20 March 2024
Although my Apple Watch logged me in for 6 hours and 48 minutes of sleep, it didn’t feel like that. It seemed I was up and down every hour with visits to the bathroom to pee. Somewhere around 4 am I took two Advil PM’s in addition to the sleeping pill at bed time. I think that allowed me to conk out for a while. I finally got out of bed sometime around 9 am and felt like I had a hangover.
Shannon must have really put me through it yesterday because I didn’t walk this morning. Either that or the lack of sleep. I had my second breakfast on the patio with the temperature at 67°F. This week and next will probably be our last cool spell. Summer temps are on the way.
I did have a great time last night for dinner. I met Robert and his son Michael at Flanigan’s. At first, I couldn’t find them but was directed to the right area a second time. I missed them first because of the glare of the sun. It was great catching up with Robert and Michael.
Michael asked that if his age and time past allowed him to call me Fred. I had forgotten I taught him biology sometime around 1990. Robert and I reminisced by trying to remember names and events of the past and we finally stumbled on the answers to our stories. He treated me to dinner. Apparently Lynn, his wife, told him that under no circumstances I was to pay for meal last night.
I taught with Robert of South Campus for 30 years. He and Lynn have been close friends during that time and after our retirements. I know I always have a place to stay if I’m ever in their neighborhood. We traded memories for about 2 1/2 hours over Flanigan’s famous prime ribs. Thank you Lynn!
After fretful sleep last night, I took a two hour nap. I run the risk of not sleeping well again tonight after such a long nap. Then I have physical therapy again with Shannon tomorrow at 11:50 am.
It looks like a bumper crop of mangoes this year. My neighbor’s tree hangs half of its branches over my yard. My side of the tree is blooming.
Mangoes are members of the Anacardiaceae which is sometimes referred to as the cashew family. It also includes the plant known as poison sumac and poison ivy. The sap and fruit can cause some people to break out in a rash. Fortunately, it doesn’t bother me.
There’s not much to a mango bloom. There’s the female pistil, five stamens and five petals and five sepals – typically. There are some hermaphroditic flowers (male and female flowers) and some entirely male. Even when hermaphroditic, usually only two of the stamens contain pollen.
Bees love the flowers and too many are pollinated. There’s a significant amount of fruit drop from the panicle. Even so, I should be sitting pretty with mangoes at the end of May and beginning of June.
I used to know the variety of this tree but I do know it’s the best tasting mango I’ve ever had. What I don’t eat off the tree, I’ll dice and freeze for later to make mango sorbet or mango chutney. There’s nothing like a cold mango sliced on a hot summer afternoon. I’ll keep three or four in the fridge to peel, slice and eat as the summer progresses.
Stay tuned!