Peacock Plate / Subterranean Homesick Blues

My husband and I planned to go into town for lunch out and a number of other errands that included stopping at the Dollar Tree to pick up the case of asparagus that I ordered about two weeks ago. 

Our local store used to carry it, in jars, and it is among the best asparagus I know of; at $1.25 for a 7.05-oz jar, the price is also right! Fresh is better, of course, but more expensive, and the quality varies. Anyway, in the past half-dozen times I've been there, there has not been any asparagus in our local store, much to our chagrin.

The good news is that you can order jars of asparagus online, pay, and ship to your local store for pick-up, for free. You have to order 12 bottles to do it. And yes, I am at the point in my life where I am ordering cases of vegetables online. I guess you could say it is the dawning of the case of asparagus. :-)

We planned to go to Cracker Barrel to use up some points, or "pegs," that I had on our account. I used them by ordering two Barrel Bites (appetizers). I didn't have any trouble at all eating the loaded steak fries and the fried white cheddar cheese balls with ranch, while my husband enjoyed his turkey dinner with all the fixings.

They make you walk through the gift shop to get to the restaurant, which is, I'm sure, a big revenue-generating strategy for them. Of course, I found some amazing things, and I was still talking about the gorgeous glass peacock plate when we sat down at the table. 

Here is a photo of it. The price on it says $29.99, which is probably reasonable for that sort of thing. On some other day, it may need to come home with me. But where would I put it? What is it for, except to be beautiful?

We shopped at Walmart and bought some groceries, and picked up my case of asparagus at the Dollar Tree next door. As we loaded the car, I discovered celery in a bag in the cart, and I picked it up and surreptitiously began . . . huffing it. I don't think such a thing is illegal, but it most certainly may be . . . ill-advised.

I don't know what to say about my middle ages, except that it has changed my relationship with the scent of celery. I know there are signs posted there saying video cameras are in operation in that parking lot. I hope nobody I know now or ever knew before saw me having my way with the celery in the parking lot!

Anyway, setting the celery aside, we completed our errands and stopped for a quick walk at Buffalo Run Park along route 550 on the way home. There was only one other vehicle there so we mostly had the place to ourselves. Conditions were muddy; the water ran high. 

Sadly, we discovered a mole on the path, which you may see in the extra photos. I think it may be a star-nosed mole. Be sure to read about how it is the world's fastest eater! (I tell my husband that part; his incredulous reply: "Even faster than your BROTHER?")

It didn't look good. This mole either had the subterranean homesick blues or perhaps was pining for the fjords. We are sorry to report that all CPR efforts failed to resuscitate the mole. So I measured it, photographed it, and then (with a paper towel) gently removed it from the trail and laid it in the weeds. Ashes to ashes, dust to dust, world without end, amen.

The mole did not have a single mark on it, and it appeared quite zaftig. I don't think that New Year's diet and workout program was working for it. Did you know that moles have to eat every few hours or they will die of starvation? 

They can eat their own weight in earthworms, slugs, grubs, and bugs. This one was one of the roundest moles I have ever seen, and my husband and I both remarked that it resembled the neighbor kitty LGK in both girth and color. 

I looked it up online, and mole mating season begins in February. So it's possible that some complications from some romantic entanglement led to this one's untimely demise. Who can know these things?

Anyway, here are my two pictures for the day: of the gorgeous peacock plate (that yes, you CAN order online from the Cracker Barrel shop, should you be so inclined; and there are tons of other peacock stuff to go with it!), and of the deceased mole.

For the peacock plate, I've got Cyndi Lauper, with True Colors. For the mole suffering from the Subterranean Homesick Blues, I've got the song by Bob Dylan that some of you already knew was coming!