Broadway shows (April 29-30, 2022)

Hadestown, set in jazzy New Orleans, is a modern take on the Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice, Hades and Persephone. The Wikipedia synopsis of Hadestown is that Eurydice, a hungry young girl, goes to work in a hellish industrial underworld to escape climate-change induced poverty before her poor singer-songwriter lover Orpheus comes to rescue her and together show others the way to escape.  I think the play unnecessarily addresses current political issues when the lesson of the Greek myth is timeless and enough by itself.  My takeaway: Basically, keep your focus on the goal. Do not deviate!

I was interested in MacBeth for two reasons: (1) Daniel Craig starred as MacBeth (2) when we studied MacBeth my junior year of high school, English teacher Papa C. J. MacMurdo said he was typecasting me as Lady MacBeth. Did he think I was cold, calculating, murderous? Seeing the play more than 50 years later, I still see no redeeming qualities for Lady MacBeth. 

After the play, the audience crowded outside in hopes of catching a glimpse of Daniel Craig leaving the theater. We didn't wait around as we are all too short to see over the crowd. Ja vel.

 

Botanical Garden orchid rescue (April 29, 2022)

Next Spring, I'm going to try growing tulips in pots for our deck. The bulbs I planted in the flower bed come up every year but only bloomed that first year, 11 years ago, in March, when Fox was a newborn. 

The Haupt Conservatory at the Botanical Gardens is a giant greenhouse filled with room after room of orchids and other plants. 

Did you know orchids are an endangered species, no thanks to destruction of the orchids' natural habitat and overcollection by orchid hunters? Illegally imported orchids are confiscated when possible and sent to Plant Rescue Centers such as the Haupt Conservatory. The New York Botanical Garden, a Plant Rescue Center since 1990, has rescued thousands of plants.

I had never before seen aqua-blue orchids. Are they originally from Australia? India? I couldn't find them on the internet. 

I believe these are lady slipper orchids.  The pouch traps insects so they are forced to climb up past the staminode, behind which they collect or deposit pollen, fertilizing the flower. 
 

New York City Botanical Gardens (April 29, 2022)

At Grand Central Station for the 22-minute/9-mile ride to the Botanical Gardens in the Bronx.

Tulips! Irises! Daffodils! Cherry trees!  Spring has sprung!

Within the Botanical Gardens is the Edible Academy, a place for school children to learn how to grow edible plants.  Children were tending their lettuce plants when we were there. Hopefully the very hungry caterpillar leaves their harvest alone! 

Sharon, TOS (The Other Sharon), and Connie

I'd never before seen cherry trees in bloom. So beautiful! Wondering who will get to pick the cherries.
 

What does it take to run a city of nearly 9 million people? (April 29, 2022)

So many rooftop water tanks were visible from our 22nd floor room at the Hilton Fashion District. City water pressure was too weak to pump water to top floors. The city requires buildings six stories or taller to install a rooftop tank with a pump.  The tanks typically hold 5,000-10,000 gallons of water. 

We walked A LOT of miles but covered many more and saved time thanks to the subway system, for a mere $2.75 per ride. With 472 stations, 248 miles of route length, and speeds up to 55 mph, it's not surprising that during the week daily ridership is 5.6 million.

We met up for dinner with Texas friends Jack and Viv.  Jack worked with us at the Williamson County Sun in the late 1980s. 

 

First trip to the City since pre-COVID times (April 28, 2022)

Former Williamson County Sun colleagues (but more importantly friends for nearly 40 years) Connie and Sharon and I took our first trip back to NYC since 2018. Our first stop was the Woody Guthrie exhibit to pay tribute to the musician/poet who grew up in Oklahoma and the Texas Panhandle. I love his recognition that Life goes on.

Serendipitously Woody's daughter Nora was there and took the time to visit with us.  A very "salt of the earth" person.  Friend Sharon admired her white hair and confided that she plans to go gray in the coming year. Nora assured her she "lost no friends or lovers" when she went natural.

That's Nora on the far right, in the late 1950s. We met her because Connie and Sharon observed that Arlo (of Alice's Restaurant fame)  looked "dorky" (luckily before Nora was within hearing range) then wondered who else was in the photo. That's when Nora tapped Connie on the shoulder to say, "I can answer questions about that photo." 

 Woody's New Year's resolutions one year during World War II.  At the time, he was in hospital for the genetic Huntington's disease, which would eventually take him like it took his mother.

Ramzi and Siobhan (April 22-23, 2022)

We were so happy to have Ramzi and Siobhan over while they were in town for a wedding.  On Saturday morning, we stopped for coffee and pastries at Upper Crust Bakery near our house.
 

At home (April 21-22, 2022)

Zephyr typically growls and hisses at Georgie, who might or might not be a stray. He regularly stops by for dinner, sometimes for breakfast.  He must be or must have been somebody's boy.  He's very friendly and tries to wander inside when the front door is open.

COVID test again, Day 5, the day Ramzi and Siobhan arrive.  Tom and I are both negative. Yea!  In the meantime, we got second boosters on Day 2.

In honor of Earth Day, I planted flowers.  This one is in a 75-year-old pot from my childhood in Peru. I'll move it to the front porch on rainy days to protect the pot.

The bluebonnets are fading.  I'll scatter the seeds in the back flower beds.  The begonias will thrive through the summer as long as they're watered.
 

COVID tests (April 17, 2022)

Uh-oh!  Amon and Fox weren't feeling well when they came over on Easter Day.  I brought out the at-home COVID tests for the first time.  They were both positive!

Tom and I tested after he got home from work at midnight.  Both negative.
 

Kitchen window kittens (April 16, 2022)

 Every cat we've had perches outside the kitchen window.  Now the kittens have discovered the railing. They let us know when it's time to let them inside.

Micah working the power lines (April 11, 2022 plus)

Portland received the first measurable April snowfall since records have been kept on Monday, April 11. The snow caused tree limbs to fall on power lines, leaving at least 120,000 people without electricity.  Enter Micah and the tree cutting crews! That's him in the bucket.

That's Micah in the bucket again.  The last time he posted he had been at work for 23 hours.  The crew is allowed to work up to 40 hours without a break.  Then it's 6 hours off, 18 hours on, until power is restored. Kudos to Micah and the crews!

Micah at work.  Meanwhile, Otis got a school "snow day." Snowfall ranged from an inch at the airport to 2" downtown to 5" just west of the city.
 

Another beehive (April 16, 2022)

We are starting year 3 of beekeeping.  We must show a 5-year history of beekeeping and ultimately have 5 hives to qualify for an agricultural exemption when it comes to property taxes.  Our first hive made it through 2020 (year 1) but didn't survive Winter Storm Uri in 2021. We got another hive in Spring 2021 (year 2).  We added a second live hive this year.  The obtained the nucleus through the Williamson County Area Beekeepers Association.  We rely on the monthly member meetings to find out what to do next.  Luckily bees are pretty self-reliant and seem to do best if we leave them alone.

We were happy to see so many bluebonnets at Cornerstone.  We assume our existing hive has been collecting nectar and pollen from them.

The blackberries are blooming too.

Some berries are even making.  We expect to pick thousands of berries in mid-May.

 Papa delivered the nuc to its new home. We pried off the lid and placed the frames into an empty hive box.

Mya's Mardi Gras mask

Mya painted this Mardi Gras mask for me.  Thanks, Mya!  The canvas is now protected by glass and hanging in the Mardi Gras room.  I'll be framing and hanging the watercolor of Delicate Arch (from Arches National Park) painted for Tom and me by Renee.  Coming soon!
 

Billy Bob Thornton and the Boxmasters at Antone's (April 11, 2022)

Billy Bob delivered! We enjoyed him in the Goliath series on Amazon Prime. And who could forget Slingblade?  We had to check out his band.

I have no idea how this photo of Papa came out so weird.  Do you like his haircut?  I've been his COVID haircutter since March 2020.

I think Billy Bob was living his teenage rock star dream.  He told us about starting his first band in his home town of Hot Springs, Arkansas, when he was in middle school. The band masqueraded as mechanics, each with a moniker and star sign on their shirt. Notice Billy Bob is "Bud," with the Leo astrological sign, true to his August 4, 1955, birth date.

This woman next to us went crazy for the band.  Billy Bob joined the drummer in a number then gave her the drumstick.
 

House of Light and Joy (April 11, 2022)

OK, this isn't Pinterest quality but it's my plaque in honor of our home.  You'll see it on the kitchen wall next time you're here.
 

Kittens (April 7, 2022)

T.C. is a tall enough boy to check in with Gardenia the Hamster.

The kittens turned 7 months old on April 1.  They are such buddies!

 They frolic together!  They groom each other!  They nap cuddled together!  I'm so glad we kept both of them.

Back home (Monday, April 4, 2022)

 Allegiant Air back to the Austin was such an easy way to go.  A little over 2 hours nonstop from Asheville.  Amon worked late Monday so Fox spent the night.  Always a treat to have her over!

Lake Julian Park (April 3, 2022)

Lake Julian Park is just 5 miles from home. Luckily I had quarters to buy duck food from the nearly empty dispensers. Opted not to use the quarter with the bats on it as it reminds me of Austin.  It is the National Park of American Samoa quarter, featuring a mother fruit bat hanging in a tree with her pup.  Now I want to go to the far flung National Park, some 2600 miles southwest of Hawaii. 

The ducks know River is about to feed them.

The older siblings put Piper to work. I took turns pushing and riding.  Too dizzying!

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Gyroscoping, sort of