Saturday, April 10, 2010
I should be working on my Hawaii posts, but I can't concentrate. Probably because it's all sunny and it isn't nighttime. And I want an Antonina update!!! :-)
Posted at 7:06:00 PM by Laura W. Petix.
Friday, April 09, 2010
I went to the pool at NEAC and swam 31 x across, 5 x underwater following the blue line on the bottom of the lane! The first 2 times, I had to surface, but the last 3 I made it on one breath. Later I saw a sign on the wall that 1 mile is 36 laps, so next time I'll swim 36 (1 lap = 2x across, though, so that would be 1/2 mile). It's super-fun swimming along the bottom, skimming the blue line, and it makes my heart beat really fast! I hate pool water, but I can't have the ocean all the time. :)
Posted at 2:37:00 PM by Laura W. Petix.
I love scuba, but it felt so good to be in the water without a zillion pounds of GEAR on. And I wasn't even cold!
Thursday, April 08, 2010
Dino State Park visit photoreport!
Posted at 11:10:00 PM by Laura W. Petix.
1) The entrance to Dinosaur State Park in Rocky Hill, Connecticut. (I had to take a photo of my feet on the beginning of sea life as we know it!) We visited this park in 2003 and, every year since, I've intended to go back again during the week when all the magnolia are in bloom, but this is the first time I've actually done it.
B) I am actually not very interested in dinosaurs and I've never even seen the dinosaur footprints at the park. What I am totally fascinated by is ancient sea life and ancient trees. Dinosaur State Park has lots of examples of trees that were alive during the age of the dinos, including cycads, conifers, ginkgoes and katsuras (both of which are the sole surviving members of their families), and magnolias. Before I even knew these trees were all "living fossils," I was inexpliably drawn to them.
3) This is an umbrella pine. It's the sole member of the family Sciadopityaceae and genus Sciadopitys, another living fossil with no remaining close relatives. It's known in the fossil record for about 230 million years. I used to have an umbrella pine bonsai named Bela, but it died. :-( I loved that tree!
4) This is what I came to see, because this week is the week! The magnolias are all in bloom. They are one of the most ancient angiosperms (flowering plants). Unlike more modern flowering trees, magnolias lack distinct sepals and petals.
5) Willow-leaf magnolia. This photo makes me feel really calm.
6) Mag closeup. I love this. It's almost like a sea anemone!
7) Cedar bark, and the ground littered in magnolia blossoms. I didn't have that much time to look at the conifers because I talked to the super-enthusiastic fossil lady inside the museum too much about echinoderms! She didn't know what they were, so I drew her a chart and a picture of a crinoid. :)
8) Cedar bark with lichen!
9) I love these ancient trees!
10) Leaning on the cedar. ♥
11) More pretty magnolia blooms. They come in lots of colors, although white is my favorite. (I also love mauve... but that's the Middletown tree.)
12) Big buttery yellow magnolia flower. Looks like something a bee would like, but, nope, magnolias were around before bees even appeared. They were pollinated by beetles.
13) Star magnolia, or magnolia stellata. My favorite. (I cheated and this one photo is actually from when we visited Dino State Park in 2003.)
What the heck, Takashimaya is closing, too??? I never got to go there for tea! Sad sad sad news.
Posted at 6:41:00 PM by Laura W. Petix.
Signs of spring #9: hyacinthine hyacinths at NEAC! No wonder I always think of the V story this time of year.
Posted at 5:11:00 PM by Laura W. Petix.
I'm at Dinosaur State Park looking at all the Mesozoic era trees!
Posted at 4:09:00 PM by Laura W. Petix.
Wednesday, April 07, 2010
Blue Back Square. I feel like I'm in a whole new world or something!
Posted at 4:36:00 PM by Laura W. Petix.
This is pretty freakish. August temperatures (the Beagleometer says 92!) but most of the trees are still bare.
Posted at 2:31:00 PM by Laura W. Petix.
I'm so tired, but I can't sleep.
Posted at 5:09:00 AM by Laura W. Petix.
I always think about Valentine this time of year, still.
Tuesday, April 06, 2010
Oh, noooooooo! Ito En/Kai are closing???? :-(
Posted at 10:05:00 PM by Laura W. Petix.
Posted at 7:06:00 PM by Laura W. Petix.
Heh. Remember that 55-year old postage paid feedback card I mailed on February 14th? It came back today. Return to sender, address unknown. No such number, no such zone. :)
I know I've said this before, but I wouldn't miss springtime in Connecticut for anything. I rubbernecked so many trees today, I was a little worried about my driving!
Posted at 5:54:00 PM by Laura W. Petix.
Posted at 4:06:00 PM by Laura W. Petix.
INHALING a pear tree! Mmmmmmmm. Intoxicating.
If I had a yard with trees picked out by me, I would want a star magnolia. GO TO Dino!
Posted at 3:50:00 PM by Laura W. Petix.
Signs of spring #7: star magnolia in Glastonbury! ♥ I want to BE this tree.
Signs of spring #8: pink, white, and blue. Another star magnolia!
Monday, April 05, 2010
Eating chicken soup in the car. Brain feels good but body feels fragile. Dreamy menacing Dylan sure sounds good.
Posted at 4:34:00 PM by Laura W. Petix.
Sunday, April 04, 2010
Wow! The real Dara is back!!!
Posted at 7:28:00 PM by Laura W. Petix.
Signs of spring #6: a bumblebee snacking on striped squills!
Posted at 5:03:00 PM by Laura W. Petix.
