Sunday, September 29, 2024

Dahlia Close-Ups


Well, my cold has settled in and this morning I am not feeling so great. But colds are always worse first thing in the morning, when you have to get your body moving again after a long night of sleep. I did sleep last night, at least. I also took a Covid test and that was negative, so as I suspected, it's apparently just a garden variety cold.

Speaking of gardens, ours is still cranking along, even though it's about 45º F (or 7º C) out there right now. It warmed up pretty quickly yesterday morning, and soon Olga and I were sitting out in our usual positions.


To be honest, I would have preferred to stay on the couch but Olga was insistent. And it's not enough for me to put her bed outside -- no, I have to be there too. That dog runs my life.

As you see, the red Gallery Valentin dahlia is still blooming up a storm. Here are some other dahlia close-ups from yesterday:




Have I ever talked about dahlias as much as I have this summer? I don't think so.

I heard from my stepsister in Tampa -- apparently she and my stepmother had no damage from Helene and in fact they didn't even lose power. Whew! I don't mean to minimize damage from the storm, though, which has turned out to be particularly devastating in Appalachia. Not a place you'd normally expect hurricanes. Such a strange world we now live in.

38 comments:

  1. Even a common or garden cold can pull you down. But you can rest Sunday. Olga says.

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    1. I can rest AFTER I've attended to all of Olga's whims and fancies, you mean.

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  2. Olga is right..you need fresh air and sunshine...and her company of course!

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  3. Funny how some flower names can also be applied to women - Rose, Lily, Daisy even Hyacinth - but I have never heard of a woman or girl called Dahlia. Maybe plant names could be given to boys - Thistle, Nettle, Hogweed and Pansy.

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    1. Bertie Wooster has a good Aunt Dahlia!

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    2. And there's writer Dahlia Lithwick!

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    3. I knew a woman named Pansy and a woman named Azalea (AZ-uh-lee). I have a friend named Amaryllis (ah-MARE-ahlus).

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  4. Hope you’re feeling better quickly. It’s good you understand who’s in charge. Yes, the devastation from the storm has been awful and surprising. Glad your kith and kin are OK. (I have never used the word kith in my life!)

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    1. Ha! It's only ever used in conjunction with kin, isn't it? I don't think I've ever used it either. :)

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  5. Olga looks so content in the garden. Get the sunshine while you can.
    This evening's tv news was pretty awful with the footage of the hurricane damage, along with that from the Middle East.

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  6. There are so many places in NORTH carolina that were hit hard by the storm; we really dodged a bullet with just losing power and having a messy yard.

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    1. That was lucky! Looks like the mountains took the brunt of the damage.

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  7. Those flowers are lovely, Steve. Hope you feel better soon.

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  8. Olga is a girl who knows what she wants and she's sweet enough to get it. You're pretty sweet too, to go along with her. Glad your kin in Tampa is okay.

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    1. I just can't say no to Olga, even when she annoys me.

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  9. Fresh air, sunshine ☀️, and chicken soup 🍲 will make you feel a lot better! Having Nurse Olga looking out for you will also help! 😁

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    1. Chicken soup sounds REALLY good right about now!

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  10. yeah, Minnie pretty much runs my life too. I hope your cold is short lived.

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  11. Your Dahlias are lovely and the colors are brilliant.
    Sweet Olga has her needs. She is well loved and she returns the love in spades. The storm is so random; I'm glad your stepsister was spared the fury of the storm.

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    1. She does return the love, that is absolutely true. I need to keep that in mind when she frustrates me!

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  12. You are so right about the strange world. It's the last days of September and it still reached 117 here yesterday. Nothing is as it should be.
    Your dahlias are beautiful. They must be liking that bit of overnight chill.

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    1. Wow! That is HOT! I'm not sure the dahlias like the chill but they're coping.

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  13. I have friends in Asheville and it really got hit hard!

    It was good of Olga to get you outside, unless it's actually allergens causing your symptoms. Besides Covid, there's already flu here plus the ragweed is out in full force. It's hard to know what to blame!

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    1. I have a friend in Asheville too. And yes, it's hard to tell whether this is a cold or allergies!

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  14. Good news about your step family. This storm has wreaked havoc.

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    1. It really has! It's crazy how much damage there is.

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  15. Dahlias are a very showy flower so it's good yours are still blooming.

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  16. Colds are so dreary; they aren't enough to qualify as being sick but sap the energy and make us miserable for however long it takes to run their course. I love dahlias and can't get enough of them! I can't imagine a hurricane since I've never lived in a place with them. It sounds like many unusual spots got hit hard with this one.

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    1. That's exactly how I feel -- too well to be really sick, but too sick to be well!

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  17. The yellow dahlia is so beautiful. I'm glad your family didn't get too much damage from Helene.

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    1. I'm so glad that yellow one finally bloomed. I wasn't sure it would happen this year!

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  18. You stay Covid free! I really want to meet up during my visit and will be ending you an email with the dates we're there, probably later today (which will be tomorrow when you get it!) The dahlias are fabulous!

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