September 23

Almost the first thing I saw this morning was a link to this LA Times article "Why Paul Simon's 'American  Tune is the anthem for our troubled nation." I honestly didn't remember the song and looked it up. Oh, yes! It is the perfect song for our times. And a reminder that we have had similar times before.

September 25

I got to reading yesterday and completely forgot to come back here. Just as well because I didn't have any thoughts to post on anything. In case you are wondering I read The Case of the Lazy Lover, a Perry Mason mystery by Earl Stanley Gardner.

I managed to solve a mystery that has been nagging at me all summer. I had two plants I thought were Japanese indigo but they didn't match any of the descriptions or pictures I found. One was in the middle of a stand of indigo that matched perfectly and were exactly where I planted the seeds. But what the hell was the other. Well, I finally figured out how to take a picture of it on the laptop. Here it is:

I found a free plant id site and it gave me a list of possibles but none matched what I had planted. Well, none I had planted this year. It happens to be Malabar spinach which I planted last year but failed to germinate. Since it is a warm climate plant I think I must have some how gotten a couple of seeds from last year mixed in with the indigo. I will try it again next year now that I know it will grow as an annual here. It is supposed to be a good salad green and a good substitute for real spinach.

I have been looking for heat tolerant plants for the last few years. Our patio, with its white fence all around, becomes an oven that concentrates heat. The official temperature might be 85F but the temperature on the patio in the sun reads 95F or more. My cool season doesn't last long and most of the traditional greens will bolt before we get to enjoy them. I am also considering some shade loving plants for the autumn because after the autumnal equinox the entire patio is in shade.

I love the Lincoln Project ads. (Note: I got to this one by way of Crooks & Liars.) I will admit part of it is I despise #45; but I am getting very tired of the "business as usual" stance of both sides. Biden wasn't my first (or second, or ... tenth) choice but given the (insert your favorite epithet here) I will vote for him.