Tales from the Microbial Laboratory

early flight

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There are three bald cypresses in my garden - that were three tiny twigs, given to me as a gift soon after I moved to Charleston.  Now they're reaching the sky, with knees popping up all over the place.

There should be a paint color called 'bald cypress green'.  I'd paint a room that color in a heartbeat.

~~~~~

Bluebirds are, once again, nesting in the purple martin house.

I don't mind.  How could I?

Here they are, in a past nesting.  Go there - if only to read the wonderful Neruda poem.

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It's supposed to be in the 40s by morning.

That's chilly.

~~~~~

We're dry.  After a rainy winter, we are having a dry spring.

The week's harvest:  romaine, buttercrunch, asparagus, a few strawberries.

~~~~~

Tomorrow morning I have an early flight to St. Thomas.

(The Pointer Sisters and handsome Stanley are resting tonight at the Paw Plaza Hotel.  It's always strange, being dogless for an evening.  The cat is doing her best to be obnoxious and crazy, but she can't light a candle to the Sisters).

I'm heading to St. Thomas for an invited seminar for these folks - and for discussions with these guys about possible areas of collaboration (between those folks and these folks, the latter of who I am currently affiliated with sans salary).  I know, bizarro world - but hey, it's my life, so just go with it.

See you in a few days - it's a short trip.

~~~~~

~chinese ground orchid~

 
~Bletilla striata, hardy ground orchid~

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I purchased this sweet ground orchid, often referred to as the 'chinese ground orchid', from Plant Delights Nursery two years ago - last year it was one plant with two leaves - and this year there are three plants, with one that is in flower.  Here is what Plant Delights says about this orchid:

This hardy and very easy-to-grow terrestrial orchid has upright, heavily textured, iris-like 10" long x 1" wide green leaves and forms a slowly spreading clump. In early spring, stalks to 15" tall of very small cattleya-like flowers are held atop the foliage. The rhizomes spread slowly and eventually form a nice mass. B. striata grows best in moist to damp soils.

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Plant Delights has an interesting write-up on hardy terrestrial orchids for the southeast, including:

"The name Bletilla literally means "little Bletia" which is a New World orchid genus that it resembles. In turn, bletia is named for a Spanish botanist and apothecary, Don Luis Blet. Bletilla goes by the common name ground orchid."

I haven't given it special care - it is in shade, in rich soil mulched with live oak leaves - interestingly, it seems to be drought tolerant, which is a plus.

It's lovely.

~~~~~

from my niece - Mt. Hunger, Vermont

~Mt. Hunger~

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 This is an image that my niece emailed me earlier in the week - taken from her hike up Mt. Hunger near Stowe, Vermont.  I thought it was a beautiful photograph.

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~a much needed few hours~

 
~the sandbar on Sullivan's Island~

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Yesterday I spent a much needed few hours on Sullivan's Island with a colleague and friend - a person affiliated with my former program and university whose administrative position was decreased to 50% at the first of the year - and who was given notice yesterday that her position was to be terminated at the end of May.  She's been affiliated with my former program for many years, as I had been - and it's been difficult for both of us to see something that we had invested so much in to disintegrate.

So, we met at the beach - out on Sullivan's Island.

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~Poe's Tavern~

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We started by having fish tacos and a beer at Poe's on Sullivan's - a favorite - my friend treated me to lunch, even after I protested - but she said 'while I still have a paycheck, let me treat you' and I understood that sentiment (I miss not feeling the financial freedom to pick up the tab).  I told her that I'd treat next time.  We ended up sitting next to two women who were on the island for a weekend getaway from Atlanta - they had left their husbands behind and were having a great time.

(Delphiniums and snapdragons were planted in front of the fence - they were quite festive).

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~the inside of Poe's - filled with, what else?  Things about Edgar Allan.  Lots and lots of things.~

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Poe spent a bit of time on this island, which folks like to talk about.  You can read a bit about that here.

This book, A Tour of Historic Sullivan's Island, looks interesting, don't you think?

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~the Island Gallery~

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After a long lunch - we stopped by this little gallery I hadn't visited before - as well as the 10-day old gift shop adjacent to it.  The gallery was okay - but the gift shop had an interesting collection of eclectic items - it was surprise (I was thinking typical beach gift shop - but no, not quite).

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~Dunleavy's Pub~

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What's a trip to Sullivan's without stopping for beer and popcorn at Dunleavys?  I knew I forgot something, dang.

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~salt cedar?~

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Does anyone know what this is?  It was lovely - we walked by Dunleavy's on our way to the beach.  I believe it is in the Genus Tamarix - known commonly as 'salt cedar'.  After seeing it, it made me wonder why I don't see them more often - it was both beautiful and unusual, it definitely stood out along the edge of the road. 

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~Sullivan's Island sandbar~

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There were lots of birds out on the sandbar - flocks of gulls and skimmers and sandpipers - more flocks than I often see out on the island.  It was one of those bright and crisp spring afternoons - with the air not yet damaged by the heat or humidity - and as the birds all flew up at once, there was that diagnostic flash of silver that always takes one's breath away.

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~Sullivan's Island Lighthouse~

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After the walk on the beach, we drove by the lighthouse, in search of one of my favorite beach cottages out on Sullivan's - one with a garden filled with roses.

It was nice to spend a few hours yesterday away from my computer, away from the concerns of unemployment and anxiety over what the future holds - two colleagues and friends both sad about the loss of something they had worked hard for, both watching helplessly as it fall apart - and as a result, having to figure out what's next in their own lives.  I hated to hear that my friend's position was now on the chopping block, although not surprised - and hated that she was about to begin the same emotional roller coaster that I am now on (although I think hers might resolve more quickly, since she was in an administrative position where she might find more opportunities - or at least I hope).

As we walked on the beach we talked about my unemployment - and how it has impacted my year and my life - and we both agreed that one challenge is to not feel disconnected to your own life, rather - your 'old' life.  There is a sense of being disenfranchised - as if you would be refused entrance into a voting booth if it were Election Day.

We talked about how so many people - even friends - feel that they know what you should be doing (or not doing), and that those folks generally have secure jobs and salaries and aren't really aware of the job market in general, much less in your particular area of expertise.  Plus, they are deciding what you should do in absence of conversations with the person in question (me!).

We talked and walked and watched flashes of silver fly in front of us, watched kite boarders and avoided stepping on beached jelly fish.

It was a much needed few hours. 

~~~~~

Note:  These images were taken with the sorta dead NIKON.  Seems that it works, more or less, if I keep turning it on and off between images.  Or at least that is what it was doing yesterday - a few days prior it would only work on one setting.  Gremlins? 

a view from my Airstream window

Christopher C - of Outside Clyde fame - left me a comment this evening letting me know that my Airstream window view was selected as The Daily Dish's 'The View From Your Window' today.

Well, how fun is that?  My little dysfunctional world goes national.

I love The Daily Dish too.  Even better.  

advanced bamboo control technology

~highly sophisticated bamboo control technology~

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When the stuff starts popping up, I just snap it off at the ground level with my foot.

It works, and it really isn't that much of a pain.  I do this for a week or two, then go around collecting the snapped bamboo shoots.

I'm lucky because my little bamboo 'grove' backs up to tidal waters - so two sides of the grove don't have anywhere to go, so aren't problematic.

I like bamboo.  I know that the running kinds can be a pain in the ass, but they're manageable.

~~~~~

Note:  This image above was taken today with my DEAD camera.  It seems to still work on one setting (with alot of light - and when it wants to).  Otherwise, you get something like this:

One of life's mysteries I suppose.  

A Morning in Mid April (in Zone 8b)

~the front garden, under the live oaks~

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I took these images on the 15th of April.  Honest.  I did.  I just haven't gotten around to posting them.  They were taken just prior to the Great NIKON Failure of 2010 - a failure that took me a day or two to fully accept (if I turn it off and back on a gazillion times, won't it sense light again...perfectly?).  So...here are images from my garden, posted a few days late - for May Dream's Gardens Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day. 

Sometimes I imagine anthropological climate change researchers pouring over the numerous archived posts for Bloom Day - cataloging trends and patterns.  Perhaps it is becoming a dataset, yes?

So there are azaleas - a few lingering camellia flowers - dogwood blooms that are big and white and soon to be gone.  Oh, and there are leaves.  Lots and lots of live oak leaves.  (Note to self:  deal with the leaves this weekend, okay?).

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~banana shrub~

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My banana shrub, Michelia figo, has grown on me.  Actually, the banana shrub itself has grown - it's close to 10 feet now - and when you walk anywhere near it, you get a huge whiff of banana pudding (minus the vanilla wafers).  It's got a nice oval shape - more small tree now (with low branches) than shrub, which I like.  And then it's covered, literally covered with these elegant little flowers.  What's not to like?

The past week has been a blur - too busy.  Last Thursday a Master's student from my group defended his thesis (it was an interesting defense, with two committee members from Australia video'ed in) - and because of how late in the semester, there is less than two weeks to turn the thesis in for this semester's defense deadline (on the calendar to finish edits tomorrow and Thursday).  Then last Saturday I had a seminar at statewide meeting - and my two doctoral students had presentations as well (with one of them walking away with first place in the student session).  Then today I submitted an invited white paper to these guys - and I would be most grateful if you crossed your fingers (and toes and anything else that crosses) that it gets funded.

~~~~~  
 

~summertime aster in front of flowering ajuga~

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I had the scientific name of this little aster on a piece of paper that I can't find - if I remember correctly, it's not in the aster Genus.  I've grown to love it - it rambles a bit, and roams, - but it does it with such sweet little flowers that I just can't get angry with it.  It blooms profusely.  In fact, I might encourage it's wandering (although it seems to have a mind of it's own - so encouragement doesn't seem to be a requirement).

Now, amidst the busyness of the past week or so, there has been dog 'issues'.  Last week the Pointer Sisters got into a fight over the tiniest piece of bone in the world - and while they tend to fight superficially (and rarely) - unfortunately Stanley felt the need to join in, and for some reason she targeted Annabelle Lee (aka Bella Banana) and so it was two against one - and by the time I was able to separate them (this happened outdoors), Bella had a few 'bites' - nothing deep or requiring stitches (just some topical antibiotic), but enough to have a bruised ego and make her sore.  She was tentative for the following few days - but thankfully they all seem to be over it now.

This is only the second time that the Pointer Sisters fought - and the first time that Stanley has joined in.  The problem with Stanley is that he has a thick coat of fur - whereas the Pointers do not - and he can actually cause some damage (plus he's almost twice their weight).  Case in point:  tonight, just before dark, Stanley was out alone and got into a rather violent fight with a racoon.  Stanley won (but not without a few nasty facial scratches).  Not good.

Is it too much to ask...for there to be peace in the Animal Kingdom?

~~~~~

~gerbera daisy~

~~~~~

So - in between dog fights and work 'freebies' (what else do you call it, when you're crazy busy with...work...and yet you are unemployed?) - I've been trying to spend some time in the garden.  The biggest accomplishment is a technical one:  my lawn mower has been repaired.

Well, it wasn't quite that easy.

So I found a small engine repair guy, someone a local hardware store recommended - and I dropped my lawn mower off at his place.  In record time - less than a week - I was told I could pick it up.  Yay!  So I went to pick it up, happy that I could finally mow my lawn which was beginning, in places, to resemble a hay field - and went to pick it up.  I got home, got it out of my car (never a graceful endeavor), started it up, and mowed.

I mowed 10 yards.

Then it stopped.

And wouldn't start again.

Great.

So - another week later - repeat the above events, and I now have a lawn mower that is running and cutting grass.  So I'm back to polluting the atmosphere with my neighbors.  Yay!

~~~~~

~snowball viburnum~

~~~~~

I went on this little Viburnum kick two years ago, and I'm so glad that I did.  They're now happy, forgiving and giving members of my little garden - why had I ignored them for so long?  Yes, I have Dirr's book - love it - it even made the Airstream cut (I'm guessing that if a psychiatrist got a list of the books that made the 'Airstream List' that they would recommend weekly therapy sessions - resulting in the final recommendation that I give up science and get a job at a plant nursery).

So, I've gotten a 'no' from two positions that I applied for.  One is too convoluted to explain, the other was something I've encountered for the first time - I'm too 'senior' - most (every) position that has been advertised has explicitly stated that their preference is for someone at the junior ('Assistant Professor') level.

It's time to write another post about my evolving thoughts on unemployement.  The first one I wrote, 'Reflections on Unemployment', helped me to organize my own thoughts on the subject.  New thoughts have popped up - especially after my first meeting at the SC Employment Commission office (it was a delightful experience - you should try it...or not).

Life.

~~~~~  

 

~crimson clover~

~~~~~

I had these grandiose plans a few years after I moved into my place - to sow clover seed all over the back garden (where the asian pear, persimmon, olive, and pomegranate trees reside) - and I did get one 'patch' of clover that has proven resilient, but it's March (early March) I keep forgetting to sow more seed.  Another example of good intentions going by the wayside.  However, gardens are forgiving (quite frankly, the garden doesn't care about whether I do this or not) - there are always new opportunities, room for new intentions.  (But I wouldn't place a bet that I'll remember next spring).

~~~~~

~Mutabilis~

~~~~~

The butterfly rose is glorious - and many other roses are joining the fragrant and colorful choir.  Have I mentioned before that I love roses?  I love wild ones - the kind that would get arrested for disturbing the peace if roses got arrestd for that kind of thing.  Mutabilis is a tame rose - not murderous like Silver Moon or Mermaid (both of which haven't started to bloom yet - they may be murderous, but at least they are courteous, and allowing the more gentile roses to get some attention before they begin their display).

Tonight in the Airstream I have a vase filled with roses - all antique roses with wonderful fragrance that fills my 228 square foot home.  Now, I'd take a photo of this lovely vase filled with roses if it wasn't that my DAMNED NIKON WAS DEAD.  (Hmmm...maybe I still have unresolved issues about my camera's death?).

Maybe I'll start drawing what I see.

(Which would be really a cool thing to do, but highly unlikely).

~~~~~ 

~Sungold blossoms~
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I've got two tomatoes going in large plastic pots this year - Sungold (a sweet, sweet, sweet yellow cherry tomato) and Solar Fire (the latter one is new to me - but chosen out of frustration, since it is VFFF and is supposed to be a heat-tolerant variety).  I might add a paste tomato - not sure yet.

Actually, my spring vegetable garden is a decent one.  I've been harvesting asparagus for almost two weeks.  There are also three gorgeous lettuces - buttercrunch, romaine, and a red leaf lettuce.  I should harvest brocolli soon, the potatoes (red, yellow and white) look great - and the onions and leeks look happy.  I also have four different peppers in pots, and two different eggplants in the ground.  This weekend I need to clean out another small bed (weeds have taken it over for the past few years) - and then plant green beans and squashes.

There is definitely something about a growing vegetable garden that is comforting to me. 

~~~~~ 

~texas mountain laurel~

~~~~~

Whenever I passby my Texas Mountain Laurel when it is in bloom, it reminds me of high school and college, when we'd pop in Gonzo Grape Bubblicious bubble gum so that you couldn't tell we'd been drinking beer.

This tree, Sophora secundiflora, is perhaps the only one in Charleston.  I have no idea why this is, since mine has done beautifully.

Wait!

That's what I could do...bag science and start propagating this tree.  It'll take off - everyone will want one, don't you think?

(Daydreaming about alternative job possibilities keeps me sane, or at least kinda sane).

~~~~~ 

~one of my Mom's bearded irises~

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Last Wednesday, Tax Day (and mid-April), was the second anniversary of my Mother's death.

This bearded iris, a passalong from her garden, opened up on Tax Day.

It still makes me sad. (As it should).

What was difficult this year was that my Father, who has been having cognitive challenges, didn't remember - or at least, he didn't remember when he was talking to me.  I didn't want to bring it up if he did not remember - I didn't want to make him sad if he didn't need to be (he's already been sad enough).

It was not easy having him not remember.  It wasn't easy to not have my Dad to talk with about Mom on this day.

My Father is scheduled for a neurological exam in a few weeks.  During my most recent visit, I was pondering his restricted gait coupled to his not-easily explained dementia - and suddenly I found myself thinking that walking with him was like what it must be like to walk with Muhammad Ali.

I hadn't thought of a Movement Disorder before (nor has it been mentioned by one of his physicians) - but when I googled it, I read that tremors are not always present, and that these disorders are often accompanied by dementia.

Bingo.

Here is my Mother's Garden in mid-April of 2008 (zone 7).

~~~~~

 

~a red native azalea~

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I love native azaleas.

I want more of them.

I think I want all of them.

(Silly me - that's impossible!)

I also want to get some sleep now.

And thank you - to those with the resolve to read this post to the very end (I've rambled, haven't I?).

Happy Belated Bloom Day!

~~~~~

the NIKON is dead

Bummer.

It's the light sensor again.

(It happened once before - about two years ago - had to send it back to NIKON for service.  Not sure if it's worth it this time.)

It was a Coolpix 8700.

Dang.

gotta love it

Keeping myself entertained from Annie Parsons on Vimeo.

I've certainly done it, have you?

R.E.M. 'Gardening at Night'

~~~~~