Southern Belle 2013

DSCN0202 That’s right. ‘Pastoral scene of the gallant south/ the bulging eyes and the twisted mouth’.  I remember that one.  It’s funny the associations you make with some of these McLaren Vale stand-outs.  McLaren Vale

I’ve no idea, but the name for this brilliant shiraz may have something to do with it’s being placed in oak barrels previously containing Kentucky bourbon. Just sort of sleeping in there for a bit.  I like bourbon.  So it nailed it with me.

“Fruitatious” is a word I’ve just invented.  I like it better than “Fruit forward”, which is just the beginning of what this blast of Aussie joy-juice can do for you.  And it’s a whopping 16% alcohol by volume.  Bejeezus, mate.  Stand clear. DSCN0203This James Jean guy is terrific.  James Jean  Talk about designer labeling.  This is a well-capitalized wine.  The Belle Dame carries in her raiment the skulls of her defeated suitors.  As they used to say in the south, and still do, “It is a fine day, sir.”

These images are a bit out of focus and that’s good to remember.  They got that way honestly.  The bottle is empty.  I’ve been to Mclaren Vale and it’s a nice little Vale.  No.  I haven’t been there.  I meant to say it sure would be cool to get down to the hot south and visit Mclaren Vale in old Australia.

‘Strange Fruit’, the work from which the above quotation is taken, was originally a poem written by Allan Lewis, whose real name was, apparently, Abel Meeropol.  Billie Holiday recorded it in song on April 20, 1939.  It was a hit.

It still is.  Thanks for stopping by.

Peromyscus maniculatus saturatus

Suspect No. 1
Suspect No. 1

It’s tough. It’s hard when you know nothing yet are yearning to understand how it can be.  How it can be that one little island can have it’s own one, irreducible, unique, small, fur-bearing creature.  Mouse fur.

They’re wily, as you can see.  They don’t kid around.  If night falls and there’s something in the offing then these rodents will be in that offing. What d’ya mean rodent?  I’m a mouse. M-O-U-S-E.  And some will say, “Eek, it’s just a mouse.”  And those some will be wrong.

Peromyscus maniculatus saturatus.  100 per-cent Saturna Island, wherever that is.  Sure.  It’s a deer mouse.  But it’s not just any deer mouse.  It’s a sub-species deer mouse.  It was first recognized as a distinct sub-species by some guy named Bangs back around 1894 or somewhere.  A lot of thought has gone into this so let’s not screw it up. The pressure’s on.

Searching for their burrows, their mouse holes, during the day is time consuming but it’s vital work and has to be done. They’re out there somewhere. We have to get to know the Saturna Mouse.  It’s important. There’s a plan.  Little reddish flanks and white bellies.  Take me to your leader.DSC_5883Well, it’s the end of another long day on the trail of Peromyscus maniculatus saturatus.  Here’s a shot of me returning to the compound.  Nothing to hide, nothing left to lose, everything to gain and just keep on searching and looking and snooping around.  Pick up the trail in the morning.

He’s close.  He’s real close.  Got to be around here somewhere.  Convinced of it.

Vancouverluft II

IMAG1150

Vancouverluft II.  Awesomeator. New word. The entity that is continuously awesome. The awesomeator. Noun. Something awesome that has become an entity unto itself.  It’s back. The beautiful Vancouver wind. The benevolent, blustery, beneficent breeze, blissfully blowing at us the kind, air-born comments of something that is beautiful, and that we can’t control.

We’re living it and that takes up a lot of time but occasionally we emerge from our burrows amidst all our cares and notice the beauty.

IMAG1146And then the smoke came. Like some foreign planet.  Get out.  “Looks like Mars,” I was saying across the courtyard here on level 3 scant minutes ago.  Then our neighbour seemed to go down and I don’t know what got him.  I hope it wasn’t the smoke.

9:23 pm. We’re in downtown Fairview here and the home fires are burning strong. It’s interesting. The novelty is going strong.  If it’s like this a week from now all the smoking you haven’t done will have been negated.  And that includes tobacco, cigarettes, cigars, marijuana, hashish, beedies,  blow, oxy, junk, crack, everything. It’s gather round the campfire, kids. Let’s have a weenie roast followed by every dear child’s favourite. Marshmallows.

Let’s make it happen.  Burn down the Mission.  Light my fire.  Fire, you’re gonna burn. Burning ring of fire. Firing on all eight cylinders. You’re fired. Fire down below. Fire on the moon. All fired up. Fire if fired upon. Where there’s smoke there’s fire.  Fire away.DSCN0126July 6.  Afternoon.  The smoke’s died down but how do we get the lingering effects out of our hallway?  Put a fan out there and blow it away.

Marigolds courtesy CS Nicol