Falling into Fall!

      Well, here's the Vernel Equinox for which we've all been waiting. This summer was hot enough to make even me relish autumn.  As mentioned in a previous blog it happened while I was recently in Minnesota.

    I came on this good description of fall. "Day after day, of open clear skies, that has been how summer has been from May up until now, sun during the day, stars at night. Nothing is finer than an ebb of a good summer, it has left behind a sort of satiation, something has been filled, and now it turns, now the village is no longer surrounded by gently waving fields quite indescribably golden beneath the high blue sky-seen from the roads the ripe fields resemble lakes between the clustered houses-but stubble fields, for in the past few weeks combine harvesters and tractors have been gliding slowly back and forth across them, and tall rows of compressed hay bales have been left behind here and there, like high walls against the wind..."  Authorship to be revealed later.

Takk for alt,

Al

Soybeans ripening turn from green to yellow before shedding their leaves as they dry down for harvest. 

Another reason to like dogs!

    For the sake of my eyes, an ophthalmologist told me that kale and spinach can arrest macular degeneration. Consequently, I eat spinach almost every day and it's working. I'm not allowed to kale however.  

   

Take for alt,

Al

Slowly Read

      Finally finished a book started weeks ago. Mentioned in yesterday's blog that I read in 1998, it's The Gentleman In The Parlor: A Record of a Journey from Rangoon to Haiphong, by W. Somerset Maugham.  He calls Rangoon's country Burma so that's a clue it's an older book because that country is now known as Myanmar. It was published in 1930, shortly after Maugham made the journey.

    Myanmar is a Southeast Asian country I barely entered.   There's a place where it borders Thailand that I crossed the border to a market. While I was technically in Myanmar, I couldn't leave the market to travel in the country without going through customs.

   However, in the other three countries mentioned; Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam, I traveled extensively. Reading his description of these places from almost 100 years ago was very interesting. For example, in Saigon, now called Ho Chi Min City, he stayed in the Continental Hotel. When Joanne, Lisa and I were there, we too, stayed in the Continental.

   He travelled by a variety of means; walking, horseback, bullock cart, train, car and boat. My travels were by car, boat, train and airplane. Joanne, Lisa and I went from Phnom Penh, Cambodia to Saigon by car. A Church World Service driver drove us to the boarder of Vietnam. Carrying our luggage, we walked across the border and through customs. From there we took a taxi to the edge of Saigon. Why the edge? The driver was intimidated by Saigon traffic, so we had to find another taxi to take us downtown.

   Throughout the book cities were mentioned that I had visited; Bangkok, which I called my home away from home, Phnom Penh, Hue, Hanoi, etc. It was fun trip down memory lane. My interest in rereading it was sparked by another book recently read, The House of Doors, Tan Twan Eng. Set in Penang, Malaysia, where I also visited, H. Somerset Maugham is featured because he spent time there.

Takk for alt,

Al

Modern Bangkok.

Triggered Memory

       The book I'm currently re-reading, the first time in1998, is a report of the author's overland trip in 1930, through SE Asia. It's of particular interest to me because I spent much time there and traveled to many of the same places.

     This is the incident and the memory it triggered. Traveling in Vietnam the author comes to Hue. Yes, I was there. He embarks on a small boat on the Perfume River. It's lovely tropical night and the stars are in full array. Traveling alone and billeted in un-attractive hotel he decides to spend the night absorbing the romantic setting in the boat. A car is scheduled to drive him to Hanoi in the morning. He lights his pipe and settles in a for a delightful night. The next thing he knows the boat is bumping to a landing at dawn. He's terribly disappointed that he slept away the night.

    Now the Memory. Many years ago, Joanne and I, accompanied by my two brothers and their wives, travelled to Norway. Airline flights were arranged from Minneapolis to Amsterdam. There was a layover in Amsterdam so we could visit some museums. Leaving Minneapolis in the evening we arrived in Amsterdam early in the morning. We checked into our hotel and then, heading the advice not to give into jetlag but stay active, we headed out. One stop was a diamond shop where raw diamonds were being ground. Amsterdam is a city of canals. So, we took a boat ride on the canals to see the city. Jetlag hit me big time and I quickly fell asleep. When I awakened the other five were asleep, and so it went. None of us saw ten percent of the sites. 

Takk for alt,

Al

The Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam.

Welcome to Seattle!

      The farmer who said he hoped it didn't rain to much got his wish. (See a previous blog.)  Yesterday's rainfall measured .8". It's raining now as I type this. Rain, in small amounts, is predicted each day for the next seven days. There's a member of the family who wishes to live in Seattle. Not I. As much as I welcome rain my preference would be for a good soaking rain on a day, followed by blue sky days. Weather's reality has been the bane of humanity forever. Watertight houses are a gift and far better than damp caves in which to bear through repeated rainfalls. I'm fortunate that repetitive rain is no more than a nescience. 

Takk for alt,

Al

To offset the grey skies of these days I post this sunset picture from 2021.

      

Standing Corrected

       Typing the blog about local vocabularies in a recently initially I typed "Maid Rite". Thinking that can't be right (Rite) I changed all the Maids to Mades. Now the other reader informs me that the correct version is "Maid-Rite." Given the 'Rite' one might think it's some sort of gambol with young females.as in a 'rite of spring'.  At least it should be "Made Right". However, that would require more letters, more costs and not have the same panache.

    A bit of research reveals that there are approximately 25 Maid-Rite establishments in Iowa and 43 total Maid-Rite venues. It hasn't achieved the success of Culver's, my favorite fast-food venue.  As of July 2026, there were 1104 Culver's Restaurants. On your next foray into Iowa try a Maid-Rite. No money changed hands, unfortunately, for this promotion. 

Takk for alt,

Al

Maid-Rite, Muscatine, Iowa.

Things change!

        After a dry July and very dry August the weather has changed. For weeks the mantra has been, "I wish it would rain!" There were some showers that gave some help but not the soaking rain that was needed. Now there's been some rain that's equaled about an inch and a half. Lawns and pastures are green again. How things change was revealed in a farmer commenting on the predicted rain who said, "I hope it doesn't rain too much."  It's been raining today. 💧

    Why would a farmer, in a drought, hope it "doesn't rain too much"?  Well, it's harvest time. Think about trying to harvest in muddy fields. You get the picture. The rain is too late for benefit to corn and soybeans, and muddy fields are a trial. On the other hand, pastures and hay fields will reap great benefits from the added moisture. Greening pastures have made cattle happy and will serve to put them in good condition going into winter. The eight camels in the neighbor's pasture will also benefit.

Takk for alt,

Al

Two of the eight camels who hang out with the cattle and horses.