Tall Tales from Kansas

in a most agreeable way

From the first glimpse to the last, in the fog/gloom/sun/shade/mist, at dawn/midday/dusk, I will take all of this I can get.

Where the water meets the land I could walk for miles.

Water lapping, birds calling, the smells of the ocean, the breeze on my skin, all loved equally.

The rhythm of the tide, breathing in, breathing out, it mesmerizes me ...

... in a most agreeable way.

P.S.  All these photos from the beaches that stretch from just south of Carpinteria to just north of Santa Barbara. 
P.P.S  All inhabited shells were replaced where found, residents unharmed.

 

consider this a reservation request for my usual room at Moss Cottage

On my semi-annual pilgrimage to the Huntington in San Marino, the desert garden, one of my favorite places on earth, did not disappoint.  

My fascination with succulents knows no limits. 

On this visit, time was also spent in a new (for me) amazing area. Tucked into the inner sanctum of the Japanese gardens... is the Bonsai court.

This garden will need further scrutiny on my next visit.  Clearly this is going to have to morph from a semi-annual, to a three times a year visit. More time to sit and contemplate all the loveliness is needed. There is also a Zen court right next to the Bonsai court.  I bet the ginkgo biloba trees planted there are simply spectacular in the fall.  Sister, consider this a reservation request for my usual room at Moss Cottage.  In October.

you will be immediately transported to Treegap where you will meet Winnie Foster

Sometime in the last 10 years sister and I got in the habit of reading to each other when we are on vacation.  Usually before bed.  Generally she reads and I listen.  This year's selection was Tuck Everlasting. It has nice short chapters, perfect if you are drowsy, have just gotten out of the hot tub, and are headed to bed.  

This is a wonderful story.  I can't imagine how it had escaped my notice before now. It's about good, evil, finding your path, making hard choices, and there might be a toad involved somewhere. Did I already say it is a wonderful story? Read it this summer. On your porch or in a plane, you will be immediately transported to Treegap where you will meet Winnie Foster and share in her adventure. Highly, highly recommended.  

On the last night we were in Santa Barbara, I read the above selection to sister.  It's a short one. But once again, a lovely imaginative tale and the illustrations by Trina Schart Hyman are detailed and add to the richness of the reading experience. Buy this one now and then put it with your Christmas decorations for reading on December 24th.

You can thank me later.  

with those flouncy white skirts and bright yellow centers

The first time I recall seeing a Matilija poppy was on an excursion up the California coast to Summerland in 2014.  Walking along a lane behind our rental cottage, there they were. In all their glory.

This year we hit the peak of their season again.  Or so I think.

Big lush patches of them.

With those flouncy white skirts and bright yellow centers.  

Walking among them, I feel like a character in a fairy tale.

They were spotted in LA as well as up the coast, in the Santa Barbara area.  

Seeing things that don't grow in Kansas (that I know of) deepens my love and appreciation of gardening.  

Just as eating an exotic meal makes you appreciate more, all manner of cuisine.  

a cushioning of sorts between then and now

I re-entered Kansas airspace Sunday night.  Inky black skies, a chill in the air, clean sheets on the bed.

The first days after vacation are best for mindless wandering.  Getting re-acquainted with the garden, putting things away. Unpacking.

Combining fallen eucalyptus buds with hearts made by Mary Stanley. We visited her at Bon Fortune, where I was delighted to find some of her wonderful work for sale.

Things to remind me of the pleasant days spent out west. A cushioning of sorts, between then and now.  A pause before the resumption of normal life.  

Two tiny perfect sand dollars, one found by sister and one found by me, bits of sea glass.

Somehow it all seems right.  

the world’s largest Torrey pine

What you see below is the “mango bowl” from the lucky llama in Carpinteria, situated right up the road from Santa Barbara. It’s blended açaí, mango, and banana, topped with strawberries, bananas (blueberries added because), granola, and just a drizzle of honey.

I would call it a uniquely delicious breakfast experience, as well as the perfect way to open and close a week of beach walks and art-making. Cappuccino’s on the side recommended. Bring your journal to write in, and your binoculars. It is situated next to the worlds largest Torrey pine, brought from Santa Rosa island in 1888. AND there are nests in it, where storks live. I kid you not.  

a puzzle that can be put together in many different ways

Today while the sun shone, we walked from east beach to butterfly beach, listening to the soundtrack of the ocean.

Bluffs, water, rocks, gulls, a sailboat, ball-chasing dogs. These were some of the things we saw. 

When we got home my finds were rinsed and laid out.  In about 8 different patterns.  Beach collections are like a puzzle that can be put together in many different ways, each resulting pattern, somehow just right. 

a back up for the back up

Here is the new home I have picked out for myself (and Chris too of course) in Santa Barbara.

If for some reason it is not available, below is the alternate that has been selected.

The third option, chosen for the interesting pots and use of ironwork is just a back up for the back up.  

tide pool explorations

Just a few photos of today’s adventures. 

whilst on vacation

Exotic flowers, morning beach walks, and brown sugar banana ice cream in a waffle cone.  

These are the things occupying me.  Which is as it should be.  Whilst on vacation.

by the time you read this

This week's celebration of the ordinary includes a morning walk, and the rose bush in the pot on the deck, from which I can harvest blooms to put in the vase purchased at a flea market in Budapest, on a seriously hot day.  I remember that day like it was yesterday, and every wrong bus we took trying to get there.  

Every time I glance up at it, while doing dishes at the sink, I am transported back there. And it makes me smile and laugh. 

There was also this vase of herbs, which are being grown in the container where we previously grew tomatoes.  Until the possums came.  And ate all the tomatoes. And we decided to grow rosemary, basil, parsley, oregano, and sage instead. 

By the time you read this I will be headed to California.  On an adventure with Mary Ann. Might be a photo or two posted here while I am gone, stories when I get home, feel free to follow on instagram.

to sow we must open our fists

Given my love for murals, you would think this one from right here in Lawrence Kansas would have been featured previously.  I am rectifying the situation today.

It was created in 1996 by Dave Lowenstein, on what was at the time, The Community Mercantile.

It is located at 9th and Mississippi in what is now a liquor store - Cork and Barrel.  

Apparently it was almost removed in 2001, but that process was halted when the citizens of Lawrence spoke up.   It was restored completely in 2013 by Ashley Laird.

It is beautiful, vibrant, and with such a great message.  If you drive by to see it, there is also a lovely, small community garden right next door.

Just another recommendation for when you come to visit.  

in a row boat with a pillow and a blanket

These two books were recently added to the permanent collection at Tall Tales headquarters. Because they are beautiful in all the ways that books should be.  

No children live in this house, but that does not mean that children's books can not live here.  

This genre is my preferred before-bed reading material. Something to send me gently into dreamland. In a rowboat with a pillow and blanket.  

tasting the perfection of expertly made baclava

Moments I did not take for granted this week included but were not limited to oxalis watching, 

perusing the Sunday New York Times, 

evaluating the spectacularity (sp?) of the morning sun on these coneflowers, 

 

the evening light on the collection of things hanging from the fixture over the dining room table,

and tasting the perfection of expertly made baclava. 

my reverie is interrupted by serendipity

Sometimes, in the course of a day, when doing something as commonplace as getting out clean kitchen towels, while unloading a flower jar from the dishwasher, and setting it down so the bottom dries, in close proximity to this coffee cup, my reverie is interrupted by serendipity.  

The end.

the stomata in the leaves stay shut during the day

This is a story about succulents, teaching methods, and getting outside when you can.  

Last week when we walked outside on rounds at work (our patients are often in 3 or 4 different buildings - which I love), we noticed the landscaping people had added a bunch of succulents to some flower beds.  

Which triggered Brice to recall a lecture from his favorite class, taught by Dr. Craig Martin at KU, who did not use PowerPoint presentations, favoring colored chalk and a blackboard to illustrate his points.

Which clearly has merit, given that he recalled in detail the fact that succulents are CAM plants and have a unique method of photosynthesis that allows them to survive with very little water.  

He remembered that the stomata in the leaves stay shut during the day when it's so hot, but open at night to take in carbon dioxide.  Which is a good reason to choose them for your hot/sunny areas in Kansas.

Although I favor them for their beauty and wide array of colors and shapes. 

 
There will be more updates on the succulent pots as we move through the summer.

If Brice shares more of the science of succulents with me the next time we work together, I will of course pass that on as well.  

in this person's opinion anyway

Peonies are still available at my farmers market.  As long as they are there, they come home with me.  Here is this week's bunch.

I love nothing better than selecting my stems from the buckets, then coming home and picking out a vase. When I turn around after paying and see new relationships forming, that's pretty good too. These two had lots to discuss. 

Beets, swiss chard, cherries and fennel were just some of the things available this week.

I was most excited about the fennel because I recall last year looking for some later in the year, to make a soup, and learning it was more of a spring crop.  I have no idea what I did with that recipe that I was certain was going to be a winner.

Notebooks, computer files, and internet searches were done.  Cookbooks pulled out.  Different recipes selected.  

It seems like eons since I made soup to take for lunch at work. 

I liked how this future version of myself selected flowers to match her top. I wanted to follow her home and see what her post market routines are.  

Instead, I did my best to select a tablecloth that went with the peonies.

Then took pictures, and more pictures, and more pictures.  

Because you can't have too many photos of peonies in one post. In this person's opinion anyway.  

whichever of you is a turtle expert do tell me

The zinnia's were planted 5/30, the seeds germinated on 6/1, they survived the inch of rain that fell in a one hour time frame on 6/3, and this is what they looked like on 6/5 when I did my after work garden inspection rounds.  The larger one you see in the back is a volunteer that came up from last year.  I have about 6 or 7 of them too.  

Stuff like this excites me.  The red husker penstemon below are at their peak right now.  

Such a wonderful, reliable, care-free, flower that is easily spread but not overly invasive. 

Something else surprising and exciting this week was a turtle spotting in my yard. 

I have never noticed those bright orange markings on a turtle before.  Whichever of you is a turtle expert do tell me... is this common? Maybe I just haven't seen enough turtles yet in my life. In which case, I better start doing more looking.  

Thistles are blooming right now too.  

These are not in my garden, I pluck them as soon as I see them coming up there. But I certainly can appreciate them on a walk.  

Particularly when set against a nice blue sky.  

did you know they sleep up in trees?

The most exciting thing we saw at Henry's Plant Farm recently was not this peacock. Though he was impressive.

Nor this pot. Which was beautiful.

Nope, it was not this cat, which I spied when I was looking at the pot above. And, who was completely squishy and adorable.

Not the bee balm, not the squirrel, not the way the meadow beyond this greenhouse was framed in the doorway.  

No, to the goats, but they were certainly frisky.

It was not the geraniums, however amazing their leaves.  

It WAS this!

Two tiny brand new baby peacocks that hatched 2 days prior to our visit!  Suffice it so say we were excited to see them.  Only 2 days old and already up and walking and doing "peachick" things.   



More regular visits will be in order.  To check on their development and expand our general knowledge about peafowl.  For example, did you know they sleep up in trees? The things you can learn on a weekend, at a farm, in the country, in Kansas.  

and requested that I return daily at this time

Some of the things that I encountered on a morning walk recently.  Between the hours of 0647am and 0740am, around the vicinity of Tall Tales headquarters, in Lawrence, Kansas.

I figured out this tree is a "China Snow Lilac".  Thank goodness for arboretums with plant identification systems.  

Hollyhocks were blooming.

There was this sign of a potential baby bird snatching, by a larger bird that could not fit in the door, but who lost a feather trying.  

Peach and red roses were sniffed.  It was about this time that I encountered a mother and daughter walking a 7 week old Shepherd/Aussie mix that was "very smart, growing more everyday, and likes to play". I was too busy petting him to take his picture.

A horse went by.  With a rider.  In a hat.  

Two big, fluffy, gray cats approached me on the sidewalk, immediately sought my attention, and requested that I return daily at this same time so we could become better acquainted.  Walks do not get better than this.  

locally grown, red all the way through, strawberries

My farmers market basket was very heavy this week.  With lots of good stuff. 

Tonight for dinner we had our first BLT's of the season.  With these hydroponic tomatoes from Pendleton's.  As well as a generous spread of Duke's mayo - purchased when we were in Kentucky.  As Wilburn Ray Moss Sr, would say, "lip smacking good".  

Those of you from around the area know that Pendleton's was hit hard by the tornado last week.  When I saw these signs up on their booth at the farmers market this week, I got a little choked up.  I'm sappy that way.  It has been nice to see the community offer help to neighbors in need.  

Rhubarb and strawberries were on display this week.  Those lovely , locally grown,"red all the way through" strawberries.  The kind you just want to wash and eat the minute you bring them home.  

I used about 1/2 of this amazing purple cabbage to make this Thai/quinoa salad. I know 2 photos of a purple cabbage may seem like one to many, but seriously... it's so amazing.

It went as well with the chow mein Chris made last night, as it did with the BLT's tonight.  

I wanted to buy some of this purple broccoli but knew it could not get eaten this week.  Same for the carrots and beets below.

A sweet dog, soulful singing, and more peonies rounded out my Saturday morning at the market. 

Tonight I am sending you all virtual bundle of peonies, in blue mason jars, to help you through the week, should you need it.

I want to talk to someone about the very very end

It was with much sadness that I bid farewell to Alexander Ilyich Rostov this week, when I finished the last chapter of A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles.

What a wonderful main character.  A genuinely good human being.  I learned some things from him about patience, decorum, kindness, diplomacy. As I enter into my 6th decade I am constantly seeking role models for how I should live my life. But that's a story for another post.  If you read it, please let me know in the comments what you thought.  I have talked to people who LOVED it as I did, and others who "couldn't get into it".  As it was winding down I thought I knew how it was going to end, and I was right, kind of.   Dang I want to talk to someone about the very, very, end.  

Highly Highly Highly recommended.  This one is not just a good read.  It will go down as one of my very favorites of all time.  Such good writing.  As I was driving there were so many times I thought "Oh I need to write that down".  I will request the book from the library and go sit with it for a few hours at one of my favorite coffee spots in Lawrence, and pretend Alexander Ilyich and I are meeting at the Piazza in the Metropol hotel, in Moscow in 1925.