Everybody look

For this Friday’s musical interlude, I’m giving you several performances from the Democratic National Convention.

First, John Legend singing “Never Break”:

And Jennifer Hudson promising “A Change Is Gonna Come”:

And finally, Billy Porter teaming with Stephen Stills on the old Buffalo Springfield classic, “For What It’s Worth”:

This one is still so painfully true after all these decades.

Getting around

My 19-year-old car passed both mechanical and emissions inspection yesterday. Which means I can renew registration here in the Old Dominion.

That’s because I can do that online. Getting a driver’s license, now—that’s a whole other thing. I have to get one because my California license expires at month’s end. (Turns out that California has automatically extended licenses for anyone due for expiration until the end of the year, but I have no confidence that local LEOs will listen to that if I’m stopped for anything.)

With no indication at all on their website, the Virginia DMV has moved to an appointment-only system. And you have to check each of the [open—because at least half the ones in Northern Virginia have been closed] offices for availability. You can’t just search for openings across the site; you have to do each one. Individually. And let me assure you that most of them have no availability until November.

Also—the one, single non-tollfree number for the entire state is basically answered by a recording stating that they’re too busy to talk with you. Last Monday I finally got through and talked with a chick called Emily, who could only give me information about how the appointment system worked; she couldn’t tell me anything about documentation required or even verify an appointment. She did put me on hold to check with a supervisor about my expiring California license.

According to Emily’s supervisor, the Old Dominion will view any out-of-state license as valid for one year after expiration “during these challenging times”.

Well, I’m going with that, then.

I have an appointment for 28 September, in Arlington. If you don’t hear from me after that, check the news for “incidents” in the environs.

Fauna

It’s not all flora out here in the People’s Republic. Viz:

A somewhat sizable bird left this token of passage:

This guy was taking kind of a snooze before metamorphosis:

And I liked his coral tips.

And then there’s this:

I do not know what that is, but he got crabby when I poked him a little.

Not peonies

Lordy, I was thinking that “a couple of weeks ago” I posted about a shrub I mistakenly posited was a peony, which I subsequently learned was hydrangea. Turns out it was more than two months ago, and where did that time go?

Anyway, I was enchanted by all the color variations; I couldn’t get enough of them.

Well, this week I rediscovered them again, and marveled at how beautiful they are even in the later stages of blooming.

Whaddaya think?

Gratitude Monday: back to school

For the first time in about forever, yesterday was not stinkin’ hot, as a friend of mine says. It was in the upper 60s when I made my 0800 Trader Joe’s run, so after I got the groceries put away, I decided to take a real, actual walk.

You know—#homework.

Dang, but it was grand to get out and take a look at what Mother Nature’s been up to in the heat and humidity. Here are a few waterlily-related shots from the pond at the corporate HQ behind my house:

  

 

 I don’t recall seeing water lilies so tall before; these were at least four feet out of the water:

Here’s a lily thing on the hoof:

And one decomposing:

A pond snail shell:

Some other water plants:

And a bee attending to them:

And I just liked this:

That’s my gratitude for today: back into homework.