This Week in Pencilhaven

Though I’m still suffering from a surfeit of math after this summer’s calculus fest, it was interesting to hear an acapella male choir perform an interpretation of the proof of the Quadratic Formula last night at the Bagdad Theater. This was after listening to Neal Stephenson read from his new novel, Anathem, which I failed to score in an advance reader copy but instead paid for like a regular person.
We traveled to Sunriver, Ore. over the weekend. It’s like someone had pre-ordered Lyza-tailored weather. It was sublime: wafty and lightly breezy and dry and fragrant and hot-warm during the day; coldish and full of clarity at night so we could have fires and smell like smoke and cured meats. I taught a nine-year-old how to smell Ponderosas and it was very fulfilling. If you don’t know about smelling Ponderosas, try smelling one sometime. Just poke your schnozz into the gaps in the bark. The aroma ranges from butterscotch to vanilla to caramelized god. It’s a life-altering thing and you’ll never stop smelling them once you start.
Re-visited the High Desert Museum just south of Bend, Ore. I got to see three of my transcendently favorite things: bobcats, otters and burrow owls.
Insomnia is back again; stupid medications for Crohn’s. I’ve been doing a lot of staying up until 3am printing. On the other hand, I’m almost done with my first project, which is an homage to Robert Fagles.
Wild and nonstop geekery.
Finally tried The Green Dragon’s absinthe. They have a fountain there with ice water in it and do the preparation and the sweetening for you. Risking accusations of blasphemy, I’m going to have to say that I wasn’t impressed. It was murky and lukewarm and made my tongue feel scrapey.
Mr. Pencil is now collecting weird, edible plants. The greenhouse roster includes: cacao, tea, miracle fruit, vanilla, and coffee.

Smelling Ponderosa: Image Kindly Stolen from Autumn's Site

2 Comments

Catherine from Cork says:

I feel the same way about manzanita which smell like watermelon. That and I so love the color of the bark. On the Irish side, gorse (furze) in bloom smells like a cross between vanilla and pineapple. Very exotic smell on a cold spring walk through the mists.
juliejulie says:

Hi Lyza – glad you enjoyed your jaunt to Central Oregon! Stop by the new and fabulous printmaking/letterpress studio we started: http://www.atelier6000.com Many wonderful workshops coming up. This weekend is book making with Roberta Lavador. Last weekend we did steam roller prints!

Cheers,

juliejulie

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