Sunday Garden Blogging

Bromeliad
Originally uploaded by viscountx

This lovely bromeliad is just starting to bloom. You can see the flower peeking out of the center of the plant. The Viscount and the Chevalier had a very busy weekend. Little time for knitting or reading. However, the grounds look very nice after some extensive tidying up.

We visited the estate of two chevaliers this weekend and enjoyed a South American cookout.  There were several kinds of meats, grilled plantains, and lots of other good food.

The Viscount Encourages All to Wear Purple

The Viscount is a big fan of Gogol Bordello. Indeed, he was politely pogo'ing to their music in a punk club in his local region a few years ago when some of his acolytes showed up and said hello in an unexpected shirtless moment. Suffice it to say that the Viscount made a good impression. He urges all to start wearing purple as it is Friday evening and life is short.

Pride and Prejudice--Initial Impressions

The Viscount is approximately one-third through Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice and he has some initial thoughts, although he hopes that he does not prejudice his readers against reading the book with his impressions which may be slightly indelicate and untrustworthy due to the fact that he has not finished the work completely.

There is no doubt that the writing is delightful.  It is breathtaking in its ability to set a scene and develop character.  The writing is pithy, sharp, and rich.  While one is transported into settings that are informed in one's mind by film, the book stands on its own by developing weavings of a particular time and place that are iconic among the bibliophile's locales.

And then there is the plot.  While the story line jumps out of the complexities of Moliere's bifocal vision, it stands on its own as a distinct mix of drawing room comedy and social commentary of the era.  One is charmed by Elizabeth's ability to be so worldly and acerbic while being distinctly polite and well mannered.  Yet, there is a sense of unease with her character and the remainder of the Bennet family.  How could Elizabeth be so well educated on a variety of social and intellectual topics while living a country life with a distant father, and a weak-minded mother?  There are no teachers, no tutors, and no governesses.  Instead, it seems, the girls were left to raise themselves and compete for prowess in reading, fine speaking, and singing while playing the piano forte.  Perhaps the distance of time leaves the Viscount with this sense of unrealism.  It might have been perfectly ordinary to find such well-educated young people within the confines of rural estates.  Yet, to the Viscount, it seems a bit unusual.  But it is England and it is the early 19th Century and the Viscount lives in the 21st Century in Florida.  This is a great distance indeed.

The Viscount is also drawn to the notion of the role of nature in this book.  Most frequently, nature is discussed within the context of the weather.  It rains.  It is sunny.  It is cloudy and cool.  However, there are times when a character takes a turn in the "park" or when Mr. Collins works in his garden.  What is this park?  It is not the park of the modern mind with nicely mowed grounds and play sets.  Instead, one imagines a rustic landscape with pathways, trees, and pasture.  Perhaps there are cows and horses grazing.  Along a path there may be a small bench.  The Viscount is charmed by the idea of Elizabeth and others walking through such settings as they work out their complex social arrangements in their minds.  The Viscount is also intrigued by Mr. Collins' garden.  Is it a flower garden, or does he grow some vegetables for his young family and benefactress?  Mrs. Collins certainly encourages him to spend time in the garden.  While Austen somehow implies that she does this due to his difficult personality, it is also evident that Mrs. Collins is quite happy wither her match and that there are other reasons for her complacency with Mr. Collins' felicity with the outdoors.  It is mentioned that gardening improves Mr. Collins' health, which leads one to think that such physical activity improves his libido and physique.  Mrs. Collins would not be the first wife to encourage her husband to achieve such results.  Yet, it must be remembered that Mrs. Collins is also from a rural setting and she must have enjoyed watching the growth of garden plants and she could have had a bit of the garden-pride that plagues so many successful gardeners.  

One knows that the book will end well.  However, the Viscount is currently in a dark chapter of the book.  Elizabeth has just turned down the proposal of Mr. Darcy.  At the time of the book's publication, such an event must have seemed quite foolish.  Mr. Darcy is rich and important and Elizabeth has few prospects and little money.  Given Austen's reputation of happy endings, it is likely that Elizabeth will have a happy conclusion in this story.  Unlike Henry James' Isabel Archer from Portrait of a Lady, Elizabeth possesses a great sense of her own abilities and limitations.  She is a strong woman of character.

Wednesday Garden Blogging

DSCF2400
Originally uploaded by viscountx

Wednesdays are delicious days. They are in the midst of the work week for some of particular social circles. The first part of the week is behind and the rest is full of possibilities and weekend daydreaming. Wednesdays put the Viscount in planning mode for weekend gardening. Today, he was examining some of his container gardens to see how they survived the recent rains when he found that his morning glory containers are doing quite well.

Morning glories are among the Viscount's favorite container plants. Their seeds are quick to germinate and the plants can be nicely controlled with pruning. He likes to place the containers on the edge of his estate's patio and he uses bamboo poles he cuts from his small bamboo grove for guiding the vines.

He believes that even Lady Catherine de Bourgh from Pride and Prejudice would approve of the planters and their lovely winding about the bamboo. One can only think uncautious thoughts about individuals who do not enjoy morning glories. The flowers trumpet in the morning and close at a respectable time when those who would stop and admire them should be busy at their daily jobs. The Viscount approves of this botanical nod to industry.  Yet the leafy foliage charms one at any hour as it so resembles the shape of a heart. This fact brings the Viscount to reminisce fondly on the idles of Love and the joys of a compassionate and caring heart.

Feeling a Little Emo Today

The Viscount was feeling a little bit emo due to the fact that he had to leave the estate to go back to work.  His vacation ended as of 8:00 am this morning. 

 

The Viscount's day was quite lively.  He had many important appointments and was delighted to see friends and colleagues.  He also received a telegram from the Marquis de L. who recommended the book Pride and Prejudice and Zombies.  He shall add this book to his audible wish list.  He also wishes to publicly thank the Marquis for his suggestion.

As the Viscount's gentle readers know, he is in the midst of Pride and Prejudice.  One cannot imagine how a 21st century author could add zombies to the list of major characters.  However, the Viscount is sure that he will find it both thrilling and enthralling.  He wonders, perchance, if it could be Jo, the tomboy from Little Women, who pulled the prank.  One can imagine her, of all literary heroines, taking Miss Austen to task for her zen-like attention to character in the book by adding zombies.  The Viscount imagines Jo writing pages on the discipline of the author in pointing out the flaws in everyone to only find out that character and manners do not matter if one is eaten by a zombie.  

The Viscount has not yet concluded this novel, so more discussion of Pride and Prejudice in upcoming posts.

The Viscount cannot leave today without stating something about the "link" that was discovered in Germany and shown on the History channel yesterday.  The Viscount has some training in paleontology and he was impressed by the fossil.  Yet, he has concerns that the fossil's provenance is not 100% clear.  The link was purchased from a fossil dealer.  The quarry site where the fossil was found is not in dispute.  However, it is evident that the fossil went through some extensive processing before coming into the hands of the scientists who studied it.  Nevertheless, it is a fascinating discovery.  The link provides yet another discovery on the development of mammals during the Cenozoic.  While the Mesozoic is full of wonderful fossil forms of dinosaurs and other fascinating creatures, the Cenozoic contains a range of creatures that are familiar to us, but distorted from their current visages:  horses that are tiny, sloths that are giant, sharks that are monsters, and elephants that are small doll-like animals.  The Viscount believes that one shows one's social status through one's beliefs in evolution.  Suffice it to say that those who regard evolution as false fall among the lowest of the circles.  The Viscount will not abide the presence of such "people".  

Pineapple landscaping

DSCF2404
Originally uploaded by viscountx

The Viscount is a big fan of pineapple landscaping in the subtropics. The plants are bromeliads and thus they are able to withstand ranges in precipitation. Due to this, they are great Florida edible landscaping plants. Plus, one can start the plant from a pineapple cutting from a grocery store pineapple. The Viscount and the Chevalier have several on their estate.

Progress on Men's Knitting Retreat and Touch of Twist Socks

progress May 24 2009
Originally uploaded by viscountx

The Viscount has completed the ankle ribbing and the heel and heel turn of Men's Knitting Retreat socks shown in green in the photo. The sock was designed by the talented Unraveling Marlowe.  The Viscount is using a pleasant green Cherry Tree Hill sock yarn reminiscent of moss on the banks of a creek.  He thinks of trout fishing, early mornings, and cool springs when he works with this yarn. He is also about halfway done with the the pattern created by Touch of Twist. He is using a comfortable alpaca yarn the Viscount bought from Mel and David at last year's Men's knitting retreat. The yarn is soft and wonderful for socks. It seems to be a natural color that will go well with many items in the Viscount's wardrobe.
Both of the patterns are very interesting and different from the main pattern the Viscount uses for socks regularly. One could say that he is breaking out of his comfort zone.  The patterns are quite easy and lovely to work. He suggests that users of the Men's Spring Knitting Retreat sock pattern check the errata as there are a few edits that need to be noted. Nevertheless, it is a pleasant pattern and he appreciates the work put into its development.
The Viscount has worked on these socks while on vacation and while his estate has largely been under water due to the constant rains. On Tuesday he returns to work and it is likely that the sock progress will be slowed considerably.

The Chevalier Models Completed Socks

Completed Socks May 24 2009
Originally uploaded by viscountx

Chevalier M. returned from the fashion show ready and willing to model his new socks. The Viscount completed one of them at the Men's Spring Knitting Retreat at Easton Mountain. The other sock was cast on at the same venue and completed upon his return. The yarn is from the Unique Sheep and was part of one of the yarns provided for the Ram Club. The pattern was too thick for the Viscount's taste (it involved knitting with two yarns together) and he opted to create two separate sock pairs from the two hanks of yarn provided. He loves both of the yarns and the Chevalier is pleased to have a new pair of socks in colors he likes.

Note that one of the Chevalier's socks hosts the Men's Knitting Retreat button received at the 2009 retreat.

Dracula Musings Redux

After the last post in which Viscount X noted his completion of the book Dracula, he survived the evening without any significant disturbance from bats, wolves, or vampires.  Nevertheless, before he leaves the topic of Dracula, he must put down some thoughts about the nature of the undead and the particular meaning of the undead during that particular time and place.

 

Much has been written about the metaphors in Dracula:  the blood, the stakes, and the garlic.  However, one wonders about the largest metaphor of all, Dracula himself.  What did he symbolize during that era?  He lives an existence that is somewhat solitary.  He performs much of his own toilet and housekeeping, although he lives with several animal-like women he occasionally feeds small children.  Thus, they are not especially helpful to him in the mundane tasks of dusting or general picking up.  The castle is filthy and smelly.  It is entirely unwholesome.  

 

One is left with the feeling of great loneliness.  He comes to England alone, he destroys many of the people he hypnotizes to help him, and he leaves behind the women with whom he has lived.  One wonders why he even left Romania.  Was it to make friends?  This is one of the motivations that is lacking in detail in the book.  The Viscount likes to think that he was tired of the frontier and the lack of sparkling society.  He was surrounded by wilderness and relatively uneducated peasants.  Like Jude the Obscure, he saw over the hills to the next town and he wanted more out of his life.

 

But what of his life?  He could only be out of his coffin during evening hours.  How frustrating it must be to have such little time for activity!  By the time the Viscount would have prepared for the day and had his coffee, it would be time to think about returning to the tomb.  This certainly must have added to his overall lack of good humor.  In addition, it is difficult to imagine how Dracula would have had enough time to make his detailed last minute arrangements to leave England during the last crisis in his life given standard business hours of the time.

 

Somehow Dracula is an antique of sorts.  His friends and family have long ago died and he remains a living memory in a scrubby corner of the world.  Alone and relatively friendless, he is very much like Jude the Obscure in that he is destroyed by seeking to reach beyond his confines to the modern era.  This brings forward the fact that this very romantic late-nineteenth century book is very much a modern book that speaks to the passing of so many things.  The protagonists kill the living antique thereby destroying old ways and conventions.  In doing so, they pave the way for modernity and scientism, for they refuse to make public the very papers that would demonstrate the reality of the supernatural.

 

In many ways, the Viscount thinks Dracula sets a starting point for understanding how scientism became the coat of arms of the 20th century. We see the protagonists' typewriters, phonographic recorders, cities, and the scientific method in stark contrast with the Count's castles, coffins, countryside, and capes.  The protagonists kill the count thereby destroying the past and elevating modernity.  But, in some ways, there is a sense of dread in the book.  There are glimpses into how modernity could be damaged by the past through the corruption of Lucy and through the inability to cure mental illness.  In this we learn that modernity is imperfect and we return to the ideals of love in the end.  One of the protagonists, an American, dies for love, leaving the rest elevated in the remembrance of his chivalrous act.  

 

The Viscount is moving on to Pride and Prejudice. 

Friday Orchid Blogging

Orchid, May 22
Originally uploaded by viscountx

There are about 7 orchids currently blooming in Viscount X's modest collection of several dozen. This lovely one is currently gracing Viscount's office.

Chevalier M is in Punta Gorda at a fashion show this weekend, leaving the Viscount to knit and dream. He has concluded listening to the original Dracula novel and will have more commentary on the novel to add soon. Suffice it to say that it has a manly ending and that the Viscount approves. He did hope for a more graphic ending for the Count. He went poof, although Madame Mina did see a restful visage after the initial shock.

The last half hour of the novel was thrilling. The book has me hearing footsteps everywhere. Shall I sleep tonight with the Chevalier away? Or will I dream of bats, castles, wolves, and capes? Is the orchid in the photo of a natural color or is it one of my pure white ones corrupted with blood dripping from a bite wound?

Thursday Garden Blogging

DSCF2398
Originally uploaded by viscountx

Ah, the merry month of May. This is the time of year when Viscount X's thoughts turn to gardening and other happy activities. Sadly, the estate experienced a mix of yin and yang weather for the last few months and the grounds are in unfortunate condition. The Viscount took a rest from his travels and more monetary pastimes to do some needed repairs, but unfortunately, the rains have set in and have not left the region in several days. Nevertheless, Viscount X did pull out the camera to take some images of some of the more delightful items growing at the present time.

The Viscount's zucchini plants are doing great things in the Earthbox. The flowers are forming and I think they will be ready to enjoy in a nice fresh salad in a few weeks.

Musings on Dracula

Viscount X is currently listening to the original Dracula novel on his I-Pod.  It is full of blood, gore, and polite romantic manners.  He approves completely.

Dracula, when traveling from Romania to his new home in England has to cart by land and sea fifty large boxes of soil from his native land in order to have fifty safe sites where he can rest his head during daylight hours.

Carting around soil is something that Viscount X is known to do given his inclination for gardening. However, he is less likely to need soil from his home to rest, particularly during daylight hours. Viscount X is an early riser and he would hate to rise covered in humus and manure.  

However, as Viscount X enjoys travel as an amusing pastime, the notion of bringing a piece of home along is something that he understands.  However, one finds 50 distinct items a bit obsessive compulsive on the part of Dracula.  

This idea of Dracula as a bit obsessive compulsive is interesting, especially considering Dracula's control issues.  This mental disorder must have been extremely frustrating for the Count, particularly considering he could have absolutely no control over what happened during the daylight hours. Perhaps this is why he was so crabby and unpleasant.  One wonders what would happen to someone like Dracula if he had some other mental disorder.  What if he were a manic depressive?  Certainly, his treatment of some of the main characters in the novel would have been a bit better, although the eventual outcome would have been the same. 

Yet, one wonders what the outcome of the novel would have been if Dracula would have made more prudent decisions.  The focus in the novel on mental illness--much of the novel takes place in a "madhouse"--leaves the Viscount wondering if Dracula himself suffered from some malady that could explain his lack of sense in his dealings with the principal characters.  

At the end though, the fifty safe sites were not enough.  He couldn't control how it all ended.  The Viscount asks us to consider the talismans we take with us when we travel--the photos of loved ones, a journal, or some other remnant of home or family.  Do they provide any psychic safety or are they just molecules that inhabit adjacent space?

Chevalier M's New Creation

It is vinyl with glitter and three-D elements.  Lined with satin.  Fab-u-lous.  The photo doesn't do it justice.  Designed to be worn with silver pants and blouse.

Viscount X.

I'm worth a million in prizes

Viscount X would like to mention that he is back in the blog world.  After a few years away and with a new identity, he has returned to his public.  He provides this video as a start to his new site. May it set the appropriate tone.Viscount X.