Flower Friday : : Leucodendron

We have ten or twelve Leucodendron plants on our hill. They were quite small when we moved here four years ago, but despite my efforts at pruning them, they have doubled in height and need to be severely cut back. But not yet because they are at their most interesting right now. They are a variety of protea, South African natives whose 'flowers' are actually the leaves at the ends of the stalks which turn color in the fall and winter. They will dry nicely and last for months in a vase.

There were so many comings and goings from the house this morning before 8am that I decided to stay home from class and regroup. OilMan, Tim and Will played golf, and although there was a frost delay,  , OilMan still got up at zero dark thirty and Will arrived before dawn "to get mentally prepared"...this, at an hour when I am generally still in bed. Tim arrived shortly thereafter,  just as Anne and Harold, who broke their drive from Southern California to Corvallis, Oregon with us last night, were having a coffee and getting ready to leave.

By the time everybody set off, I decided that backing out of the garage and around the cars that were still in the driveway in a hurry was ill advised, so I changed my clothes, read the paper and then backed slowly around Will's car, which is actually Jim's car, and Tim's car, which actually belongs to the company he works for, and met my friend Tobi for coffee .

By the time everybody came back from golf discussing the number of houses they hit during play (why does anyone  want to live by a golf course) Dana joined us for sandwiches from the local deli....