Wet Wednesday...

I wasn’t going to burden you today (being so-called lite Wednesday, and the fact that I am pretty much without thoughts), but things have changed some.

There were two “contractors” that were supposed to come over to the digs this morning to see if they could convince us to spend money, and both have called and said they couldn’t make it. One of them called from Leonardtown and said he was experiencing a “right rain”. That’s the kind of county talk I like. Sounds like a keeper.

Anyway, that cleared my schedule so I am just sitting staring out the windows at the river. A little squall just passed with mist and light rain, sort of shrouding the Solomons with a cloak of gray. The occasional Osprey (the feathered kind) floats by, the grass is green (and freshly mowed, thank you), the buds are about to explode on the trees, the dogwoods are finally getting their chance after the exuberance of the cherries and magnolias fade to green, and it’s just darn peaceful. I have often said that fall was my favorite season, and I won’t change my mind, but it’s nice to see nature repeat itself with renewed life once again. The flowers flower, the leaves turn green, and they don’t know there’s maybe a long hot dry summer ahead, they just do it. Somehow I do enjoy these kinds of days more than the glaring sun. Whew, what brought that on?

Okay, almost enough. Just one more observation (gotta get food in here somehow). I received the May/June edition of Cook’s Illustrated yesterday. As you recall, it’s that kind of cooking for engineers magazine edited by Chris Kimball. Chris always has some homey stuff to say on his editorial page, and mostly it’s about the simple life in Vermont. Skinning rabbits, planting corn, visiting with elderly neighbors, that kind of thing. Sometimes it’s pithy, and sometimes not. This time it was given over to "Vermont" jokes, generally the country guy outsmarting the city one. Anyway, then I started through the magazine, with articles telling me how to make the perfect “Pub Burger” or grilled scallops, each with details on eighty or so false starts. But what struck me with this issue is that with each recipe, there is a little box that says something like “See how to caramelize the shallots by going to www.cooks....com”. Or “watch how … prepares the dish at www.cooks....com”. Is there a dichotomy here? The simple home life, back to basics, and they practically drive you to the web and their site. Something is wrong here.

Tonight I am going to the “John Glenn Dinner” supporting the Naval Air Museum here in the park. Report tomorrow.

Tiki weekend approacheth…

Okay, time for a nap, there's always time to

DFD