Ah, the joys of the outside world, fresh air, sunshine, and all that other icky stuff. But due to me having a dog, and not having a fenced-in yard, I get the wonderful opportunity to go outside at least 6 times a day, something that this here misanthrope does not willingly do. Bleh. Double bleh in the summer when the smell of a dumpster intensifies due to heat. (Subtle hint: If you ever become an apartment dweller, try, for the love of God, try to get one as far away from the dumpster as possible.)
So... At least 4 of these outside trips are when the glowing orb of pain is overhead, burning my fair skin as if I was some undead vampire or something. Thus, I get to look at things... Like other people's dog squeeze, so as not to step in said squeeze. And garbage and non-vegetation things that just don't belong on grass and such. Thus I keep my head down at least half the time I am walking said dog, Kegan, by the way.
While I am walking Kegan around the apartment block's grassy sward, I notice things other than dog (and raccoon) squeeze and garbage. Like the 'grass' is often not grass but some sort of weeds or other non-grass greens. And the grass that is actually grass is composed of multiple varieties, from Bahia, Centipede, St. Augustine, and at least 4 other types I don't recognize and really care to recognize but they are definitely grasses.
Then there are the flowers. Now, being allergic to the color 'green' makes me not a fan of standard variety flowers that people put in vases in their houses. Especially the more 'floral' the fragrance from said flowers are. Like that's really a no bueno for me for 'stinky' flowers.
But I'm not talking about gardenias, roses, geraniums, even daisies and other flowers that people purposely plant for whatever weird reason people plant plants for that aren't either ground cover, vision screening or for food production (whether as bait for hunting or for feed for farm animals or for food for actual hoomans.)
No.
I'm talking about the non-grass plants that seem to proliferate amongst the grass plants in the lawn around the apartments. Little things, often very small, and very subject to heat or lack of humidity, only appearing when the glowing orb of pain isn't baking the surface of the area into a dry crispy husk.
And... these little flowers are just beautiful. Tiny little colorful shapes of perfection, gorgeous in their shape and form.
Morning! Today's forecast calls for blue skies (spoken)
The sun is shining in the sky
There ain't a cloud in sight
It's stopped raining
Everybody's in the play
And don't you know, it's a beautiful new day
Hey, hey, hey!
Running down the avenue
See how the sun shines brightly
In the city
All the streets where once was pity
Mr. Blue Sky is living here today!
Hey, hey, hey!
Mr. Blue Sky
Please tell us why
You had to hide away for so long (so long)
Where did we go wrong?
Mr. Blue Sky
Please tell us why
You had to hide away for so long (so long)
Where did we go wrong?
Hey, you with the pretty face
Welcome to the human race!
A celebration
Mr. Blue Sky's up there waiting
And today is the day we've waited for
Ah, ah, ah
Oh, Mr. Blue Sky
Please tell us why
You had to hide away for so long (so long)
Where did we go wrong?
Hey there Mr. Blue!
We're so pleased to be with you
Look around, see what you do
Everybody smiles at you
Hey there Mr. Blue!
We're so pleased to be with you
Look around, see what you do
Everybody smiles at you!
Mr. Blue Sky
Mr. Blue Sky
Mr. Blue Sky
Mr. Blue, you did it right
But soon comes Mr. Night
Creeping over, now his hand is on your shoulder
Nevermind, I'll remember you this
I'll remember you this way!
Mr. Blue Sky
Please tell us why
You had to hide away for so long (so long)
Where did we go wrong?
Hey there Mr. Blue (sky)
We're so pleased to be with you (sky)
Look around see what you do (blue)
Everybody smiles at you
Please turn me over (vocoder voice that is, to me, incomprehensible.)
ELO....that brings back some memories Beans, thanks for that. As for lawn "flowers" Creeping Charlie puts out a nice violet flower but it also is rather good at crowding out whatever grass is left in the lawn. Such are the joys of home ownership.
ReplyDeleteMy middle brother introduced me to ELO, and the rat-bastide actually got to see them in concert.
DeleteGreat group, as long as you start on their third album, as the first two are kind of really stretching the meaning of 'progressive rock' (like a tone poem to a battle in the English Civil War.)
As to lawn, it gets cut, it looks good from a distance, you only see not-grass when walking upon it, which should only be the tenants, most who don't give a rat's behind as to what the nominal lawn looks like as long as it's cut and keeps the two legged creepers away.
That is a good earworm and I'm off to listen to some more ELO.
ReplyDeleteAs the person with a feather allergy said, don't bring me down. :)
As the person with a wool allergy said, that was baaaa-aad. ;)
DeleteGod spreads little droplets of beauty all around us, if only we will see it.
ReplyDeleteELO is, in my mind, the greatest band of all time. Mr. Blue Sky is one of my favorites, simply because it is an upbeat song. It is just happy.
God spreads them to give us something to contemplate about the beauty of life. Truly.
DeleteAnd, yes, ELO great band, took forever for the Rock-n-Roll Hall of Fame to vote them in. Bastides (the RnRHoF people.)
My favorite is "Wild West Hero" but "Mr. Blue Sky" is in the top ten. I like the contemplative ballads of ELO. Good thinking music.
I'm an ELO fan as well. There were some good times in the late 70's. I may need to look into what Nylon said. I need something to kill this clump grass invasion.... And those pretty flowers remind me of bachelor buttons. I used to plant those in mom's flower garden.
ReplyDeleteSo many ELO people out there, and they set many records, like biggest concert to date during their "Out of the Blue" tour, most expensive stage props to date during the same tour, and such. Good music, and Lynne's still producing. I need to catch up on his later albums.
DeleteWith me, I don't care as long as there are no stickers, pricklers, or poisonous plants in the grass. Keep it cut, if it passes the 'looks like lawn from the street' rule, and is full of worms and dung beetles (fascinating little things) and toads and other life, rather than an overly fertilized dead zone (except for ants, hate ants, really hate ants) then lawnish is good to me.
If you truly prefer gloomy, dismal weather, try the Portland, Oregon area; ususally, the best you'll ever get is about 60 days of unmitigated sunshine a year.
ReplyDeleteI lived in, on, around the Ring of Fire as a pre-10 year old kid. Had enough of the Ring of Fire. So, no, nowhere on the West Coast for me. Nice quiet limestone and sand formation called Florida is good. Very small possibility of snow, doesn't get hit by bad storms all that often, and when, the state is generally prepared, and I can avoid the glowing orb of pain by staying inside.
DeleteAnd I have discovered that I really like flat lands. The rolling undulating terrain of North Central Florida, where you can be between 100 and 160 feet above sea level, is fine for me.
Never much of an ELO fan despite that being one of my eras. Allow me to prescribe the Allman Brothers "Blue Sky" - much better than moving to Portland
ReplyDeleteBoat Guy
Ah, will have to try the 'Almond Brothers' (I have always had an issue understanding the radio, don't even get me started on mistaken lyrics.)
DeleteAnd see above, as to why even before poly-ticks went 'south' as to why the West Coast was never ever ever an interest to me. Something about living on the top of an extinct volcano (hopefully extinct) for three years gets one to understand how fickle volcanoes are.
Ah yes, the flora of Florida. I remember my brother-in-law's townhouse in Ft Walton Beach, he had a postage stamp of a lawn which seemed to consist of the weirdest looking grass I've ever seen.
ReplyDeleteLove the low-lying heather (might be the Scots in me) but it also reminds me of my favorite flower, portulaca grandiflora, aka moss rose. Pic here, we have an entire garden (a circular thing about six feet across) composed solely of those. I love 'em.
Great way to start a Tuesday Beans, thanks!
You are welcome. I'm working on another plant one, but that will take about a year as I want to devote it to the whole cycle.
DeleteThe nice thing about all these little flowers is that they have little-to-no scent, and thus don't set off my allergies.
Having fun?
Having fun, Aye! Seriously though, I am enjoying the Hell out of this trip. This kind of work is something I am actually good at.
DeleteThose are wonderful little flowers!
ReplyDeleteThat they are. And most people consider them weeds and blights upon the land.
DeleteMrs J is the plant person in the house. I am not allowed to even look at plants directly. Apparently, there is a laser in my iris's that if I look directly at a "good" plant, it instantly withers and dies. However, I can stare at weeds, especially goat's heads and other TX Sticker plants and watch them absorb the laser energy and grow rapidly as I watch. It is what it is.
ReplyDeleteI'm ok with ELO, but Chicago was my usual "mellow out" rock band. To each their own.
When I had a yard, well, let's not speak of that unmitigated spot of hell full of poison ivy and such. Gives me nightmares.
DeleteNow I love watching lawn mower videos, you know, where some guy mows a spot of unmitigated hell and makes it look relatively nice? Fine with me. I liked doing that, just not enough to keep ahead of the jungle and deal with all the physical side effects of mowing. Bleh.
Beans, about a year ago CBS Sunday morning did a great story about Jeff Lynne and ELO. I had no idea he was pretty much the entire band, writing all the music and playing all the instruments. https://youtu.be/UuuAyn9Roek
ReplyDeleteThis one always has me dancing around the room with my dogs...DON'T JUDGE ME!!
ReplyDelete