Strange and Wonderful

Dear Cathy and Naomi - What a weekend for a gardener and knitter! While I was in Washington, D.C. I was watching the local news and they had a story about the imminent flowering of an Amorphophallus titanum, the giant stinking titan arum, at the U.S. Botanical Gardens. I saw the news on Friday, and they were predicting a Saturday or Sunday blooming. The bloom lasts only a day or two at most. I went to the gardens on Saturday morning and took the picture above, with the spathe tightly furled around the spadix. On Sunday I went back and stood in line for about half an hour to see and smell the open flower. I think the smelliness of this flower has been exaggerated; it did have a distinctly rotten odor, but it wasn't gag-inducing. I was disappointed!
The other flower pictured above was labeled Ensele superbum of the banana family, but I know its name is really Audrey II.

The sock was along for the viewing, but I didn't want to make it feel inadquate by comparison so I didn't include it in the pictures.

After my first Arum viewing I continued on to Alexandria, where I visited Springwater Fiber Arts and Knit Happens. I did some buying at Springwater, including 2 #1 circular needles to try out on a sock. I am pretty sold on the 5" dps, though.

Other highlights of the trip were a visit to the Spy Museum (don't laugh, its great) and an exhibit of textiles from the Ottoman Empire at the Sackler Museum. I also had dinner with my cousin and her husband and saw lots of friends from UVA. The low point of th trip was running through National Airport in my socks to pick up a boarding pass (my shoes were already in the x-ray machine) so that we could get on an earlier flight that would actually get us to Atlanta in time to make our connection. I got the boarding pass, we got on the plane, and we made it home by 1 am Monday.

This was supposed to be a work day in the Demonstration Garden, but the rain superceded our plans. Thank goodness for the rain; there had been no measurable precipitation since September at my house and I'm afraid to open my utility bill.

My son is on his way home from Miami for Thanksgiving. I can't wait to see him. The girls are spending Thanksgiving with their significant others, but they will be home for Christmas. On Thanksgiving evening I plan to go see the new Harry Potter movie. I've been rereading the book in preparation for the movie.

Cathy, I'll see you tomorrow at rehearsal. I have a surprise for you!

Happy Thanksgiving to you, Naomi, and all who read this. I have so much to be thankful for, including friends and hobbies.

Ellen