Motley Monday - September 4, 2023

 Some things going on in the garden, and elsewhere this past week. 

Grasshopper 

Volunteer Portulaca

Volunteer and unwelcome Himalayan blackberry.  These invasive brambles aren't from the Himalayans, but Iran and Armenia.

The front yard enjoyed the recent rain.  I hope the Persian catmint (purple) spreads.  There are quite a few new daylilies and bearded iris divisions, courtesy of a friend, planted within the past few days. 

The Canada geese were hanging around the swale that was made in a construction area near Starbucks.

The grocery store app had fresh corn on the cob on sale.  Thankfully they let customers know that the corn is free of "Crustacean shellfish"!  That wasn't the sale price, that was 17¢.  The cheap price of corn in the summer is why during a gardening symposium class the instructor said not to bother growing your own corn. I have for fun, but it is a pain to get pollinated and each plant only produces one or two ears. 

If we want to be correct, shellfish are always crustaceans, but not all crustaceans are shellfish.  So, crustacean shellfish free would mean no shrimp, crab, lobster, etc. (hard shell, segmented limbs), it doesn't mean no mollusk shellfish (soft bodied invertebrates with shells) such as clams, scallops, and mussels. 

The current issue of Country Living has a feature of what collectibles are trending.  

One of the "in" things is still life paintings of bread.  Yes, bread.  

Guess what!  I was in on the trend before it was a trend!  

This was purchased, including the vintage frame, a few years ago at St. Vincent de Paul for $1.  It's by Lloyd Oman of Santa Ana, CA (there's a sticker on the back with the info).