I saw locks near the Ponte Vecchio. Becca said it was a symbolic custom for new couples to leave locks. Romantic, right? Check out backstory below.

Locks of love.

Scored a good trashy political book at the library today. A weakness I don't even try to get rid of.

A street in Fiesole, in the hills northeast of Florence.

Now that's hard pruning.

Frescoes from I don't remember where--some church in Florence.

You can't take pictures inside The Uffizi Museum, except for the entry lobby. Outside at night there was A Man in Gold. That's all I know.

He stood alone mostly, but in this shot he's chatting with the local security guys.

I love this casual installation of a new "nuc"--short for nucleus of bees. I'll get my nuc in about a month.

I'd like to be this relaxed during my installation. Somehow I don't see that happening. For one thing, I WILL wear a veil.

Ran across a street protest in Florence. Something about taxes, I think. Happy, relaxed protestors. Most with nice shoes, true of all Florentinians.

We flew over the Alps on our way from Paris to Florence.

Spotted here and there.

Mother and son dancing to live music.

Florence police are sharp dressers. Becca and I admired the big white leather bags they carry.

Tucked into one side of a courtyard in the Palazzo Pitti there's a small, semi-enclosed pool and fountain. And check out that ceiling.

Hard to take good pictures with my baby camera. I loved this dark little pool area. It was ringed with statues and was designed so you could walk all the way around. I'll bet it's a nice cool place in the heat of the summer.

The colors in Italy were wonderful. Not just the churches and palaces, which are a whole other level of beautiful. Ordinary places too.

To my Nyack friend.

Unfortunately, I must report to you that the dill was pretty good. I bought two types because buying just one seemed sort of creepy. These are the last two I will buy.

The food!

Florence, Siena, and Fiesole, Italy--March 2010

Four days and five nights in Florence, with minor side trips by bus to Siena and Fiesole. Everything is so, so, so old and beautiful. And the food, my god the food! It helps to go with an art major slash daughter as your tour guide.

Got my hat. Now all I have to do is build all the frames and the brood boxes. Oh yeah, and get my bees.

Wag of my finger to Stephen Colbert who made me buy and eat these.

The Colbert Report	Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c
Consumer Alert - Pringles
www.colbertnation.com
Colbert Report Full Episodes Political Humor Health Care reform

I should be ashamed to admit that watching Colbert talk about Pringles the other night forced me to buy these. I did it consciously too. As in "you know what I have to go out and buy tomorrow? Some Pringles." So I did. They are such bad nonfood but I'm enjoying them immensely. If you're weak like me, watch the video at your own peril. I know it's stupid but sometimes stupid is very funny (and persuasive too).

Yes, on this rainy day I've been sitting at the computer wandering aimlessly around.

An Engineer s Guide to Cats @ Yahoo! Video

But it was worth it to find this video.

I'll plant these soon. I had mixed results with seeds last year--I suspect that my starting-out soil was too rich w/ worm compost.

Meanwhile, I found this discussion of seed-starting and liked it. Especially this: "Tomorrow I'm going to sprout my Tomato seeds on moist paper towel, inside a margerine container in a warm spot. The seed usually sprouts in 5 to 6 days, sometimes sooner. I then prick them out gently and plant in 21/2" pots.
They stay on the kitchen windowsill until they get 3 sets of true leaves and then they go into 4" pots."

I may try some of these techniques, but I'm not going to start for a few more weeks.

Bees in my backyard? Maybe.

I've been taking a beekeeping course, inspired in part by this beekeeper lady in Denver. Tonight is my 4th class and I think I'm ready, mentally, to handle a beehive. There's a lot to learn and a lot of details, but none of it is intimidating. One thing makes me hesitate: the instructors and the books keep emphasizing how important it is to talk to your neighbors when you start. Just to reassure and educate them. And I understand that. But. I don't know. I've got some complicated neighbors, well, one complicated one. He may not react well. And that's not good for anyone. And I've got another neighbor who once told me she's terrified of bees. So I'll ponder that question before I make a commitment to the equipment and the bees. Bees are sooooo interesting.

Pictures of my class last week making frames. Apologies to these classmates who I don't know and who don't know me. It's a very big class: 90 students plus all the instructors and vendors and other passionate apiarists who seem to buzz around the classroom.

Oh, and one other hesitation. I talked to an organic beekeeper a few weeks ago and she frowns upon the kind of beekeeping methods I've been learning about. Sigh.

I really like the idea of having a few girl chickens--for the fun and the eggs, in that order--but I'd get too attached. & hawks would eat them.

I may have to buy this book. And I want that chicken tractor -- badly. But I can't have chickens, I just can't.

A piece of trash. I loved every minute of it.

I'm creating a new category on my blog called Book Confessions. Another reason I love my library: I can borrow books like this guilt-free.