SYTYCD is back!

Cyrus was on last season, but he (and Twitch) clearly inspired a lot of the auditions they've shown this season.

Beau at two weeks old.

Mom Alexis.

Baby.... Beau? We are going to try out that name. And maybe spell it Bo, but I like Beau.

Beau's sire's is the homozygous tobiano Paint Horse Invite the Artist (aka "Johnny").

Is he not handsome?

Is he not adorable?

Such a sweet face!

He spends most of his time capering, bucking, running, and bugging his mom.

Still such a little baby!

Dandelion

After our long long long Minnesota winter, the plants are exploding out of the ground.

In all my years of living in California, I was always grateful for the year-round beauty of aromatic plants, and on my last visit to SF, I went crazy taking pictures of succulents that can be left casually outside because nobody has to worry about the frost.

 Since I moved to Minnesota 25 years ago,  I sometimes still suffer pangs of mourning. I can't pinch a twig of rosemary to put in my pocket, all year round.  I miss the a clouds of scent from climbing jasmine that can unexpectedly make me look at what someone has growing on their tiny scrap of San Francisco real estate. But I discovered the powerful beauty of "extreme climate," the wild joy of seeing your first flower after six months, the ritual sequence of flowering plants in the spring, the first exposure of pale flesh to the sun. "We can open windows! It's 40 degrees! let's put on shorts!"

Of course, this year we went from snow to 90 degrees with only a few days in between, so I'm experiencing a little bit of weather whiplash. My body needs more time! I'm thrilled, though, to watch how the rain garden we planted last year is returning, with plants growing inches overnight. It will be interesting to see which plants have flourished (so far, we have returning squill, wild ginger, ferns,  wild geranium, virginia bluebells,  spotted-lungwort, and a few whose names I've forgotten).

 I have also realized that there is a garden freebie; I started harvesting the tender leaves of the dandelions in my yard, picking them before the buds appear. Taraxacum officionale is the Latin name of "dent-de-lion" (or pis-en-lit).  A handful of these leaves in a smoothie gives me LOTS of nutrients, and has had a tonic effect on my digestion (but I've learned to use them in moderation--powerful stuff!)

Next,  I'm going to try sautéeing some of the greens..

I adore the Boutenko family, and this video is a classic in the YouTube smoothie/raw-food/Vitamix sub-culture.



Dandelion pesto!

Saturday bboyiing: headspin edition [updated with 2nd video]

Drilling! slow-mos, like upside down iceskaters! At the end, they incorporating  stuff they found in the garage, LOL. Lawn furniture, hula hoop, basketball...Spinboy Aichi, Lazer and Boom:


Spinboy Aichi is from Japan. He has performed with the Quest Crew on the tour of LMAO.

Quest Crew members show off their styles. I love Hirano's dance expressivity (second dancer) without the tricks, but I love the tricks, too.[Edited to add:*Thanks, Leee, for catching my double post of the same vid*


I THINK the order is: Steve Terada, Brian Hirano, Victor Kim (headstand slide), Hok Konishi (insane tutting), Ryan Conferido (Ryanimay--black tank yellow letters), Dominic (d-trix, purple hoodie).

PBS News Hour reporting from the Genocide trials Guatemala

Miles O'Brien and Xeni Jardin reporting from Guatemala on the ongoing trial of General Ríos Montt for genocide and crimes against humanity after he seized power in a military coup (a power strugge among the military and elites who were all involved in waging war on the populace, especially Mayan-speaking people in the Ixil region. The defense has been trying to derail the process, even as evidence is being presented that directly demonstrates current President Otto Pérez Molina's personal involvement in the brutal crimes of that time, when he was an army officer.
For more background on their coverage, read Xeni's article on the PBS News Hour site, which has plenty of links to other coverage and news. She has previously (in 2007) written about the use of technology in the search for truth and justice in Guatemala here.

Still need a name!

Baby in motion! Still no name, that I know of. Still taking suggestions!

What should his name be?

This sweet baby boy needs a barn name! What should it be? He is not yet one day old. His mother is named Alexis, and he is her fifth baby; she is a sweet and gentle mare.  I wish I had taken a better picture of his fuzzy little face.

 Right now, he mostly sleeps, stands up and nurses, wobbles around, and then sleeps some more.  He is a tall baby, and will grow probably grow up to be taller than his mother because of his sire's height.

New life at the farm!

 

 This little boy was born last night around midnight. He doesn't have a name yet. His mom is a lovely, tranquil, experienced mother.

Look at the triangle on his behind!

ten days in California