things i think about while powerwashing 125

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Hi everyone!

Not much to write about this week. I went to a pottery festival with esteemed subscribers Carolyn Xu and Seth McFarlane. As the only one there not covered in clay and Carhartt — I did feel a little out of place but that is no matter.

They had a competition where a team had to throw (make in pottery terms) a pot without using their hands. Didn't take long for the first toes to make an appearance but teams were for sure making a valiant effort with their elbows for a bit.

It was honestly crazy since they had an announcer and everything, and some of the team members brought some fun chaotic energy by coming into the crowd and starting the wave or cheering chants.

Sorry not much of an effort this time. We also walked across the Pulaski Bridge on the way back. Best bridge in the five boroughs. Don't @ me!

plugs for my subscribers' stuff!

• My sister posts to her health Instagram account at @caro.fitfun! Follow her!
• Esteemed subscriber Harish Bhaskar started his own newsletter on physical wellness and mental health. Check it out at Your Guide, Not Guru.
• Esteemed subscriber Carolyn Xu is an awesome potter (?) and currently is in stock! Check it out at her online storefront.

museum of the week

Memorial Day weekend turned out to be quite museum-heavy. Which is great for this section! Because I’ve been dropping the ball a lot.

After regretting dropping the museum ball a bit, I got myself together last Saturday and dragged myself and esteemed subscriber Connie Liou to the New York Botanical Garden.

Entering the grounds felt like I was in Europe again, walking the grounds of some French king’s palace. The rolling green lawns unfurling in perfect angles and margins from the concrete, as if it was somehow allergic, had kids cartwheeling all the way down its hills as their parents waited in line for the Lego special.

Despite the large swaths of lawn, the peace of the garden was still occasionally disrupted by the sound of sirens and other motor vehicles. I could see the occasional plane flying in the distance as I walked up to the greenhouse.

The greenhouse — which houses the Van Gogh exhibit along with many leafy denizens — provided its guests with a warm gust of air on an already fairly warm day. Not that some nice warm air is never welcome, but I would've appreciated something cooler on that day. Its permanent residents, though, were very welcoming as they towered over us, blocking out the light filtering through the skylight.

After meandering our way through the exhibits (twice), we finally came across some life-size recreations of some of Van Gogh's masterpieces. Lots of flowers in the vases but also one of a garden he painted!

My favorite area of the garden was definitely the reflecting pool part! They have plants in pots down that are submerged resulting in cute collections of lilypads. A kind man looking at a particular water drop on a lilypad let me borrow his binoculars to take a look and in it I saw the larvae of a mosquito squiring about, railing against its watery prison repeatedly without fail.

Here are some plant pics! Man I am tired.

anonymous subscriber news

I'm currently very tired so I will tackle that topic later. The one that is probably controversial. Who knows!

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animal of the week

Esteemed subscriber Carolyn Xu is on a hot streak this edition bringing us not only the two mentions including in the main package but also an animal of the week from their trip! You can read about it on her Substack!

Little thing from Yosemite

Send me your animal photos at ryan@torrtle.co!