Daily Archives: March 15, 2010

Woolly Mammoths

Supper at Frank’s House

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Imbolc                                               New Moon (Awakening)

Tonight we sat around Frank’s long table, a green shamrock table cloth decorating its top, a pot of shamrocks in the middle, on it platters of corned beef, bowls of mashed potatoes and cabbage and soda bread in saucers.

Instead of our usual Irish related conversation we turned to a difficult topic.  A person known to several of us and close to one of us has been charged with murder.  The circumstances are not clear at this point, but it seems he had a fist fight with a much bigger guy and as a result of the fight the other guy died.

This is not the usual Woolly territory though we have children and friends who have stumbled badly with drugs and alcohol, even two instances of gang related activity, but murder enters a whole new realm.  This is a saga that has just begun.  He is in jail and the family has sought a defense attorney but not settled on one  yet.  A tragedy on many levels.

Afterward we discussed topics ranging from female mutilation to how to avoid urinary leakage, a common older male problem.  Mostly though we laughed and enjoyed each others company.  The extraordinary thing about the Woollies is how the ordinary becomes extraordinary.

Art and Culture, Bees, Garden, permaculture, Weather +Climate

Echoes of Narcissus

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Imbolc                                     New Moon (Awakening)

An all day Latin day, this time 3rd conjugation verbs, the notorious bad boys of Latin grammar.  Due to a weak vowel they got jiggered around by spoken Latin until they’ve become most unusual, irregular in some ways.  Got remember the paradigms for present, future and imperfect.  Just gotta remember.  Latin has become easier and harder, reflecting, I suppose, past learning and present state of ignorance.  It is true though that I have begun to be able to read sentences without looking up a single word. That’s pretty exciting.

Ovid here I come.  Of course, that’s Owid to English speaker’s ears.  I have a plan to put my Latin and my affection for Ovid to good use.  When I get closer to its realization, I’ll let you know.

Talked to Mark Nordeen.  He has some pollen patties and has agreed to give me one for the live hive.  I’m gonna see him tomorrow.  Then, in April, I’ll hive the package bees and wait until mid-May to divide the new one, feeding and caring for both of them in the interim.  Kate has volunteered to be assistant apiarist.  Her first job involves whacking together ten hive boxes, eight supers plus frames and foundations.  It will be fun to have help.

All the fruit trees are now visible.  No rabbit or vole damage on any of them.  That’s a relief because I was exasperated at the end of the last growing season–trying to keep Rigel and Vega in the yard, then out of the gardens.  As a result, I didn’t put up the hardware cloth protective barriers around them.

It hit 64 here yesterday and its 56 today.  Geez.  The sun feels good.  When I walked out to pick up the mail today, I felt warmth on my neck.  It surprised me.

General

Erin go bragh!

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Imbolc                           New Moon (Awakening)

N.B.  Kate pointed that this is the anniversary of Caesar’s assassination, not St. Pat’s feast day and she’s right. Except for the Woolly Mammoths who always gather on the third Monday closest to St. Patricks at Frank Broderick’s house for corned beef and cabbage, some good soda bread and a few really bad Irish jokes.

Caesar’s dead, long live Caesar day!  and we can see green in a lot of places the snow in back is gone.  Gone.  64 yesterday.

Today and tomorrow morning will be Latin days because we have to have our chapter done by tomorrow afternoon and instead of Latin I spent my weekend on Apis mellifera.

Brother Mark sends word from Bangkok that there is an invading political protest of 150,000 folks with red flags.  He says they’ve caused many main arteries to be closed.  As he said, over the last several years Thailand has been very rock and roll.