Who Wants Random Photos? You Do!

[bloodyrosemccoy]

No, this is not snow. Take a closer look.



There are some disadvantages to all these lovely cottonwood trees blowin' in the wind. A lot of librarians alternately sneezing and swearing, for one thing.

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My own garden is primed and ready to go. The radishes and parsley are already having a great old time, the strawberry is blooming, tha calendulas are turning into weeds, and you can see some of the little seedlies that will turn into carrots chard, and spinach.

Since I took this picture a couple days ago, I've stuck in a couple of tomato starts, a couple pepper starts,* and a bunch of marigolds. If it's anything like last year, this sparse-ish patch of dirt will start looking pretty green in just a few weeks. At least, I hope so!



My first radishes! See the pink ones? This is a blend of Easter egg and red radishes. Because, you know. RAINBOWS.

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So it's ben getting warmer around here, balmy and breezy, and I have had to face facts: my fuzzy winter shoes have turned from cozy, soft winter protection to the Red-Hot Iron Shoes From Hell. Clearly, I needed a pair of sandals.

ME: I need some sandals.

REI Lady: What kind?

ME: I need some that'll support a lot of walking, and I need closed toes.

REI Lady: What are you planning to do with them?

ME: Work in a library.

REI LADY: …

ME: Ever run over your foot with a book truck? You need some structure there.

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I made this necklace last year. It's a net weave of seed beads and irregular freshwater pearls. The closeup didn't turn out, so I'll have to snap a better shot, but it looks pretty good just like that, don't it?


*I'm trying to start my own from seeds, but I am still rather bad at it. Better safe than sorry, sez I.

Comments

[daiq.livejournal.com]

At ANU (Australian National University in Canberra Australia) they have trees that make fluff like that. The myth is that if you haven't started to study by the time the fluff starts falling, you are screwed!!!

Also, awesome shoes/sandals with closed toes that will support a LOT of walking standing - KEENs! My Keens are my favourite shoes, they are amazing! (Look at Theme Week on my shoe blog - stilettoaday.livejournal.com )

[padparadscha.livejournal.com]

I love Keens! I've gone through a few pairs, and the current one is looking rather shabby at this point, but yeah, they are awesome. I just wanted to change things up this time around.

[daiq.livejournal.com]

Of course you would already wear Keens!

[westrider.livejournal.com]

I'm going to have to look into those. My good sandals died at the end of last summer and it's getting on for time to look for a new pair. And since I walk 2-3 Miles most days, and occasionally quite a lot more, it's good to have a recommendation for something that supports well.

[padparadscha.livejournal.com]

Be warned, though, the one problem with Keens is that they do start to smell particularly strong if you wear 'em too long. True of any shoe, but it seems special with them ...

[westrider.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the warning. That could well become a serious problem here.

[daiq.livejournal.com]

Really, i have NEVER had that problem, ever! And i currently own at least 5 pairs

[ragman-jack.livejournal.com]

For walking sandals, I favor Cross Trekkers.

[westrider.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the Rec, I'll look into those as well!

[daiq.livejournal.com]

I am a teacher, i spend ALL day on my feet, my last pair of Keens that i wear to work (mary jane style, not even their hiking shoes) lasted over 3 years of daily wear! I wore a pedometer once for a while just to see, and i was walking over 10km a day, just at work. Keens are AWESOME!!!!

[westrider.livejournal.com]

Ooh, that's exactly what I want to hear. I never actually worked as a Teacher, but I got my certificate, did my Student Teaching and all, and I know exactly how much time on your feet you're talking about there. If they hold up for that, I know they're good!

[dark-phoenix54.livejournal.com]

I hate cottonwoods and poplars with a hate that burns with the heat of a thousand suns. And of course there are lots of them on the property.

I love the necklace *and* the shirt!

[padparadscha.livejournal.com]

I quite like them, even for all their seeds and pollen. They're just so pretty.

But then, I'm the kind of person who owns a cat despite being allergic to cats, so I am weird.

[dark-phoenix54.livejournal.com]

The cottonwoods I can tolerate, but the blasted poplars are just too much. I'm allergic to the pollen and the lint- the lint even makes my skin break out in hives when it touches me. And the nasty little sticky things they drop track into the house and everywhere. The lint packs down in the other plants and rots them; then the poplar seeds in the lint all germinate (every one of them) so we constantly fight a poplar forest. And the roots come up above ground (the ones, that is, that aren't invading the septic lines) and every time you hit one with a lawnmower or weeder, it sprouts trees from itself.

We hates them, we does.

[kt-n-dd.livejournal.com]

Those cottonwoods look beautiful. We don't have those here; only shower trees, which look pretty but leave a multi-colored mess that you can never fully sweep up. At least the fluff seems easy to get rid of.

And those are adorable sandals. :)

[padparadscha.livejournal.com]

The cottonwood fluff is a serious mess, actually. It drifts into every corner and tangles itself right in, so the layer becomes a full mat.

Aren't they cute? I fell in love pretty much instantly.

[dinogrrl.livejournal.com]

I miss getting cottoned by cottonwood trees every year. Listening to hickory nuts fall on the roof just isn't the same.

[piccolo-pirate.livejournal.com]

Love the new shoes! Where are they from?

There is no reason you need to know this, but it's not often I get to share tales of unrequited shoe love on the interwebs, so here you go. I spent years ogling these: http://www.overstock.com/Clothing-Shoes/J-41-Womens-Aquarius-Trail-Slip-on-Shoes/4105056/product.html and even once tried them on at a Filene's Basement because they were on sale (um, jeep soles. Amazing) but I realized that I live in my five-toed barefoot shoes of doom*, so there was no point in shelling out for anything else. I'm not sure this story has a conclusion, besides: *sigh*. It's not even really a sad story, because it's not like I'm wandering the planet barefoot and bereft, or something. But they were such pretty/functional shoes.


* Doom = everyone seems to either profess loudly how much they want their own pair or mock them ferociously. There is no middle ground, except when I meet other people wearing them, with whom you might think there would be some kind of solidarity, but instead, other wearers often seem embarrassed that I might think we are at all similar just because we have the same exact odd-looking shoes. Go figure.