Tales from the Microbial Laboratory

~morning sky~

~Copahee Sound~

~~~~~

It's almost been two weeks since I've been home - and I've alternated between feeling disoriented (where are the tall buildings?  why are there so many empty parking spaces?) and feeling elated to be back.  This morning was one of elation - a slightly cooler morning, a morning when there was a quick rain shower while the sun was shining - a morning of absolutely spectacular clouds. 

So I was lucky to be heading out to get the air pressure checked in my car - and I'm glad I pulled over in my neighborhood down by the water to snap this photo with my Blackberry camera.  As I was standing there I was thinking about how much I missed the sky while I was in DC - the sky was there (of course!), but in DC you are often surrounded by tall buildings and you only get a limited view.  It reminded me of when I moved from Charlottesville, Virginia to East Lansing, Michigan for graduate school - and how the huge sky overwhelmed me at first, and I remember talking to Michiganders who said that when they visit the mountains, they feel claustrophobic.  Perhaps that is how I felt in DC.  I was - and still am - in awe of the city.  But I missed the big sky - and this morning I remembered why.

Home.

So this is what happens when you abandon your garden for 11 months:  a lovely bronze fennel decides to take root in your open bag of mushroom compost.

I'll transplant it soon - nearby, next to a large clump of bronze fennel.

Last August 6th I said goodbye to the Airstream, and later in August - after a quick trip to Japan and a rare Virginia earthquake, I summarized the move.  Over the year I returned to South Carolina and the Airstream and the garden five times for week-long visits - visits where I frantically mowed, weeded, watered (and met friends at my favorite restaurants) - but as all of you gardeners know, five weeks out of 11 months isn't much time (although I must say I was grateful that the position supported visits home and to work in the lab).

The garden is in bad shape.  It will get better.

Living in the DC area for close to a year was a wonderful experience.

But I'm really glad to be home - in my neglected garden and space-constrained Airstream.