Necessity truly is the mother of invention, or at least of resourcefulness.

It seems there actually is a nationwide scarcity of baking yeast, due to the rediscovery of bread-making during quarantine.  So we decided to make our own yeast and sourdough starter.  It turns out it’s pretty simple to do.  E started a batch in her lab, and will be watching it for signs of viability.

Ironic if the pandemic forces us all back to square one, relearning the basics of self-sufficiency.  A good thing too, since we’re officially in one of the worst recessions ever.

Back to nature, who is the original mother of invention.  Nature has to be resilient and adaptable to survive us humans.  These bunnies, for example, are opportunists, brazenly grazing right around our front porch as well as the veg gardens.  They make good lawnmowers.  (Sorry for poor quality.)  This morning I saw a raven chasing and pecking at a rabbit’s butt, making it jump.  Who says nature has no sense of humor.

Speaking of veggies, once these snow peas finally got going, they went crazy.  This is just this morning’s haul.

Here are some more random scenes.  I’ve had even more time to kill during the quarantine than usual, so it’s starting to look more parklike around here.  It’s challenging, having to work with whatever I’ve got on hand.  Also, those pesky ravens like to tear up everything right behind me.  Who knew ravens were such varmints.

Just a note on #BLM–I’m glad to see thousands of black and white people peacefully demonstrating over police racist brutality throughout the country, including in large and small Tennessee cities.  Maybe this time around it will finally hit home how pervasive racism is, and how our so-called leaders fan the flames and perpetuate it.  Where were all these BLM supporters when all the other atrocities were being perpetrated on innocent people?  Racism is so ingrained in our society, whites have become desensitized to it, while blacks are just trying to survive one more day.  I hope all these marchers will vote as well.  It’s a start.

Once again we sortied into the danger zone of Kroger for our periodic restock.  Most of the employees but only about half the customers were wearing masks, but we went early to avoid crowds, so it was mostly empty.

We still found, of all things, absolutely zero baking yeast, after weeks of unavailability.  Oddly, it’s simply due to so many people suddenly baking bread at home during the pandemic, and hoarding ingredients, so that suppliers ran out.  As always, it pays to be prepared.  Imagine not being able to make the most basic of staples in 21st century America.

Back at the homestead, I’m happy to find anticipated flowers finally blooming, including violas (between a violet and a pansy), and this native mountain mint out in the “prairie”, which isn’t spectacular, but attracts many fascinating beneficial pollinators.

These marigolds came up of their own accord from last year’s seeds all over the garden, and are taking over; they’re great for repelling “bad” bugs and attracting “good” ones.  So are the humble nasturtiums, as well as being edible in salads, and pretty.

Bumblebees love these alliums (onion family), as you can see.

The field and garden are full of these volunteer coreopsis varieties taking over.  I love the bright splashes of color all over the place.

I have a little granddaughter who loves to grow things and wants to learn to garden.  Sadly, I can’t be there, but I hope to be able to “consult” from afar.

I thought that would get your attention!  This one is E’s version of a classic British bread-and-butter pudding with raisins, using stale challah.  Always good with a cuppa tea.  And now back to our usual flower programming.

I’m still working on getting close enough to the ravens to get a good photo, but here they are at their favorite watering hole.  I try to talk “raven” at them, but they just laugh raucously.

As I’ve said, you will be noticing a lot of similar shots of the same flowers as they open more each day.  I’m so pleased these are doing so well this year, in most cases without much help (or interference) from me.

Sometimes I think I should have been British.  Actually, anything other than American sounds pretty good right now.  The whole world is looking at us with disgust and disappointment.  So much for world domination!

When you’re stuck at home isolated indefinitely, with the world unraveling around you, what better way to spend it than surrounded by flowers you don’t even remember planting!  I’m very pleased to find some of my favorite wildflowers and perennials finally blooming.  Patience does pay off.  Even commonplace annual/edible flowers look good to me.  It helps keep my mind off all the insanity.

These are St. John’s Wort (Hypericum, a medicinal herb), and Missouri Evening Primrose (Oenothera), just opening for the first time.

I’ve mentioned this bright orange butterflyweed (Asclepias tuberosa, a species of native milkweed essential for butterflies and pollinators) happily blooming for the first time.  Also my English lavender.

These are zucchini blossoms, and a humble nasturtium looking like an exotic orchid.  Both flowers are edible.

These flowers (related to black-eyed susans (Rudbeckia) or Coreopsis?) are all over the place, looking cheerful in amongst all the daisies, poppies, etc.

And all these coneflowers (Echinacea-also medicinal) in shades of purple, pink, and white are doing likewise.

I used to be a flower snob, but as I age, I simply appreciate every single flower that chooses to grace us with its presence and play a part enhancing the environment.  I wish I could share them with loved ones and friends, but photos will have to suffice for now.  You’ll continue to see the same ones as they unfold, plus their critter friends, because I never get tired of them.  Yeah, I’m a BioGeek.  I hope they cheer you up, too.

Just wait until more of the “prairie” natives start to take off, and attract pollinators and wildlife.  I’ll be insufferable.

So to review: on top of a deadly pandemic and the resulting suffering and denial, we have unidentified military entities perpetrating needless brutality upon people peacefully protesting needless police brutality and civil rights violations.  Yeah, that makes sense, because there wasn’t enough racism and chaos already.  And our egotistical brute-in-chief just keeps inciting atrocities and whipping up frenzy.  I’m sure there has to be a stray bullet out there with his name on it, and I’m not ashamed to hope it.

Closer to home, my son and grandkids are back in town for the summer, and naturally everything that could possibly go wrong for him (on top of a pandemic) is.  It’s challenging at the best of times, but under the current constraints, it will be much more so.  I feel helpless, not being able to go see them and try to help out, or even know if I’ll see them again.  These are trying times, for sure.

On that cheery note, here are more flowers and a chipmunk.  This cheeky little fellow refused to be intimidated by the agitated Misu, and just kept coming back for more.  I admire his/her chutzpah.  The first coneflower (Echinacea) bloomed, and zucchini blossoms are opening.  I’ll take any good news, however mundane.

If the engrained racism in our society is finally exposed in all its ugliness and dehumanization as a result of this final straw (the murders of innocent black people by white cops), then some good will have come of it, even at such a cost.  Same goes for the criminal behavior of trump and co.  Eventually the wrongness and outrage have to reach a tipping point where it’s no longer tolerable.  It’s baffling that it’s taken so long.

Not coincidentally, these are the same deniers who are spreading COVID-19 and adding to the death toll.  It all boils down to our psychopath-in-chief fueling hate and chaos, aided by his sycophantic zombies.  Hopefully enough slavish idiots will die to tip the scales toward survival of the compassionate.

And now back to more natural subjects.  This skink was basking on the back porch this morning.  And this cat was lounging on her new shelf under the cookbooks.  The bright orange butterflyweed (a milkweed) finally started to open for business!  And drifts of colorful wildflowers and perennials are spreading around the house and “prairie”.

All I can say is, where’s a stray bullet when you really need it?

A thug tyrant who spews and fuels violence ought to get a dose of his own prescription.  I’ll deny saying it, but I’m sure I’m not the only one thinking it.

Also, how come these same racists didn’t bat an eye when white supremacist types were obstructing pandemic guidelines and endangering lives because it inconvenienced them?  Blind hypocrites.

Anyway, where was I…oh yes, flowers.  I believe in science and every color in the universe.

But wait there’s more…

I’m speechless (imagine that) from all the lunacy, so instead here are more happy flowers.

Nasturtiums (“nasties”):

Delphinium or larkspur:

Daisies:

Butterflyweed about to open:

Bachelor’s buttons:

Poppies:

Morning glory:

Purple yarrow with blanketflower:

Not a rant.  I’m all ranted out for now, you’ll be relieved to know.  Instead, you get lots more gorgeous flowers!

Today was mowing day, in which I got to try out my fancy new grass trimmer, in addition to my electric mower, while E rode around the vast estate on her red pony.  Then I did some more garden maintenance, while E built a thing for the kitchen.  Lots of time on our hands.

Then I made a fun salad featuring fresh-cut lettuces and greens, snow peas, carrots, red onion, pecans, walnuts, cheeses, eggs, and a homemade creamy vinaigrette.  Then I tried to take in all these beautiful colors out in the “prairie” and around the house.  For some reason they remind me of tropical summer drinks.

Nature is so transfixing; who needs trauma TV.