The Blue Ridge Mountains plus democracy

 

by Shelley Hale flame azalea Carver Gap on the Appalachian Trail

This is what professional photographers produce!

I might have prettier photos, but I missed seeing these blooms at their peak. 

The recent anniversary of the Tiananmen Square protest, where it became known to the world that Chinese students knew what democracy meant, and they wanted it. I'll never forget learning that the roll of film with this photo had to be smuggled out in a journalist's underwear.

These are frequently on Jeopardy questions and answers.

When my voice stops with death,

my heart will keep talking to you.

~ Rabindranath Tagore

And sharing John Anvilcloud’s blog post yesterday of beautiful shots of poppies!

The architecture I've noticed

 Before I begin this post, I want to share a kind of important blog that was posted yesterday by Debby at Life's Funny Like That.  Some good information, both her personal experience and her review of the Weisel book, "Night."

Court of Lions, Alhambra Spain

Hypostyle hall, Great Mosque at Córdoba, Spain, begun 786 and enlarged during the 9th and 10th centuries.

The columns and two-tiered arches in the original section of the Great Mosque of Córdoba building. The columns and capitals are spolia from earlier structures.  Its hypostyle hall, reused columns, double tiered arches, alternating red and light voussoirs, horseshoe arches, and elaborate mihrab zone produced a visual identity specific to al Andalus. 

A Google earth view of the apartments which I have applied for in Durango CO. The one which is open is on the other side of the building, overlooking the town.

The western face of the apartment building overlooks the Durango-Silverton narrow gauge steam train rides, as well as views of the mountains beyond.

Cliff Palace - making a home where it's safest - then leaving when it's not.

It all depends upon what your goal in life is...I guess.

by Eva-Živa Blažková, ‘Sovereignty’

My grandson, Michael's home when they first purchased it in Florida.

How practical can you get, building a sod home with a place for the cow to graze on the roof, while growing watermelon which is featured with the family and the horses! No date.

Have a great Sunday!

Flowers for you

 Sharing with Floral Friday Fotos

Carol Long makes such swoopy decorations in her flowery pottery

You know how I love poppies...

Thanks to a blogger, who I forgot to note when I saved this photo.

Rainy day at doctors office, but magnolias bloom on!

While at the Pisgah Inn last week, I spied buttercups among the clover! 

Mountain Laurel might have been a bit past its prime.

And so were the Rhododendrons!

Coming back into Black Mountain the day lilies are beginning their sweet single-day lives.

And just a note to hope my blog friends have joy in your lives!

Food and pottery

 

Much gratitude for the free food from Bounty and Soul each week when a truck comes right to the parking lot at the apartment complex. Most of it is past it's prime, but perfectly good still, and organic a lot of the time. 

I tried making whole wheat sunflower seed bread in the machine the other day. It's kind of strange smelling, more like beer than bread. But I like the seeds, so may try a white bread recipe and just add them in next time. 

While I'm celebrating food, this was a few weeks ago at the Veranda Restaurant with a  cup of "Charleston She Crab" soup and a half a roast beef sandwich. They make fabulous soups. As you can see, I wouldn't stop to take a photo till I'd eaten half of it.

The toaster oven cooked a pound of salmon in a foil pillow, then I added a sauce and panko on top for the final browning...and had 5 dinners from it.

And just to go back in time a bit, to a picnic lunch...French style.

Manet’s Luncheon on the Grass - Déjeuner sur l’Herbe

And related to food, how about making some beautiful pottery?

Julian_and_Maria_Martinez_decorating_potter,_c.1912

I learned how Maria Martinez of San Ildefonso mesa made the "black on black" pottery which was pit-fired. I was studying ceramics for my BFA at the University of Florida in 1983. I made one pot in that style, rubbing the shiny part of the clay with a stone and a spoon.  I made certain when I visited Santa Fe NM in 2019 that I got to see some of her work at at museum store.

OK, I did tend to go off on a tangent...

Sharing with Sepia Saturday -

But I can't find a thing that looks like the prompt that Alan came up with this week. One guy helping by holding tools, while the other works on a motorcycle. Not in my folders, nope, nothing close!

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Big wonderful old trees!

 Well, the best laid plans, and all that...

Yesterday an interesting offer came my way. Did I mention before that I had applications in for several apartments near my son, not just one? Well, the first one had been offered, and I showed you photos of it Wednesday. And I had all intentions of moving there.

Until!

Another apartment came available, and it's in Durango. And it's my very first choice in Durango. And so I said yes yes yes!

I have to be approved again, so that process which took so long with this first apartment in Cortez has prepared me to do everything possible the right way. I will spend hours and hours as my own administrative assistant (a job I held many times in my working life!) And hopefully things will come together, with the same move in date, just a few miles closer to where I now live. And unfortunately a few miles further from my son in Cortez.

But it's right downtown in Durango! A block away from the main street...and the railroad. That will make me feel like home, since the railroad ran a block away here in NC. (Though it seldom does now!)

How do you like those trees? Better, eh? I don't think my apartment will face this direction, but rather out over the town, and probably a view of the mountains beyond. 

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Now back to my prepared post!

Almost a goodbye luncheon...

Puff pastry topped my chicken pot pie...so good!

And who says you can't have a side of mashed potatoes with brown onion gravy? I certainly had it!

Teresa had the garlic white wine pasta dish with veggies and parmesan. She had a side of green beans.

I can't believe I didn't take photos of our deserts! The main thing I go to the Pisgah Inn for is their French Silk Pie. 

We spent a long time trying to connect these mountains indicated in the chart with what we were seeing.

Our conclusion was that the chart wasn't to scale. We would finally just count the peeks from one that was recognizable. 

Probably the pointed one is funnel top.

This was probably my last time to visit the Pisgah Inn. But Teresa and Helen and I have another day trip planned at the end of the month, including another fun restaurant to enjoy!

Sharing with Thankful Thursday