To survey the almost-blooming cherry orchard, Hili has once again climbed to the second-story roof of the veranda, up where Gosia and Fitness live.
Hili: A few more days and you are going to see a sea of flowers.
Gosia: I can hardly wait.
Hili: While waiting, you could give me something delicious. I love invitations for dinner.
In Polish:
Hili: Jeszcze kilka dni i będziesz stąd widziała morze kwiatów.Gosia: Też już nie mogę się doczekać.Hili: Czekając możesz dać mi coś smacznego, uwielbiam zaproszenia na obiady.
Foto: Małgorzata Dwórznik
Did everyone see the story about the cherry trees in Japan whose seeds spent time on the ISS and bloomed at four years of age instead of the usual ten? At least four of these seeds bloomed this early, and I don’t find the cosmic rays hypothesis convincing.
Nope ; news to me.
Relevant links : Russia Today (coincidence) ; Japan Daily Press ; Asahi Shimbun (which is possibly the source article).
An interesting case. I wonder what the spectrum and magnitude of the radiation exposure for the seeds was.
No hints of this being based on a published paper. Unless someone has formal access to databases of botanical and/ or radiation studies and publications.
Cat on a hot felt roof?
Hili, you have an open invitation for dinner at my place. I don’t know how Baihu would react, but we’ll make sure each of you are safe from the other. And, just for you, we’ll open a fresh can of tuna, and maybe have the skin from a salmon fillet for dessert….
b&
Thank you, Ben and Baihu (I think). I will apply for a visa immediately.
Hili
Wonderful! So…see you in a few hours?
b&
The trees are lovely. I can see the first hint of pink mist in the photo. Here, the scarlet tassels of ocotillo flowers are in full bloom, and the annual red haze covers the “forest” of thorny sticks on the bajada above our house.
After dinner at Ben’s, Hili, Fitness, and Baihu are welcome to head south to our house for more food and feline companionship. Yin and Smally would enjoy a female visitor, and the boys would be happy to make room on their blanket for new homies.
Sounds like a plan!
Today was, I suspect, the last truly nice day we’re going to have until October, so I seized the opportunity to go for an afternoon walk in South Mountain Park. The ocotillos are almost done blooming, but the palo verdes are kicking into high gear. The wolf berry harvest is definitely over. And around town the jacarandas are starting to bloom as well. The desert garden in the back yard is definitely going to get at least one each ocotillo and palo verde; they’re just too much fun to leave out.
b&