Bombe commode

So this is it, our new mahogany  orange marble topped commode complete with marquetry, and ormolu. I believe it is Italian. It is at least 60 years old though could be as old as 130. Research is in progress. Bombe has an acute accent on the 'e'.

I love the orange marble. So our living room is mainly orange and blue. Really

view of the lake I go by. I had stopped to turn off my flashers as they have limited battery life and the sun was out enough. Still already I notice the days are shorter. I don't leave the house until my solar lights go out. Almost up to 1000 miles this year. My big ride starts in 2 weeks

some weeds can be absolutely beautiful

This is a new 5 mile trail connecting Dexter, where Josh used to live, with a large park north. I walked on it last night with a friend. If I still lived where I did, I would be biking it regularly

I liked how the setting sun made the grass glow. Due to the drought, the river is only half its usual width.

pretty lantern display in a store we were browsing

I had a canvas made of this orchid hanging above where the actual orchids are

Brooklyn Bridge by Alfred Eigenstaedt, the one who photographed the GI returning after WII kissing his girlfriend and the building workers eating their lunch on a girder 80 stories up. Just looking at that photo makes me dizzy

We return from a morning of shopping to find we have no water. WTF! Did this drought (only one hour of rain in the last 3 weeks!!!) finally deplete our aquifer? We called our friendly water systems guy (in charger of softening, rust removal and the reverse osmosis machine). He was fairly sure that this wasn't his area; we would need to call the pump and well people. Would we get anyone on short notice on a holiday weekend? Yes we did. As far as well disasters go, it was the least thing that could have happened; a burnt out switch. Again, too many systems in this house and both of us are too ignorant to handle them.

Just as they were leaving (in their big truck capable of drilling another well if need be), the delivery truck pulled up delivering our bombe chest we purchased hours before. I like it though it is missing a few pieces of marquetry on the very bottom. Steve is having fun researching it.   We haven't found the exact ones yet but very similar ones seem to be worth 10 to 50x as much. Meanwhile I am using it as a sideboard in my dining room. It seems the most common use is to repurpose it as a vanity in very fancy bathrooms.

I've been trying to take care of business. One day, I made doctor, dentist and hair stylist appointments. I also decided my cataracts weren't forming fast enough to abandon my glasses, which are now not the right prescription  and are covered with flaking coating making it hard to see. Usually they try to up-sell me this and that but none of that. Two days later, when I was considering that the price was suspiciously low, I realized they probably weren't giving me the high refractive index lenses.  Given how near-sighted I am, regular optical glass would be as thick as coke bottles and heavy. Seeing my prescription, they should have suggested it. Because of the holiday, work hadn't begun yet but I had to come in yet again. After shelling out more money, I will get what I need and want.

The Ann Arbor Farmers Market is two days a week. On Wednesday, I bought a bunch of flowers, but noticed I was missing some when I got home even though I paid for them. A trip back yesterday. At least the woman remembered me and knew exactly what I was missing: a heliotrope and a dahlia. Alas no dahlias (I do have some growing from tubers but the rabbits keep eating the sprouts). I picked out some cauliflower instead, an advanced vegetable. I think I need to cover up the developing heads so chlorophyll doesn't form. We will see. I planted a bunch of seeds in early spring. So far, only the California poppies have surfaced (and they will reseed themselves. No quinoa, no sweet Williams, no fancy cosmos. I have a few zinnias started from seed heads and my orange cosmos and plenty of cleome that reseeds itself.

It has been so nice for the past few days with highs in the 70s. That will change. Back to the oven in a few days. One night I had Happy Hour with a friend outside without roasting. So nice. Other nights on my porch with my waterfalls and Moscow mules. I do love summer.