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Things I’ve been enjoying lately
Aug. 27th, 2016 09:31 pmIn this late summer, where D’s gone so often with his girlfriend (and the trips to Disneyland and Portland), and J’s gone so often playing Magic (here in town and elsewhere), I have been especially enjoying J’s front porch. I bought two blue canvas chairs that are more upright than the adirondack chairs I have on the lawn (and better for my neck). I’ve got them out on his front porch, along with a TV tray, where I can set my water pitcher and books and papers. I can sit there and read, and watch the eastern side of the sunset, and more surreptitiously watch the hummingbirds that come to the feeder a few feet away.
Two weeks ago, when it was especially hot, I spent hours sitting out there reading a work of fiction about Empress Elisabeth of Austria, “Sisi.” It wasn’t as well written as I’d like, and the deviations from historical reality kept bugging me, but I got caught up in it and enjoyed it overall. Tonight I just finished reading At the Existentialist Café by Sarah Bakewell, which reminded me of my favorite part of high school English and made me want to read Merleau-Ponty and Jaspers.
Another thing I’ve been enjoying is watching Mars’s progress across Scorpius. In the spring, Mars was neatly aligned to the west of the three up-and-down stars at the western side of Scorpius (which I think are supposed to be its head, oddly). Saturn was there too, a bit higher in the sky and to the east; last year Saturn had been like a fourth up-and-down star, which had been confusing. Now, though, Mars has been moving steadily further east every night. It’s a pretty juxtaposition – the bright red planet with the seemingly smaller seemingly white planet, and the steady red glow of Mars with the twinkling red glow of Antares, the main star of Scorpius. In the last few days, I’d been looking forward to having the three all lined up: Saturn Mars Scorpius. One night it was pretty close, but the next night Mars had moved past the point of lining up, so I guess it could have been visible in Europe but not here.
Also the strawberries. J’s strawberry plants have been surprisingly busy, this late in the summer. Today I ate three berries without even seriously hunting for them.
Two weeks ago, when it was especially hot, I spent hours sitting out there reading a work of fiction about Empress Elisabeth of Austria, “Sisi.” It wasn’t as well written as I’d like, and the deviations from historical reality kept bugging me, but I got caught up in it and enjoyed it overall. Tonight I just finished reading At the Existentialist Café by Sarah Bakewell, which reminded me of my favorite part of high school English and made me want to read Merleau-Ponty and Jaspers.
Another thing I’ve been enjoying is watching Mars’s progress across Scorpius. In the spring, Mars was neatly aligned to the west of the three up-and-down stars at the western side of Scorpius (which I think are supposed to be its head, oddly). Saturn was there too, a bit higher in the sky and to the east; last year Saturn had been like a fourth up-and-down star, which had been confusing. Now, though, Mars has been moving steadily further east every night. It’s a pretty juxtaposition – the bright red planet with the seemingly smaller seemingly white planet, and the steady red glow of Mars with the twinkling red glow of Antares, the main star of Scorpius. In the last few days, I’d been looking forward to having the three all lined up: Saturn Mars Scorpius. One night it was pretty close, but the next night Mars had moved past the point of lining up, so I guess it could have been visible in Europe but not here.
Also the strawberries. J’s strawberry plants have been surprisingly busy, this late in the summer. Today I ate three berries without even seriously hunting for them.