#Spring yard zone without the drums >

[tinyshe]

Garden Report 19.12.14

The winds have finally ripped all the leaves off the trees except for the stubborn holly.  We are in to some real cold so I am hoping that my finger will have healed and I can do ladders for pruning fruit trees.  My finger? Yes, this plastic picnic-ware, taped to my finger, is the equivalent to a dog’s ‘cone of shame’ (tm) -- we call it the ‘spoon of disappointment and despair’ (tm).  It is the consequences of short temper meeting with bone china plate in the wee hours. With a tourniquet, we slowed the flow and used a goodly quantity of livestock medical sulfur we still have about;  dusted  to staunch the flow then padded it up. I just can’t afford another medical bill so we were hoping this would be the ticket. So far so good: day 3. I can now drive and shift without fear I will break the plaster and start spiriting blood on the windscreen. Go to go! So go I did!!

It was pedi day and in the process she said “ and pull up that damn lemon tree on your way out! I’m tired of looking at it!” I wasn’t going to look a gift tree twice and wonder why so I did as she bid and placed it in the rubbish bag she thrust at me. I lovingly place her (the lemon tree) in the cab with me and my parcels and headed home! I had just enough soil and a pot I pinched from Kath to make things right again.  I managed to get it in my little greenhouse lean- to we did early this Autumn.  The little lemon tree is now keeping my worm bin company. I need to do something though because when the rains come down, it is like having a big bass drum outside your bedroom window … All. Night. Long.

Been trying not to worry about the job situation too much. St Theresa is keeping my roses going, reminding me to keep the Faith -- three different bushes are holding tight even with this weather and some how the blossoms are not freezing.  Speaking of freezing: the lettuce and mustards are none too happy.  The kale and cabbages are doing grand.  Next spot I get of fine weather I want to dig up some garden berries to interplant with the sea buckthorns. I also want to start searching for my Asian pear root system.  It has been there 10 years but I want to move the little thing -- it is not thriving -- just surviving.  I am still thinking on the fig and remembering my Ukrainian high bush cranberry hedge I left behind [in my past garden].  I have some hard pruning and shaping ahead of me first! OK -- second; job first! Well that is another type of pruning and shaping, isn’t it?! Job search and new employment?

I also came to the realization that in my neighborhood and beyond, they are removing all the trees. Big beautiful trees! Many people are also ripping out anything that resembles a garden/ yard/ landscaping [don't get me on what is happening to hedgerows]. Even the city is removing shrubbery. Why? Low maintenance? Less hiding places for creepers? Insurance purposes? I don’t know what the reason but the results are all the same: less habitat for birds, pollinators, butterflies, spiders... which I had to catch my three orb weavers and rehome them just outside the back stoop. I have anacrophibes ? anocrophiles? people/person who are deathly fearful of spiders … so out of respect for both man and creature, I moved the friend creature to safer local.  But I’m talking in bunny trails! Back: The realization that there is now no habitat except at the green zone and my garden.  My garden is now an island! An island that is not adequate -- I need more evergreens/ shelter.  I will move the  bird bath to the back and seal the basin (its a big cement thing). I will have to think about a larger platform feeder … not too sold on the idea. The gulls have set up sentinels and know my routine.  So when my boys [ravens] appear and start crying, I have a huge pack of aggressive seagulls descend within seconds. That and that hawk that has decided city living is very fine with all the squab dinner!  Platform feeder -- dinner platter. Me thinks not! I don’t want to feed hawk nor gulls -- yes, I have prejudices/ favourites.

I have several pairs of doves now residing in my ancient camellias. I forget they are there, they [camellias] are so big and trimmed up like trees. Holly and camellia; check. Both evergreen but I need strategic placement and bushy for the littler birds for night roosting. They can use the hedge sea-poppy by day. Then there is the boxwood and privet and a topiary coneyaster but those are all so close the thorough fair (both pedestrian and street traffic) that I would not feel safe … especially with all those dogs that people seem to like to have but bring to YOUR yard for them to poop and pee in. IDK

The seed catalogues have been coming in late November and December. They will come through January … precursor to Spring migration when the postal carrier grumbling under a load of seed packets and plant starts arrives. It truly is a gardeners seedmas season where we dream as we make stars and hearts next to lovely pictures of our new loves and circle around ideas, dreaming, planning … and jingling our change purse...

Merry Christmas!

[bienready2122]

Perhaps It's Love (Chapter 25 thru 28: Dancing and Demise)

25

Moving and Demise

In the days that followed, Tasma wanted to stow away in corners when she saw Jill or Johnny close by, however Tommy ended up being a magnificent companion, and audience, as to stay with her. During this period, Johnny and Jill settled down around evening time by the TV in the parlor and drank lager and ate potato chips, popcorn, etcetera, as Tasma called them: the Coke days in her journal, for she drank a great deal of coke. The issue was, from Tasma's perspective, if Jill didn't drink with Johnny at home, he'd go out and drink. What's more, she would not like to go to the bar any longer than what she needed to; in addition to the posse was all the while searching for him; not looking hard, however looking, so it was a do-win circumstance, so she remained his drinking accomplice Chapters Interactive Stories Diamond Hack All things considered, it became, Tasma and Tommy invested more energy talking than Jill and Tasma; her bashfulness appeared to blur with him, as herself-certainty developed and bloomed like a rose. It was during these dozen or so days they began to play music together and move in every others rooms; it was practically getting everyday practice. On an alternate note, during these equivalent days, Johnny give the impression to be missing something, he was somewhat hesitant. Tommy got to speculation, and communicating to Tasma he felt Johnny and Jill's relationship depended on some careless pride, or perhaps they were simply glad nitwits. Tasma didn't agree with his position she realized he was harmed, what man wouldn't be subsequent to being cheated out of what he may believe was his assets, as men frequently might suspect.

- Johnny, abhorred Jill's sticking on to him, yet he acknowledged it with troubling placidity. He wouldn't fret satisfying, yet detested duty. The youngster would just be an interference for him, an awkward one at that. To be very genuine, Jill was not all that, totally glad about her being pregnant. Apparently, her youngster would be expected the principal seven day stretch of November, she figured she got pregnant the first of March, and around five weeks presently had passed.

Spring, l968

The days had coagulated by, into weeks, at that point months and it would be not some time before a year would be added to Tasma's repertoire for being gone. Spring had shown up. During this time, the next long stretches of spring, Tasma kept doing some light housekeeping for Jill and the Belmont's. In spite of the fact that Tasma's life was not all that hard, Jill's from multiple points of view being more enthusiastically, yet it was hard for her to rehash it by moving back home to Minnesota. Also, the more she was gone, the more this got written in stone for her salvation; as she saw it in any case, and everything was changing, or had changed, and the hole extend among Minnesota and Seattle.

On the off chance that anything moved these four youthful grown-ups, it was youth and gravity, with crying hearts. All in their own particular manner had an inflexible craving forever's carelessness, shocks, passionate crazy ride, and desserts.

26

Drinking and Playing

Thus Johnny and Jill drank postulations days away sitting in front of the TV, setting off to the bar, working, as Tommy and Tasma become better companions with playing records and moving.

As Tasma was hitting the dance floor with Tommy in her room, a Friday evening, she began to see the ascent and fall of his heart, its vibration, its beat; it resembled a baritone on occasion and a quick thumping drum; it kept going as long as she hit the dance floor with him. She put Tommy's hand on her heart, "Do you feel my heart thumping quick, "she inquired. Tommy incapable to talk, his hand apparently was deadened in the middle of her bosoms, incompletely on the lower bit of her correct bosom.

[Finally he gagged out] "Can't state I can;" for some strange explanation he felt there ought to be disgrace in his face, yet there wasn't any: as it's been said, 'A face without blood,' yet I state once more, he didn't feel that way. Tasma had on an Elvis tune, "Love me Tender," and it was playing again and again. Tommy's hand felt her meager abdomen and hips, as though she was a boat, gradually moving them just creeps toward every path. Tasma at the present was feeling somewhat abnormal, she needed to advise Tommy to quit pressing her dress with his hands, yet couldn't figure on the best way to instruct him to move them, she was dumbfounded for the occasion.

Out of nowhere Tommy stated, "We should take a walk, okay?"

"Truly, yes," she prattled out in a free immolating way.

The cool dim air appeared to be captivating as they strolled down the walkway by the numerous houses and trees on the streets. She ended into a quiet as they strolled past entryways and roads and vehicles. She picked a top of a fragment from a help divider to a yard and put it in her mouth, her mom used. At that point with the fragment in her mouth she kept on strolling the dim road. Tasma needed to disclose to Tommy she was somewhat frightened of strolling in obscurity like this, she would have gotten a kick out of the chance to show this; in spite of the fact that she preferred the crisp and coolness of the night; yet he abruptly convoluted and they headed back as though he could peruse her feelings in the quietness.

"I'll be fine," said Tasma, as Tommy saw her, leaving her at her room entryway.

"Obviously you will," she said with a grin, as he stood gazing at her. Having said that, she moved her hands daintily over his shoulders, magnificent that he had once observed her exposed now, and nobody else; these were all new affections for her. As they remained there a minute longer, Jill's tobacco smoke floated up to her from the lounge and made her hack a piece, diverting their look into one another's eyes.

His gentile voice said something, yet she didn't make it out, her heartbeat was initiated and she didn't have the foggiest idea why, and well, she pulled him to her mid-body segment, against her body firmly, she felt something hard against her thigh, somewhat dumbfounded by what she felt and pondering internally she looked down: "In any case - (eyes all the way open) it's just you," she felt it must be okay and now refreshed into and onto his shoulder zone, she totally overlooked the hardness upon her thigh, some way or another the inclination was acceptable. Her dress was a thick white; Tommy could see her long dainty legs through it.

It was a decent completion for a taxing day and night thought Tommy as he strolled a ting unbalanced back to his room. For Tasma it was a difficult day, she was intellectually and genuinely exhausted. The two of them fell into bed like a sack of potatoes, and longed for each other.

Dozing

Tasma, attempted to rest, yet in such cases like love, or so she was feeling she was in such a phase, a sluggish condition of affection, or that it could be such a crossroads, one needs to departmentalize such things she modernized. Sort them out, sort of, and that is the thing that she was doing, hurling and turning presently in bed. [She thought]: 'Tommy is attempting to be pleasant to me, not out of feeling frustrated about me, for he is, or is by all accounts genuinely connected, what I would need, yet I don't need my character broken, or going out of control over some sincerely mending kick due to his misfortune with Jill, I don't need a bounce back; I need to keep my regard.'

In a manner she discovered Tommy much like her, with respect to the two of them could be thought of: isolated from the crowd and the two of them knew this. Also, night requested less from one another, other than regard, fun and discussion, friendship, kinship. With Jill and Johnny, it was simply Johnny who was not as much included sincerely with Jill, for she was wild about him. Every one of them needed the greater part of what life brought to the table, somehow.

27

Le Coup de Foudre

[Love from the start Sight]

Tommy was presently composing ordinarily between 700 and 2,000 words every day; and working at the bar still; he had wrapped up his tutoring totally, so that was off the beaten path (in spite of the fact that he'd need to take a temporary position sooner rather than later). Tasma notice his significant love for the word, and his interminable vitality he put into everything; it helped her to remember F. Scott Fitzgerald who lived not a long way from her uncle's home in St. Paul, Minnesota, at 599 Summit Ave. She particularly preferred his short stories in the book called, "Floppers and Philosophers," they were generally engaging. She recollected that his family had given him a space to compose his accounts in, specifically, "This Side of Paradise," which was his first book, and some state his generally encouraging. This obviously, permitted him the tranquil time he expected to do his story, and to engage with it. She sort of felt like Zelda, his significant other, she needed to do likewise, or might want to do likewise for Tommy; yet she reviewed, Zelda was somewhat sick and requesting if not unhinged, so she took Zelda's body, and his mom's caring interest, and imagined she was a piece of them in Tommy's composing profession. She realized that from the outset, when she had met him in the bar upon appearance, she loved him, and much more when he was acquainted with her as Jill's beau. Goodness she scrutinized his steadfastness and aims, however it was, 'unexplainable adoration,' so she felt now.

She at that point turned her musings to her journal, and how it was getting along as Tommy was wrapping up a draft to his book in the family room.

"I got the chance to send it off to certain distributers tomorrow," he said with fulfillment. On another issue as she sat in the easy chair, she was not cupid's little girl she let herself know, nor an evil human like Jill, yet her human instinct was staying at work past 40 hours with her childhood and it would appear to a lesser degree she was being- - or had been- - stricken, had been I believe was more the reality of the situation.

This new experience of adoration for Tasma was another and natural one, with a drive that separated into 'the desire,' territory so she guaranteed to herself, her second-self. She was currently, some way or another inclination it was OK to proceed, so she disclosed to her second-self inside her body; she was not in the chase for mate specifically, she didn't think so at any rate, however her concentration and vitality was going toward that path (toward Tommy), in any case; her neurological, and endorphin level was without a doubt - and they were high.

She was asking herself, '...was this within phase of what individuals call sentimental love?' love inside her body, 'Le Coup de Foudre [love from the start sight]' as she let herself know (feeling just as a lighte

[rosssiler]

Home of the Braves

If you were to list the major league teams in need of new stadiums a couple of years ago, the usual suspects of the Oakland Athletics and Tampa Bay Rays might have been the only two teams to make the list.  Such is the product of the stadium-building boom across baseball in recent decades—nearly every team seemingly had a place to call home for a generation.

Or so it seemed for the Atlanta Braves.  Only 20 years after moving into Turner Field—built for the 1996 Olympics and converted for baseball the following spring—the Braves abandoned downtown Atlanta for their new home at SunTrust Park in the Cobb County suburbs north of the city.

More than just leaving the Atlanta city center, SunTrust Park represents a new era in stadium building. The Braves have developed an entire entertainment and commercial district around the stadium, with the potential of generating revenue year-round from sources beyond the 81 games a year scheduled at their ballpark.

The Braves christened their 41,149-seat, $622 million stadium this year, but they also are partners in the neighboring 10-story office building, a 500-room Omni hotel, and a music venue in the development known as The Battery.  There are restaurants and bars already operating on site (including a Yard House) and plans to open additional outlets, including something touted as the Garden & Gun Experience (after the noted Southern magazine).

The best comparison for SunTrust Park might be the Ballpark at Arlington, which is also located in a suburb off the highway between Dallas and Fort Worth.  SunTrust is located near the intersection of Interstates 75 and 285. The best comparison for the entertainment and commercial project might be the L.A. Live development located next to Staples Center.

I took advantage of an East Coast trip to swing through Atlanta and catch the Braves’ June 18 Father’s Day game against the Miami Marlins.  SunTrust Park is the first new MLB stadium to open since Marlins Park in 2012. The trip got me back up to having visited all 30 current parks in the majors.

The Braves won 5-4 as Brandon Phillips drove in the winning run in the bottom of the ninth inning after Marcell Ozuna had tied the score late with a two-run homer for the Marlins.  But with both teams well under .500, the game was really secondary to the new ballpark experience.

There were things I liked and didn’t like about SunTrust.  It felt in many ways like a temple to everything involved in going to a major-league baseball game, but not actually watching the game (shopping, eating, private clubs, kids’ activities).  And doesn’t that miss the entire point of going to a baseball game?

But these features are probably necessary for any new stadium being built these days, though it did make me appreciate the relative simplicity of my home park at Safeco Field.

As far as what I liked and didn’t like about the majors’ newest park:

Parking:  The parking situation at SunTrust is horrific.  It looks completely improvised, with the Braves creating lots out of parking lots of nearby hotels and office parks.  I would never pre-purchase a parking permit for a game—there’s typically a much better deal to be found—but SunTrust would be the exception to that rule.

Having driven by a half-dozen permit-only lots, I was directed to a cash lot in an office park on the other side of Interstate 75 where I couldn’t even see the stadium from the lot. If you told me I was in a different zip code or area code from the ballpark, I would absolutely have believed you.

The walk to the park took 15 to 20 minutes, through a Marriott parking lot (permit-only for Braves games), and across the highway.  The Braves charged $20 to park in this lot, despite being a mile at least from the stadium, and it was completely full when I came back to my car.

Walking into the stadium, I thought that I would go to like two games a year if I lived in Atlanta given the headache of just parking at SunTrust.  (And that’s on a Sunday when there wasn’t even traffic to deal with in getting to the park.)  Fortunately, there’s enough to like about the park that the parking situation did not completely overshadow the experience.

It’s worth noting the Braves have partnered with Uber and Waze to try to overcome some of the traffic and parking headaches for their fans.  There was a massive line of Uber drivers waiting to pick up fans after the game. But it just seemed to me like the Braves found a site for the stadium and development, and the parking plans are going to have to come in future seasons.

Entrance to SunTrust:  There is not a traditional home-plate entrance to the stadium. The first entrance in walking up from parking on the other side of I-75 is the third-base entrance.  There are statutes of Phil Niekro, Bobby Cox, and Warren Spahn circling the stadium perimeter, which I thought was a nice touch.  Niekro is throwing a knuckleball in his statute.

The Braves have created an outstanding fan plaza beyond centerfield.  There was a drum line going an hour before the game, and the Braves brought back four players to sign autographs for fans in the plaza (leading to the question of who thought John Rocker was an appropriate choice to welcome back).

Brewery:  I give the Braves enormous credit for including a brewery on site at SunTrust. That will undoubtedly be a feature copied by numerous other teams.  Terrapin Brewing Co. brews select beers on site at the park, including a version of its Hopsecutioner IPA (called the Chopsecutioner IPA) that is brewed using wooden bats.

The Terrapin tap room (adjacent to the centerfield plaza) serves Fox Brothers barbecue.  The tap room was busy enough that fans were being told there was a two-hour wait for food before the game.  I was able to step up and grab a $6 Chopsecutioner without any wait, which seemed like a bargain based on stadium beer prices.

Monument Park:  The Braves built an expansive monument park on the main concourse behind home plate. The park pays tribute to the combined history of the Boston/Milwaukee/Atlanta Braves, with the Braves noting that they are the longest continuously operated major league team.  There’s even an explanation of how the Braves got their name.

A statute of Hank Aaron connecting for his record-breaking 715th homer is the centerpiece of the monument park.  The Braves also display their 1995 World Series championship trophy, Aaron’s MVP award, and Greg Maddux’s Cy Young award, in addition to other trophies and memorabilia.

Price and Sightlines:  I was almost dumbfounded to get a $9 ticket in the 300 level (not even the upper-most 400 level) with a great view along the right-field line.  I spent four times that to sit in basically the same spot for the Blue Jays/Mariners game a week earlier.  The sightlines all over SunTrust seemed great—I even liked the view from the outfield bleachers looking back on the field.

The Sandlot: The Braves built a kids’ zone called the Sandlot that was supremely impressive.  The featured attraction appeared to be a full zipline, but there was also a climbing wall, a race track, and a host of other games.  The only downside seems to be that the Sandlot is so compelling, the kids and their parents might have little reason to watch the game at all.

Organist:  I appreciated the cleverness of the Braves’ organist, which is definitely not the trend at baseball parks these days (the Dodgers reduced their longtime organist’s role a couple of seasons back).  The SunTrust organist played the theme from Batman when the Marlins’ J.T. Riddle came up, “Coming to America” for A.J. Ellis, and the theme from the Wizard of Oz in honor of Ozuna.

Tomahawk Chop:  Can we please retire the tomahawk chop, which shows less than zero cultural sensitivity?  It was almost unnerving to watch Brian Jordan lead the crowd in the chop during the first inning.

Extended Netting:  The Braves are the first team I’ve seen that has extended the foul netting from behind home plate to over the home and visiting dugouts.  There’s no good reason not to do this and save a family from having to go to the emergency room because their kid or mom got drilled by a liner.  I saw at least two liners that the extended netting kept from screaming into the stands.

Attendance:  I was shocked that the Braves drew only 36,912 for the game (5,000 below capacity).  What team doesn’t sell out on Father’s Day?  Part of the Braves’ explanation for moving out of downtown Atlanta was to be closer to their suburban fan base.  But there was no shortage of empty seats, with tickets that obviously went unsold and also fans who seemingly were caught up in the park’s other diversions.

Even though it wasn’t a sellout, I thought the Braves also struggled to handle the crowd.  Every team store had a long line of fans waiting to get in. I didn’t end up trying any food at SunTrust (other than the Chopsecutioner) because it looked like a multi-inning investment to wait in the concession lines.

(From what I saw, the food options looked very strong, with everything from barbecue stands and gourmet burger stands to hot dogs and popcorn to Chick-fil-a and Waffle House to a chophouse and the fancy private clubs.  Bonus points for having outposts of everything in the upper deck, which is not the case at many stadiums.)

Design: I thought the brickwork at SunTrust gave it a really distinctive look.  For being next to the interstate, it’s visually appealing from the outside.  And the brick along the infield and outfield walls just works.  The hotel and office building (which is a regional headquarters for Comcast) create a recognizable outfield backdrop for what otherwise would be woods, highways, and office parks.

The Freeze:  I couldn’t help but leave a little disappointed because the Braves did not stage their racing promotion where The Freeze, an Olympic-caliber sprinter who works on Atlanta’s grounds crew, chases down a hapless fan given a head start in a race around the warning track.  The Braves don’t run the promotion every game; we got a tool race sponsored by Home Depot instead.

* * *

All things considered, I would rank SunTrust Park as comparable to Target Field and Marlins Park. I didn’t like it as much as the new-era parks in San Francisco, San Diego, Seattle, and Colorado.  And it just can’t add up to the experience of seeing a Yankees game in New York at the new Yankee Stadium.  I would rank SunTrust ahead of Citi Field and Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia for sure.  I could see, though, the parking and traffic situation being so problematic that some nights the stadium just would not seem functional at all.

It’s a park in the top half of major league stadiums, which is a solid accomplishment given that there have been so many quality ballparks built in recent years.  It’s also better than what I originally expected when I heard the Braves were building a ballpark 10 miles outside of downtown in the suburbs of a neighboring county.

I expect the Braves will put down roots at SunTrust longer than the 20 years they stayed at Turner Field (which is going to be converted into a football stadium for Georgia State University).  To get from the airport to SunTrust, in fact, you have to drive past the relic of Turner Field downtown.  I had no issue with Turner Field—I ranked it higher than many—but SunTrust is a definite upgrade.

For what it’s worth, it looks like the next new stadium will belong to the Texas Rangers and open in 2020 or 2021. I keep holding out hope for a new park in Oakland and (for once) an easy trip to see a new ballpark.