jimsjournal
Gardens and lighthouses -- 06/07/05


The two azalea bushes don't bloom at quite the same time -- about a two week difference between when they each reach their peak show. Perhaps that's just as well -- the first to bloom has lost almost half of its blossoms by the time the second one is reaching its peak.

That first one is just awesome -- the color seems to explode in your eyes -- it's supersaturated -- I almost want to say somebody must have spray-painted these flowers with some day-glo paint, it's just that vibrant and overwhelming.

Jill and I went plant shopping yesterday and then came home and played in the dirt.

I planted the cucumbers and zuchini and oregano that I'd picked up on the weekend plus the mint and bay plants I'd bought on our plant-shopping expedition.

Jill finished preparing her end of the main garden and planted the four eggplants she'd bought and some herbs (sage that she had bought plus some parsley and basil that I had left over from the weekend) and also planted carrot seeds she bought. So today Nancy came home with some basil plants a colleague had given her. By mid-summer I should have enough basil to make an entire salad with basil leaves! (Hmmm, I wonder how that would taste?)

The Providence Journal is running a series of articles about Block Island this week. I think Block Island is a fascinating place -- just a few miles offshore. Despite the name of the island, on the political maps it is the Town of New Shoreham. The island has a year 'round population of around eight or nine hundred, but in the summer it is quite a bit higher (and yet not as high as you might think because there are not that many hotel and bed & breakfast rooms available). Five years ago (Time Flies!) I posted an entry with some pictures I had taken on the island -- including a couple of Southeast Light -- an 1875 vintage lighthouse that was in danger of destruction as the cliff crumbled more and more each year and the cliff's edge grew closer and closer to the lighthouse. So about twelve years ago they jacked it up, attached wheels, and moved it back around 245 feet further inland, away from the cliff.

Today's story in this series featured the the story of that lighthouse, complete with pictures. I e-mailed Bonnie to suggest checking the newspaper website -- and then I thought maybe some of you might be interested -- http://www.projo.com/ -- That's the "front page" of the website -- If were to go there today (Tuesday) the lighthouse would be the current story -- on Wednesday the next story would be featured but you can still see the lighthouse story -- just click "Special series" above the "Saving Block Island" title and you should get a page listing the parts -- the lighthouse is Part Three.
An azalea in front of our house -- taken May 25th The color is overwhelming.
Another azalea -- located just to the left of the first one -- this one blossoms later -- taken May 4th.
Along the side of our garage.
Just to show you an example of the blossoms from chives being used in a salad. (This is not a very good photograph -- took it without using flash but I think that made the shutterspeed too slow -- but I guess you get the idea..
You get a choice of multimedia or text (the text version does have photographs to go with the text -- the multimedia version has music and someone reading the text and also has the photographs. (And, according to the story, they hope to refurbish the building and turn it into a Bed & Breakfast to help fund ongoing restoration.

That would make it the second lighthouse in Rhode Island where you can book a stay. The Rose Island Lighthouse in Narragansett Bay has been restored and you can book a weekly stay (where you pay to get to be lighthouse keeper for a week) or you can book an overnight visit.



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