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Real Job-iversary

I have been employed like an actual grownup person for an entire year, as of today. It's been nearly nineteen years since I managed that, if you overlook my many years of self-employment. Today, the rest of my entering team and I said, "Woo. A whole year. And we're still employed. If they were going to fire us they'd have done it last week. Only one more year of probation." And then we got back to work.

So, yes, it's time for my monthly entry.

In my walks around the neighborhood, I discovered a fig tree on the next block or so.

Figs on the sidewalk

I checked out the leaves, never having seen fig leaves in real life (paintings, yes, statues, yes, actual fig trees, no). The leaves appear to be an odd choice for Eden-wear. They are not really large enough to offer a sensible amount of coverage (more like a "why bother?" amount of coverage) and the multi-lobed shape guarantees that what coverage it does offer will be discontinuous to say the least.

iPhone! Eyestrain! (possibly these are related)

When we're not whinging about the features that the iPhone should have, we're fiddling around with them. I think the YouTube application is the cause of my sudden eyestrain issues. My elderly iBook is too slow to play videos, so I'm internet video deprived. Enter the YouTube button on the iPhone. Enter an inability to focus on anything 18 inches from my face. I had to take a half day off work and rest my eyes.

The camera is surprisingly good for what it is:

August lilies (fragrant and tall) in Simpson Park, Alexandria, VA

Now it's autumn and the colchicum are in bloom:

Colchicum in Simpson Park, Alexandria, VA

In my walk down in the park this evening (after dark, so no pictures), I discovered a tree with mysterious fruit. I've no idea what it is, something Mediterranean, I suspect. I'll have to ask the master gardener next time I see her.

The Toad Gods Are Angry

Bad karma, just what I need the day before I get on an airplane.

I was walking around up in the Monroe Avenue connector demolition site (also after dark) and saw that the demo people are making drastic inroads on my pile of dirt that I walk around on. They started gouging it away from the side towards the bread factory, leaving a big hole and a pile of uprooted evergreen shrubbery. In the light from the baseball field, I saw a hopping thing. A toad! So I started following it and saying, "I'm gonna git you, toad." Like I say to my cats. (Not that I meant it. I was not really interested in picking it up and getting peed on.) (By the toad. The cats are a bit more civilized.) So the toad hopped away across the pile of dirt and I followed it. The toad reached the end of the pile of dirt, didn't realize it, and hopped right over the edge! It tumbled down the 15 foot embankment, bouncing and jouncing. And did not hop away when it reached the bottom.

Er. Sorry about that, toad.