Wednesday, March 21, 2012

Cottages, sharing and sounds so pretty

- If you wonder why I didn't site this photo better, it's because of the attack of the killer pollen that has taken place in Atlanta this week, over 9000 yesterday (another record high).  So I snapped this from my quickly lowered car window in traffic on Rock Springs Road, where there is one beautiful cottage after another and they all seem to have a flowering tree in front right now.

- The natural food grocery has roasted brussels sprouts - so delicious that a young man rushes up to the food bar and looks at me with a slight panic.  "My buddy told me they had them tonight and so I walked up from school."  We share the remaining few - I didn't hoard, although I wanted to.  :)

- The birds in the early morning sing so beautifully, as if this is their favorite time of the day.  My favorite is the one that sounds like "pretty pretty pretty pretty?"  Always the "pretty" sound, four times.

27 comments:

happygirl said...

Yikes, that's a lot of pollen. Roasted brussel sprouts are so good. I'm a little sad you wrote about them. I thought they were my little secret. Now EVERYONE will want them. Welcome spring. :)

Anonymous said...

The sound of Spring is wonderful and always kicks you in to a good mood :)
Beautiful tree and I can only imagine the amount of pollen.
Eva

LL Cool Joe said...

We get an owl hooting as soon as it gets dark and birds chirping as soon as it gets light. The sun is out today and Spring is definitely here.

So far I've coped with the pollen okay.

Fireblossom said...

That may be a cardinal. I love the early morning bird song.

Lynn said...

happygirl -

lol! I was just impressed that a young 20-something man would walk all the way from Emory University to get brussels sprouts.

If you dig toward the bottom, you get the brown syrupy pieces and they also had some sort of chopped nuts, so you get a crunch now and then.

Eva -

The pollen is just terrible down here - new residents never believe it until they see it.

Joe -

That would be cool - to hear an owl. I think the morning is just a special time for birds.

FB -

We do have a cardinal family. Thanks - I will see if I spot them when I hear that.

Sparkling Red said...

Of all the veggies in the world, there are very few that I don't love. Brussels sprouts are in that exclusive group. Although I've never tried them roasted, so there's still hope!

TALON said...

Sorry that at such a lovely time of year you have to deal with all that pollen!

You are so sweet to share. I love brussels sprouts - I'd have taken them all - lol! :)

momto8 said...

pollen everywhere here too! and i have a husband and son with allergies..yikes!

G. B. Miller said...

I will take any kind of bird singing over tree frogs (gots lots of them in my backyard pond this month) any day of the week.

sage said...

Roasted Brussels sprouts, sounds interesting. The trees are budding out even up here! I'm sure hay fever is imminent

Jannie Funster said...

Ahhh, I sure have a new appreciation and love for birds, now with two of the little darlings myself. The little boy laughs at his own silliness, I swear. He goes "heeheeheehee" and "heyheyhey." He's quite the jokester.

Seriously!

Geez, what's up wtih the pollen over there? Wild spring.

Good generous girl not hoarding. Get there earlier next time, eh?? :) :)

xoxo

Riot Kitty said...

Lynn, you absolutely crack me up - here I am posting about cookies multiple times, and you are worried about hoarding brussel sprouts! Speaking of which, remind me, and I will e-mail you a funny story about them.

Snaggle Tooth said...

I heard all those pretty flowering trees are the cause of the pollen attack- which made the national news today! 2k is high- 9k is unbelievable! I hope your nose is doing ok! I think I'd have to use a mask- Ours isin't bad yet.
I've never had roasted brussels sprouts- so kind of you to share! When I hear that call It's a robin here. I've heard 2 so far. I always sing a call back. 2 peepers at night also! N saw 2 large grey geese, who migrate 1500 miles to the Artic every year! Never seen them here before-

Lynn said...

Sparkling Red -

Sometimes they aren't cooked correctly and that might have been the sort that you encountered that made you not like them. They can become bitter if overcooked. These are delicious to me.

Talon -

That was so funny - that was the look I got from him - that he thought I was about to take them all. :)

momto8 -

I wish it would rain some of it away...

G -

I kind of like to hear the frogs. :)

Sage -

Amazing that y'all are having the early spring, too.

Lynn said...

Jannie -

I'll bet your birds are totally cute - how could they not be, with a family personality like yours?

xo

Riot Kitty -

Send away! I have a an almost equal love for cookies as I do properly (and yummily) cooked vegetables. :)

Snaggle -

We made the national news? I missed that. I think it's mostly the pine trees that are the culprit. Pretty miserable around here. I am happy to already be wearing sandals this year, but I have to wipe off my feet and sandals when I get into work. Covered with pollen from walking through it.

Leonora said...

I heard about Atlanta's pollen count on the new this week. We've already popped open the Zyrtec here, too.
I think I would like the neighborhood you photographed- very pretty,pretty, pretty, pretty.
I can't get enough brussels sprouts either! I cook them at least once a week, much to daughter #3's chagrin. She says they make the house smell nasty : )

Granny Annie said...

We seem to be the only people welcoming spring with torrential rainfall and flooding. Not a good thing when grandchildren are visiting. Yikes!

The good thing is the rain keeps the pollen down so the grandkids aren't sneezing all over the place.

I would never share my brussel sprouts! Love them. We had a special variety at my sister's last week that were huge and looked more like tiny cabbages than larger brussel sprouts.

That bird is singing "prety, pretty, pretty, pretty" because you are:)

Louvregirl said...

Lynn, I absolutely agree with you on what the birds are saying, and they are saying it here, too!!
"Pretty, pretty, pretty, pretty."
:-)

Melissa Ann Goodwin said...

Pretty pretty pretty is right. I am such a cottage girl :D.

Melissa Ann Goodwin said...

Oh, and meant to add that there is a Rock Springs Road in my hometown of Andover, Massachusetts - also lined with pretty homes.

Lynn said...

Leonora -

Your daughters sound fun. :) And that is a wonderful neighborhood - very pricey though. Wonderful sidewalks, neighborhood schools, etc.

Granny Annie -

Hey - I've missed you! And thank you for that compliment - I am blushing here.

Those brussels sprouts sound like they are on steroids!

lg -

You can hear it, too? That's so neat.

Melissa -

If I won the lottery - that's what I would get. One of those cottages in that neighborhood. That's a great name for a road, sounds like.

Chatty Crone said...

Roasted Brussels spouts sound good.

And I can attest to you that the pollen count is high. Lower today - just in the 5K range.

Maude Lynn said...

I am loving the birds singing in the morning!

Lynn said...

Sandie -

I wanted to use the leaf blower to get some of it off my back porch yesterday, but I don't want to bother the birds in the house. :)

Mama Zen -

I know - so lovely.

Susan Blake said...

Spring is great, the pollen not so much - fortunately it's temporary. Roasted brussel sprouts are one of my absolute favs and I often make them with roasted (cubed) sweet potatoes and make a meal of that.

Fun blog - I'll be back!
Hugs
SuZen

Sara said...

Sorry, I'm not a big fan of Brussel Sprouts, but it was very nice of you to share, especially he rushed to get to them!!

I've given up on cleaning the pollen. My gray car just stays GREEN.
Until we have rain again, that's the way it will be.

Regarding the birds, they wake me up in the morning, they're so loud. I love sitting on my porch in the early evening and watching them take bird baths. They puff their feathers up, making them look twice their size. The tiny finches sit on the edge of the bird bath and WATCH as the cardinals takes their baths.

Lynn said...

Susan -

I could eat brussels sprouts every day. :)

Good to see you!

Sara -

But these are so good!

My car is always covered - I saw a car wash guy holding up a sign offering pollen rinse off for $7 with no frills. I was thinking I could just do that with my garden hose.

I love watching the birds, too.