Selfies?

OK,we need to practice that duckface thing.

But who can ask for more? On time and pleasant-as-flying-can-be flight (thank you Bose noise-cancelling headphones) then a super nice Uber driver all the way out to north Las Vegas, homemade dinner tonight and unseasonably warm weather. Going to the park tomorrow morning and take advantage of one more nice day before winter returns to the desert.

Las Vegas bound

Victor Vasnetsov

The Flying Carpet 1880

I'm headed to Las Vegas tomorrow on the Alaska Airlines magic carpet to spend the week with Dad (and Doodles.)  The weather looks sunny, although cooling down considerably from the recent warm spell, but I'll take it.  We have the usual things planned like walks in the park, going out to lunch, shopping for food, cooking nice dinners, and of course, sitting on the patio with our coffee or glass of wine.  I might bring my travel ukulele along and torment Marji's neighbors.

If the technology is favorable, I'll check in later with some desert pictures.  Have a good weekend.

Costco indulgences

Costco always has a great selection of spring bulbs for a short time in February-- big, fresh bags for only $12.  I'm a sucker for lilies, and over the years, many beauties have lived out their lives in our garden.  Like tulips, they repeat up to a point, but eventually start to fade like all living things. It was so dry last summer, I dug the oldest ones out to make room for perennials that require less water.

But who could resist this eye-popping color, planted around the yellow tree rose we see from the bedroom window. "Kaveri" is a new cross hybrid of an Asiatic and Oriental lily, supposedly giving the best of both varieties: Oriental fragrance, but fairly compact and hardy.

What else fell into the giant shopping cart? You feel like you deserve a treat for trudging around the warehouse pushing a load of of toilet paper and bulk oatmeal. 

A nice fillet of steelhead salmon, farm-raised (I know, I know) but absolutely delicious pan sauteed in butter, with a dash of the Las Vegas lemon I hoard.   

A salmon dinner like this in a Seattle restaurant sets you back big bucks...

And on the side, cucumber salad and saffron rice.  Made with (you guessed it) a big pinch of the Costco saffron John gave me for Christmas. Life on the roller coaster is still pretty good.

Marengo

Napoleon's horse "Marengo" carried him through his triumphs and the final defeat. The grey Arabian was purchased in 1799 after the Battle of Aboukir and named after Napoleaon's victory at the Battle of Marengo. They both look monumental in this famous painting by Jacques-Louis David, but Napoleon stood at 5 foot 7 and Margeno was just 14 hands high.

After his defeat at the Battle of Waterloo, Napoleon fled in a cart and Marengo was captured by the triumphant Grenadier Guards.  He was eventually sold to Lieutenant General J. Angerstein and placed in stud until 1820. Arabs are long-lived horses and he died in 1831, well into his 30's. His skeleton was preserved and passed to the Royal United Service Institute, a British defense and security think tank.

Now the skeleton of Marengo has a place of honor in the new National Army Museum in Chelsea, West London. But first, he was painstakingly reassembled and restored by curators. So much history! And in this picture he doesn't look much bigger than a German Shepard.  Although small and delicate-looking, Arabians are one of the strongest, hardiest breeds of horse.

And there was light

Bless my soul, the sun came out yesterday afternoon.  I heard people exclaiming in excitement as they walked by on the sidewalk. I pruned and fertilized all the roses while the turkey did its thing in the oven.  Everything is growing like crazy.

The mulch and weeds need to be cleared off (a hands and knees job) but I try to give the hyacinths and tulips a head start first. They're just poking their heads up. I can't tell you how many I've accidentally squashed or sliced off over the years.

The turkey was delicious, but a Thanksgiving dinner for two is a bit over the top. At least for the cook. Cleaning up took forever, but now the leftovers are stashed in the freezer and we have real turkey sandwiches to look forward to this week.

Fly, Eagles, fly! After six decades, a Super Bowl win for Philly. What a satisfying and fitting end to the game-- people in the neighborhood were actually setting off fireworks. In Seattle, we know something about being underdogs.

Candles and groundhogs

February 2nd is Candlemas Day, marking the Feast of the Presentation. It is of the very oldest church festivals, celebrated since the 4th century. For Catholics, the Christmas season is over.

The church originally chose this date (40 days after the birth of Jesus) because it coincided with a Gaelic pagan festival.  Imbolc marked the beginning of the agricultural year, about halfway between the winter solstice and the spring equinox. But winter isn't finished yet in northern Europe, no sir.  An old English farmer saying goes like this:

In the barn on Candlemas Day 

Should be half the straw and half the hay.  

As for the groundhog, Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow this morning, meaning six more weeks of winter. The groundhog tradition started in Europe at Candlemas, and the Germans who settled in Pennsylvania in the 1700's (our ancestors, actually) brought the custom to America.

It's still chilly and damp outside, but bulbs are poking up, weeds are growing, the grass is getting longer.  With the extra light more obvious in the afternoon, February feels like the start of spring here.

Sunday is Super Bowl so the grocery store ads are full of salty snacks, beer, soda and party platters.  I'm roasting a turkey I bought last Thanksgiving when they were practically giving them away.  I don't care who wins, but it would be fun seeing Brady eat a big slice of humble pie.

Have a good weekend.