Saturday - 2008-0809-2200 - Rain - Rain in San Francisco; Ginkgo Trees and Leaves; Hiroshima and Nagasaki; Plants and Planting; Wind Chimes; Dragon Bumper Sticker

Rain - Rain in San Francisco Larger Image A shot of "Rain in San Francisco" from Itinerant / Joe Pennant .

Ginkgo Leaves Larger Image

A curious quote in "The New Yorker" about the Ginkgo tree:

"The ginkgo, a.k.a. the maidenhair tree, or the duck’s-foot tree, is remarkable in many ways. It is a living fossil, dating to the early Permian era. It has no close relatives (classification: Plantae, Ginkgophyta, Ginkgoopsida, Ginkgoales, Ginkgoaceae, Ginkgo, Ginkgo biloba), and one of its chief characteristics is hardiness: ginkgos in Hiroshima survived the atomic bomb."

From Smelly Trees.

I'd just posted my annual commemoration to those killed during the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, so this article caught my attention.

In October of last year, I posted an article from "The New York Times" titled ""Why They Called It the Manhattan Project". In the last section is information about another survivor of the bombing of Hiroshimo.

"In Manhattan, the one location that has memorialized its atomic connection had nothing to do with making or witnessing the bomb, but rather with managing to survive its fury.

The spot is on Riverside Drive between 105th and 106th Streets. There, in a residential neighborhood, in front of the New York Buddhist Church, is a tall statue of a Japanese Buddhist monk, Shinran Shonin, who lived in the 12th and 13th centuries. In peasant hat and sandals, holding a wooden staff, the saint peers down on the sidewalk.

The statue survived the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, standing a little more than a mile from ground zero. It was brought to New York in 1955. The plaque calls the statue “a testimonial to the atomic bomb devastation and a symbol of lasting hope for world peace.”

The statue stands a few blocks from Columbia University, where much of the bomb program began."

Outdoor planting has been curtailed because of the continued heat. I was able to plant a "False Cypress" late Thursday evening. Again, I ran into a major maze of roots at every level. After about four inches, I hit several large diameter ones that required use of the reciprocating saw. What I thought would be a simple process, silly me, took 90 minutes. As usual, the reciprocating saw has proven invaluable.

The "False Cypress" a bushy low plant with foliage that shifts from dark green at the trunk to yellowish-green at the edge. I usually tried to make certain I kept one of the plant labels for each one I buy. But these did not have any. And a quick Google reveals that there are many varieties of "False Cypress." Next time, I visit, I'll see what it says on the marker for that area.

I've been making repairs to the wind chimes I have by the front windows. No matter, the cost, wind chimes always seem to use ordinary twine which quickly rots in the elements. Of the five I had, three appear to be ok. A new bamboo one I bought last week sustained several major cracks when I dropped it and had to be tossed.

One is an unusual design with the chimes inside an open weave wooden cylinder. Alas, the weave is comprised of small slats that have come loose at the top and bottom because the surrounding wooden holding ring has also come loose. The chimes are attached to a wooden disk that fits inside the cylinder. And the cord for several of these has also rotted.

I glued the slats back, but without the holding ring, they came loose again.

For the cord, I first replaced everything with copper wire, but that is too stiff. I next tried a smaller gauge wire of either tin or aluminum. Again, too stiff. I then visited Lowe's and found a nylon "string." At Hobby Lobby, I found a spool of very fine copper wire that I think will work if I install it properly. I worked on it this afternoon, and then realized I'd strung it wrong. The wire needs to go through the chimes to allow for maximum movement, but I only attached it one site.

Another one of the "simple" projects that literally has given me a headache twice.

I've also got the windchime at the potter that he has repaired. And I can't visit until my money situation improves.

Yesterday, I saw a wonderful bumper sticker, that I really think I've seen before.

"Do not meddle in the affairs of Dragons for you are crunchy and good with ketchup."

Today, oddly enough, there was a woman at the next table with a tee shirt that had the word dragon on it, but I could not read the rest. It turned out it was a local school whose mascot is the dragon, and she was the art teacher. I told her of the bumper sticker, and she was very excited because one of her tasks was to come up with a logo-related motto.

By chance, I asked if she knew my former boss, who I know subs at some of the local schools. And surprisingly enough, she subs for her. Talk about serendipity.

(In Saturday - 2008-0809-2200 / Out - 2008-0809-2330) This entry was written in a single setting.

Pax! Erin go braugh! Je accuse...