Wednesday, September 13, 2023

We Have Sunflowers!


After all my carping about my sunflowers and how late they are, we finally have two blossoms -- and several more buds in various stages of opening. Whew! I really thought we might not get any flowers at all this year. The weather is growing cooler and most of the commercial sunflower farms are already done for the season, I think.

I planted the seeds back in mid-May, but maybe that was too late. I probably should have started them indoors about a month earlier.

Anyway, they're here now, and looking good, and the bees are already paying attention!


I like the color variations. They're all supposed to be the sort of burnt orange of the one at the top, but the one above seems to have gone more yellow.

I was supposed to go last night to a stand-up comedy show at the London Palladium -- someone named Russell Howard. My friend Colin had the tickets and he invited me, so I said yes, even though I haven't the slightest idea who Russell Howard is. That and the fact that stand-up makes me incredibly uncomfortable. It feels very awkward to me, and as an obviously bald guy in the audience I always suspect I'll be called upon as the butt of a bald joke. (It sounds paranoid but it's happened several times! Maybe not at a big classy show like something at the London Palladium, but still.)

Anyway, this was the plan. But then Colin texted me yesterday morning to say he'd called in sick, and could I use the tickets or find someone else who wanted them?

I spent all morning asking around and messaging people, including friends I offered to accompany, but I had no takers. Finally around 1 p.m. Colin found someone willing to go, so I was off the hook. Whew! I'm sure Russell is very funny, whoever he is, but I was glad to just come home and watch TV.

25 comments:

  1. I would have jumped at that ticket. Russell Howard is very funny and very likeable (and also cute). To quote: “[Donald Trump] is like thrush. You can’t get rid of him.”

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  2. I prefer stand up comedy on TV so I can change the channel if it isn't to my liking.
    Love the sunflowers!

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  3. I'm not a fan of russell Howard, don't know what it is about him but I can't watch him. Loving those Sunflowers.
    Briony
    x

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  4. The first photo shows a rather strangely coloured sunflower.

    As I say to R, there is no need for an immediate response to an invitation. Think about it first. Do we really want to do this? Home at night is such a nice place to be. You can't half tell I am a person of a senior age.

    Bald or shaved head? I wouldn't know the difference.

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  5. Beware the squirrels with the sunflowers, they got all of mine as fast as they bloomed.
    I also don't like stand up. mostly I don't think it is funny.
    Cheers

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  6. Hurry for sunflowers and iffy-social situations that get canceled!

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  7. I am off the Google Russell Howard.

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  8. Love your sunflowers! And I also love canceled plans (even plans that I was very excited to make in the first place).

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  9. I think my inner Brit came out when I was so happy you could skip the show. I find standup really embarrassing, rarely funny. Especially those pauses for applause. And I do like being home in the evening. But then I have the excuse of age (!)

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  10. I have never been to a stand up comedy show. After reading Mitchell's comment, I am going to look him up!

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  11. As for the sunflowers, better late than never.

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  12. Glad your sunflowers bloomed! Those look so pretty, Steve!

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  13. Hooray for sunflowers in various colors! They are beautiful and the bees are loving them, too!!

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  14. Love seeing your sunflowers blooming there. Yay! They look beautiful.
    I'm glad that you didn't have to go to the show. What a relief that must have been.

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  15. My sunflowers grow from seeds scattered around my bird feeder.

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  16. Maybe it's the type of sunflowers you planted, late blooming? I don't know. I plant mine in the ground in May and mine have flowered and died. I just ripped them out the other day.
    I looked up Russell Howard and I thank you for that. He's very funny and I had a good laugh.



    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VxobbeeYgQg

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  17. glad you finally got some blooms. I do like that orangy one. and I've never heard of Russell Howard. I don't think I've ever gone to a stand up comedy show.

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  18. Great looking sunflowers. The bees seem to be enjoying them too. I don't think I've ever heard of Russell Howard.

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  19. I love the burnt orange sunflower; I had no idea they came in that color. I too am uncomfortable with most comedians who (to me) try too hard and have ponderous and artificial feeling ways to make people laugh.

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  20. The bees probably think they hit the jackpot getting sunflower pollen so late in the season!

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  21. Beautiful sunflowers! I've only grown the plain old yellow ones. My daughter grew the orange ones this year and I loved them. I'm sure the insects like ANY of them!

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  22. Very nice sunflowers..late ones for the later bees.

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  23. Loving the sunflowers! They are so darned happy and I'm glad they bloomed for you.

    I don't like stand-up either. It just doesn't connect.

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  24. The first sunflower is a nice color, very pretty. Sunflowers are very popular in our neck of the woods in Spokane. Some people have given their entire yards over to them. They're beginning to turn their faces to the ground and drop their seeds in a lot of yards. Some of them look very bedraggled.

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  25. Mitchell: I'd never heard of him before! Where have I been?!

    River: Yeah, it's always good to have a possibility of escape!

    Briony: Sometimes entertainers just don't strike our fancy for whatever reason, right? I'm like that with Russell Brand. Can't stand him.

    Andrew: Bald AND shaved head, in my case! The sunflowers are supposed to be that orangey color -- it's the variety.

    Peter: Argh! That's something I hadn't considered! Hopefully they'll let the seeds mature, at least, before attacking them.

    Ms Moon: I agree! It was weirdly welcome news.

    Bob: He's all over YouTube, apparently.

    Bug: Ha! Isn't it funny how going to an event can sound fun, but then when it's time to go it feels like a chore?

    Boud: And yet standup is so popular here! I think the festivals (like Edinburgh) have helped make it so.

    Michael: From my perspective, you're not missing much!

    Colette: I agree! I'm so relieved I got some flowers!

    Ellen D: Aren't they nice? I'm so happy.

    Marcia: I'm amazed how the bees are taking to them so enthusiastically!

    Robin: It really was, though I'm sure it would have been funny if I'd talked myself into it!

    Red: I've had that happen too, but they rarely turn out to be very big ones. Usually scraggly little sunflowers.

    Pixie: Maybe? I've been blaming our cool, cloudy summer. Thanks for the vid! I'm glad he gave you a laugh!

    Ellen: The last one I went to was in 2003 or so, and the comic really bombed. That increased my discomfort with the genre!

    Sharon: I'm sure he's bigger here than in the states.

    Margaret: Yeah, exactly -- it can all seem very forced.

    Ed: Probably! And I guess that's good, that we're providing some late-season nectar.

    Kelly: Yeah, I bet the bees aren't picky!

    GZ: Exactly! The timing was a blessing in some ways.

    Allison: I still have some in bud! But yeah, they'll be gone soon enough.

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