§ I have good news and I have bad news.
First, the good news: the asparagus has finally emerged! I know you all were as worried about it as I was so I’m happy to report that you can finally breath a sigh of relief.
Now the bad news is that, at least so far, there is only one lone asparagus stalk so I’ve taken up the mantle of vigorously defending it from the neighborhood deer population who all seem to be particularly hungry at the moment.
§ This time of year, especially, always makes me appreciate dandelions. They bring some early color to an otherwise boring yard just as the daffodils begin to fade, and they help entice pollinators out from their long winter hibernation.
§ Speaking of lawns, the new mower is great. It’s electric—the same brand as the snow blower I got over the holidays—and it can mow my entire yard using less than one full charge of its battery. Why did I wait to long to make the switch? Oh yeah, that’s right, the price. So I guess thanks, Stripe.
§ Thanks to Robin Sloan I learned that Ray Nayler has a new book out: Where the Axe Is Buried. I quite liked his previous novel The Mountain in the Sea so I’m definitely going to add this near the top of my ever-growing and perilously tall “to-read” pile.
But first I have to finish Brother Brontë which I’m enjoying more and more as it goes on.
§ I watched the season two premiere of Last of Us. Just like the first season, the set design often felt too good—so similar to the video game source that it felt like VFX even though it was largely practical. That said, the Jackson, Wyoming set was impressive.
My favorite episode of the first season was the one that strayed furthest from the original source material. I’ll be interested to see if they try that again this time around.
§ Lots more baking at the end of the week. Three more poppyseed rolls, four loaves of orange zest placek, apricot scones, and some sourdough.
Happy Easter.
