White Heath Asters. I

Raining out there.  And in a manner that is wonderfully distinct to our back yard, which views out across the valley to the Gunks, the sopping cloud, low to the ground is passing swiftly, directly overhead and soon will be gone, as the blue sky behind it is gradually revealed.  It’s been like this all day.  It was sunny when I went for my bike ride and there was drizzle when I’d returned.  The sun returned and then moments ago, while my little daughter was out jogging a deluge moved down and in.  Enjoying watching the resolution and glad that I’m inside. 

Out on the trail, second week of October and still, this late in the year there are new things blooming.  I saw what I’d identified as Calico Asters, a lovely purple flower that seemed to be growing everywhere.  Today I vowed to pick a few on the way home and when I came to the stretch right before Cedar Lane I parked my bike to see about picking a few Asters. 

 

There were a big group of white flowers and as I approached, I took note of the fact that they were many bees, darting about the flowers.  It felt oafish and a bit dangerous to go up and shoo them all away so I could take one of their last pollination points of the season.  Besides, this didn’t look like the Calico Aster.  But my app couldn’t identify.  Further up the trail I stopped precisely where I’d seen all those purple petals but as I got close they all seemed a more white than they did purple.  How did that happen?  Not so many bees on these and my app was able to confirm that these were White Heath Asters.  I plucked ten stems or so and they are now sitting in a faux jade vase on my desk.  Fine looking little wildflowers, these asters.  Is that common knowledge that they are rather late bloomers?

My friend and I have started a little playlist on Spotify.  He throw up two tunes and I comment and return the favor.  He put on some beautiful Ethiopian jazz I hadn’t heard in a while:  Hailu Mergia.  I think we both learned about this particular member of the Abyssinian galaxy, through the wonderful WFMU DJ, Trouble and her “This is the Modern World” program.  I seem to remember getting dressed in rather tight AirBnB in Mong Kok with a colleague or two, enjoying this gent and they both asked me just what it was I was listening to.  We don’t consider a music library the same way when we have access to everything, always.  Glad for the reminder to spend time with this gent and that time in Hong Kong when it felt like the present. 

 

 

 

Wednesday, 10/07/20