do they really think people are that honest? I mean, I'd never consciously cheat them but I almost felt stupid for not trying. 

I drove home the back way and indeed, the road was open although I saw this.


Terrible picture. Can you tell what it is? Two women on a float in the water right beside a four-way intersection on the road leading to the road I live on. 

Water, water everywhere...

You could probably drink it but I wouldn't recommend it. 

Love...Ms. Moon


27 comments:

  1. Angel kisses - you can sure toss out a wonderful descriptive phrase. I would never be able to put words to the loveliness of the Ashe magnolia as you have.

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  2. That's a wonderful magnolia blossom. Sounds I as if your walking game is improving.

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  3. Your Ashe magnolia is beautiful and the scent from the flowers sounds glorious. I've never seen this particular magnolia. I have a Tulip magnolia and an Elizabeth magnolia tree on my property. Neither are in flower yet. The road looks like a canal. Somebody is making good use of their rubber raft. It looks like a Zodiac.

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    1. Oh my gosh! I just looked up the Elizabeth magnolia and why on earth do we not have those here? Maybe we do and I was just not aware. They are beautiful!
      I was wondering how deep the water is where those ladies were floating.

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  4. I wonder if we can get Ashe magnolias here. I need one just for the angel kisses. I shall call it Mary Moon.
    Your water is taking a long time to subside. I think I hate floods more than fire. The aftermath takes forever to clean up.
    You did well at Walmart. I don't know much about the place other than some weird photos people post of strange attire seen there.

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    1. Oh, wouldn't it be wonderful if you could grow an ashe magnolia there? They are not fast growers though, I have to tell you.
      There's still so much water.
      It's hard to describe a Walmart. It's sort of the worst of. American capitalism and yet, somehow we almost all find ourselves there at one time or another.

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  5. I would love to have hollowed stumps to sit pots in. I wonder if Harvey's yard mirrors his mind and this week he is a bit chaotic? We'll never know.

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    1. Good theory about Harvey. It could be that he just got into one of his projects, as he so often does, and started throwing about the detritus from it. Who knows? Not me.

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  6. The WalMarts here where I live (N. California) are starting to phase out the self check and are having more registers manned due to the amount of theft. I am happy to see this. I try never to use the self check outs anyway i feel like just one more way that jobs are leaving.

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    1. Frankly, the cashiers at Walmart always seem so unhappy I'd just as soon use the self check-out option. But I know what you mean.

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  7. Ooh, that would fit the phrase “but not a drop to drink.” The flowers in the stump are artful. The magnolia is amazing. Thanks for sharing the size. I would have no idea. I hope Candie recovers quickly and easily. Ouch!

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    1. I don't think Candie is going to be healing very quickly. Poor woman! Sounds like a serious situation to me.
      I tried to plant something IN the hollow stump but the ants decided to make that their home so I abandoned the idea. Ants ruin more than picnics.

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  8. Your magnolia is breathtakingly beautiful. And the pink of that rose is perfection.

    I've often wondered if there are cameras monitoring each self-check out station. It seems like there's a lot of glass on those buggers, and that would be a good place for a camera. However, without a person stationed near them, would a hidden camera do all that much to stop a thief?
    Nevertheless, I've embraced the self-check out almost everywhere they are available. It feels faster than the other lanes--not sure it is actually faster, but it feels that way. The vast majority of capitalism and consumerism seems to be rooted in how it all makes us feel. Sigh.

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    1. There may be cameras but there surely weren't any employees around that looked like they were interested in theft. And if they have employees screening the film of any video-ing that's going on, they have to pay them. I just don't understand.
      I don't mind the self-checkout at Costco. It makes a lot more sense. Better technology. Plus, there are always one or two employees helping people with the process. I sometimes see more people lined up for the self-checkout than for human check-out. In fact, that happened yesterday so I went to a person line and got to hug Brenda!

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  9. Breathtaking Ashe Magnolia. I can almost smell the lemony scent. I never go to self checkouts, even if I have to wait a long time for a real person to check me out (not check me out like check me out dude). On the news this morning one topic was if using a credit card for payment in person, tap it, don't slide it to avoid someone getting your card info (I forgot the official word for that!).
    Enjoy your glorious day,
    Patricia

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    1. Well, my card isn't tappable so I don't know about that. And how would inserting or sliding the card impart more information? I do not understand how any of this works to be honest.

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  10. that ashe magnolia is beautiful. and what else are ya gonna do when it's flooded outside but float along. I should have sent you some of my zinnia seeds. I could still.

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    1. That's right! Unexpected waterway? Take a relaxing float.
      I got zinnia seeds and Glen has planted them. Thank you, Ellen.

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  11. All of your flowers are beautiful and it is so nice of you to share them with us!
    My sister and I were just talking yesterday about the places I won't enter - Walmart and Hobby Lobby.

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    1. I do occaisionally go to Walmart but I will NEVER go to Hobby Lobby. Evil, evil owners. I don't go to Chick Filet either or however they spell it.

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  12. Magnolias grow in Vancouver and I love those trees, so beautiful. You've got too much water and we've got snow again, although at this point in spring, moisture is moisture for us. Unless we get a lot of rain, it will be a drought this summer and more fires.

    Our Walmarts have employees monitoring the self checkouts and there is a camera, right on the checkout watching you. I would like to use their employee break room sometime, as I'm doing the work Walmart used to pay people to do:)

    Hope you have a lovely day.

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    1. Well, I suppose eventually our water will evaporate and/or seep through the limestone into the aquifer. I'm not going to complain about the excess although if my house had flooded I sure would be complaining.
      As I said in another comment, I'd just as soon do my own check-out at Walmart because their employees are generally so unhappy that I'd rather not have to have an encounter with them.

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  13. Oh, Lord, I wouldn't drink that water. My mom wouldn't even let me wade in rainwater in the ditches when I was a kid. She said it was full of overflow from people's septic tanks, which is probably true.

    I love the ashe magnolia! Those purple spots are great -- so simple and yet so beautiful.

    Are all Wal-Marts doing self-checkout now? I suppose even if they have increased losses it will cost less overall than salary and benefits for cashiers. Which is just sad.

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    1. No. I'm not going to drink the water although it really probably would not kill me if I did. The water around here is always that color from the tannin. Your mother was quite protective! But probably smart to not let you wade in ditches.
      Those little purple spots remind me of the lights on an airport runway- "This way, bees!"
      Yes. I think that all the Walmarts are doing self-check out. They still have a few cashiers. I don't know that the elimination of cashier jobs equals the amount they're losing on theft. I mean, they don't pay their employees that much.

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  14. Goodness yes, what a wonderful magnolia. Thinking of your tropical climate, I wonder what the mosquitoes make of all that stagnant water everywhere. they must be in breeding heaven.

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Tell me, sweeties. Tell me what you think.