Congenial Conversations

vespertine [ves-per-tin]

adjective:
1 (botany, zoology) appearing, opening, or active in the evening
2 occurring in the evening or (esp of stars) appearing or setting in the evening

Examples:

I remember wondering why that was his time to lash out - the vespertine hour, when the day animals were retreating to sleep and the night animals were coming out to hunt. (Susan Straight, Voices, Los Angeles Times, May 2022)

With some species, the hours of activity are even more limited, to either dawn or dusk. Animals only active at dawn are said to be matutinal, while vespertine animals are only active at dusk. (Clay Wollney, Do any crepuscular animals or plants live on Staten Island?, silive.com, April 2015)

The vespertine hour was nigh, and over this iron landscape there floated the moon, an opal button in the sky. (James Huneker, Visionaries)

Odors from strong bacon and boiling coffee contended against the cut-plug fumes from the vespertine pipe. (O Henry, The Trimmed Lamp, and other Stories of the Four Million)

The vespertine light drains by degrees
into the night-time as if through bright
perforations of stars. (Vivek Narayanan, 'Fernando Pessoa in Durban')

Origin:
mid-15c, 'of the evening; belonging to or occurring in the evening,' from Latin vespertinus 'of the evening,' from vesper 'evening'. Evening dew in old science could be humor vespertine. Of animals, 'flying or otherwise active in evening,' from c1600. (Online Etymology Dictionary)

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https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap260523.html

https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap260523.html

Questions From a Worker Who Reads

Who built Thebes of the 7 gates?
In the books you will read the names of kings.
Did the kings haul up the lumps of rock?

And Babylon, many times demolished,
Who raised it up so many times?

In what houses of gold glittering Lima did its builders live?
Where, the evening that the Great Wall of China was finished, did the masons go?

Great Rome is full of triumphal arches.
Who erected them?

Over whom did the Caesars triumph?
Had Byzantium, much praised in song, only palaces for its inhabitants?

Even in fabled Atlantis, the night that the ocean engulfed it,
The drowning still cried out for their slaves.

The young Alexander conquered India.
Was he alone?

Caesar defeated the Gauls.
Did he not even have a cook with him?

Philip of Spain wept when his armada went down.
Was he the only one to weep?

Frederick the 2nd won the 7 Years War.
Who else won it?

Every page a victory.
Who cooked the feast for the victors?

Every 10 years a great man.
Who paid the bill?

So many reports.

So many questions.

Bertolt Brecht, 1935

https://www.marxists.org/subject/art/literature/brecht/

(via minoanmiss , with many thanks)

Today we went to the Spring Vendor Market in Sullivan.

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Latest Yacht Rock from Portland Oregon. ♫¸.•*¨♥✿♪



https://bendrethegiant.bandcamp.com/track/voice-inside-my-head

from Swollen Eyes 2026

dr. π (pi)

♫

enjoy!

❤️

These were the days of fun and roses. I was only 10 years old back then


via. ♫¸.•*¨♥✿♪

Projections ℗ 1966

dr. π (pi)

♫

enjoy!

❤️

The washing machine at work is broken for real again :(

I got the towels done last night, but this involved hand-wringing them because the spin cycle wasn't really spinning. And then three times around in the dryer, yay!

************

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A friend tipped me to this:

THE PLOTLAND HOUSES OF BRITAIN: HOW A 20TH CENTURY WORKING-CLASS HOUSING MOVEMENT WAS STIFLED

His piece of land cost him £10 in 1934. It is 40 ft wide by 100 ft deep. First, he put up a tent which his family used at weekends, and he gradually accumulated tools, timber and glass which he brought to the site strapped to his back as he cycled down from London. – Dennis Hardy & Colin Ward, Arcadia for All, 1984, p. 200

In the first half of the twentieth century, and particularly in the inter-war period, up to the 1947 Planning Act, the appearance throughout Britain of thousands of self-built shacks, chalets, recycled buses and railway carriages was considered by the powers-that-be as a terrible eyesore. Middle-class planners like Clough Williams-Ellis, architect of Portmeirion, the set of The Prisoner, considered them a ‘blot on the landscape’ that needed to be eradicated. But from another viewpoint, 80 years on, they look like the beginning of a postmodern urban vernacular. They were a new working-class architecture in the process of being evolved, that was brought to a halt through ignorance and class prejudice.

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Owl small be enough

The child for all his feathers was a cold.

Oh wow the owl.

The poem the vowels

The owl, look its vowels

That branch for you

Owl, are you an armature vector

And a large step for mankind?

Owl astronaut burgeoning owl is a gift

You give to me give to you

Terrible other things happen.

We stay on our branch.


A hundred eyes

Two will do

************

Link

Modern (by which I mean within my lifetime, + about ten years?), popular or popular-adjacent, good beat to allow dancing, no profanity or slurs, or at least, clean versions available.

Please and thankies!

***************************

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I added a skylark to the Memorial Day In Flanders Fields poem picture. That sky did look empty when I first painted it.


Alison just now sent me this pic. I feel bad for Rowan. His unhappiness in that moment. But I love the look of calmness on Johnny's face and the two together just seem amusing to me. Alison sent another pic afterwards of a sleeping, happy Rowan. Babies are so unapologetically voiceful and demanding.

We didn't invite anyone for Sunday dinner this week but I thought it would be good if I cleaned house anyway. Just for Dave and me. I got that done. I'm also working on painting a walking stick that I got at Rural King yesterday. It has a carved morel mushroom at the top. The carving of the mushroom could be more realistic I suppose but at least it's recognizable as a morel - at least that's what I think it is.


Not done yet. I asked Dave to pick me up another one of the sticks from Rural King today. Dave thinks I should make one in browns and earthy colors and I can see the point in that too.

Floriography, or the language of flowers, is a cryptological method of communication using flowers and floral arrangements to convey coded messages, particularly during the Victorian era.

Many plants serve as powerful cultural symbols, representing a wide range of values and emotions:

* Rose: Universally symbolizes love and passion, especially the red rose in Western traditions, with roots tracing back to Roman mythology and Venus.

* Lily: The white lily represents purity and innocence, a meaning codified in the Victorian era and linked to Christian iconography and the Virgin Mary.

* Lotus: A profound symbol of purity, enlightenment, and rebirth in Eastern traditions like Buddhism and Hinduism, representing spiritual awakening rising from muddy waters.

* Oak: Embodies strength, wisdom, and endurance, associated with Zeus and Jupiter in Greco-Roman mythology and revered in Celtic traditions.

* Sunflower: Symbolizes happiness, loyalty, and adoration, its face turning toward the sun representing the pursuit of light and positivity.

* Cherry Blossom (Sakura): In Japanese culture, it signifies the ephemeral nature of life, beauty, and renewal, celebrated during the spring hanami festivals.

* Bamboo: In Chinese and Japanese cultures, it represents integrity, resilience, and flexibility, admired for its ability to bend without breaking.

* Willow: Often linked to grief and mourning, especially in Western cemeteries, but also symbolizes flexibility and resilience due to its supple branches.

* Ivy: Represents loyalty, friendship, and eternal life, its clinging nature symbolizing enduring connection and devotion.

* Cypress: A traditional symbol of mourning and eternal life, commonly planted in Mediterranean and Christian cemeteries.

These plants form a small part in a “language of flowers” (floriography) used historically to convey complex feelings and are still prevalent in art, literature, and rituals today.

Roses have many symbolic meanings in chivalrye and charity:

* Red Roses: Passion, romantic love, and desire.

* White Roses: Virtue, chastity, and innocence.

* Yellow Roses: Friendship, devotion, or infidelity (depending on the context).

* Black Roses: Death, darkness, or hatred.

Two of the most commonly seen plant symbols which endure beyond romance are the laurel and the olive.

Laurel:



Symbolises male energy, victory, and action. It is linked to Apollo and the laurel wreath awarded at the Pythian Games. In the 4th degree (Secret Master), it signifies the hopeful expectation of success and victory over the passions.

Olive:



Symbolises female energy, peace, and stillness. It is associated with the goddess Athena and the olive wreath awarded at the Olympic Games. The olive branch, often depicted with a dove, is a universal emblem of peace.

Via : https://francesleader.substack.com/p/the-laurel-and-the-olive

dr. π (pi)
.

Today is partly cloudy and mild.

I fed the birds. I've seen a few sparrows and house finches.

I put out water for the birds.

I've seen a hummingbird flying around the forest garden. :D

EDIT 5/23/26 -- I potted up the fruit tree seedlings from the 12-flat in the house. Out of 24 sprouted seeds, 5 seedlings survived to repotting stage: 3 Pink apple (2 of those in the same cell), 1 Ginger Gold apple, and 1 Yellow Pear. All were near the center of the flat, right under the light. This suggests that the light is not strong enough to support seedlings at the edges. However, these were in the cells for about 2 1/2 months. If I'd been able to transplant them sooner, I would've gotten more. On the other hoof, the survivors are likely hardier in the face of poor conditions. As an r-strategy gardener, this has value to me. We'll see if any of these survive to get planted in the ground.

Fruit seeds are free. Potting supplies are cheap. I don't mind planting dozens of seeds if I eventually get some fruit trees from them. Because cheap fruit trees hardly worth buying are typically $25+ and the more interesting cultivars are $50-$100. Occasionally I find a better deal, but most fruit trees are now ruinously expensive. Fuck that noise. I'll just keep experimenting with different propagation methods.

EDIT 5/23/26 -- I potted up the fruit tree seedlings from the water jug greenhouses. I had 4 jugs, each with 9 sprouted seeds sown in them: yellow pear, Pink apple, Ginger Gold apple, Ambrosia apple. Of these, only 2 survived to be placed in deeper pots: a yellow pear and a Pink apple. However, these are larger and more robust seedlings than the ones from the small cells. So I think this is worth repeating; the overall success rate is quite low, but the resultant seedlings are very promising.

I've seen a male cardinal at the hopper feeder.

EDIT 5/23/26 -- I did a bit of work around the patio.

EDIT 5/23/26 -- I did more work around the patio.

EDIT 5/23/26 -- I planted things from jugs into the prairie garden. Little bluestem, northern sea oats, and side-oats gramma each had a few seedlings; switchgrass didn't sprout at all. I thought these would form dense rootballs like they have in smaller pots, but they did not; they were barely sprouts. I'm not sure any of them will survive. It seems that native grasses do not enjoy this method. I did get three milkweed sprouts. They didn't form a dense rootball either, but at least they were a little more vigorous.

EDIT 5/23/26 -- I watered the newly planted things.

As it is now dark, I am done for the night.

If you're still shopping the half-price sale in Polychrome Heroics, now is the time to make your selections.

fuzzyred has sponsored "A Proper Community Is a Commonwealth," "Your Emotional Abilities," and "Aim a Little Above It" plus put $55 towards "Let's Go on This Journey Together" so that now needs $251 to be complete.

I came across this great story elsewhere on the interwebs, an 89-year-old guy in Puchong (near Kuala Lumpur), Malaysia, who's set up reading stations in a public park. He also has helped libraries in Thailand and China. (Article here.)

There's also a short video linked in the article, which is great, because you can hear Mr Lee in his own words:

"I think Malaysia should follow China, where every village has one library. That's good."**



I was thinking of Little Free Libraries in this country. I think they're a great idea in places where there's foot traffic, where many different people might stop by and look over the books. I sometimes see them, though, in places where I wonder what traffic they'll get. On winding country roads with rather large houses situated far back from the roads on ample, gracious properties. And at the roadside, a little free library. But who's going to be walking by? I guess maybe the neighbors? But there's just not the same thickness of people.

Also, this guy thinks of himself as lending the books, not giving them away. He doesn't mind if you keep the book a month, six months, a year, and in fact he probably isn't going to be upset if a book doesn't come back, but the *idea* is that it will come back--and that means that the borrower has more connection with the site, and there's a sense of mutual responsibility. Plus the story says that people like to come and chat with him.

There can be more than one pattern! Little Free Libraries have a kind of spy-drop-box vibe. Ships passing in the night, taking books, maybe leaving books. That can be fun too. But I like the actual social interaction involved in what Mr Lee is doing.

Do any of you oversee a Little Free Library or frequent one (or more than one)? What's your experience been?


**Not exactly his words, which are Malaysian-English word order and has some special words I didn't catch, but that's how they're glossed and mainly what he said.

Пилоты Воздушных сил уничтожили бетонное укрытие командного пункта рф двумя авиабомбами AASM-250 "Hammer"
https://censor.net/ru/v4004694

Дроны атаковали химический комплекс в Пермском крае рф: поражен промышленный объект
https://censor.net/ru/v4004689

В Новороссийске поражены объекты портовой инфраструктуры рф
https://censor.net/ru/n4004680

Поражены нефтяной терминал "Шесхарис", нефтебаза "Грушова" и танкер теневого флота рф
https://censor.net/ru/n4004733

СБУ и СБС ВСУ уничтожили эшелон и склады рф на оккупированных территориях
СБУ совместно с Силами беспилотных систем ВСУ нанесли удар по эшелону, складам боеприпасов, резервуарам с топливом и ремонтным базам российских войск в Луганской области
https://censor.net/ru/v4004724

Merry-Andrew - noun.

A merry-andrew describes a person who's a goofball or clown. An in-depth analysis of the term can be found here.

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People have expressed interest in deep topics, so this list focuses on philosophical questions.

What does honor mean to you? How important is it to you? Does your culture value honor? What exemplifies honor in your culture?


"Reputation is what other people know about you. Honor is what you know about yourself.... The friction tends to arise when the two are not the same....There is no more hollow feeling than to stand with your honor shattered at your feet while soaring public reputation wraps you in rewards. That's soul destroying. The other way around is merely very, very irritating."
-- Lois McMaster Bujold, A Civil Campaign

"Guard your honor. Let your reputation fall where it will. And
outlive the bastards."
― Lois McMaster Bujold, A Civil Campaign