A fun read. Through these columns and your Dark Horse podcasts I am getting to know you and Bret. In some odd and endearing ways the Woke crap and COVID have expanded my horizons and brought lovely people such as you and your family into my world. Thank you.
My daughters do in fact watch and love The Great British Baking Show; however, I've never before heard of kouign-amman. Now that I have, I fully expect it to come up in conversation at least once more today.
Wow, at that point being in the clinician's office I probably would have searched around for a camera!
But aside from the Truman showe-esque experience I appreciate that you released an Interlude. In fact, I appreciate that your Substack hasn't been entirely COVID related! It's always a welcome break to the typical discourse seen on this site.
I've wanted to comment (but completely forgot) about an experience I had a few weeks ago when visiting a local botanical garden with a good friend. I've been there quite a few times, but never really spent time examining the flowers. It was only at that time did I realize the azaleas. A LOT of azaleas! I don't think I ever used the word "azalea" more than I did that day!
But what was really interesting was not just all of the different colors, but there were quite a few azaleas that expressed different phenotypes on one bush (tree?). There was one where the flowers either expressed red phenotype or white/red stripes. I thought it was interesting that the same plant (bush? tree? maybe I should read up on azaleas) expressed different phenotypes, even more so considering that the other azaleas were monochrome in their phenotype.
It was something rather interesting, and I could probably ask more about the bell-shaped flowers that hung downward and what the evolutionary "intent" would be to produce such flowers.
But aside from that I look forward to seeing what you write about the 5-year anniversary! I'm sure there's much to talk about, and from what I've heard from Benjamin A. Boyce's video the college is in dire straits, so it'd be interesting to see both your perspective as well as an update.
I adore azaleas, and their close relatives the rhododendrons. That whole clade is fascinating really—the Ericaceae family, aka Ericas, aka Heathers. Many of the specimens in botanical gardens are hybrids, but no less beautiful for that. I’ve got several azaleas and rhodies finally blooming on our property right now, which I planted 2+ years ago as Covid hit.
Very interesting! So I suppose there may be a bit of a bias going on there? 😁 That's great to hear about the blooming azaleas!
I didn't think I would become so fascinated by flowers as I was at the botanical gardens, but I suppose being outdoors in excellent weather and with good company always makes for an enjoyable experience irrespective of what the activity is!
A fun read. Through these columns and your Dark Horse podcasts I am getting to know you and Bret. In some odd and endearing ways the Woke crap and COVID have expanded my horizons and brought lovely people such as you and your family into my world. Thank you.
My daughters do in fact watch and love The Great British Baking Show; however, I've never before heard of kouign-amman. Now that I have, I fully expect it to come up in conversation at least once more today.
Wow, at that point being in the clinician's office I probably would have searched around for a camera!
But aside from the Truman showe-esque experience I appreciate that you released an Interlude. In fact, I appreciate that your Substack hasn't been entirely COVID related! It's always a welcome break to the typical discourse seen on this site.
I've wanted to comment (but completely forgot) about an experience I had a few weeks ago when visiting a local botanical garden with a good friend. I've been there quite a few times, but never really spent time examining the flowers. It was only at that time did I realize the azaleas. A LOT of azaleas! I don't think I ever used the word "azalea" more than I did that day!
But what was really interesting was not just all of the different colors, but there were quite a few azaleas that expressed different phenotypes on one bush (tree?). There was one where the flowers either expressed red phenotype or white/red stripes. I thought it was interesting that the same plant (bush? tree? maybe I should read up on azaleas) expressed different phenotypes, even more so considering that the other azaleas were monochrome in their phenotype.
It was something rather interesting, and I could probably ask more about the bell-shaped flowers that hung downward and what the evolutionary "intent" would be to produce such flowers.
But aside from that I look forward to seeing what you write about the 5-year anniversary! I'm sure there's much to talk about, and from what I've heard from Benjamin A. Boyce's video the college is in dire straits, so it'd be interesting to see both your perspective as well as an update.
I adore azaleas, and their close relatives the rhododendrons. That whole clade is fascinating really—the Ericaceae family, aka Ericas, aka Heathers. Many of the specimens in botanical gardens are hybrids, but no less beautiful for that. I’ve got several azaleas and rhodies finally blooming on our property right now, which I planted 2+ years ago as Covid hit.
Very interesting! So I suppose there may be a bit of a bias going on there? 😁 That's great to hear about the blooming azaleas!
I didn't think I would become so fascinated by flowers as I was at the botanical gardens, but I suppose being outdoors in excellent weather and with good company always makes for an enjoyable experience irrespective of what the activity is!
Serendipity and synchronicity, lovely.
Ok. That was funny. Well done.