A Misty Walk

Being Sunday, we headed for our usual walk at the Arboretum. Lately we've been taking a more strenuous hike, but this morning my knee was annoyed for some reason, and walking downhill was hurting. So we cut it short a bit and did a lot of uphill walking instead :-)

And it was supposed to be a sort of nice day, but in fact it really misted/drizzled just about the whole day. But the Witch Hazel - Hamamelis mollis - is in full bloom right now. It was actually introduced to the States in 1879 by British plant explorer Charles Maries. So you probably know this lovely shrub/small tree. Always lovely to spot its blooms this time of year - seems to brighten everything up. And the fragrance is marvelous!

After picking up some groceries, I spent the afternoon making soup: Split pea with ham, and a chorizo/kale/white bean sort of made up soup...loosely based on Portuguese Kale Soup. I'm having stem cell therapy on my cranky knee on Wednesday. I won't be able to put any weight on that joint for about two weeks, so am trying to be organized about food since crutches make life a wee bit more complex. But, the result will be worth every minute and every penny spent!

Hope you all had a lovely, quiet and safe weekend.